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Pre-Physician Assistant Program

Balboa PA lab

Are you interested in becoming a Physician Assistant in the future? To become a Physician Assistant you will need to graduate with your bachelor's degree first then apply to a graduate program in Physician Assistant studies.

Physician Assistant programs are among the most competitive graduate programs in the nation. That is why it is vitally important to choose a university with a robust Pre-Physician Assistant program like ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç. You can complete any major during your time at ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç but we recommend either applied health science, biology, chemistry or biology-chemistry as your major. 

In conjunction with ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç Physician Assistant faculty, ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç’s Pre-Physician Assistant program is advised by Dr. Brandon Sawyer who guides and encourages students wishing to pursue admissions to Physician Assistant school. Furthermore, ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç offers a robust clinical internship experience for students majoring in applied health science. The clinical internship is led by Professor Rachel La Costa who is a practicing Physician Assistant in San Diego. Professor La Costa also serves as the faculty advisor for the Physician Assistant arm of the Point Loma Pre-Health Student Association (PLPHSA). We highly recommend that all Pre-PA students get connected with our PLPHSA. Follow us on and and reach out to Professor La Costa for more information. 

¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç also offers a masters degree in Physician Assistant studies which will prepare you to become a licensed Physician Assistant. Learn more about the program here. ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç alumni are granted a slight advantage on their application scoring over non-¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç applicants. There is also an opportunity for ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç freshman to apply to and enter the Physician Assistant Scholar program.  This program guarantees admission into ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç’s Physician Assistant program if all criteria are met and maintained through the 4 years at ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç. You can learn more about the PA Scholars Program here

¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç alumni have attended Physician Assistant programs all over the nation including: 

  • ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç
  • Loma Linda University of Health Sciences
  • Chapman University
  • George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences
  • California Baptist University
  • Western University of Health Sciences
  • University of California Davis
  • Northwestern University
  • Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Northeastern University
  • Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science
  • Mary Baldwin University
  • Southern California University of Health Sciences
  • Drexel University
  • Trevecca Nazarene University
See how ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç prepares rising professionals for bright futures in careers and advanced academic programs in health, medicine, kinesiology, occupational therapy, anatomy, and more.