PA · Winston-Salem, North Carolina · private
Wake Forest University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Wake Forest asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 11 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
One semester only, "a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours," not the two-semester sequence the baseline assumes. Lab recommended, not required, and lab hours do not count toward the three.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Biochemistry specifically, "one semester (a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours)." Organic chemistry is not listed as an alternative.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English or writing course appears on Wake Forest's prerequisite list.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Statistics, "one semester (a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours)."
- Psychologynot required here
Psychology does not appear on Wake Forest's prerequisite list.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
Required and specific about content: "one semester (a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours) of a molecular-based genetics course."
- Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
6 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"Human Anatomy and Human Physiology: one full academic year (a minimum of six semester hours or eight quarter hours)." "This requirement may be met by taking either one semester of Human Anatomy and one semester of Human Physiology, or two semesters of Human Anatomy and Human Physiology combined." Human-based, lab recommended rather than required, and lab hours do not count toward the six.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
"one semester (a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours)." Lab recommended if applicable, not required.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required: "one course in medical terminology." No credit floor is attached to this line, unlike the science prerequisites.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerecommendeddiffers
500+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as required.
Wake Forest publishes a single 1,000 hour "healthcare experience" minimum, recorded on the healthcare experience line, and does not split patient care from other healthcare work. What it says it wants inside that number is hands-on: "Patient contact experience in a position that requires a period of training and results in direct (hands-on) patient care," and "Healthcare experience involves direct interaction with patients." Plan for the 1,000 hours to be genuine patient contact.
- Healthcare experiencerequireddiffers
1000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as recommended.
"The Wake Forest University School of Medicine PA Program requires a minimum of 1,000 hours of healthcare employment or other direct patient contact experience." One combined number; the program does not publish separate patient care and healthcare experience figures. For the cycle the page describes, the hours had to be complete by October 1, 2026. Shadowing does not count. The program also looks for "Evidence of community service in a health care setting."
- PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
"We encourage applicants to 'shadow' PAs in order to become informed about the profession, although shadowing does not count toward the required patient contact experience hours." No number is published.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommended
No published minimum
Only a handful of programs require a science faculty letter by name. An academic letter is welcome nearly everywhere and mandatory almost nowhere.
- PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Not required by title. "The PA Program requires at least three letters of reference that must be submitted through the CASPA application. One reference must be from a health care professional." A PA satisfies that clinician letter but so does any other health care professional.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
No supervisor letter is named; the only constraint on the three letters is that one comes from a health care professional.
Also on the school’s page
Wake Forest names seven prerequisites, each with a credit floor: genetics, general chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and statistics at "one semester (a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours)" each, human anatomy and physiology at "one full academic year (a minimum of six semester hours or eight quarter hours)," and "one course in medical terminology." Grades must be C or higher, C minus not accepted, and everything must be complete by December 31, 2026 for the cycle the page describes. Labs are recommended, not required, and do not count toward the credit floors: "We also recommend that prerequisite courses be completed with a lab, if applicable. Lab hours will not be counted towards prerequisite course credit hour requirements." The recency window is advisory but pointed: "For your own academic preparedness, we strongly recommend that applicants repeat any prerequisite course that was completed before 2021." Online courses that do not produce a transcript grade need a conversation with the admissions office first. GPA floor: "Applicants must have a total overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher." The GRE is required with no minimum: "Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test within five years of the application deadline," reported through CASPA with program code 5923. The PA-CAT and Casper are not mentioned. Citizenship is a gate: "The WFSM PA Program accepts applications from U.S. citizens and permanent residents." A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution must be earned by December 31, 2026. "Computer literacy is encouraged." Wake Forest publishes one healthcare experience number rather than separate patient care and healthcare experience figures, so the 1,000 hour minimum is recorded on the healthcare experience line below.
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Wake Forest still needs from you.
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