Post Baccalaureate Physician Assistant Programs Online

Last Updated on January 31, 2023 by Omoyeni Adeniyi

If you want to learn how to become a Physician Assistant, you will be happy to know that there are online Post Baccalaureate Physician Assistant programs available for anyone who wants to take the classes individually. In order to apply for Post Baccalaureate PA programs in California, you can plan at least one full year of your life because most of the California Post baccalaureate PA programs require that prospective candidates have a bachelor

Post Baccalaureate Physician Assistant Programs Online

Physician assistants (PAs) are crucial professionals in the modern U.S. healthcare system. PAs are not considered doctors (PAs are only required to have a master’s degree), but they are trained and licensed to carry out many of the same essential tasks including:

• Diagnosing illnesses and injuries
• Prescribing medication
• Creating and implementing treatment plans
• Counseling patients about care and treatment options
• Pre- and postoperative care

As such, online physician assistant programs provide a pathway to becoming a valuable practitioner in the healthcare field without the time and cost associated with completing a medical degree (MD) and its much lengthier residency requirements.

As an added benefit, becoming a PA offers an additional layer of career flexibility that is not as readily available to physicians. While the majority of PAs end up working in physicians’ offices External link , there is demand for their expertise in hospitals, outpatient facilities, urgent care facilities, virtual care centers (telehealth), educational settings, and psychiatric practices. Once licensed, PAs can transition between specialty areas in any of these environments often without any additional training.

The PA Program Online Experience

It is worth noting that becoming a physician assistant cannot happen entirely online. Both licensure and the required Master of Science Physician Assistant degree require substantial numbers of hours of hands-on, real-world practicum experience. This is in addition to any online coursework or required on-site classes.

However, completing a physician assistant program online is an opportune way to complete the required degree coursework in the times and places that work for you. Furthermore, when it comes to the clinical work, most schools will work with their online PA students to secure opportunities in convenient locations to avoid lengthy commutes.

Students can expect the online components of distance-learning PA programs to include:

• A cloud-based digital hub for accessing and submitting course content
• Multimedia-infused learning materials
• Embedded communication and collaboration opportunities for student-professor, and student-student interaction

• Access to academic advisors
• Placement support to help secure local options for completing clinical rotation requirements
• Tech support services to prevent and solve software and hardware issues

While the curriculum and clinical work can be time-consuming, it is possible to earn the required Master of Science Physician Assistant degree as a part-time student. That said, many schools discourage this practice due to the intensive nature of their programs. If you are looking to work part-time towards becoming a PA, be sure to thoroughly research whether or not a part-time option is feasible (or even available).

PA Program Online Admissions Requirements

Applying to an online physician assistant program can be a competitive proposition. While there is plenty of demand for PAs in the medical field, schools are reluctant to accept those who they do not feel will be equipped to complete their programs and go on to be exceptional professionals Due to the rigor of the PA curriculum, many schools are only looking for students that meet or exceed the following requirements:

• Undergraduate coursework that includes common pre-med sciences like chemistry, biology, microbiology, anatomy, physiology (lab courses are always a plus).
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, particularly in the sciences and pre-med disciplines
• GRE scores in the top 50th percentile or higher

Previous healthcare experience is not always a requirement; however, the strongest candidates will have some degree of hands-on patient care experience before applying to an online PA program. Most schools that do require healthcare experience are looking for a minimum of 500 hours’ worth and will often accept work from a wide variety of occupations: EMTs, RNs, lab technicians, medical assistants, ER technicians, and Peace Corps volunteers to name a few.

Again, be sure to check the specific requirements and suggested experience guidelines before applying to any particular online PA program.

Online PA Program Curriculum

In many regards, a physician assistant’s educational experience is similar to that of a physician. Unlike medical doctors or nurses pursuing a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program, PAs are trained in general medicine and are not expected to specialize in a particular area.

