Pre-Physician Assistant

About Our Pre-Physician Assistant Program

High school seniors who apply to Clarkson University for undergraduate studies are eligible to apply for the pre-physician assistant plan as part of their application. Applicants must demonstrate scholarship in math and science and a representative SAT/ACT score. Participation in health-related courses and activities is encouraged.

The pre-physician assistant plan is not a major or minor. Students must declare a major in an area of interest, but will be required to take the 10 prerequisite courses for the physician assistant program as part of their degree. At least three prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the second year. Patient care hours must be acquired during the first two years as well. At least 100 hours of the 500-hour total is required by this time. 

Student advising will be done by the department of the declared major with input from the health science advisor and the physician assistant advisor when needed. Pre-physician assistant students will be expected to participate in physician assistant program activities when possible.

What Do I Need to be in the Pre-Physician Assistant Program?

Students must achieve and maintain a GPA of at least 3.25 throughout their undergraduate years. No grade less than B is acceptable for prerequisite courses. The students must also be free of any disciplinary problems. At the end of the second undergraduate year, students will meet with the physician assistant faculty to determine their continuation in the pre-physician assistant plan. They must continue to acquire patient care hours and finish prerequisite courses while maintaining the above-mentioned GPA.

During their senior year, students must still formally apply through the centralized process (CASPA). Ten of the available seats in each cohort will be held for Clarkson University pre-physician assistant students. Each student that successfully completes the prerequisites of the pre-physician assistant plan will be granted an interview and then compete for the available seats with other pre-physician assistant applicants. Applicants that are not Clarkson pre-physician assistant students will compete for the remaining seats with hundreds of other applicants. Successful candidates will be accepted for the cohort beginning the following January.