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There is no denying that the road to becoming a physician assistant in America can be pretty tough. Foreign medical graduates (FMGs) have to overcome several hurdles in order to become full-fledged PAs, but they’re not the only ones who face challenges. In fact, anyone who wants to become a PA in the US can attest to the demanding requirements of these programs.
Fortunately, if you are an FMG living in Texas and you want to become a PA, you have many options available to you. This article will provide information on how to get into PA school and what you need in order to do so successfully and quickly. We hope that it helps!
Texas is home to some of the best Physician Assistant Programs in the country. As a foreign medical graduate (FMG), you’ve taken the challenge of becoming a PA in America. If you’re living in Texas, you can be glad that your chances of passing the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) are pretty high. Make sure that you’re well-informed about your chances of making it into one of the reputable PA programs in Texas before you take that leap.
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Physician Assistant Meaning
A physician assistant (PA) is a licensed medical professional who holds an advanced degree and is able to provide direct patient care. They work with patients of all ages in virtually all specialty and primary care areas, diagnosing and treating common illnesses and working with minor procedures.
A physician assistant (PA) is a medical professional who works under the direction of a licensed physician. They can diagnose illnesses and develop and manage treatment plans for patients, as well as prescribe medications. PAs may also serve as a patient’s primary healthcare provider.
PAs complete most of the same training as doctors, but they work under a doctor’s supervision to deliver care to patients. They must complete a four-year degree, usually in biology or another health science, then graduate from an accredited PA program. This training includes clinical rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, emergency medicine, and other specialties.
certificate program for foreign medical graduates
The good news is, you don’t have to be a doctor to help people. In fact, you can be a physician assistant and make an incredible difference in the health of individuals and communities. And the prerequisites for PA school are pretty straightforward.
Before applying, prospective students are typically required to take prerequisite courses through a U.S.-accredited college or university, particularly in the sciences. Applicants must complete the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants, or CASPA, which is the standard online application for graduate-level PA programs that allows students to apply to multiple programs at one time.
Physician assistant programs are popular, so it’s not surprising that most of them have admissions criteria that are pretty comparable.
For starters, all of these programs require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field like biology or nursing. Many also require applicants to have taken some prerequisite courses in areas such as anatomy, physiology, and chemistry.
Many physician assistant schools also require all applicants to have a number of hours of either paid or unpaid direct hands-on patient health care experience, such as working as a paramedic or back office medical assistant. For example, Bethel University in Minnesota requires applicants to its physician assistant program have 250 hours of health care experience, while Missouri State University specifies applicants must have at least 500 hours of paid experience. Additionally, both MSU and the University of Southern California require test scores from either the GRE or MCAT.
International students should note that certain schools, such as Yale, do not accept graduates of foreign medical schools into their PA program. However at other schools, such as Loma Linda University in California, the University of Charleston in West Virginia and Northwestern University, graduates of foreign medical schools are considered.
“We accept applicants who have medical degrees from other countries,” says Kathy Erdman, physician assistant program director in the School of Health Professions at the Baylor College of Medicine. “If accepted, they complete the program as any other student would.”
Experts suggest international students do their research carefully as physician assistant program requirements can vary.
Step 1: Admission Requirements for Texas Physician Assistant Programs for Licensure
Choosing a qualified Texas physician assistant program for licensure can seem like a daunting task but in reality students need only to make sure the program has the proper accreditation and that they can meet the its admission standards. The typical student in a Texas PA degree program has:
- Years of experience in the healthcare field
- Acceptable GPA and GRE (Graduate Record Examination) test scores
- Bachelor’s degree in any subject; the following will fulfill several PA prerequisites:
- Nursing
- Medical Assistant
- Health
- Microbiology
- Chemistry
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), must accredit all PA programs in Texas in order for their graduates to be eligible to be licensed in the state.
Step 2: Take the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam)
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is in charge of the PANCE, the national exam all Texas PAs must pass to be able to apply for licensure in the state. The PANCE is taken on a computer in a testing center over the course of five hours. Subjects covered include the major organ systems and the diagnosis of their associated problems, and knowledge of these is evaluated through 300 multiple-choice questions. Starting 90 days before their PA degree program ends, students can pay a $475 fee and register for the PANCE on the NCCPA’s website. Upon passing the exam the NCCPA will issue a Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) credential to successful students.
Step 3: Apply to the Texas Physician Assistant Board
To become legally able to practice as a physician assistant in Texas, candidates will need to apply to the State Medical Board’s Physician Assistant Board. A complete application can be made online where candidates can also pay a $205 fee. Supporting documents that will need to be mailed to the PA Board include:
- Copy of passport or birth certificate
- Copy of PA diploma
- Dean’s Certificate to be sent from the applicant’s PA program as verification of graduation
- Any government-issued official documents showing alternate names, if applicable
- Copy of DD 214 if applicants have served in the military
Applicants will also need to complete a $61 Texas PA Jurisprudence Examination, for which the PA Board provides a helpful study guide. Applications will be reviewed once they are judged to be complete. If successful, applicants will receive a temporary license until the PA Board meets – which happens three times a year – and determines the applicant is eligible for a permanent PA License.
Step 4: Maintain the PA License in Texas
PA Licenses need to be re-registered on an annual basis in Texas. This can be accomplished online or through a paper form for an extra $50 charge. The first registration is prorated and ranges between $133.75 and $319.38. Subsequent registrations are currently $253.50. When paying online there is a 2.4 percent surcharge added to the total.
PAs must also maintain at least 40 hours of continuing medical education every year. The Texas Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) provides information about continuing education, networking opportunities, and the latest advancements in the field. PAs often find these types of professional organizations to be both informative and beneficial.
accelerated programs for foreign medical graduates
There are currently more than 240 accredited physician assistant programs at U.S. colleges and universities, with 140 PA programs that accept international applicants, according to Steven Lane, a spokesperson at the Physician Assistant Education Association, which represents PA educational programs in the U.S.
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