Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide

February 2, 2015 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 155 Comments

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Patient Care and Healthcare Experience for PA School

'GPA and performance in the prerequisites are undeniably very important but a meaningful HCE is a near second!' - Duke Physician Assistant ProgramClick To Tweet

Today we are going to tackle step 2 of my 5 steps to PA school series by taking a very detailed look at healthcare experience requirements for PA school.

Included, in this discussion is a side-by-side comparison of healthcare experience requirements of all PA programs in the United States.

PA is different from most other health professions in that to be competitive as an applicant it often requires a very large number of hours of paid healthcare experience.

But the question remains: How many hours of healthcare-related experience do you need to give yourself a competitive advantage along with a broad range of application options in the shortest amount of time?

What do you think?

Healthcare Experience Requirements for PA School

Below is a table comparing the hours of healthcare experience required and type of healthcare experience requested by the majority of Physician Assistant Programs in the United States.

Here are some of the fields that are typically accepted by most programs:

Military Corpsman
EMT or paramedic
Combat Medic
Registered Nurse (RN), BSN, LPN
EEG or EKG technician
Emergency room technician
Physical therapy aide
Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
Medical Assistant (MA)
Respiratory Therapist
Dietician
Phlebotomist
International healthcare based mission trips
Hospice
Medical Technologist
Licensed Practical Nurse
Dental Hygienist OR Technologist
X-Ray Technologist
Physical/Occupational Therapist
Medical Social Worker Mental
Health Care Counselor
Aide in Dialysis Unit
Optometry Assistant
Chiropractic Assistant

We have had many military medics as students in our program. This experience is a great foundation for the profession. - Elissa Love, BCM PA Program in Houston

Here are some activities that are typically not accepted by most programs:

Taking care of a family member is not really clinical experience. You can mention it and talk about the clinical care you provided, but it's not really what PA schools are looking for. (Although you should take care of your family)
Observation of any kind (i.e., shadowing a physician or PA)
Conducting research
Helping in the health center at a summer camp
Medical records personnel or clerical worker in a medical office or hospital
Pharmacy technician/clerk
Training without employment (such as EMT/MICT, etc.)
Healthcare experience which is part of a healthcare training program (i.e., clinical rotations, fieldwork, or internships)
Providing first aid as a coach, scout leader, etc

See more detailed list at the end of this post

Here are some activities that are highly variable:

Medical Scribe is one of those very gray areas in that it provides exposure but is not always hands-on. Many schools accept it and many don't.
Working as a medical interpreter
Volunteering
Athletic trainer

"We strongly believe that HCE is a predictor of success because it readies the student for the clinical environment, introduces them to pathophysiology, and prepares them for the rigor of our program and the demands and high standard of our didactic and clinical years." - Case Western Reserve University

Healthcare Experience vs. Patient Care Experience. What's the difference?

In the CASPA experience section, you will be asked to enter both patient care and healthcare experience hours.

They sound like the same thing, but It's important that you understand the difference as you can only enter each experience once and schools may prefer one over the other.

Patient Care Experience (PCE): Experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care. For example, prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, designing a treatment regimen, actively working on patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc.

Healthcare Experience (HCE): Both paid and unpaid work in a health or health-related field where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care, but may still have patient interaction; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patients and/or their rooms, administering food or medication, taking vitals or other record-keeping information, working as a scribe, CNA (depending on the job description), medical assistant, etc.

To make it simple, think of patient care experience as hands-on patient care hours. Everything else is healthcare experience. It's also important not to "double-dip." You can enter your experience only once, but you can divide your experience hours from one job into both PCE and HCE.

For example, say you work at an interventional pain medicine clinic where you spend half your time at the front desk answering calls and the other half of your time as a patient care technician assisting in the surgery center. If you had 2000 hours of experience split equally, you would enter 1000 hours as HCE and the other 1000 hours as PCE. Problem solved!

"If one school accepts your experience as patient care experience, list it under patient care in CASPA. And the schools that don't count it as patient care let them make the decision to consider those healthcare hours so you don't jeopardize your chances at a program that does see them as direct patient care." - James Kim PA-S

How many patient care experience hours should you have to apply to PA school?

According to the latest PAEA program survey and report, for those applicants accepted to PA school, the average student had 2,664 patient contact experience hours. Accepted students had, on average, 756 hours of “other healthcare experience”, 338 hours of community service, 2,155 hours of other work experience, and 94 hours of healthcare shadowing.

Healthcare Experience Hours for PA School 2020 — Source: PAEA program report 2019-2020

PA School Applicant Quick Tip:

Aim for at least 2,000 hours (one year of full-time work) of patient care experience.

Here is my healthcare experience prior to PA school

Two years working hands-on as an outpatient and inpatient phlebotomist and lab technician at the University of Washington Hospital as an undergraduate and one year part-time in the outpatient clinic.
Two years working for the Puget Sound Blood Center as a Senior Mobile Phlebotomist after graduation
Three months working with special needs youth through Seattle Parks and Recreation
One year working in medical records and shadowing with the PAs and doctors as a freshman at the UW (this is how I got my start in the hospital)
Many hours volunteering in patient transport and at Seattle Children's Hospital
Certification as an EMT (although I never worked as one so I guess this doesn't count, but it sounds good 🙂 )

Total hours: Upwards of 5,000 hands-on patient care hours + many as a volunteer

Take a minute (or thirty) to browse through the table and I will meet you again at the bottom for a heated discussion! (as well as the answer to the survey question above)

Table: Healthcare Experience Requirements by Physician Assistant Program (204 programs)

New tool! Explore healthcare experience requirements for all 256 PA programs and sort this among 14 other PA school requirements at The Perfect PA School Program Picker ⇒

