Duke Physician Assistant Program Admissions Blog
Many students worry that if they are not prepared to apply to a physician assistant program in concert with the end of their undergraduate degree, they are hurting their chances of getting into PA school at all.
But did you know that only about 7% of our students in a given year come directly from college? For many, college is where the path to PA begins, but we do not believe that's where it must end.
Speak with schools individually or check their websites, of course, but many times a gap year not only helps your application, it also helps you be a better student when you arrive.
The best advice we can give about gap years is to use your time wisely.
During your senior year in college (and before!), lay out your plan
Research the schools that interest you and make a list of the minimum requirements for each. Note the places where you fall short of the requirements and base your plan around them. For many college seniors, this means patient care experience, but for others, it might be prerequisites or GPA.
Make a similar list of the criteria averages for recently accepted applicants. Where do you fall on the spectrum of students admitted in previous years? The places where you meet the requirements, but fall on the lower end, can be your next goal. Short-term investments such as a GRE prep course or a couple of higher-level natural science courses can pay dividends on the objective portion of your application.
Then make a list of your strengths. Does the school claim to look at applicants holistically? If so, do those strengths feel like they even out the hiccups you may have had along the way?
One tricky piece of applying to PA school is that each school can have wildly different requirements and expectations. Therefore, we have made a spreadsheet to help you keep track. A printable version and a more in-depth spreadsheet are available.
A gap year is something of a blank canvas where you can take stock of what you want and work towards it. One year of full-time patient care experience garners you approximately 2,000 hours. Taking a few classes can raise your GPA. Shadowing can give you experience with PAs if your previous experiences are primarily with other health care professionals. You can gain life experience and work to save money for your future years in PA school at the same time.
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The Duke Physician Assistant Program Admissions Blog presents information based on the experiences of Duke PA Program staff and faculty. While the information provided is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, requirements can change. Please visit the Duke PA Program website for the most up-to-date information.