Read on: But you may also be interested in my newest post Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide
I could probably summarize this entire blog post with the following sentence:
"THE MORE HANDS-ON PATIENT CARE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE, THE STRONGER YOU WILL BE AS A PA SCHOOL CANDIDATE."
How many healthcare experience hours do you need to make yourself a competitive PA school candidate?
Although this is a topic of some debate, the consensus from both past and present data suggests at least two years, or 2,000 hours of direct hands-on patient care experience, is a good number to aim for.
I received this email yesterday from a pa school applicant Deeba. It is a good question and one I receive in my inbox almost daily.
Subject Line of Email: Finding Direct Patient Care Requirements
I am currently a sophomore in college and want to go to PA school. I see that the requirement for most schools is about 1,000 hours of direct patient care.
How can I get direct patient care experience?
Everything I see requires a certificate which means more classes and more money. Can you give me some examples of direct patient care jobs that I can do that don’t require a certificate?
I keep stressing that I won’t find any place/job to get direct patient care experience if I am not a certified, nurse? Is this true, please let me know my options?
Thank you,
– Deeba
Here is my Answer: How to Find The Direct Patient Care Experience
You have many options.
It can be as simple as volunteering in your local community hospital, in a retirement center, working overseas, at a blood center, a children’s center, The Special Olympics or a special needs summer camps, etc. etc. Most hospitals need volunteers and have a department dedicated to this. It is a perfect place to start.
That’s exactly what I did when I started in patient transport. I merely walked through the front door of the University Hospital, gave my biggest smile and asked the front desk staff where I could find information about volunteer opportunities. They gave me a vest, a badge and I was making my first patient transport the following day.
Later that year, I took a short walk to the student clinic and once again threw a big smile on my face and asked if there were positions for students interested in healthcare. They introduced me to “Jennifer,” a senior pre-med student working in the clinic as an assistant phlebotomist. Jennifer let me shadow her for the day. She introduced me to staff all over the hospital. I can’t tell you how much I respected her and wanted to be like her.
It was because of Jennifer that I landed my first paid position in the clinic as a medical records clerk making $4.25 an hour. My job included filing and retrieving records (it was the pre-digital era), so I got to explore the various specialty clinics and collect and distribute medical records to all the providers in every specialty. I met just about everyone in the clinic, including my first physician assistant.
The following year Jennifer graduated and passed her phlebotomy position on to me. They trained me to do work in the laboratory and perform blood draws (without a certificate). Upon graduation, they provided me with an official certification, and I went on to work for the University Hospital and the Puget Sound Blood Center as a lead technician.
I Volunteered Everywhere I could:
- During my senior year, I spent the summer working at a special needs youth summer camp.
- After graduation, and after I returned home from work, I took evening classes for three months to get my EMT certification.
- I volunteered at a homeless shelter.
- I was applying for a 3-month internship to work in Chicago Catholic Youth Ministries when I was accepted into PA school.
I am not trying to pat myself on the back. What I am trying to do is to show you that to make it anywhere in life, you have to get out and just do it.
Opportunities rarely come knocking at your door, but there are opportunities everywhere. If you are short on opportunities in your area, then go to where the opportunities are. I am on the board of our Physician Assistants For Global Health organization, and there are endless opportunities to work overseas, and you don’t need any patient care experience to get started.
But Stephen, I have kids, family to support, school and a part-time job!
Trust me, as a father of two with an extremely busy schedule I understand.
If you have kids, family, a part-time job, school, a family member to care for, a pet gerbil that requires a lot of time and attention, etc. etc. it simply means you have to dig a bit deeper and get a little more creative. It may mean taking classes at night to get that certification you may need, cutting back on hours at work, teaming up with your partner or friends to get creative with child care, you may have to take a massive leap of faith and quit your current job entirely.
Nobody said it was going to be easy. You just never give up, no matter how hard the challenges are, observe this world with a healthy dose of skepticism and don’t just follow the herd as somebody else might do.