Physician Assistant Program	State	Healthcare Experience Requirement
Adventist University of Health Sciences	Florida	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Albany Medical College	New York	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Alderson-Broaddus University	West Virginia	Not required
Anne Arundel Community College	Maryland	Preferred/recommended
Arcadia University	Pennsylvania	200 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Arizona School of Health Sciences	Arizona	Preferred/recommended
Augsburg College	Minnesota	Preferred/recommended
Baldwin Wallace University	Ohio	Preferred/recommended
Barry University	Florida, Virgin Islands	Preferred/recommended
Bay Path College	Massachusetts	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Baylor College of Medicine	Texas	Not required
Bethel University	Tennessee	Preferred/recommended
Bethel University	Minnesota	250 hours Acceptable Experience: Not specified
Boston University	Massachusetts	Not required
Bryant University	Rhode Island	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Butler University	Indiana	Not required
Campbell University	North Carolina	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Carroll University	Wisconsin	150 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
CCNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education	New York	Not required
Central Michigan University	Michigan	100 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Chapman University	California	1,000 hours health care related work experience, paid or voluntary.
Chatham University	Pennsylvania	Preferred/recommended
Christian Brothers University	Tennessee	See Program Website
Clarkson University	New York	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Concordia University	Wisconsin	124 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Cornell University	New York	No minimum 200 hour recommended.Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
CUNY York College	New York	200 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Cuyahoga Community College/Cleveland State University	Ohio	Preferred/recommended
D'youville College	New York	80 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Daemen College	New York	120 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Des Moines University	Iowa	750 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Desales University	Pennsylvania	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Drexel University	Pennsylvania	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Duke University Medical Center	North Carolina	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Duquesne University	Pennsylvania	Not required
East Carolina University	North Carolina	See Program Website
Eastern Michigan University	Michigan	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Eastern Virginia Medical School	Virginia	Preferred/recommended
Elon University	North Carolina	250 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Emory University	Georgia	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Franklin Pierce University	New Hampshire	See Program Website
Gannon University	Pennsylvania	30 hours Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Gardner Webb University	North Carolina	Preferred/recommended
George Washington University	District of Columbia	1,000 hours
Georgia Regents University	Georgia	See Program Website
Grand Valley State University	Michigan	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Harding University	Arkansas	100 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (FIU)	Florida	See Program Website
Heritage University	Washington	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
High Point University	North Carolina	200 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Hofstra University	New York	100 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Howard University	District of Columbia	100 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Idaho State University	Idaho	Not required
Indiana State University	Indiana	Preferred/recommended
Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences	Indiana	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Interservice	Texas	see program website
James Madison University	Virginia	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Jefferson College of Health Sciences	Virginia	500 hours Acceptable experience not specified
Johnson & Wales University	Rhode Island	250 hours Direct patient care in the United States and in an allopathic or osteopathic medical setting.
Keiser University	Florida	see program website
Kettering College	Ohio	Preferred/recommended
King's College	Pennsylvania	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Lake Erie College	Ohio	250 hours At least 50 of the 250 hours must be from direct shadowing of a licensed physician assistant. Here is the form for PA shadowing. Although this form does not need to be used exclusively, all prospective students will need to retain documentation. Documentation must be available for verification.
Le Moyne College	New York	750 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Lenoir-Rhyne University	North Carolina	Not required
Lincoln Memorial	Tennessee	Preferred/recommended
Lock Haven University	Pennsylvania	see program website
Loma Linda University	California	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Long Island University	New York	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Louisiana State University - New Orleans	Louisiana	80 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Louisiana State University - Shreveport	Louisiana	80 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Lynchburg College	Virginia	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Marietta College	Ohio	Preferred/recommended
Marist College	New York	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Marquette University	Wisconsin	200 hours Acceptable experience not specified.
Marshall B. Ketchum University	California	Preferred/recommended
Mary Baldwin College	Virginia	see program website
Marywood University	Pennsylvania	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
MCPHS University (Boston)	Massachusetts	Preferred/recommended
MCPHS University (Manchester/Worcester)	New Hampshire	Preferred/recommended
MCPHS University (Manchester/Worcester)	Massachusetts	Preferred/recommended
Medical University of South Carolina	South Carolina	Preferred/recommended
Mercer University	Georgia	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Mercy College	New York	Preferred/recommended
Mercyhurst University	Pennsylvania	200 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Methodist University	North Carolina	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
MGH Institute of Health Professions	Massachusetts	see program website
Miami-Dade College	Florida	see program website
Midwestern University (Downers Grove)	Illinois	Preferred/recommended
Midwestern University (Glendale)	Arizona	Preferred/recommended
Misericordia University	Pennsylvania	Preferred/recommended
Mississippi College	Mississippi	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Missouri State University	Missouri	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Monmouth University	New Jersey	200 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
New York Institute of Technology	New York	100 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Northeastern University	Massachusetts	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Northern Arizona University	Arizona	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Northwestern University	Illinois	see program website
Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale	Florida	Preferred/recommended
Nova Southeastern University, Jacksonville	Florida	Preferred/recommended
Nova Southeastern University, Orlando	Florida	Preferred/recommended
Nova Southeastern University, Southwest Florida	Florida	Preferred/recommended
Ohio Dominican University	Ohio	250 hours Acceptable experience not specified
Oregon Health & Science University	Oregon	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Our Lady of the Lake College	Florida	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Pace University	New York	200 hours Acceptable Experience Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Pacific University	Oregon	1,000 hours
Penn State University	Pennsylvania	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Pennsylvania College of Technology	Pennsylvania	see program website
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine	Pennsylvania	see program website
Philadelphia University	Pennsylvania	200 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Quinnipiac University	Connecticut	see program website
Red Rocks Community College	Colorado	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Rochester Institute of Technology	New York	Preferred/recommended
Rocky Mountain College	Montana	250 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions	Utah	250 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Rosalind Franklin Univ of Medicine	Illinois	Preferred/recommended
Rush University	Illinois	see program website
Rutgers University	New Jersey	Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Saint Catherine University	Minnesota	Preferred/recommended
Saint Francis University	Pennsylvania	Preferred/recommended
Saint Louis University	Missouri	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Salus University	Pennsylvania	300 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Samuel Merritt College	California	see program website
San Joaquin Valley College	California	see program website
Seton Hall University	New Jersey	100 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Seton Hill University	Pennsylvania	300 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Shenandoah University	Virginia	Preferred/recommended
South College	Tennessee	see program website
South University	Georgia	Preferred/recommended
South University, Tampa	Florida	see program website
Southern Illinois University	Illinois	Preferred/recommended
Springfield College	Massachusetts	see program website
St. Ambrose University	Iowa	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
St. John's University	New York	Preferred/recommended
Stanford University	California	3,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Stony Brook University	New York	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Sullivan University	Kentucky	250 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
SUNY Downstate Medical Center	New York	A minimum of 225 hours of health-related experience
SUNY Upstate Medical Center	New York	1,000 hours health care related volunteer or employment experience-direct patient care preferred.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	Texas	40 hours Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Thomas Jefferson University	Pennsylvania	Preferred/recommended
Touro College (Bay Shore)	New York	see program website
Touro College (Manhattan)	New York	see program website
Touro University - California	California	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Touro University Las Vegas	Nevada	Preferred/recommended Paid experience with hands-on patient care Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Towson University CCBC - Essex	Maryland	800 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Trevecca Nazarene University	Tennessee	Preferred/recommended
Tufts University School of Medicine	Massachusetts	1,000 hours Acceptable Experience Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Union College	Nebraska	480 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of Alabama at Birmingham	Alabama	Preferred/recommended
University of Arkansas	Arkansas	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
University of Bridgeport	Connecticut	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
University of California-Davis	California	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of Charleston	West Virginia	Preferred/recommended
University of Colorado	Colorado	see program website
University of Dayton	Ohio	250 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant.
University of Detroit/Mercy	Michigan	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
University of Findlay	Ohio	Preferred/recommended
University of Florida	Florida	Preferred/recommended
University of Iowa	Iowa	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
University of Kentucky	Kentucky	1,050 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant.
University of Missouri - Kansas City	Missouri	Preferred/recommended
University of Mount Union	Ohio	see program website
University of Nebraska	Nebraska	Preferred/recommended
University of New England	Maine	250 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
University of New Mexico	New Mexico	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of North Carolina	North Carolina	see program website
University of North Dakota	North Dakota	5,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
University of North Texas HS Center Ft Worth	Texas	Not required
University Of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	Preferred/recommended
University of Oklahoma, Tulsa	Oklahoma	Preferred/recommended
University of Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
University of South Alabama	Alabama	Not required
University of South Dakota	South Dakota	Preferred/recommended
University of Southern California	California	Preferred/recommended
University of St. Francis	New Mexico	see program website
University of St. Francis (Fort Wayne)	Indiana	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
University of Tennessee Health Science Center	Tennessee	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of Texas - HS Center at San Antonio	Texas	Preferred/recommended
University of Texas - Medical Branch at Galveston	Texas	Not required
University of Texas - Pan American	Texas	50 hours Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of the Cumberlands	Kentucky	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of the Sciences of Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	400 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of Toledo	Ohio	Preferred/recommended
University of Utah	Utah	2,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
University of Washington	Washington	2,000 hours acceptable but 4000 hours recommended Paid experience with hands-on patient care
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse	Wisconsin	see program website
University of Wisconsin - Madison	Wisconsin	see program website
Wagner College	New York	see program website
Wake Forest University	North Carolina	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care. Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care. Shadowing a physician or physician assistant
Wayne State University	Michigan	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
West Liberty University	West Virginia	Preferred/recommended
Western Michigan University	Michigan	1,000 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Western University of Health Sciences	California	see program website
Wichita State University	Kansas	see program website
Wingate University	North Carolina	500 hours Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Yale University School of Medicine	Connecticut	Competitive applicants are recommended (but not required) to have a minimum of six months full-time healthcare employment, or 1,000 total hours of hands-on patient care experience and/or community service in a healthcare setting. (see website)

