Do you live in Texas and want to pursue a career in the medical field close to you? Do you desire to work closely with professional health workers? Then a career as a physician assistant is what you may need to consider. Further in this article, we will list the best PA schools in Texas.
Also, you will learn all the Physician Assistant (PA) profession entails and the best PA Schools in Texas where you can gain your education and training.
Table of contents
A Physician Assistant
A physician assistant, a PA, is a medical team member who assists and works closely with surgeons, doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists, public health professionals, and other healthcare experts.
In order of priority, we will discuss the following contents:
- Who is a Physician Assistant?
- What do Physician Assistants do?
- What criteria/requirements do you need to become a Physician Assistant
- Which are the best schools for PA in Texas?
Who is a Physician Assistant?
As explained, a physician assistant PA is a medical team member who usually works with doctors, nurses, surgeons, public health professionals, medical laboratory scientists, and other healthcare experts.
It could be in a healthcare setting (hospitals) or population-based outreach (community outreaches).
PAs are neither doctors nor nurses, although people mistake the professions for one another, especially PAs being doctors. They are not, and there are quite distinct differences between the two.
A PA primarily provides primary or basic care to patients when there is an emergency or urgent need. A licensed physician usually supervises him/her.
Usually, a PA gets their title from the area of medicine they specialized in. A typical example is this: If Sandra is an assistant to Peter, a Gynecologist, then Sandra is a Gynecologist physician assistant.
See Also: 13 Best PA Schools in Chicago
What Do Physician Assistants Do?
The job descriptions of physician assistants are as diverse as those of their supervising physicians. Also, their function is regarded as critical to any healthcare team. The specific job descriptions of a Physician Assistant PA include:
- To provide basic medicare to patients that don’t need a doctor’s attention. These medicare services include; diagnosing injuries and illnesses, prescribing medicine, conducting examinations, carrying out tests, administering treatment, and monitoring the progress of patient’s recuperation.
- Physician assistants practice medicine under licensed physicians’ supervision and provide patients with services ranging from primary care to specialized surgical care.
- PAs obtain and record patient histories, conduct physical examinations, diagnose illness and develop treatment strategies, conduct and interpret lab tests, counsel patients on preventative health measures, perform various medical procedures, assist in surgical operations, and, in most states, can write prescriptions.
Meanwhile, a PA’s job may depend on the severity of the patient’s condition, anyway. A physician assistant may not attend to a very severe case that needs the attention of a doctor or surgeon where the doctor or surgeon is around.
What are the Requirements to Become a PA?
What do you need to become a PA in Texas?
If you must become a physician assistant, you must meet specific requirements or criteria. This section will expose you to all the requirements and criteria you must have as an aspiring PA.
After your bachelor’s program, you will require a minimum of a master’s degree at the entry level into this career. And you must get your certification from an accredited institution.
In a nutshell, you must have six years of intensive training to become a PA.
However, sometimes, most employers would not only require that you complete a master’s degree program but also require you to have at least one year of medical experience within a medical institution.
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How Do I Become a PA in Texas?
Below are the five steps you must go through to become a certified PA.
- Complete your bachelor’s degree (a course in the faculty of health science is usually best); Gain experience in a healthcare setting (You could achieve this as a volunteer)
- Register for healthcare programs approved by ARC-PA;
- Complete a PA program at the master level of 2 to 3 years;
- Write and pass the PANCE license exam.
What are the Best PA Schools in Texas?
To be the best in your career, you must learn from the best. Anything less than that reduces your value.
For your physician assistant programs, you must enroll in the best PA schools in Texas if you want to go far. Among the many PA schools in Texas, I carefully handpicked the ten best PA schools where you can gain the best PA education.
You can find bachelor’s programs, master’s programs, and other professional certificate programs in these schools.
Take your time and go through the schools. You can also visit the school; official website through the link that will be provided in each section.
10 Best PA Schools in Texas
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center–Dallas
- Interservice Physician Assistant Program
- University of North Texas Health Science Center
- University of Texas Health Science Center–San Antonio
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley
- The University of Houston
- University of Texas Austin
- The University of Incarnate Word
1. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
The Baylor PA program has been ranked first and the best PA school in Texas and third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Baylor College of Medicine house the world’s largest medical complex, allowing you to explore the full range of practical and theoretical practice options open to PAs.