Once you are on target, you will find this isn’t “work” at all; it is a joy to help other people. It will open your mind as well as your heart, and you will become a better person along the way.
Start today:
- Send out a request to your Facebook or Linkedin network
- Search global health opportunities
- Call your local health center
- or homeless shelter
- or children’s hospital
- or veterans association
- or senior living center
You get the point.
Say you are willing to work for free… and do an awesome job, and you will also have the glowing letters of recommendation you need!
And, to top it off, you will feel good about yourself, you will develop the skills you need to love and care for another human being, and this is what matters most if you are to be successful in life and as a PA.
I hope this helps,
Stephen
Here is what Andrew Rodican author of "The Ultimate Guide to Getting Into Physician Assistant School" has to say about this topic:
Unlike young medical school applicants who are not expected/required to have direct patient contact hours, there’s a totally different philosophy with respect to PA school applicants. The PA profession is not an entry-level profession. Remember, the first PAs were former Navy corpsman who had 3 or 4 years of combat medical experience. Competitive applicants will have 2,500 to 3,000 hours of hands-on direct patient contact. Why would you think that you would be a competitive applicant without medical experience?
Unfortunately, some applicants have no medical experience at all, which certainly hurts their chances of getting accepted. Most committee members will insist on some prior medical experience before they will consider the applicant as a serious candidate.
On average, four years of prior experience in one of the following areas is common:
Nursing
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Allied Health
- Physical Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
- X-ray Technician
Emergency Services
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Paramedic
- Emergency Room Technician
Miscellaneous
- Phlebotomist
- Athletic Trainer
- Medical Researcher
- Medical Volunteer
Medical Experience Statistics for PA School Applicants
Worked in health care before applying to PA school | 79% |
Worked less than one year or not at all in a health care field | 27% |
Worked more than nine years in a health care field | 10% |
Worked less than one year or not at all in a health care field with direct patient contact | 35% |
Previously worked as a medical assistant | 17% |
Previously worked as an EMT/Paramedic | 9% |
Worked as a phlebotomist | 9% |
Worked as an emergency room technician | 8% |
Worked in medical reception/records | 7% |
Worked as a nurse | 8% |
Worked as an athletic trainer | 6% |
Reported "other" as health care experience | 45% |
Note: Respondents were permitted to indicate multiple health care fields; thus, the sum of all fields exceeds 100%
Applying to PA school is an extremely competitive process. The more points you score with the committee, the better.
Think about your own experience and how you might be able to improve upon it. If you have little or no medical experience, consider doing volunteer work at the local hospital or clinic. The more hands-on medical experience you have, the stronger you will be as a candidate.
Summary:
As much as I love Andrew Redican's book on the topic of getting into PA school, I think he is using an all too common path. I helped a gentleman with his personal statement last year who before applying to PA school had many years of experience, not in the healthcare field mind you, but as a dance instructor.
The key is that he loved people, it was apparent in his essay and evident in our communications back and forth.
Applicants I council tend to get caught up in trying to fill these "quotas" of what they think is necessary to succeed. Often we use the principles of a common denominator... i.e., if I become a CNA, I can make it as a PA.
The truth is that I would much rather take the dance instructor, with the solid GPA, who shows he cares deeply about people and is willing to work his butt off.
What I am trying to say is don't sell yourself short and set the bar in a comfortable place. Look outside yourself for experiences that will help you grow as a compassionate and caring human being. From here the sky's the limit.
Photo credit: Courtney Reese from our trip to Missions Trip to Haiti. You can watch my cheesy (yet hopefully inspiring) video montage Here.
Joshua says
Hi Stephen,
Thank you so much for sharing your insight and experiences in your website. I wanted to ask if my job position right now can qualify for direct patient experience. I work as a Dental Coordinator under the Health Department in my city and I coordinate dental screenings for public elementary schools. I also act as a Dental Assistant in which I get to assist our hygienist to do a dental sealant procedure on students. I also educate students on proper dental hygiene. I was wondering if this experience can count as a direct patient experience. Do you think seeing students as patient can count?