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PA Program Experience Requirements by the Numbers

If you crunch the numbers, the table above reveals some very interesting facts:

A total of 32 programs require 1,000 hours (11%)
Only 8 of 288 PA programs nationwide require 2,000 hours (2.7%)
Only 1 program requires no healthcare experience whatsoever (0.03%)
A total of 84 programs label healthcare experience as preferred/recommended (35.29%)
The rest are somewhere in-between (49%) with 59 schools (22%) requiring only 500 hours

What do you mean by healthcare "hours"?

Just in case you are wondering: 2,000 hours is the standard definition of one year of full-time work.

Simply put, there are 52 weeks in a year, assuming 2 weeks of vacation and a standard 40 hours of work per week: 50 x 40 = 2,000.

Thus, a school requiring 1,000 hours would mean you could work part-time for one year and meet the healthcare experience requirements.

On the others side of the coin, a school such as Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center which used to require 40 hours of health care experience means you could have worked one day and then quit. 😉

By now you may be saying "This is great news, Stephen, only 11% of schools require more than 1,000 hours of healthcare experience, I can take it easy!"

Not so fast!

If you have read my post "Who Gets Into PA School? Here’s What You Need to Know" you may have noticed that according to the latest PAEA Annual Report on Physician Assistant Educational Programs in the United States, on average, among matriculating students just above 1 year (roughly 2,300 hours) of prior experience is most common.

You can see the full breakdown below:

FIRST-YEAR CLASS HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE HOURS FOR PA SCHOOL - SOURCE PAEA — Source: PAEA Program Report

Just in case you are ~~lazy~~ curious I have included a list of links to PA programs which do not require healthcare experience (HCE) hours to apply.

PA programs in which no prior healthcare experience is required: 3 schools

Currently, there are 3 PA schools that do not require healthcare experience upon application.

Click Here to See the List

PA programs with healthcare experience NOT REQUIRED but RECOMMENDED/PREFERRED: 84 schools

Currently, there are 84 PA schools that have no healthcare experience minimums but to be competitive it is preferred/recommended.

Click Here to See the List

1. Adventist University of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program

Our program seeks to educate individuals in becoming knowledgeable, compassionate and spiritually uplifting healthcare providers. Whether…
Address: Adventist University of Health Sciences 671 Winyah Drive Orlando, FL 32803
Web: http://www.adu.edu/academics/ms-physician-assistant

2. Anne Arundel Community College Physician Assistant Program

Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School (UMB)prepares students to become competent,…
Address: Admission Office School of Health Professions, FLR 306101 College ParkwayArnold, MD 21012
Web: http://www.aacc.edu/physassist/

3. Arizona School Of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program

The A.T. Still University Department of Physician Assistant Studies provides a learning-centered education that develops exemplary…
Address: Arizona School of Health Sciences 5850 E. Still Circle Mesa, AZ 85206
Web: http://www.atsu.edu/ashs/programs/physician_assistant/

4. Augsburg College Physician Assistant Program

The Augsburg PA Program was the first in the state of Minnesota. We have a long history of success with our graduates consistently passing…
Address: Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Avenue Campus Box 149 Minneapolis, MN 55454
Web: http://www.augsburg.edu/pa/

5. Barry University Physician Assistant Program

The Program seats students at the Barry University campus in Miami Shores, at St. Petersburg College, through a partnership with the…
Address: Barry University 11300 NE 2nd Avenue Miami, FL 33161
Web: http://www.barry.edu/physician-assistant/

6. Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

Baylor College of Medicine is committed to being a national leader in advancing human health through the integration of patient care,…
Address: Baylor College of Medicine One Baylor Plaza M108 Houston, TX 77030
Web: http://www.bcm.edu/pap/

7. Bethel University Physician Assistant Program (Tennessee)

Bethel University’s mission is to create opportunities for members of the learning community to develop to their highest potential as whole…
Address: Bethel University 302B Tyson Avenue Paris, TN 38242
Web: http://www.bethelu.edu/academics/colleges

8. CCNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education Physician Assistant Program

The mission of The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at The City College of New York is to produce broadly-educated, highly…
Address: CCNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education PA Admissions Committee 160 Convent Avenue, HR 15 New York, NY 10031
Web: http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sophiedavis/index.cfm

9. Chapman University Physician Assistant Program (California)

Our mission is to empower our local and global communities through training self-aware, inter-professional, well rounded physician…
Address: Chapman University One University Avenue Orange, CA 92866
Web: http://www.chapman.edu/crean/academic-programs/graduate-programs/physician-assistant/index.aspx

10. Chatham University Physician Assistant Program

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program at Chatham University provides academic and clinical training that will prepare…
Address: Chatham University MPAS Program, Office of Graduate Admissions, Berry Hall Woodland Road Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Web: http://www.chatham.edu/mpas/

11. Christian Brothers University Physician Assistant Program

The CBU Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies is located on the University campus. The cohort-based program consists of 110…
Address: Christian Brothers University 650 East Parkway South Memphis, TN 38104
Web: http://www.cbu.edu/PAS

12. College of Saint Mary Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the College of Saint Mary Physician Assistant Program is to establish an educational environment fostering academic…
Address: College of Saint Mary 7000 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68106
Web: http://www.csm.edu/academics/health-human-services/master-science-degree-physician-assistant-studies

