Who Gets Into PA School? Here’s What You Need to Know

Leslie Mean is a 26-year-old single white female who presents to the PA school admissions committee on her first attempt to get into PA school.

She has a 3.6 overall GPA and a 3.5 science GPA. She is holding a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry, had an SAT score in the 1000-1100 range, and a GRE score of 300.

She has two years of hands-on clinical experience working as a CNA and a long history of volunteer work which exemplifies her desire to help her community.

She is kind and considerate and has reference letters that demonstrate her maturity and strong interpersonal skills.

She was accepted into PA school on her first attempt.

Who is Leslie and why did she get into PA School?

When asking the question: What do I need to do to get into PA school? You would be smart to talk to Leslie.

Leslie is a hypothetical PA school applicant who went on to become a PA school student, an entirely average PA school student.

She also embodies what PA schools across the country are looking for at this very moment.

How do I know this?

Because the most recent data from the PAEA semi-annual report, representing responses from over 85% of PA programs detailing characteristics of the 27,283 PA school applicants and 8,802 students accepted in PA school, show that they are filling their seats with Leslie.

As much as I like to talk about not being average and differentiating yourself from the pack, it's nice to know what average is. Average provides a baseline by which you can measure your progress, set goals, and develop an application timeline.

Does this mean you have to be just like Leslie to get into PA school?

Absolutely not, first, factors such as race, age, ethnicity, etc. are of no importance and you certainly don't have to be female to get into PA school (I am living proof).

But it is safe to assume that most schools are looking to keep their graduation and certifying exam pass rates high. They have an incentive to take fewer risks, and because of this, anything below average is considered a risk.

Thus, take a good look at Leslie and focus on factors that you can control to differentiate yourself, like your academic standing, your experience, your volunteer activities, your references, and your essay.

If you set the bar at Leslie, and end up being a Mother Theresa, I am fairly sure you will be accepted into PA school, although I have no data on religious preference and PA school acceptance rates. 🙂

So, what does an average PA school applicant who is admitted to PA school (i.e., student) look like?

Let's take a look:

In studies, the five most influential noncognitive factors known to have an effect on PA school admissions are faculty interactions, career motivation, knowledge of the PA profession, maturity, and professionalism. - Journal of Physician Assistant EducationClick To Tweet

→ The average PA school student is 25 years old

• The average age of first-year students ranged between 25 and 28 for all categories
• The median age at application is 25 years old
• The median age of recently certified PAs is 27
• For the past six years, the median age of all certified PAs is 38

First-Year Class: Age	M	SD	Mdn
Age of first-year PA student	25.1	4.2	25
Age of youngest first-year PA student	21.0	3	21
Age of oldest first-year PA student	40.4	10	44
Source: PAEA program report (2019-2020)

→ The average PA school student is female

The gender distribution of first-year students has started to stabilize after a 20-year trend of a gradually increasing proportion of women. In 1980, 36 percent of PAs were female. Today, 71.9 percent of all certified PAs are female.

• Female: 71.9%
• Male: 28.5% (mean)

→ The Average PA school applicant has a bachelor’s degree

The majority of PA school applicants hold a baccalaureate degree.

• No academic degree: 8.1%
• Certificate: 0.2%
• Associates Degree: 2.6%
• Baccalaureate Degree: 70.5%
• Master’s Degree: 6.6%
• Doctoral Degree: 0.9%

→ The Average PA school applicant graduated with a degree in Natural Sciences

Most PA school applicants hold a degree in natural sciences (biology, chemistry, etc.) but this doesn't mean you have to!

• 46.9% Natural Sciences (biology, chemistry, etc.)
• 18.4% Applied Sciences (nursing, radiology, etc.)
• 13.6% Health Science (pre-med, etc.)
• 10.5% Social Science (psychology, political science, etc.)
• 3.4% Business
• 2.0% Humanities
• 1.3% Public Health
• 1.1% Math, engineering, technology

Here are some tips on how to choose the best undergraduate major for PA school.

→ Most applicants had three years of hands-on clinical experience before applying

PA school applicants come to the table with a variety of medical experiences, especially if they are strong applicants.

• Accepted PA students have, on average, 4,631 hours of paid direct patient contact (PCE) (e.g., nursing aid) earned over an average of 132 weeks.
• Accepted PA students have on average 2,424 hours of paid healthcare experience (HCE) in the medical world without direct patient care responsibility (e.g., medical secretary) earned over an average of 88 weeks.

To be a successful PA candidate, you should aim to have at least 2,000 (preferably 3,000+) hours of hands-on patient experience at the time of application. This is 20-30 times more than the number of hours needed for medical school!

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
  • Registered Radiologic Technologist
  • Athletic Trainer
• Emergency Services
  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • Paramedic
  • Emergency Room Technician
• Miscellaneous
  • Phlebotomist (that was me!)
  • Medical Researcher
  • Medical Volunteer

Medical Experience Statistics for PA School Applicants

Of applicants admitted to PA school, 90.5% worked in healthcare before applying to PA school. The most common healthcare experience is a certified nursing assistant (CNA) 30.4% and medical assistant (MA) 26.5%. Among those accepted, 23.3% worked as a scribe, 19.3% had experience as an EMT/paramedic, and 8.9% had experience as an emergency room technician. In addition to paid healthcare experience, 55.2% of matriculating PA students participated in volunteer community service work, such as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, service-learning activities, and mission work.

Health Care Employment Prior to PA School	Percent
Nursing assistant	30.2%
Medical assistant	26.5%
Scribe	23.3%
EMT/Paramedic	19.3%
Emergency room technician	8.9%
Home health aid	8.7%
Phlebotomist	7.3%
Clinical research coordinator/assistant	7.3%
Physical therapist/Physical therapy assistant	5.7%
Pharmacy technician	4.1%
Athletic trainer	3.8%
Medical technician	3.3%
Medical reception/records	2.9%
Medic or medical corpsman	1.7%
Radiology technician	1.6%
Dental assistant/hygienist	1.4%
Source: 2020 PAEA student report

Average Health Care Experience Hours of Matriculating Students

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.

Health Care Experience	M	SD	Mdn
Patient contact experience	3,020	2,042	2,664
Other health care experience	1,023	1,074	756
Other work experience	2,096	1,119	2,155
Community service	487	573	338
Shadowing	144	214	94
Source: PAEA program report (2019-2020)

* 2022 Update: Some recent data suggests HCE hours are significantly declining with a new average of 1.88 years of healthcare experience among matriculating (accepted) students.

Admissions directors Q&A: What are some of the points that are extremely impressive to you in the application?

Commitment to community, overcoming adversity, a WELL written narrative, great letters of reference from someone that REALLY knows you, ability to juggle many responsibilities simultaneously, and activities that show a particular passion for something are what we look for in a PA school applicant  - Penn State University PA ProgramClick To Tweet

→ GRE scores of those accepted into PA school tend to be in the above-average range

According to the latest PAEA program survey and report, for those applicants accepted to PA school, the average verbal reasoning score was 152.2, and the average quantitative reasoning score was 152.0. The average analytical writing score was 3.9.

Competitive GRE scores average around a composite score of 300 and scores above 310 are extremely competitive. This averages to about 150 on verbal reasoning, 150 on quantitative reasoning, and a 3.5 in writing.

Please note that these scores are averages of past GRE examinations and you should consider your score competitive if they are above the 50th percentile.

Percentiles are more important than actual GRE scores. Every GRE differs in difficulty, which is why none of them can be considered equivalent, thus, necessitating the need to use a standardized ranking method.

• GRE Percentile Math: 42.5%
• GRE Percentile Verbal: 53.5%
• GRE Percentile Analytical: 54.2%

→ The average PA school student has between a 3.5 and 3.6 overall GPA and an undergraduate science GPA of 3.5

• According to the latest PAEA program report, the average undergraduate overall GPA for PA school applicants who were accepted into PA school was 3.6. Accepted students had, on average, a science GPA of 3.5, a non-science GPA of 3.6, and a CASPA BCP (biology, chemistry, and physics) GPA of 3.5
• The average overall GPA for students who were not accepted into PA school was 3.28. Non-matriculant science GPA was 3.17.

Interesting factoid: As the age of applicants increases, GPA tends to be lower.

