Different schools have different admission policies. The majority of the institutions will only accept students if they have a college degree that relates to science but some will allow students to enroll if they have worked in a job in the healthcare industry in the past. If you have a science degree and some experience, the admissions committee will welcome you with open arms. So, the point here is that you must count the years that you have to spend in getting a degree and/or the work experience.

A great thing to remember: if your goal is to get into the school and past the admissions committee, be sure that you have learned all that you can about the happenings in the physician assistant role over the prior years and get some extra coaching from a doctor that you know or from someone else that works in the healthcare industry so you can be very ready for your interview. These professionals will know what an admissions committee will likely ask. If your application is rejected by the admissions committee, you have to take the time wasted into account just in case you don’t get admission in another college.

As you consider signing up for a physician assistant class, keep in mind that a twenty six month accredited course must be taken prior to beginning to practice according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, or AAPA. So, add another 26 months to the calculations, and ensure that the college you are about to enroll with is accredited. The exams are administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants’ (NCCPA). There may be a brochure or packet available from the school so be sure to ask.

The Physician Assistant’s admission process requires a student to open an account with Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CAPSA). The applications that are turned in to CAPSA will more than likely not have a quick turn around time. You will need to make sure that your application is reviewed and approved prior to starting the classes so send in the application as early as you can. You cannot afford to miss time in the classes while you wait. There are also other regulations that are in place for certain schools that would require the student to apply to get into a school that they are affiliated with or that accompanies their school. Once you review the factors that have been discussed you are sure to come to the understanding that when you want to become a physician assistant, you must be diligent with your preparation and planning and should plan on committing several years gathering the education and experience that you need.

Once the Physician Assistant course is over, the graduate has to be tested before he is allowed to practice. The exams and testing programs may be different in different states. Each state is the same in their requirement for a graduating physician assistant to take a licensing exam that the state gives. Some states allow Physician Assistants to start practice after passing the license exam, while some states don’t. When you are calculating the time that it will take to begin practicing, be sure to include this additional time if it is required. Once the physician assistant has successfully completed the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants’, or NCCPA, exam, they will have earned the title of PA-C, or Physician Assistant - Certified. The final title of PA-C can only be maintained if the PA is able to complete at least 100 hours in continuing education classes within each two year time frame and if they get their skills tested once every six years; this will earn them the - C at the end of their title.

You need to be aware of how long does it take to become a physician assistant so you must be sure that you are working hard to accomplish it through each step of the process. Be sure to factor in all of the time requirements before you enroll so you can plan out the course that will lead you to a successful career in this profession.

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