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 204 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 health care 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?
Take Our Poll
Healthcare Experience Requirements
Below is a table comparing the hours of healthcare experience required and type of healthcare experience requested by all 204 Physician Assistant Programs in the United States.
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)
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 careVolunteer 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
Phladelphia 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 Maryland Eastern Shore
Maryland
see program website
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 22 programs require 1,000 hours (10%)
Only 8 of 204 PA programs nationwide require 2,000 hours (4%)
A total of 17 programs require no healthcare experience whatsoever (8%)
A total of 55 programs label healthcare experience as preferred/recommended (27%)
Three school require more than 3,000 hours one of which is The University of North Dakota which requires a whopping 5,000 hours (i.e 2.5 years of full time healthcare work) (1%)
The rest are somewhere in-between (49%) with 24 schools (12%) 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 requires 40 hours of health care experience means you could work one day and then quit 
By now you may be saying “This is great news Stephen, only 14% 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 The 28’th PAEA Annual Report on Physician Assistant Educational Programs in the United States, on average, among matriculating students four years (roughly 8,000 hours) of prior experience is most common.
That being said, it is important to note that only 3,560 of these hours are composed of direct patient contact experience.
You can see the full breakdown below:
Although, not reported in the 28th annual report, data from the 27th annual report reveals a more detailed breakdown of these numbers.
I think it is interesting that 10% of accepted applicants had roughly 1,000 hours (140 of those being patient contact hours and 15 hours of shadowing), 25% had 2,000 total hours (446 of those being patient contact hours and 30 hours shadowing). You can see the details of the 27th annual PAEA report in the table below.
Just in case you are
lazy
curious I have included a list with links to the 72 programs which do not require healthcare experience (HCE) hours to apply.
PA programs in which no prior healthcare experience is required: 17 schools
Currently, there are 17 PA schools that do not require healthcare experience upon application.
Click Here to See the List
Alderson-Broaddus University
Baylor College of Medicine
Butler University
Duquesne University
Franklin Pierce University
Idaho State University
Interservice
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Mary Baldwin College
Pennsylvania College of Technology
University of Colorado
University of Mount Union
University of North Texas HS Center Ft Worth
University of South Alabama
University of Texas – Medical Branch at Galveston
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
PA programs with healthcare experience recommended/preferred: 55 schools
Currently there are 55 PA schools that have no healthcare experience minimums but to be competitive it is preferred/recommended.
Click Here to See the List
Anne Arundel Community College
Arizona School of Health Sciences
Augsburg College
Baldwin Wallace University
Barry University
Bethel University
CCNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education
Charles R. Drew University
Chatham University
Christian Brothers University
Cuyahoga Community College/Cleveland State University
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Gardner Webb University
Georgia Regents University
Indiana State University
Kettering College
Lincoln Memorial
Lock Haven University
Marietta College
Marshall B. Ketchum University
MCPHS University (Boston)
MCPHS University (Manchester/Worcester)
MCPHS University (Manchester/Worcester)
Medical University of South Carolina
Mercy College
Miami-Dade College
Midwestern University (Downers Grove)
Midwestern University (Glendale)
Misericordia University
Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale
Nova Southeastern University, Jacksonville
Nova Southeastern University, Southwest Florida
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rosalind Franklin Univ of Medicine
Saint Catherine University
Saint Francis University
Shenandoah University
South University
Southern Illinois University
St. John’s University
<a href="http://directory.paeaonline.org/programs/1007