13. College of Saint Scholastica Physician Assistant Program

The College of St. Scholastica’s mission is to educate Physician Assistant students within a comprehensive, interprofessional and…
Address: College of St. Scholastica Office of Graduate Admissions 1200 Kenwood Avenue Duluth, MN 55811
Web: http://www.css.edu/graduate/masters-doctoral-and-professional-programs/areas-of-study/ms-physician-assistant.html

14. Cuyahoga Community College Cleveland State University Physician Assistant Program

To educate and prepare Physician Assistants to serve the health care needs of diverse communities.
Address: Cuyahoga Community College 11000 West Pleasant Valley Road Parma, OH 44130
Web: http://www.tri-c.edu/programs/physicianassistant/Pages/default.aspx

15. Eastern Virginia Medical School Physician Assistant Program

The MISSION of the EVMS Physician Assistant Program is to prepare students to provide health care in a broad range of medical settings by…
Address: Eastern Virginia Medical School 651 Colley Avenue 3rd Floor Norfolk, VA 23501
Web: http://www.evms.edu/education/masters_programs/physician_assistant_program/

16. Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

The mission of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Master in Physician Assistant Studies is to prepare a…
Address: Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine 11200 SW 8th Street MARC Building #260 Miami, FL 33199
Web: http://medicine.fiu.edu/physician-assistant-program/admission-requirement/index.html

17. Gardner Webb University Physician Assistant Program

Gardner Webb University PA Program Mission Statement The Gardner-Webb PA Program is deeply committed to developing within each student a strong foundation in the basic medical, clinical and psychosocial sciences. This provides our graduates with the…
Address: Gardner Webb University 110 S. Main Street Boiling Springs, NC 28017
Web: http://www.gardner-webb.edu/academic-programs-and-resources/colleges-and-schools/health-sciences/schools-and-departments/physician-assistant-studies/index

18. Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant Program

The Hardin-Simmons University PA Program is dedicated to academic excellence in medical education. Our mission is to develop compassionate…
Address: Hardin-Simmons University 2200 Hickory Street HSU Box 16236 Abilene, TX 79698
Web: http://www.hsutx.edu/academics/holland/graduate/physician-assistant/

19. Howard University Physician Assistant Program

Howard University Physician Assistant Program has been in existence since 1974. Howard University Physician Assistant (PA) Department has…
Address: Howard University 516 Bryant Street NW, #119 Annex 2 Washington, DC 20059
Web: http://healthsciences.howard.edu/education/colleges/nursing-allied-health/division-of-ahs/departments/physician-assistant

20. Idaho State University Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Idaho State Physician Assistant program is to train PAs through service-oriented, multimodal, innovative learning.…
Address: Idaho State University 921 S. 8th Avenue Stop 8253 Pocatello, ID 83209
Web: http://www.isu.edu/PAprog/

21. Indiana State University Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Indiana State University Physician Assistant Program is to create a student-centered educational environment that…
Address: Indiana State University 567 N. 5th Street Terre Haute, IN 47809
Web: http://www.indstate.edu/amr/physician-assistant

22. Keiser University Physician Assistant Program

Keiser University is a regionally accredited private career university that provides educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate…
Address: Keiser University 1500 NW 49th Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
Web: http://www.keiseruniversity.edu/master-of-science-in-physician-assistant/

23. Kettering College Physician Assistant Program

The physician assistant (PA) program at Kettering College is the school’s first on-campus master’s degree, accredited as such…
Address: Kettering College 3737 Southern Boulevard Kettering, OH 45429
Web: http://www.kc.edu/pa

24. Lenoir-Rhyne University Physician Assistant Program

Our vision is that our graduates will be leaders in the healthcare community, healthcare technology, and clinical practice, continuously…
Address: 625 7th Ave NE, Hickory, NC 28601, United States
Web: https://www.lr.edu/physician-assistant-studies

25. Lock Haven University Physician Assistant Program

The Lock Haven University Physician Assistant Program represents the first Master Degree entry-level program within the Commonwealth of…
Address: Lock Haven University Physician Assistant Program 401 N. Fairview Street Lock Haven, PA 17745
Web: http://portal.lhup.edu/pa/

26. Marietta College Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Marietta College Physician Assistant Program is to help meet the need for qualified healthcare providers. The program…
Address: Marietta College 215 Fifth Street Marietta, OH 45750
Web: http://www.marietta.edu/departments/Physician_Assistant/index.html

27. Marshall B. Ketchum University Physician Assistant Program

MBKU will offer a 27 month Master of Medical Science (MMS) degree for the Physician Assistant program. PAs are health care professionals…
Address: Marshall B. Ketchum University 2575 Yorba Linda Boulevard Fullerton, CA 92831
Web: http://www.ketchum.edu/index.php/admissions/physician-assistant

28. MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Boston)

The mission of the MCPHS PA Program is to provide each student with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide quality medical care,…
Address: MCPHS University 179 Longwood Avenue Boston, MA 2115
Web: http://www.mcphs.edu/admission-and-aid/graduate-applicants/how-to-apply/physician-assistant-studies-mpas

29. MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Manchester) New Hampshire

Designed for students holding a bachelor’s degree in any field, the accredited Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program…
Address: 1260 Elm Street Room 122 Manchester, NH 3101
Web: http://www.mcphs.edu/academics/programs

30. MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Worcester) Massachusetts

The program prepares highly-qualified physician assistants who regardless of practice settings, are sensitive to both individual and…
Address: 19 Foster Street Worcester, MA 1608
Web: http://www.mcphs.edu/Academics/Programs

31. Medical University of South Carolina Physician Assistant Program

To educate highly competent physician assistants who are compassionate, culturally aware, and attuned to the primary health care needs of…
Address: Medical University of South Carolina Education and Student Life 171 Ashley Avenue Charleston, SC 29425
Web: http://www.musc.edu/chp/pa

32. Midwestern University Physician Assistant Program (Downers Grove)

The mission of the Midwestern University Physician Assistant (PA) Program is to develop competent and compassionate physician assistants…
Address: Midwestern University 555 31st Street Downers Grove, IL 60515
Web: http://www.midwestern.edu/programs-and-admission/il-physician-assistant-studies.html

33. Midwestern University Physician Assistant Program (Glendale)

Our rigorous program immerses you in basic and clinical sciences as you prepare to participate in 13.5 months of clinical rotations in…
Address: Midwestern University 19555 59th Avenue Glendale, AZ 85254
Web: https://www.midwestern.edu

34. Misericordia University Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Misericordia University pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Medical Science program is to prepare exceptional…
Address: Misericordia University 301 Lake Street Dallas, PA 18612
Web: http://www.misericordia.edu/page.cfm?p=655

35. North Greenville University Physician Assistant Program

Affiliated with and committed to the South Carolina Baptist Convention, North Greenville University is a co-educational liberal arts…
Address: 405 Lancaster Avenue Greer, S.C. 29650
Web: http://www.ngu.edu/pa-medicine.php