Baylor College of Medicine provides you with seasoned educators, renowned researchers, and clinicians in active practice in the fields of family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics, and gynecology to inculcate in you the best.
The program offers extensive opportunities for you to be involved in the activities of your profession, with a recapping record of students filling leadership roles in the national student academy at the highest levels.
2. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center–Dallas
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School has been ranked as the second-top physician assistant school in texas. The school provides over 4 programs that lead to degrees in physician assistant.
You can check up on the school and surf it for yourself at the above-provided link.
3. Interservice Physician Assistant Program
Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) has ranked as the third-best PA school in Texas and number 10 in the United States. Take a quick surf to the school and read more about it.
The institution is at the Academy of Health Sciences (AHS), Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDD C & S) on Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas.
4. University of North Texas Health Science Center
The University of North Health Science Center is the fourth-best PA school offering a wide range of physician assistant programs in Texas.
The institution was established in 1997, and it has been functioning and excelling ever since.
The PA program in the institution aims to create a learning environment that is both current and practical. As a student, you may learn the art and science of treating human health and disease. The PA curriculum may be challenging, but it can be gratifying.
The Accreditation Review Commission accredits the PA Program here for Physician Assistant Education. A graduate can also receive a Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree to complete all requirements.
5. The University of Texas Health Science Center–San Antonio – #5 Best PA Schools in Texas
The University of Texas Health Science Center is the fifth-best PA school in Texas, offering various PA courses. The faculty and staff here believe that physician assistant is part of the solution to the nation’s health care challenges.
The institution aims to become a recognized primary healthcare education, scholarship, and service leader.
The institution’s vision is to maintain n high spirit the education and training of competent and caring primary health care providers who will meet the needs of society, faculty, staff, and student service to the community and region.
You can enroll for your Bachelor’s certification in degree programs like Respiratory care, Emergency health services, Occupational therapy, etc. Quickly take a flight to the school using the link below.
6. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
The institution has been ranked 6th in Texas as the best PA school. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Health Professions Physician Assistant Program aims to provide comprehensive medical education to physician assistant students.
The institution is also aimed to be regionally and nationally recognized for graduating excellent healthcare providers.
7. University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley is ranked the seventh-best Pain Texas. The mission of the Department of Physician Assistant (DPA) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is to provide innovative advanced medical education to physician assistant students who will transform healthcare delivery to the multicultural population of South Texas. The DPA promotes the importance of lifelong learning and self-evaluation in you.
8. The University of Houston
The University of Houston ranked Texas’s 8th best PA school, offering various PA courses.
The school offers physician assistant programs in Texas. The school offers several programs that lead to careers as physician assistants.
9. University of Texas Austin
The University of Texas, Austin, occupied the ninth-past PA school in Texas and was listed among the 25-best school in the United States.
It offers a world-class education at an affordable cost. The PA faculty is inclusive, meaning you will learn PA and be integrated with the world culture.
10. University of Incarnate Word
The University of Incarnate Word is the largest catholic university in Texas. The Sisters of Charity of the incarnate word established the institution in 1881.
It is ranked as the 10th best PA-offering school in Texas with a long history of offering the best set of education in sciences.
Listed above is our list of the 10 best PA schools in no particular order, although we assure you they are the best you will ever find. To choose your best one, go through the admission requirement for each school to ensure you meet them.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, PA in Texas can act in a managerial capacity for any healthcare organization that employs PAs and would be a valued asset to any private practice. PAs are significantly in demand, and in whatever way they pursue their career, most PAs will be in a suitable position to choose where to work and the remuneration they can expect.
The good thing is that according to the Bureau for labor statistics, the employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 31 percent from 2018 to 2028. So, if you haven’t decided which of the above schools to go to. Go back and surf carefully. You would not want to miss out.
FAQs – Best PA Schools in Texas
PA school in Texas typically takes about 24 to 30 months to complete, depending on the specific program and the student’s enrollment status. However, the length of the program can vary slightly among different schools.
According to the latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paying physician assistant specialties in the US in 2023 were dermatology, emergency medicine, critical care medicine, and orthopedics.
Yes, physician assistant (PA) is a high-demand job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 31% employment growth rate for PAs from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
