Physician Assistant Program in Colorado - CO

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 8 2010

Requirements for Admission into Physician Assistant Programs in Colorado

Most physician assistant programs will require that you complete a Bachelors Degree before you can enroll into a PA program.  Some physician assistant programs in Colorado may even require that you have many years of experience in the health care industry.  Students interested in the PA program will most commonly earn a Bachelors Degree in the science fields due to the requirements and prerequisites for the PA program and those for that Bachelors Degree overlap. 

There are a few physician assistant programs in Colorado that vary quite a bit.  One community college offers a two-year certification physician assistant program that stipulates students must have 2000 hours of actual patient medical experience before they can apply or be accepted.  The other PA program offers a Masters Degree for those that have a Bachelors Degree.  And, the other program is called the Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant (CHA/PA) program, which prepares you to handle patients of all ages with an emphasis in pediatrics. 

Specifically the CHA/PA program will require students to have a Bachelors Degree prior to being admitted.  This Colorado physician assistant program consists of three years and will focus on the need to service the at-risk, disadvantaged and medically underserved populations.  This program is great for those that want to perform their internship in rural areas.  Those that graduate from the CHA/PA program practice in many areas such as community health centers, HMOs, private offices, newborn nurseries, adolescent clinics and emergency rooms.   

 Continuing Education for Colorado Physician Assistant

Colorado students are required to continue their medical education to keep their NCCPA certification.  Every two years physician assistants will have to have at least 100 hours of the latest medical education along with re-certifying every six years.  Physician assistants that do not adhere to these rules will be responsible for taking a rigorous certification test.