36. Northeastern Statue University Physician Assistant Program – Oklahoma

Northeastern Statue University PA Program – Oklahoma Mission Statement The proposed Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program specifically addresses the mission and operational philosophy of the University by: (1) directly…
Address: Northeastern University 611 N. Grand Avenue College of Science and Health Professions Tahlequah, OK 74464
Web: https://academics.nsuok.edu/healthprofessions

37. Northwestern University Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) Program is to prepare PAs to provide…
Address: Northwestern University 240 E. Huron Street Suite 1-200 Chicago, IL 60611
Web: http://www.northeastern.edu/bouve/pa/programs/ms.html

38. Nova Southeastern University Physician Assistant Program, Ft. Lauderdale

Our program has 14 full time faculty members who actively teach in class and laboratory sessions, as well as participate in various health…
Address: Nova Southeastern University Enrollment and Processing Services – PA Admissions 3301 College Avenue, PO Box 29900 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33329-9905
Web: http://www.nova.edu/chcs/pa/fortlauderdale/index.html

39. Nova Southeastern University Physician Assistant Program, Jacksonville

To provide an exemplary educational experience, which emphasizes primary medical care, yet will enable graduates to manifest competency…
Address: Nova Southeastern University 6675 Corporate Center Parkway Suite 115 Jacksonville, FL 32216
Web: http://healthsciences.nova.edu/pa/jacksonville/index.html

40. Nova Southeastern University Physician Assistant Program, Orlando

The Physician Assistant Program in Orlando offers educational excellence through the extensive experience of its faculty and its facilities…
Address: Nova Southeastern University 3301 College Avenue PO Box 299000 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33329-9905
Web: http://www.nova.edu/chcs/pa/orlando/index.html

41. Nova Southeastern University, Fort Myers Physician Assistant Program

The NSU PA Program Fort Myers endeavors to provide an educational experience that emphasizes primary medical care, provides healthcare…
Address: Nova Southeastern University 3650 Colonial Court Fort Myers, FL 33913
Web: http://healthsciences.nova.edu/pa/fort-myers/index.html

42. Ohio University Physician Assistant Program

Ohio University PA Program Mission Statement The mission of the Ohio University Master of Physician Assistant Practice Program is to prepare students to be leaders in physician assistant practice in any clinical setting with a particular emphasis on…
Address: Ohio University 6805 Bobcat Way Division of Physician Assistant Practice Dublin, OH 43016
Web: https://www.ohio.edu/chsp/rcs/pa/

43. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University

Our Lady of the Lake College PA Program Mission Statement The purpose of the Physician Assistant (PA) program is to educate outstanding physician assistants who, together with physicians and allied health professionals, will provide quality…
Address: Our Lady of the Lake College 5414 Brittany Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Web: https://www.franu.edu/academics/academic-programs/physician-assistant-studies

44. Rochester Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Program

The Rochester Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Program, built on a foundation of liberal arts and sciences, will prepare…
Address: Rochester Institute of Technology Office of Admissions – Bausch & Lomb Center 60 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623
Web: http://www.rit.edu/healthsciences/graduate-programs/physician-assistant

45. Rosalind Franklin Univ of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

To prepare exceptional healthcare professionals for leadership and evidence-based practice within a collaborative delivery model through…
Address: Rosalind Franklin University 3333 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064
Web: http://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/Degreeprograms/PhysicianAssistant.aspx

46. Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Physician Assistant Program is to prepare primary care physician…
Address: Rutgers University 675 Hoes Lane West Piscataway, NJ 08854-5635
Web: http://shp.rutgers.edu/dept/primary_care/paweb/

47. Saint Catherine University Physician Assistant Program

Influenced by Catholic intellectual tradition, the MPAS program is committed to preparing competent and compassionate Physician Assistant…
Address: Saint Catherine University 2004 Randolph Avenue #4027 Saint Paul, MN 55105
Web: https://www.stkate.edu/academics/graduate-degrees/academic-programs/mpas

48. Seton Hill University Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant Program at Seton Hill University is dedicated to the use of mobile technology to provide students with a quality…
Address: Seton Hill University 1 Seton Hill Drive Greensburg, PA 15601
Web: http://www.setonhill.edu/academics/graduate_programs/physician_assistant

49. Shenandoah University Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant (PA) Program is an accredited, eight-semester, 30-month, graduate-level program leading to a Master of Science in…
Address: Shenandoah University 1460 University Drive Winchester, VA 22601
Web: http://www.su.edu/physician-assistant/

50. Slippery Rock University Physician Assistant Program

Slippery Rock University PA Program Mission Statement SRU’s Physician Assistant Studies 24-month program is a combination of academic and clinical instruction, blended course delivery (onsite and online), team instruction, and collaborative…
Address: Slippery Rock University Welcome Center, 105 North Hall Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Web: http://www.sru.edu/academics/graduate-programs/physician-assistant-studies-master-of-science

51. South College Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the South College Masters of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is to educate highly qualified physician…
Address: South College 400 Goody’s Lane Parkside Campus Knoxville, TN 37922
Web: http://www.southcollegetn.edu/academics/academic-programs/master-of-physician-assistant-studies/

52. South University (Georgia) Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant Studies program at South University exists to educate a diverse student population as providers of high-quality,…
Address: South University 709 Mall Boulevard Savannah, GA 31406
Web: https://www.southuniversity.edu/savannah/areas-of-study/physician-assistant/physician-assistant-master-of-science-ms#

53. South University Physician Assistant Program (Tampa)

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program, offered at South University’s Savannah and Tampa campuses, offers you…
Address: Office of Admission 4401 N. Himes Avenue Tampa, FL 33614
Web: https://www.southuniversity.edu/tampa/areas-of-study/physician-assistant/physician-assistant-master-of-science-ms

54. South University Physician Assistant Program (West Palm Beach)

South University PA Program (West Palm Beach) Mission Statement The South University Physician Assistant (MS) exists to educate a diverse student population as providers of high-quality, cost-efficient health care who will make a positive difference…
Address: South University 9801 Belvedere Road Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Web: https://www.southuniversity.edu/west-palm-beach/areas-of-study/physician-assistant/physician-assistant-master-of-science-ms

55. Southern Illinois University Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Southern Illinois University Physician Assistant Program is to prepare healthcare professionals to provide primary…
Address: SIU PA Program 600 Agriculture Drive Carbondale, IL 62901
Web: http://www.siumed.edu/paprogram/

56. Thomas Jefferson University Physician Assistant Program

The Jefferson School of Health Professions is committed to educating healthcare professionals of the highest quality and ethical standards…
Address: Thomas Jefferson University 130 S. 9th Street Suite 100 Philadelphia, PA 19107
Web: http://www.jefferson.edu/pa

57. Touro University (Las Vegas) Physician Assistant Program

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program is committed to the education of highly qualified compassionate Physician Assistants who…
Address: Touro University 874 American Pacific Drive Henderson, NV 89011
Web: http://www.tun.touro.edu/