Thank you!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Joshua, unfortunately, this experience may not qualify as hands-on patient care experience for some schools, although likely others will accept it. Best to contact each program you are applying to directly or see if you can find a straightforward answer on their website. Schools are all over the board on this.
Stephen
Monica Menos says
Hello, I would like to if medical coding and billing would still count as hours for PA school?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
It would likely not count towards the high quality “hands-on” patient care hours that most schools are looking for.
Stephen
Carol says
Hi Stephen,
Thank you so much for this article. I just have a few additional questions for you:
1. As a CNA, I was on “orientation” for 100 total hours before I was officially put on the schedule at this facility. As an orientee, I gave patients showers/dressed them/transferred them/did incontinence care under the supervision of another CNA. Do these hours count as direct patient contact, or are they classified as “training” and therefore not included?
2. Is a volunteer position held in lower regard than a payed position such as EMT or CNA?
3. Are medical “mission trips,” where you go to underdeveloped countries and learn about how to care for patients in these societies and about different procedures that take place, considered direct patient contact?
char montgomery says
Hi!
Thank u for your wonderful story re volunteering!
I hope you can answer my question.. im considering PA school in TN but i need advice on how i can be a more competitive candidate..
My disadvantages:
– I got both my bachelor’s 10+yrs ago and ended up with a 2.6 due to my mom passing away
– my healthcare experience is mainly carefiving
Advantages:
– 4000++hrs of caregiving experience which includes admin work (scheduling caregivers, ordering of medication, family interaction etc.), direct interaction with patients’ doctors, nurses etc.
-300 hrs of lvn clinicals
– 3.6 cgpa
– 4.0 sgpa So far (I need 2 more sciences)
I haven’t taken GRE.
Any suggestions for me? Would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks!
-charisse
4000hrs worth of caregiving experience
Rudra Patel says
Hii My name is Rudra and I am planning to be a PA. I am also taking phlebotomy classes this summer so I had questions that is phlebotomy strongly considered as a PA school acceptance experience?
Thank you
Rudra Patel
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Rudra,
Yes, phlebotomy is considered by most schools to be “hands-on” patient care experience. Of course, it is always wise to contact PA schools to which you are applying who do not post this on their sites directly. You don’t want any surprises.
Stephen
Nikki says
Hi Stephen,
Ok I need some guidance please. I am coming from the financial background, Undergraduate in Finance and an MBA. I have my CPC and enjoy the medical arena. I am looking to become a PA, however, besides my first year of college back in 1999 before I changed my major (long story) and working as a medical coder, that is all the experience I have. I see where volunteering can help, my question is this, would clinics, hospitals, offices allow volunteers without a medical background? I’m just trying to get some guidance on what to do and where to start.
Thank you
Epiphany Shelton says
Hi there! I have just recently decided to aim for PA school after years of consideration, but I really don’t think I have any background that will make me a good candidate. I want to get started without having to put off applying even longer, because I have no direct HCE. I graduated from university in 2013 with a double major in psych and biology. The last couple years, I’ve been an intake speialist for a company that specializes in opiate addiction, but it is a call center position so we never get to interact with prospective patients face to face. I have volunteered a handful of times for the medical reserve corps in my county, but I know I have a long way to go for any direct HCE. What would you suggest?
THANK YOU!
Ishtyaq Qadri says
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Ishtyaq Qadri says
Free Clinics are great resource for hands on care , you can volunteer there. I have a quite a few Pre PA’s who do that at a free charitable clinic.
Rosy says
Hi I’m 17 years old and I’ve been an EMT for about a year. Although I know that PA school is years away, I was just wondering if the hours I do right now contribute to the direct patient care hours that I will need to count in the future?
