-: So if you wanna become a physician assistant,
you can go into any major you want to go into.
In fact, you don't have to go into the sciences.
You can go into literature or education, business.
It really doesn't matter
as long as you have those science prerequisites
that are required
to get into the physician assistant program
once you're finished with your undergrad degree.
And I think it's important to have medical service,
so whether you're working as a CNA or as an EMT
or in a group home or providing some kind
of direct patient care will speak highly
of what you desire to pursue.
So it's a very sought after position,
and it is becoming more difficult to get in,
so I do recommend that.
If you want to really stand out,
then yes, you should get a job
in some kind of a healthcare field
for at least one to four years before you apply,
but that doesn't mean you can't do it during college.
So some people take a gap year
and really build up those hours before they apply.
A lot of physician assistant programs do require
anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 hours of direct patient care,
and they're very particular
about what that direct patient care is.
But I think it's only gonna strengthen your application.
What makes a good PA is you have to care about people
and you have to have fantastic communication skills
because you're sitting one-to-one with patients
and the families day in and day out.
And you have to care
about making a difference in their lives.
So I think a way to work on that is really starting
to engage with more people and work with the community,
volunteer, be a caretaker for someone in need.
You'll really hone that skill,
and you just have to have that fire,
that passion inside to do that.