58. Touro University Nevada Physician Assistant Program

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program is committed to the education of highly qualified compassionate Physician Assistants who…
Address: Touro University 874 American Pacific Drive Henderson, NV 89011
Web: https://tun.touro.edu/programs/physician-assistant-studies/

59. University of Alabama at Birmingham Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the UAB Surgical Physician Assistant Program is to provide qualified individuals with the knowledge, skills, and judgment…
Address: University of Alabama at Birmingham SHPB 437 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294-1212
Web: http://www.uab.edu/shp/cds/physician-assistant

60. University of Charleston Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the University of Charleston Physician Assistant Program is to prepare competent physician assistants who value and provide…
Address: University of Charleston 2300 MacCorckle Avenue SE Charleston, WV 25304
Web: http://www.ucwv.edu/PA/

61. University of Colorado Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant Program is to provide comprehensive physician assistant education in primary…
Address: University of Colorado 13001 E. 17th Place Mail Stop F543 Aurora, CO 80045
Web: http://www.medschool.ucdenver.edu/paprogram

62. University of Evansville Physician Assistant Program

Small class sizes. Campus Location: San Rafael, CA, with many clinical placement sites
Address: University of Evansville 1800 Lincoln Avenue Evansville, IN 47722
Web:http://www.dbq.edu/Academics/OfficeofAcademicAffairs

63. University of Findlay Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant Program at The University of Findlay is committed to providing its students with the medical knowledge necessary…
Address: The University of Findlay 1000 North Main Street PA Program Findlay, OH 45840
Web: https://www.findlay.edu/healthprofessions/physicianassistant-ma/

64. University of Florida Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the School of Physician Assistant Studies is to recruit high quality students to become exemplary physician assistants who…
Address: University of Florida College of Medicine Box 100176 Gainesville, FL 32610
Web: http://pap.med.ufl.edu/

65. University of Missouri – Kansas City Physician Assistant Program

To educate competent, compassionate, and culturally-aware Physician Assistants who are prepared to meet the healthcare needs of our…
Address: University of Missouri – Kansas City 2411 Holmes Street M1-103 Kansas City, MO 64108
Web: http://med.umkc.edu/pa/

66. University Of Nebraska Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Physician Assistant Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is to educate a diverse student population as…
Address: University of Nebraska 984035 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-4035
Web: http://www.unmc.edu/alliedhealth/education/pa/mpas/index.html

67. University Of North Texas HS Center Ft Worth

Opened in 1970 as the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM), our 2,100-student campus has grown to also comprise the Graduate School…
Address: UNT Health Science Center UNT Admissions 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard Fort Worth, TX 76107
Web: https://www.unthsc.edu/school-of-health-professions/physician-assistant-studies/

68. University Of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Physician Assistant Program

In order to assist in meeting the health care needs of the people of Oklahoma, the mission of the University of Oklahoma Physician…
Address: Oklahoma City University 2501 Blackwelder Ave 224 NW 19th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73106
Web: https://www.oumedicine.com/familymedicine/academic-information/pa-program-okc

69. University Of Oklahoma, Tulsa Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Physician Assistant Program at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, is to train physician assistants…
Address: OUHSC Office of Admissions and Records 4502 E. 41st St. Tulsa, OK 74135
Web: http://www.ou.edu/content/tulsa/pa.html

70. University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne) Physician Assistant Program

The Department of Physician Assistant Studies provides education in medical knowledge and skills needed by individuals to serve effectively…
Address: University of Saint Francis 2701 Spring Street Fort Wayne, IN 46808
Web: http://pa.sf.edu/

71. University of South Dakota Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant Studies Program at the University of South Dakota provides a comprehensive primary care education that prepares…
Address: Physician Assistant Studies Julian Hall Room 120 414 E. Clark St. Vermillion, SD 57069
Web: http://www.usd.edu/health-sciences/physician-assistant/

72. University of Southern California Physician Assistant Program

The Primary Care Physician Assistant Program at USC is dedicated to the advancement of physician assistant education and emphasizes service…
Address: University of Southern California 1000 S. Fremont Avenue Unit 7, Building A-11, Room 150 Alhambra, CA 91803
Web: http://keck.usc.edu/Education

73. University of Texas – Medical Branch at Galveston Physician Assistant Program

To recruit, enroll, and graduate an academically, talented student body who will reflect the cultural, geographical, and socio-economical…
Address: The School of Health Professions The University of Texas Medical Branch 301 University Boulevard Galveston, Texas 77555-1145
Web: http://shp.utmb.edu/PhysicianAssistantStudies/

74. University of Texas – Pan American Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Physician Assistant Department (PAD) at the University of Texas – Pan American (UTPA) is to provide an advanced…
Address: The University of Texas-Pan American 1201 W. University Drive Edinburg, TX 78539-2999
Web: http://www.utpa.edu/pad

75. University of Texas – SW School of Health Professions

Established in 1972, the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program is a full-time, post-baccalaureate program that begins once a year…
Address: 6011 Harry Hines Blvd. Suite V4.114 Dallas TX 75390
Web: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/pa

76. University of Wisconsin – La Crosse Physician Assistant Program

The mission of our program is to educate highly competent and compassionate physician assistants who excel in meeting the healthcare needs…
Address: 1725 State St. La Crosse, WI 54601
Web: http://www.uwlax.edu/grad/physician-assistant-studies/

77. UT Southwestern Physician Assistant Program

The Mission of the UT Southwestern Department of Physician Assistant Studies, in accordance with the Competencies for the Physician…
Address: UT Southwestern 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard Suite V4.114 Dallas, TX 75390-9090
Web: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/school-of-health-professions/programs/masters-programs/physician-assistant-studies/index.html

78. West Liberty University Physician Assistant Program

West Liberty University began its Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) program in July 2012. Students accepted into the…
Address: West Liberty University 208 University Drive CUB 173 West Liberty, WV 26074
Web: http://www.westliberty.edu/physician-assistant/

79. Yale University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Yale University School of Medicine Physician Associate Program is to educate individuals to become outstanding…
Address: Yale University School of Medicine Physician Associate Program, PO Box 208083 New Haven, CT 06520-8083
Web: http://www.paprogram.yale.edu/

80. Interservice Physician Assistant Program

The IPAP mission is to educate and train PAs for the uniformed services. Our graduates are commissioned into the officer corps of their…
Address: Interservice PA Program 3599 Winfield Scott Road Academy of Health Sciences, Graduate School JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6130
Web: http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/ipap/

81. Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant Program

Fully licensed by the state of Connecticut, Quinnipiac’s physician assistant program leads to an MHS degree and provides the clinical…
Address: Quinnipiac University Office of Graduate Admissions 275 Mt. Carmel Avenue NH-GRD Hamden, CT 6518
Web: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/gradphysicianasst

82. Trine University Physician Assistant Program

All programs operate in accordance with the ARC-PA Standards, but programs may focus on specific populations, regions, teaching methods,…
Address: Trine University 1 University Avenue Angola, IN 46703
Web: http://www.trine.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/graduate/master-physician-assistant-studies/index.aspx

83. University of Mount Union Physician Assistant Program

The mission of the Mount Union Physician Assistant Studies Program is to educate knowledgeable, competent, and compassionate physician…
Address: University of Mount Union Physician Assisant Studies Program, 1972 Clark Avenue Alliance, OH 44601
Web: http://www.mountunion.edu/physician-assistant-program

84. Wichita State University Physician Assistant Program

With more than 100 years of combined clinical and more than 80 years of healthcare education experience, the department of Physician…
Address: Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Wichita, KS 67260-0043
Web: http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=pa

What constitutes healthcare experience (HCE)

As you can see from the table above, the acceptable experiential preparation requirements varies from school to school.

