Online Physician Assistant Programs

The healthcare industry is continuously evolving, with new advancements and setups being adopted in an effort to provide better patient care, as well as produce more professionals to meet inflated demands. One of the healthcare professionals that are much sought-after is the physician assistant, who is playing an increasingly important role in the medical field.

While working as part of a team, PAs function as independent professionals in charge of crucial day-to-day activities. These include diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medication, creating treatment plans, providing counseling, and conducting pre- and post-operative care. 

Considering how important PAs are in a medical setting, there is a growing need to fill more PA positions — but the talent is sparse. As part of the healthcare evolution, educational establishments are beginning to consider ways to make access to PA education more appealing to potential students. One of their recent efforts is making PA programs available online. 

What to Expect In an Online PA Program

While there are PA courses that can be taken online, there are still classes and practicum experience requirements that are reserved for the physical setting. Healthcare professionals are much more effective when trained with hands-on experience, and as such, some lab work and training sessions will still need to require students to attend campus. 

Online PA programs can be more accurately categorized as a hybrid learning model, where a balance between online coursework and on-site classes remains. This can make PA school more accessible for students, especially those who live in areas that don’t have schools offering the program or students who want to take a PA degree part-time. 

Because the majority of PA program courses will be conducted digitally, institutions offering online PA degrees have produced features that will enhance the distant-learning experience. These include: 

  • Cloud-based course library and database

  • Multimedia-rich learning resources 

  • Communication and collaboration platforms for correspondence between teachers and students 

  • Platform for placing hands-on training and clinical rotations with local clinics or hospitals

  • Software and hardware tech support 

Online PA Program Curriculum 

The basic standards of PA education should be uniform across all PA programs in the United States, whether they are conducted physically or online. Because of this, the curriculum for online PA classes would be relatively similar to what you can expect if you attend PA school in person — save for certain differences when it comes to administrative matters, communication protocols, how classes are conducted, as well as the overall experience. 

As with in-person physician assistant programs, online PA education would touch on a wide range of courses that can educate and train a student on a future role as a licensed PA. These courses span: 

  • Anatomy 

  • Behavioral science

  • Biochemistry

  • Clinical laboratory science

  • Diagnostic studies

  • Medical ethics

  • Microbiology

  • Pathophysiology

  • Pharmacology

  • Physical diagnosis

  • Physiology

  • Preventative medicine 

Most of these basic courses will cover introductions to the particular field of medicine in the first two years of PA education. When a student reaches their third year, they will typically start selecting their specializations and customizing their courses according to the field they are interested in. 

To help a student decide which specialization they want to pursue, PA programs also require clinical rotations that will expose students to the hospital setting. These clinical rotations would involve tasks such as shadowing working PAs, getting hands-on clinical experience, assisting in basic tasks as an intern, etc. 

Typically, online PA programs would require a student to gain clinical experience in a number of different specializations, including: 

  • Behavioral medicine 

  • Cardiology

  • Emergency medicine

  • Gastroenterology

  • General surgery

  • Infectious diseases

  • Internal medicine

  • Oncology

  • Pediatrics

  • Primary care

  • Surgical specializations

  • Women’s health 

The required hours for clinical rotations would depend on the PA program of your choice. However, the average is 2,000 hours. Hands-on clinical experience would typically take most of a student’s time completing a PA degree. While they can conduct coursework online, clinical experience requires them to be present in the hospital or clinical setting.

Admission Requirements for Online PA Programs

The admission requirements for online PA programs would differ depending on the institution offering the degree. Some schools have more stringent requirements than others, while there are also options that forego the GRE or interviews, for example.

It’s best to take a look at the specific requirements of PA programs on your radar so you can adequately prepare and complete the paperwork, prerequisite courses, or clinical experience they are asking for. 

However, most schools have pretty standard requirements for interested PA students. These include: 

  • Completion of prerequisite undergraduate courses. These typically involve science and pre-med subjects such as anatomy, biology, chemistry, microbiology, and physiology. 

