Students applying to P.A. school who are paramedics, EMTs, medical assistants, nurses, or other health care providers usually have an advantage over applicants who are not. P.A. schools generally look for students with college GPAs of 3.3 and above, a broad, educational back ground with a strong science foundation, evidence of outside service and campus program participation, personal recommendations, and solid interview skills. Recommendations from another P.A., M.D. or D.O., and Ph.D. advisor or professor is almost always required. Students in this part of the Pre-Health Program will take a senior year internship working in various emergency departments and primary care clinics in the Portland area. Students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA to remain in this part of the Pre-Health Program.
Some schools have other requirements.
Students are advised to talk with their advisor early in their academic career to begin preparing for a pre-medicine focus in their Health Sciences major. Medical and other health related schools have a mean GPA of 3.4. Students are encouraged to keep their GPA as high as possible. Admission to medical schools and related professional programs is highly competitive. Students interested in a career in Public Health are should complete either the Health Care Administration, Environmental Health, or Medical Biology Concentration in the Health Sciences major, depending upon their interests in Public Health.