Most schools report accepting:

Paid experience with hands-on patient care
Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care
Shadowing a physician or physician assistant as acceptable HCE.

Many schools don't accept shadowing or volunteer hours as acceptable HCE so, as always, you must check the school website and contact the PA program directly if you have any questions whatsoever.

In the PAEA graphs and tables above you may have noticed that HCE was broken down into 6 general categories. This is because CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants) has 6 experience categories for reporting work and volunteer activities and the PAEA report is based on CASPA applicants.

Again, some PA programs will not accept HCE outside of the patient care experience category, although many do.

CASPA Reporting Work and Volunteer Experiences Categories

For a wonderfully detailed look at how to report work and/or volunteer experience in each of these categories I recommend you check out Paul Gonzales' amazingly thorough explanation on his blog "Trust me, I'm a PA Student".

The six CASPA reporting categories are as follows:

1. Patient Care Experience

This is the most important section. List experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient’s care; for example: prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, working on patients as an active EMT, etc.

2. Other Health Care Experience

You are working in the health or a health-related field but are not directly responsible for a patient’s care; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patient rooms, working as a “Candy Striper” or hospital volunteer, etc.

3. Health Care Shadowing

Time spent officially following and observing a health care professional at work.

4. Research

Research projects done in addition to classroom work; research should NOT appear as credit on a school transcript.

5. Community Service

Volunteer work done outside of the healthcare field; for example, working for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring children, participating in or working for a fundraiser walk or blood drive, etc.

6. Other Work Experience

Paid work done outside of the healthcare field; for example a retail or restaurant job.

Let's look at what some of the PA schools themselves are recommending for HCE:

Upstate Medical University’s Definition

Documentation of 1000 hours will be required prior to matriculation.

Preferred experiences: Military corpsmen or medic, nursing (ex. certified nurse assistant, nurses aide, RN, home health care aide), EMT’s employed full time (active hours only for EMT volunteers), paramedic, medical technologist, massage therapist, radiation therapist, respiratory therapist, phlebotomist, X-Ray technologist, medical imaging, clinical counselor, medical assistant, chiropractor, PT or PT aide, athletic trainer, New Visions, volunteer experience with direct patient care.

Acceptable: Shadowing a health care professional (200 hours maximum), Pharmaceutical Sales with patient contact, health-related research (will be reviewed on an individual basis), pharmacy technician (100 hours maximum).

(see program website)

Yale Physician Assistant Program Definition

Competitive applicants are recommended (but not required) to have a minimum of six months full-time healthcare employment, or 1,000 total hours of hands-on patient care experience and/or community service in a healthcare setting. Preference is given to applicants having experience that requires a period of training and results in direct (hands-on) patient care.

Examples include: EMT, Paramedic, Registered Nurse, Medical Assistant, CNA, ER Tech, Physical Therapy Aide
Hours associated with the completion of academic degrees, certifications, or training will not count

Evidence of community service (i.e., healthcare for underserved populations, medical mission trips) is highly valued.

(see program website)

Northeastern Physician Assistant Program Definition

Evidence of significant direct hands-on patient care experience is required in order for applicants to have a basic understanding of and comfort with patient care as well as a minimum level of clinical maturity. Strongest preference will be given to applicants who have approximately 2000 hours of hands-on patient care experience prior to applying to the program. Applicants with less than 2000 hours may also be given consideration depending upon the strength of their entire application.

Hands-on patient care involves working one-on-one with patients and doing procedures that require touching patients yourself including, but not limited to:
- taking vital signs
- drawing blood
- doing EKGs
- changing bandages and dressings
- casting and splinting
- removing sutures and staples
- bathing and toileting
A partial list of hands-on patient care positions includes, but is not limited to:
- certified nursing assistant
- medical/clinical assistant
- ER tech
- EMT doing more than patient transfer
- physical therapy assistant
- paramedic
- nurse
- physical therapist
- respiratory therapist
- medical corpsman

(see program website)

Full-time paid employment done after completing your bachelor’s degree is always most competitive!

Health Care Experience that is NOT ACCEPTABLE for PA School

Just as it is important to know what to report as HCE, it is equally important to know what not to report.

Below is an example from the Duke University. The following types of experience are NOT accepted toward the 1,000 hours of patient care experience as required by Duke.

PA or physician observer or shadow
non-clinical research assistant positions
student clinical experience (student nurse, student EMT, student athletic trainer, or other health care student)
student "intern" experiences, candy striper or junior volunteer positions
CPR or ACLS instructor
wilderness medicine instructor
patient transporter
pharmaceutical representative
ski patroller
lifeguard
aerobics instructor
unit clerk, insurance clerk
medical secretary or other clerical positions.

Here is a list from South Carolina School of Medicine PA Program

Unacceptable forms of clinical experience include:

Veterinarian Assistant
Receptionist for Physician's Office
Administrator or Business Manager for Physician’s Office
Massage Therapist
Chiropractic
Acupuncture
Aesthetician
Dental Hygienist/Assisting
Inpatient Patient Transport/Orderly
Health Fitness Specialist

click here to see a list of what they consider acceptable experience

Acceptable forms of clinical experience include:

Shadowing of PA, NP, MD/DO
Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic
Military Medic/Clinical Specialist
Corpsman
Surgical Technician
Radiologic Technician
Certified Nursing Assistant
Laboratory Technician with phlebotomy experience
Phlebotomist
Athletic Trainer
Scribe
Nursing (CNA, LPN, RN, CMA)
Certified Physical/Occupational Therapist
PT/OT Assistant
Home health with verification of job duties
Medical Interpreter
Dietician
Pharmacy Technician

Does PA Shadowing Count Towards Healthcare Experience?

Applicants are encouraged to "shadow" a PA to become knowledgeable of the role of the physician assistant; More often than not this experience does not count as patient care experience, so as I always say, make sure to contact your PA program prior to submitting your application.

Two Thousand Hours

In his book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcolm Gladwell identifies 10,000 hours (5 years of full-time work) as the amount of time it takes to become an expert in any given field.

You don't need to be a healthcare "expert" come application time but having a good number of HCE hours has big advantages.

When it comes to your PA school application and HCE it is important to focus on direct, hands-on patient care experience.

