PRIOR HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE
This list has been developed to help applicants understand how the Admissions Committee ranks prior health care experience. The Committee believes that a more “direct” or “hands-on” patient care experience enables the applicant to make a more “reality-based” decision on becoming part of the physician assistant profession. These experiences are separate from the “PA Job Shadowing” (that is observational and documented under “Related Health Care Experience” on the CASPA application) and should not be counted as patient care hours.
Below categories are listed from least to most desirable in terms of direct patient care.
Category I Occupations: Medical Lab Technician, Medical Technologist, Research Technician, Basic Science or Laboratory-Based Researcher, Assistant Physical Therapist, Medical Scribe, Unit Secretary, Ward Clerk, Peer Educator, Reader or other Non-Medical Work in Waiting Room or other Medical Setting
Category 2 Occupations: Athletic Trainer, Audiologist, Exercise Physiologist, Radiology Technician, Phlebotomist, Optometry Technician, Registered Dietitian
Category 3 Occupations: Certified Nursing Assistant, Nurse's Aide, Patient Care Assistant/Associate (providing delivery of medical care to patients), Medical Assistant
Category 4 Occupations: Physical Therapist, Respiratory Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Licensed Medical Social Worker
Category 5 Occupations: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Medical Corpsman (Medic), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Category 6 Occupations: Chiropractor, other licensed specialist Clinician Senior Medic or Corpsman (E-7 and above), Registered Nurse
Category 7 Occupations: Independent Duty Medic or Corpsman, Paramedic
Category 8 Occupations: ICU/CCU RN, Emergency Department RN, Pharm D., OD
Category 9 Occupations: Specialty Nurse Practitioner (Bachelor's Level)
Category 10 Occupations: Family or Adult Nurse Practitioner, Foreign Medical Graduate, DVM, DPM
If exact profession not listed, choose closest equivalent of profession.
Experiences such as volunteering at marathons, blood donor clinics, fundraising for medical causes, babysitting, bible study, camp counselor, after-school programs, coaching, church reader, meals-on-wheels, etc. are great opportunities that provide applicants with community service experience but are not considered as patient care.