Pre-Physician Assistant Program

About the Pre-Physician Assistant Program

On Campus

Physician assistants, also known as PAs, practice medicine under the direction and supervision of physicians and surgeons. They are formally trained to examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, and provide treatment. Physician assistants can specialize in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, emergency medicine, orthopedics, surgical procedures, and general and thoracic surgery.

The Pre-Physician Assistant program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney will prepare you for higher education in the field. Students should check with the physician assistant graduate programs to which they intend to apply to ensure that all admission requirements are fulfilled.

Students pursuing the Pre-Physician Assistant program are expected to choose a major so that they can be working towards a baccalaureate degree concurrently with the Pre-Physician Assistant program. Physician assistant programs do not specify which major a student should pursue in conjunction with their pre-physician assistant studies.

PROGRAM INFORMATION GUIDE

Responsibilities of a physician assistant:

• Works under the supervision of a physician or surgeon
• Reviews patients’ medical histories
• Does physical exams to check patients’ health
• Orders and interprets diagnostic tests, such as X rays or blood tests
• Makes preliminary diagnoses of a patient’s injury or illness
• Provides treatment, such as setting broken bones and giving immunizations
• Counsels patients and their families along with answering questions
• Prescribes medicine
• Records a patient’s progress
• Completes insurance paperwork

Median salary for PA: $115,390

31% Projected Employment Growth

from 2020 to 2030 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics