Physician Assistant Background
Physician assistants are health care practitioners who practice medicine in collaboration with physicians; their scope of practice varies by jurisdiction and healthcare setting. Physician Assistants earn Master’s degrees by completing approximately 2.5 years of education and training in an accredited graduate program.
Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine has developed a Physician Assistant Program with 28 months of rigorous academic courses and challenging clinical rotations in response to the national demand for physician assistants (PAs).
Marshall University’s PA graduates will earn a Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant degree, and will be prepared to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients in primary and specialty care across all stages of life as well as patients in culturally diverse and rural settings.
Generally, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required but the entrance exam requirement may vary among institutions. For the most current information, review the GRE web site.
Pre-Professional Health Care Studies Minor
A minor in Pre-Professional Health Care Studies is designed to help students prepare to apply to professional health programs by providing a comprehensive list of courses which build competencies essential for a competitive application. This minor does not include a comprehensive list of courses required by every professional school, but instead provides a structured pathway to help a student complete graduate or professional school prerequisites courses, regardless of major. The minor includes the most common courses needed to pursue an advanced degree in the health sciences and/or completing prerequisites for post-baccalaureate health care programs. Students who plan to pursue attendance at a medical school, physician assistant program, physical therapy doctoral program, or other related graduate programs will find this minor helpful in addressing the required prerequisite courses. Because each professional school may determine its own requirements, and because those requirements can vary among institutions and are subject to change, students should regard the courses listed below as examples only. This is not a comprehensive statement of what actually is required by every professional school.
Any degree-seeking undergraduate student, regardless of major, can declare this minor.
Students must complete at least 18 hours from the core list of required courses below, as well as complete a set of required courses from a sub-discipline to complete this minor. Each student, in consultation with their advisor, would design their specific Pre-Professional Health Care Studies minor with regard to their post-baccalaureate plans for graduate school or professional school, and decide how many and which disciplines they need as preparation for their plan.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
BSC 120 
& BSC 120L
| Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Lab | 4 |
| BSC 121
& BSC 121L
| Principles of Biology II and Prin of Biology II Lab | 4 |
| CHM 211
| Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 217
| Principles of Chem Lab I | 2 |
| CHM 212
| Principles Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 218
| Principles of Chem Lab II | 2 |
| Electives (choose from one of the options listed below) | ||
| Pre-Chiropractic | ||
| Natural /Physical Sciences (consult with Pre-Professional Health Care Advisor) | 6 | |
| BSC 423 | Comp Vertebrate Anatomy | 4 |
| CHM 355 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 356 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 361 | Intro Organic Chm Lab | 3 |
| PHY 201
| College Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 202
| General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHY 203
| College Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 204
| General Physics 2 Laboratory | 1 |
| Pre-Medicine | ||
| CHM 355 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 356 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 361 | Intro Organic Chm Lab | 3 |
| CHM 365 | Introductory Biochemistry | 3 |
| PHY 201
| College Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 202
| General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHY 203
| College Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 204
| General Physics 2 Laboratory | 1 |
| Pre-Optometry | ||
| BSC 227 & BSC 227L | Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Lab | 4 |
| or BSC 423 | Comp Vertebrate Anatomy | |
| BSC 228
& BSC 228L
| Human Physiology and Human Physiology Lab | 4 |
| BSC 250
| Microbiol & Human Disease | 3 |
| or BSC 302 and 304, Principles of Microbiology and lab | ||
| CHM 355 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 356 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 361 | Intro Organic Chm Lab | 3 |
| CHM 365 | Introductory Biochemistry | 3 |
| MTH 140
| Applied Calculus | 3 |
| or MTH 229
| Calculus/Analytic Geom I (CT) | |
| PHY 201
| College Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 202
| General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHY 203
| College Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 204
| General Physics 2 Laboratory | 1 |
| BSC 417 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| or STA 225
| Introductory Statistics (CT) | |
| Pre-Physician Assistant | ||
| BSC 227 & BSC 227L | Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Lab | 4 |
| or BSC 423 | Comp Vertebrate Anatomy | |
| BSC 228
& BSC 228L
| Human Physiology and Human Physiology Lab | 4 |
| BSC 250
| Microbiol & Human Disease | 3 |
or BSC 302 and 304, Principles of Microbiology and lab | ||
| CHM 355 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 356 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 361 | Intro Organic Chm Lab | 3 |
| HS 200
| Comp Medical Terminology (CT) | 3 |
| BSC 417 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| or STA 225
| Introductory Statistics (CT) | |
| Pre-Pharmacy | ||
| BSC 227 & BSC 227L | Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Lab | 4 |
| or BSC 423 | Comp Vertebrate Anatomy | |
| BSC 228
& BSC 228L
| Human Physiology and Human Physiology Lab | 3-4 |
| or BSC 422 | Animal Physiology | |
| BSC 250
| Microbiol & Human Disease | 3 |
| or BSC 302 | Principles of Microbiology | |
| CHM 355 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 356 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 361 | Intro Organic Chm Lab | 3 |
| MTH 140
| Applied Calculus | 3 |
| or MTH 229
| Calculus/Analytic Geom I (CT) | |
| PHY 201
| College Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 202
| General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| BSC 417 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| or STA 225
| Introductory Statistics (CT) | |
| Pre-Podiatry | ||
| CHM 355 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 356 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 361 | Intro Organic Chm Lab | 3 |
| PHY 201
| College Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 202
| General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHY 203
| College Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 204
| General Physics 2 Laboratory | 1 |
| Pre-Physical Therapy | ||
| BSC 422 | Animal Physiology | 3 |
| or BSC 228
| Human Physiology | |
| BSC 423 | Comp Vertebrate Anatomy | 4 |
| BSC 417 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| or STA 225
| Introductory Statistics (CT) | |
| PHY 201
| College Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 202
| General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHY 203
| College Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 204
| General Physics 2 Laboratory | 1 |
| PSY 311 | Child Development | 3 |
| Pre-Veterinary | ||
| BSC 302 | Principles of Microbiology | 3 |
| BSC 304 | Microbiology Lab | 2 |
| BSC 422 | Animal Physiology | 3 |
| CHM 355 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 356 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 361 | Intro Organic Chm Lab | 3 |
| CHM 365 | Introductory Biochemistry | 3 |
| PHY 201
| College Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 202
| General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHY 203
| College Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 204
| General Physics 2 Laboratory | 1 |
Prepare for Health Care Professions with the College of Science