This is reflected in the diverse array of courses you can be expected to take as part of any PA online program:

• Anatomy
• Behavioral science
• Biochemistry
• Clinical laboratory science
• Diagnostic studies
• Medical ethics

• Microbiology
• Pathophysiology
• Pharmacology
• Physical diagnosis
• Physiology
• Preventative medicine

In addition to the coursework, online PA student’s are required to complete clinical rotations in the various focus areas of the profession. Thankfully, most schools will handle coordinating these on-site experiences on their students’ behalf – often in convenient local settings when possible.

The length and types of these rotations vary by program, but most include some combination of:

• Ambulatory medicine
• Behavioral medicine
• Cardiology
• Emergency medicine
• Gastroenterology
• General surgery

• Infectious diseases
• Internal medicine
• Oncology
• Pediatrics
• Primary care
• Various surgical specializations
• Women’s health

Averaging a total of 2,000 total hours, these clinical experiences usually comprise the majority of the time spent completing a high-quality online PA program.

Finally, many Master of Science (M.S.) Physician Assistant degrees require a final project comprised of both literary and clinical research that must be of publishable quality. Some schools will require presentation and/or publication of the findings as a graduation requirement.

post baccalaureate programs

A post-baccalaureate (postbac/post-bacc) program is for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree, and are interested in a health professions career. Programs vary in length, but generally range from 1-2 years.

Are there different types of post-bacc programs?

There are two different types of post-bacc programs. These programs target different populations of students. These students need either to finish prerequisite courses and/or need to improve their academic standing for a more competitive application.

Career Changer

A student may have decided to pursue a health professions career later in their undergraduate career or even after they already graduated. For these students, they would look into a career changer program. Career changer programs are geared to students who have completed little or no premed/health career science requirements. Students will take lower-division prerequisites required for admissions, such as general chemistry and biology. Career changer programs are typically two year certificate programs:

• CSU Fullerton
• CSU Los Angeles
• USC

Academic Record Enhancer

Students may have also completed their prerequisite science requirements but need to take more additional sciences to strengthen their science GPA. These students would look to academic enhancement programs. Students will not retake general science courses they have already completed. Instead, they will take upper-division science courses. These are typically one year certificate or Master’s programs:

• CSU Los Angeles
• UC Irvine
• Keck Graduate Institute

What should I look for in a post-bacc program?

First, looking into whether you want to go into a career changer or an academic enhancement program.

Next, decide whether you want to do a structured or unstructured post-bacc program:

• A structured program has a set curriculum that is taken in a specific order. They may offer more support services for students seeking to apply to professional school.
• An unstructured program is more flexible with courses taken, with individual students planning out needed coursework. Unstructured programs may function like Open University at CSULB, with students being able to sign up for classes if spots are available.

post bacc for pa school california

The Postbaccalaureate Pre-PA Certificate (PPA) program at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) in Claremont, CA, is designed specifically for those looking to enhance their academic credentials to gain a competitive advantage for admission into Physician Assistant programs. Students also have the opportunity to complete a Master’s degree during the glide year when applying to PA programs.

Co-Curricular Activities & Professional Development

Last year’s cohort created many memories during our trip to 13 PA programs, including a trip to Arizona to visit programs in the Grand Canyon State.

Students love our program for the ALS 398 course, which was designed exclusively to support students with their applications, GRE prep course, and effective practice interviews. Our students also gain a tremendous amount of personal and developmental value through the program’s individual financial planning, collaborative culture, mentoring, and connection to our strong alumni network.

pre pa post bacc programs texas

UTA offers an unstructured, informal, non-degree seeking, on-campus Post-Bacc Program for students with a completed bachelor’s degree who want to take undergraduate pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy, pre-PA, etc. coursework at UTA. 

There is no set curriculum or required classes for the program except for courses based on graduate school requirements and recommendations. This program is ideal for career changers, students who need to complete the majority of prerequisite courses, or already fairly competitive applicants that would like to take additional upper level science courses to show positive trend. Classes are not offered online. (Exception – Spring & Summer 2020 and some Fall 2020 courses due to COVID-19) Interested students should read the FAQs and resources provided below.