Health Sciences, B.S. - Pre-Physician Assistant Concentration

The Pre-Physician Assistant concentration prepares students for admission into a Physician Assistant (PA) master’s degree program. The curriculum of the Pre-PA concentration focuses on the sciences, healthcare, and medical knowledge required to pursue a career as a PA. The Pre-Physician Assistant concentration aims to provide BS Health Sciences  students with a strong educational foundation and the necessary prerequisites for PA school. Completion of this concentration does not guarantee admission to the UB Physician Assistant graduate program . The Pre-Physician Assistant sequence requires the following courses. Please note that 16 credits are from the general education requirements: 

The Health Sciences major provides excellent preparation for Physician Assistant programs. All phases of the Health Sciences Pre-Physician Assistant study are customized with courses designed to meet the admission requirements for the majority of Physician Assistant programs. Pre-PA applicants should have 1000+ hours of direct patient contact.

Learning outcomes

As a result of completing the B.S. in Health Sciences, graduates will be able to apply principles of health and wellness as a lifelong process of learning grounded in the study of basic and applied health sciences.

1. Students will understand the fundamental biological, chemical, and physical properties underlying life systems.
2. Students will understand the basic principles of community health, exercise & fitness, and nutrition as they relate to the health sciences professions. 
3. Students will be aware of professional, clinical, ethical, and privacy issues that are pertinent to careers in the health sciences.
4. Students will be knowledgeable about fundamental concepts and practices related to the study of disease distributions in populations.
5. Students will be able to produce research and/or grant proposals utilizing the proper scientific methodology of evidence-based experimental data.
6. Students will be able to read, critically evaluate, construct, and present peer-reviewed scientific publications in an organized and effective manner.

Pre-PA will be broadly prepared to enter professional schools and to successfully meet school admissions criteria.