Physician Associates are healthcare professional who work under the supervision of a physician, providing a wide range of medical services, including diagnosing, and treating illnesses, prescribing medication, and assisting in surgeries. They are licensed clinicians who practice medicine through a patient-centered, team-based approach in various specialties and settings. While complementing and extending physician services, PA’s increase access to care, particularly in rural and underserved areas where healthcare professionals are limited. Watch the short video from AAPA.

PA students typically demonstrate a combination of strong academic skills and interpersonal abilities, exhibit a commitment to empathetic and compassionate patient care, are self-directed learners, and work well under pressure. They are often described as empathetic, compassionate, driven, persevering, and detail-oriented. PA students should possess strong communication and problem-solving skills and demonstrate the ability to adapt to challenging situations. Additionally, they are eager and willing to learn, are respectful and demonstrate respect for others, and are dedicated to lifelong learning.

Although the program does not require a specific number of clinical hours, applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain clinical experiences in the form of direct (hands-on) or indirect patient care. Additionally, shadowing a PA is also strongly recommended.

It should be noted that hands-on, direct patient experiences are highly preferred by the program. Examples of direct patient care includes working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), medical assistant (MA), ultrasonographer, patient care technician (PCT), paramedic, dietician, basic/advance emergency medical technician (EMT), nurse, surgical/ER/respiratory/telemetry technician, x-ray technologists, athletic trainer, etc. Examples of indirect patient care includes working as a dental hygienist, PT assistant, pharmacy assistant, administrative medical assistant, scribe, etc. Applicants may also consider volunteering their time in a wide range of clinical settings.

All applicants with nine or fewer semester hours of prerequisite courses to complete on Jan 1 of the year of admission will be considered for admission so long as a clearly articulated plan of completion is specified on the supplemental application.

Applicants who are accepted to the UAB PA program will need to complete the UAB Graduate School application immediately. Applicants who are waitlisted will also need to complete the Graduate School application to remain on the wait list.

The UAB Physician Associate Studies Program does not offer advance placement or credit for prior experience.

Individual counselling sessions may be arranged but please note the PA program provides information sessions, open to anyone interested, to discuss our application process, mission, curriculum, cost, and outcomes throughout the year. A seat may be reserved by calling 205-934-3209 or emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information, see: Tuition and Scholarships

UAB has an Institutional Refund Policy.

Program goals and outcome data can be found in the 2025 UAB MSPAS Outcomes and Goals Report.

Students have the right to engage in part-time employment during the program’s didactic phase. However, given the rigorous academic requirements of the didactic curriculum, program faculty strongly advises against outside employment. Student employment during the clinical phase of the program is strictly forbidden. It should be noted that no academic concessions will be made for working students. It should also be noted that students are not allowed to substitute for faculty or staff during the didactic phase of the program, nor as clinical staff during the clinical phase of the program.

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