Paige says
The pa school i plan to apply to Said they only accept hours from your time spent beyond highschool so it depends on if you habe graduated highschool yet or not. This may vary from school to school Contact your schools of choice directly to be safe.
Christa says
Hi Stephen,
I am looking for some guidance. I am planning on applying to PA schools this summer but I am a little concerned about my HCE/PCE hours. I was a college athlete and had difficulty finding jobs that allowed for a flexible schedule. However, I have worked at a child development center connected to a hospital (it’s a child care center) for the last 3 years and have over 1500 hours working with children and families there. CASPA describes PCE hours as: Experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient’s care..I am wondering if you think this experience will count toward patient care experience? I know its not the typical patient care experience, but I am responsible for the children’s health, have to make decisions myself about how best to care for them, and work with the families to ensure the safety of the kids. This includes administering their medications when needed and taking temperatures when they may be sick too. Outside of my employment I have volunteered at a hospital for a couple years and have around 150 hours experience there which includes directly assisting patients each shift. I also have shadowed PAs for a total of 200 hours, and have 400 hours working doing clinical research for a summer. So I guess my real questions is what else do you suggest I do to make sure I am a strong applicant?
Thanks!
Christa
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Christa,
Health care experience is one of those big grey areas and whether or not a certain activity fulfills the prerequisite requirement will be determined by the schools to which you are applying. You can search schools through my my paschoolfinder website and then cross reference this with the information provided on the PAEA program directory along with the program’s official application requirements page. If there is any doubt, the best thing to do is to contact them directly. You don’t want to find out the hard way that your experience does not meet the necessary prerequisite. The fact that this is a developmental care center connected to a hospital works in your favor. Also your extensive shadowing, volunteer and clinical research hours are a big plus. Many schools do accept this type of work as HCE, but once again it really depends on the program so make sure you contact them directly.
I hope that helps, I am sorry I couldn’t be bit more definitive in my answer.
Stephen
Dan says
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for all you do with this website. I had 2 questions.
1. Are you saying medical scribe counts as health care experience? I am guessing it does not because your just documenting what the doctors is saying.
2. Say I am able to get a job as a phlebotomist or EMT for my health care hours. Jobs that have no interactions with a PA. Will it hurt my chances to be accepted into a program if my letters of recommendations are not from a PA since EMT/phlebotomist don’t work directly with PAs? I think you may suggest shadowing a PA, but just because you shadow a PA doesn’t mean they can write a nice letter of recommendation for you since they didn’t see what kind of worker you are.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Dan,
1. Medical scribe is wonderful healthcare experience. I can’t think of a better way to be part of the medical decision making process. You will learn a lot and I currently work with two medical scribes who both were accepted into PA school this year.
2. I met my first PA working as a phlebotomist in my campus health clinic. I also personally know all the EMT’s in our community as they come to our clinic and I have the chance to interact with them often. It is not so important that your letter of recommendation comes from a PA. It is more important that it comes from the people who work with you directly and can be your advocate. I did not have a letter from a PA when I applied, but after years working in health care I had made many close acquaintances who were more than happy to help me along the way.
Stephen
James says
Hi, I was hoping I could get some insight on my plan to get to PA school. I am currently a sophomore in college. I have been told how important it is to get clinical hours before you can even become a physician assistant. I have been looking and applying to several hospitals as some sort of tech or aide. The problem is that most positions require previous experience or a certification. I know that I can volunteer at several hospitals, but I need to also be able to pay my bills. I have an interview coming up soon for a medical tech at a senior living home, but I am not sure if hospitals count that as clinic hours. I am also not sure if working at a senior living home is the right place for me. I would love to get somebody’s opinion on my issue.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi James,
Once you get your foot in the door you can build enough career capital to work your way up through the ranks. Working in a senior living home would certainly count as clinic hours and may indeed be a great place to start. It is challenging work for sure but is great for character building. I still remember the very first patients I cared for during my time volunteering and working in similar settings – they made me a more compassionate and capable provider.
