Pre-Physician Assistant
MPAS / MHS • Prepare for PA school. PAs are among the fastest-growing healthcare professions with flexible specialization.
~3.6 avg
CASPA 2024
Avg Applicant GPA
~2,700 direct care hrs avg
Typical Experience
15 courses
Required Courses
4 areas
Key Experiences
Required Courses
Click any course to see who teaches itThese courses are required by most MPAS / MHS programs.
Recommended Courses
Not required but strengthen your application significantly.
Key Experiences Needed
How applicants actually build each one. Not just what to do, but how.
Paid direct patient care
- 1Get certified as an EMT, CNA, medical assistant, patient care tech, or phlebotomist
- 2Work the paid job. Competitive PA applicants have 2,000-3,000 hours of hands-on care, almost all of it paid
- 3Start freshman or sophomore year; this is the single most important part of a PA application
PA shadowing
- 1Shadow PAs across several specialties (100+ hours)
- 2Ask the PAs where you work to let you shadow (shadowing is observation-only)
Community service
- 1Add some non-clinical or underserved-community service for a well-rounded app
- 2Consistency matters more than variety
Research (increasingly valued)
- 1Join a lab if you can fit it in
- 2Not required, but helps at competitive programs
Build your Pre-Physician Assistant plan
Map your courses by semester & plan your experiences →
Quick Links
💡 UT Austin Advantage
Austin is one of the best places in Texas to rack up the paid patient-care hours PA schools demand. Austin-Travis County EMS is a nationally respected system, and scribe, medical-assistant, and tech roles are everywhere, so a certified paid role you start sophomore year can carry you to the 2,000-3,000 hours competitive applicants have.
📍 Austin Resources
- • Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS)
- • UTEMS (on-campus)
- • ScribeAmerica Austin
- • Dell Seton Medical Center
- • People's Community Clinic