Postbaccalaureate and Master’s Programs for PA School
Postbaccalaureate Programs (Non-Master's Degree)
If you’ve already applied to PA school or you are considering applying and your GPA is not competitive enough for admission, you might consider postbaccalaureate programs (“post-bacc” programs) or master level programs. These programs require an undergraduate degree as a prerequisite, but they are not always considered graduate education. Some programs are considered “continuing education” and can lead to a graduate degree, a certificate, or aid you in meeting the entrance requirements to a physician assistant program. Although mainly for premedical students, AAMC offers a search tool for postbaccalaureate programs. This can be a useful tool as many of the courses taken in premedical postbacc programs will be the same. Always ensure that the program you choose doesn’t have a requirement for MCAT scores and that the program isn’t solely for medical, dental, or vet school bound students.
You’ll want to ensure you choose the right program for yourself. Postbaccalaureate programs are broken into different focuses: career-changers, academic record-enhancers, groups underrepresented in medicine, economically or educationally disadvantaged students, and other. Career changer programs are geared to students who did not complete prerequisite requirements as undergraduates and are designed to provide preparation in the basic prerequisite sciences and complementary coursework and experiences. Academic enhancement programs are designed for students who have completed the prerequisite sciences but need to “enhance” and strengthen their science GPAs. The basic idea is to give students the opportunity to prove themselves by taking demanding science courses. These programs typically offer master’s degrees or certificates. Underrepresented in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population. Economically or educationally disadvantaged means those students who have endured financial hardship or with a learning disability who wish to pursue medical education. These last two programs, which generally fall under the heading of enhancement programs, are designed to support underrepresented students and increase the numbers of them who apply successfully to health professional schools.
Postbaccalaureate programs are designed to increase your knowledge of the sciences, and in doing so, can make your application much more competitive if you have a weak undergraduate GPA.