Stephen
Justin says
I’m a certified pharmacy technician. What do you think of using my experience In a retail pharmacy as patient experience?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Justin,
It is best to contact the schools you are applying to and confirm that this will qualify as health care experience. Every school has different requirements and some want direct – hands on patient care. You don’t want to leave this up to chance.
Stephen
Ryan says
Hi Stephen,
I am currently in the process of completing my bachelor’s degree in biology and am employed as a Resident Care Aide at a local nursing home. I am wondering if this job would be an adequate way to obtain HCE. I perform daily duties such as dressing the patient, toiletry/bathing/daily hygiene, feeding, and direct patient interaction for the entire shift. There is also a position in the activities department where the duties involved would involve those similar to a sitter, simply being with the patients the entire shift and performing whatever the daily activity involves, such as keeping them mentally busy. I have seen a lot of information on CNAs and EMTs, but not very much on RCAs. Also, how does this resident care aide position stack up against a physical therapy aide? Thank you!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Ryan,
I personally feel this is excellent experience. Nothing is more human than caring for residents in a nursing home. It is challenging, certainly hands on and requires one to develop the compassionate care/end of life care skills that will last a lifetime. There are many paths to PA school, sounds like you are on a good one.
Stephen
Keny says
Hello Stephen! I have been doing a internship at a urgent care clinic and working as a medical assistant student. I can take vitals, perform physicals, and assist with the MD/PA with procedures. I have 1000 hours of that. I also got the opportunity to volunteer at a clinic in a poverty stricken area where I have about 100 hours there. To get to the point, do you think I should expand and go on to the hospital or stick with these two? I’ve tried the hospitals and they have very tightly regulated rules and regulations that these clinics don’t have. I get way more things to do in the clinic and al without a certificate (injections, ecg, draw blood, PFT)
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Keny,
Sounds like what you are doing is perfect health care experience, I would say keep it up and continue to look for opportunities for growth. If hours become available in the hospital you could always use this to augment your current experience but it probably isn’t necessary. Keep up the great work!
Stephen
Keny says
Thank you. Do you guys provide any services for reviewing personal statements?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Keny we certainly do. You can learn more about that here: https://www.thepalife.com/the-free-physician-assistant-essay-and-personal-statement-collaborative/
Stephen
Preeya says
Hi Stephen,
Hi your website has been very helpful. I wanted to know how I could post my essay for your review? The essay for a B.S./M.S. physician assistant program for high school students.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Preeya,
We would be more than happy to help you with your essay through our editing service: https://www.thepalife.com/the-free-physician-assistant-essay-and-personal-statement-collaborative/
Stephen
Christina says
Hi Stephen,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences on this site. I’m kind of wondering if I would be a desirable candidate for PA school. Two years ago I completed an MBA while caring for my mother who had battled multiple sclerosis for 20 years. I have also been involved in the care of my grandfather. In both these situations I have had to learn so much from doctors and nurses as it applied to my loved ones. Now I am seriously considering trying to apply for PA school. I really want to help my community (which has a high rate of hypertension and diabetes) move towards healthy living and early prevention of certain diseases. In your opinion would these experiences be sufficient for pa school admission?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
First of all Christina, caring for the ones we love is such an honorable thing to do. I commend you for that and I know from personal experience that this can teach you more about the full scope of the human experience than any part-time or full time job working in healthcare. That being said, schools do like to see paid outside work of some sort. It shows initiative and further builds your resume. So I would definitely go out and find some work you could do. I think medical scribe is one of the best pre-PA jobs out there, but there are many to choose from, and pick which one works best for you. While you are working you will gain not just valuable experience but this will be the meat and potatoes of your essay along with a chance to work with healthcare providers across the spectrum and make valuable connections that will be your support as you apply to PA school. These connections are what propelled me and most PA school applicants I have worked with over the years.
– Stephen