Guides
Short answers to the questions pre-PA students ask most, with each program's own rule and the month we checked it.
Patient care experience vs. healthcare experience
CASPA's definitions, and why the same job counts at one school and not another.
Patient care hoursHow many patient care hours do you need for PA school?
Minimums at nine programs, and what admitted students actually have.
Patient care hoursDoes CNA count as patient care experience for PA school?
What CASPA says, and how three programs treat duties, pay and course hours.
Patient care hoursDo volunteer EMT hours count for PA school?
Where they go on CASPA, and which programs count them.
Patient care hoursDoes scribing count as patient care experience?
In person, virtual, ER: how five programs draw the line.
Patient care hoursDoes phlebotomy count as patient care experience?
What CASPA says and how four programs list it.
Patient care hoursDoes medical assistant count as patient care experience?
Clinical vs. front desk, certified vs. not.
Patient care hoursDoes hospital volunteering count for PA school?
Where it goes on CASPA and which programs count volunteer hours.
Patient care hoursDoes pharmacy tech count for PA school?
Three programs say yes, three say no.
ShadowingDo shadowing hours count for PA school?
Which programs set a minimum, and the one that counts it toward patient care.
Free: the Patient Care Hours Starter Kit. A 3-step check for whether a job counts at your schools, CASPA's categories on one page, and a simple hours log. Built from the same program pages as this guide.
Get the free kit →