  • GPA of 3.0 or higher

  • Outstanding cumulative GPA 

  • Top 50th percentile GRE scores 

  • Interview 

Some schools may also require previous healthcare or hands-on patient care experience totaling at least 500 hours. Depending on the PA program’s preferences, they usually accept experience credentials from positions such as EMTs, ER technicians, lab technicians, or medical assistants. Other programs may also require applicants to have spent a certain number of hours shadowing a licensed PA. 

Getting into PA school is half the battle, being just as competitive as the intense nature of the courses and the PA profession itself. This is because schools are after students who they think will make a good fit for their program and who embody the characteristics of a good future PA. Students applying for PA programs should show why they deserve a chance to study this particular medical field and earn a spot on the school’s list of PA students. 

If you intend on applying for PA school, you will need to prepare months in advance to accomplish all the requirements, take the prerequisite courses, and gain healthcare experience in case you don’t have them yet. While some programs may not require clinical experience, most PA students opt to get it anyway to make them more competitive candidates. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online PA Program

Taking your PA education online is a new experience. It can make it easier for you because everything is accessible wherever you are, as long as you have a laptop and internet connection. But just because it’s convenient, doesn’t mean it’s less of a commitment. Hence, you have to be ready. If you are considering getting your PA education online, here are some things that you need to think about. 

Live or Non-Live Classes 

Depending on faculty preferences, online PA classes can be live via a digital meeting room or come in the form of modules that students can take at their leisure. Both have their own sets of pros and cons and which one is better depends entirely on your personal preferences.

A live class enables a more interactive way of learning, giving you access to class discussions and allowing you to ask questions or make clarifications in real-time. On the other hand, non-live or module classes give you more control over your schedule, which is best for parents or those taking PA classes part-time.

On-Campus Requirements 

PA schools can set the parameters of their online PA curriculum. Some may adopt a hybrid learning model, requiring some courses to be taken on-campus. Others may allow a full online PA education, save for clinical experience that can be gained from any hospital or medical facility near you. 

This is something that you need to consider, especially if you’re thinking about applying to a PA program that is located in another city or region. 

Clinical Experience 

Some schools are able to cater to students from other regions by allowing them to get their clinical experience from any hospital or clinic in their area. However, there are also PA programs that have affiliate healthcare facilities and require that their students complete their clinical rotation hours there. 

If the latter is the case for the PA program on your radar, but you are halfway across the country, you may need to look for other options. 

A List of Available Online PA Programs 

The Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) is in charge of defining the standards for PA education, considering various criteria such as curriculum, degrees offered, administrative policies, financial resources, faculty qualifications, admissions policies, etc. The following online PA programs are accredited by the ARC-PA to provide PA education either fully online or in hybrid setups. 

Fully Online PA Programs 

The following PA programs do not have on-campus classes, except for the University of Wisconsin - Madison that requires students to report physically for the first summer semester. These schools, save for Stony Brook and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (one of the best PA schools in Wisconsin), also conduct classes through non-live modules. 

  • Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences: Doctor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (DScPAS) degree

  • Pace University: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree

  • Stony Brook: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree

  • Touro College: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree

  • University of Nebraska - Medical Center: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree

  • University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree

  • University of Wisconsin - Madison: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree

Hybrid PA Programs 

The following PA programs adopt hybrid learning models, requiring a combination of online coursework and on-campus classes. The Miami Dade College holds most courses online but asks students to complete their clinical hours in Florida. The University of North Dakota, on the other hand, requires on-campus learning for 15 weeks. Both schools hold live and non-live classes.

  • Miami Dade College: Doctor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (DScPAS) degree

  • University of North Dakota: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree

Considering an Online Physician Assistant Program 

If you are thinking about completing your PA education online, you need to be prepared and informed about the requirements, developments, and what you can expect in an online PA degree. This helps you prepare for this big venture that is going to be your reality for the next couple of years. Make sure that you are ready to take that leap as early as possible.

Even if you will be studying online, remember that the application process is just as competitive. We recommend that you make yourself a more appealing candidate by taking prerequisite courses, clocking in hours of shadowing, and getting clinical experience. 

Online PA programs make PA education more accessible and convenient for interested students. But it’s an entirely different experience that you need to be prepared to commit to. Regardless if the program is online or not, it’s going to be the same intense, demanding, and challenging journey to become a PA. But that is the rigorous training that helps create excellent physician assistants.