→ Most PA school students are Caucasian

We can all agree that one's skin color should have nothing to do with your chances of getting into PA school but like many medical professions, the percentages of minorities accepted into PA programs do not mirror the national averages. As it stands in 2022 the majority of PA school students are white (77.7%) followed by Asian (10.9%). Black or African Americans comprised 5.9% of matriculating PA students and 12% were of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.

Race	Mean
White	77%
Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish in origin	12%
Asian	10.9%
Other	9.2%
Multiracial	6.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	6.4%
Black or African American	5.9%
American Indian or Alaskan Native	2.5%

→ What are your chances of being accepted into PA school?

1. If you apply to one PA program - you have a 25% chance of getting in
2. If you apply to 12 programs (or more) - you have a 49% chance of getting in
3. The average number of PA programs applied to is 8

Interesting factoid: There is no additional benefit for applying to 12 programs or more!

→ Pucker up baby, most PA students are single!

Most students are single (72.2%), though about a quarter are married (23.9%). A little under two percent were divorced, and 0.7% were in a domestic partnership/civil union.

Most students (85.1%) have no legal dependents. For the nearly 15% of students that reported having legal dependents other than themselves, the average number of dependents was 2.02, with a range of 1 to 7 dependents.

Over 30% of respondents said they were considered dependent of their parents.

• 72.2% single
• 23.9% married
• 1.7% divorced
• 0.7% domestic partnership/civil union
• 0.4% separated, but still legally married
• 0.6% other

→ Most PA students are from "The Burbs"

Half of the students reported spending most of their time in a suburban setting. One-quarter of respondents reported spending most of their time in a rural environment, followed by 15% in an inner-city setting.

→ Most PA students don't come from extreme riches

Over half of PA students report a family gross income of less than $50,000.

• 37.4% Less than $25,000
• 21.8% $25,000 to $49,999
• 14.7% $50,000 to $74,999
• 6.8% $75,000 to $99,999
• 6.0% $100,000 to $149,999
• 2.4% $150,000 to $199,999
• 1.5% $200,000 or greater
• 9.6% other

Admissions directors Q&A: Who is the perfect PA school applicant?

Our program will look to utilize a holistic approach to admissions. We look at academic success, life experiences, and community activities to evaluate all candidates. There is no one mold to fit the PA profession. However, PAs need strong communication skills, leadership, grit, and a willingness to support the community - Michigan State University PA ProgramClick To Tweet

→ PA school students don't smoke pot and are not drug dealers or part of the Italian Mafia

Over three-quarters (82.8%) of programs reported that students were required to have a background check upon matriculation to the program, while 78.7% of responding programs now mandate drug testing.

Some Important Points

It's Not Rocket Science: It is important that a candidate demonstrates reasonable aptitude in the hard sciences such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and biology. It is more likely that the committee may overlook a grade of C in U.S History or Spanish I. They will be less tolerant of a marginal grade in the sciences.

Show compassion: Your GPA is stellar, and you've amassed an impressive amount of medical work experience in the little spare time you have while keeping your grades pristine, but you still get that dreaded rejection letter. Why?

You didn't do enough volunteer work. Volunteering exemplifies your desire to help your fellow man—the attribute identified by schools as one of the most integral to becoming a successful PA.

Students who have had experience in working with underserved populations, rural or diverse populations, performing volunteer service or disaster relief, or other experiences that illustrate a drive and compassion for others often stand out to the admissions committee!

The view from the top isn't that crowded

It's an easy race to the bottom, so set your sights at the top.

Many people will be set back when they read that only 25% of applicants will be accepted into PA school in any given year, but this should be good news. Being in the top 25% in any field is not nearly as hard as it sounds, simply because the majority of the competition is in the bottom 75% and has bottom 75% qualifications.

For example, you have read this entire post, so you now know what the average PA school applicant who has had some success looks like. You understand what a top 75 percent candidate looks like. Your goal now is to be better than the average 75% and exceed the top 25%.

If you aim high, you will be competing with a much smaller minority, and your odds of getting an acceptance letter will increase dramatically. It also helps if you apply to 12 programs.  😉

*Tables and data were sourced from the latest PAEA Semi-Annual Report.