Although only 4% of schools require 2,000 hours or more, for the majority of PA school applicants, 2,000 hours (1 year) of direct, hands-on patient care experience is a good general rule of thumb.

2,000 hours of patient care experience places you close to the mean of 3,560 hours and above the median of 1,428 hours.
It will make you much more competitive as an applicant and give you more options come application time.
It will give you confidence in your decision to pursue PA as a career choice.
You will have the necessary medical experience to sit comfortably in any interview situation.
You will have the fuel for a killer personal statement.

My Healthcare Experience

When I applied to PA school back in 2004 I had roughly 5,000 hours of direct patient contact experience as well as quite a bit of work and volunteer experience both inside and outside the realm of healthcare. I accumulated this through work as a phlebotomist both as a student in the campus health clinic and then later after graduation while working in an outpatient mobile health setting.

Many schools at the time (specifically MEDEX and OHSU where I was hoping for acceptance) considered even this to be insufficient. I could have been patient and accrued more patient care experience and let more time pass but instead, I chose to throw a larger net and apply to schools that did not require so many hours. At the time many of these school were on the East Coast.

People write me all the time frustrated that their schools of choice won't give them the time of day. It is important to keep your options open, the wider the net you cast the greater your chances of catching a fish.

There are many ways to garner the patient care experience you need and the sooner you start the easier it will be to fulfill these requirements in a timely matter.

You should aim to have enough hours to be competitive, look at the median of accepted applicants, this is a good goal to have.

And most importantly it should not be seen as a burden to entry, it should be seen as an opportunity to get your hands wet in a field you love in preparation for a life of fulfilling work practicing what you love as a PA

Note:

This post is part two of my continuing series: The 5 Steps of PA School. To receive immediate updates when new posts are published sign up for the blog email.

Resources used for this blog post:

Physician Assistant Healthcare Experience Hours Source: PAEA Program Directory
The PAEA Annual Report on Physician Assistant Educational Programs in the United States
The Physician Assistant SchoolFinder

View all posts in this series

Comments

Sara Peterson says

January 17, 2022 at 12:40 pm

Is patient contact considered inferior if the patients are always unconscious? I’m interested in becoming a surgical PA and have been offered a job as an autotransfusionist (I’m certified as a CNA). I’d love to take the job as it would allow me to be present during lots of surgeries, but wonder whether the lack of interaction with conscious patients would make the experience less useful for applying to PA school.

Reply
Aliciante Parker says

June 2, 2021 at 11:00 am

Will working as a mental health technician/ direct support professional count as patient care experience / HCE as well? I am also wondering in Registered Behavioral orial Technician can count as PCE/HCE also.

Reply
Kelly B Pham says

May 13, 2021 at 9:37 am

Would working in an optometry office as a medical scribe be considered health care experience?

Reply
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
  
  May 15, 2021 at 7:34 am
  
  Most likely Kelly! But check with PA programs you are applying to as opinions around scribing as HCE/PCE varies widely.
  
  Stephen
  
  Reply
Gabi Mirabella says

April 12, 2021 at 12:37 pm

Would working as a caregiver at a retirement home count for experience hours?
Also, how can you get a lot of hours when you’re a full-time college student and don’t have any certifications?

Reply
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
  
  April 13, 2021 at 7:46 am
  
  Hi Gabi, yes, working as a caregiver should satisfy HCE/PCE hours for most PA schools. But as always, confirm this with PA programs you are planning to apply to as there is a tremendous amount of variability here on what programs do and don’t accept, along with their classification as PCE vs. HCE.
  
  Stephen
  
  Reply
Ashton Tanner says

April 4, 2021 at 3:38 pm

There’s a job offering that includes OR technician/patient transporter. Can I be confident that schools would consider that patient-care hours?

Reply
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
  
  April 5, 2021 at 7:00 am
  
  Hi Ashton. Every program has its own definition of what is considered acceptable PCE/HCE experience. It is therefore essential that you review the requirements of each program you are interested in early on. If there is any doubt about what is considered acceptable, HCE/PCE, contact the program admissions department for clarification. Although you may not know all the schools you will apply to early on, as you go through this process, you will see trends and get a much clearer understanding of what schools are requiring. You will also make sure that you have the necessary requirements for those on the top of your list. Assemble all of this into a spreadsheet for cross-reference.
  
  Stephen
  
  Reply
Julia says

March 22, 2021 at 5:40 am

Can shadowing hours be paid if I already work with a PA/MD? Or can they only be unpaid?

Reply
Sarah says

May 28, 2020 at 5:50 pm

I am debating how to count my experience as a camp counselor at MDA summer camp. I was directly responsible for a camper for the whole week, but I didn’t perform procedures or provide treatment. I provided assistance with ADLs, lifts and transfers, and pushing wheel chairs.

Reply
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
  
  May 28, 2020 at 6:55 pm
  
  Hi Sarah, it will depend on the program. Some may accept this as HCE/PCE while others may not.
  
  Reply
Emma says

August 20, 2019 at 6:57 pm

Hi,

For the schools that list “2000 hours of…” and it includes the paid hours, not paid and shadowing, how much of each area do you need? I.e. 2000 hours total with 1000 paid patient are hours, 500 non paid and 500 shadowing?

Thanks.

Reply
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
  
  August 22, 2019 at 7:22 pm
  
  Hi Emma, it really depends on the school as they all have different requirements and to make it even more difficult they have different definitions of what qualifies as HCE vs. PCE, etc. etc. So it’s imperative that you research this on the school’s website and contact them if there is anything that is unclear.
  
  Stephen
  
  Reply
Gregg Manion says

March 8, 2019 at 2:44 pm

HI; I have a question.

I am at the point of my life where I can finally go back to school and complete a career change. I am 38, I have a Bachelors degree and graduated with a 2.75. Im starting in the fall to do all the pre-reqs, I have none. But my admissions counselor, says this is a amazing chance to pull your GPA up. In the next year ill be taking the GRE also. SO I know I need the 2000 hours, is my plan. Being I work full time to support myself for now, how would you recommend me obtaining these hours?

Also, in 2004 through 2008 I was a licensed EMT and worked fulltime. So I am not sure those count, but I plan to atleast do more to ensure im competitive. I thought about volunteering at a hospice.

Do you think I have a shot after all my pre-reqs are completed to get into a school in GA, NC or FL?

Reply
- Lisa says
  
  October 6, 2020 at 12:25 pm
  
  What are the pre reqs for PA school for classes?
  
  Reply
  - Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
    
    October 11, 2020 at 3:13 pm
    
    Hi Lisa, since there is no institutional standard it’s best to reference each PA program website. Although you can use other online resources or PA program reference materials which attempt to aggregate this information it changes so frequently I would only trust the source. Alas, another great way to collect this information is by creating a CASPA account. As you add PA programs to your list you will be able to see their prerequisite requirements. You can create a CASPA account for free here: https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/
    
    P.S you do not need to be actively applying to create an account and there is no penalty for creating an account early.
    
    Stephen
    
    Reply

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