UC Davis PA Program Prerequisites: What You Actually Need to Get In

You're staring at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing website and honestly, it’s a lot. The UC Davis PA program is a beast. It’s one of the most respected Physician Assistant tracks in the country, but the barrier to entry isn’t just a high GPA. It’s a complex puzzle of clinical hours, specific science sequences, and a very particular "social justice" flavor that the admissions committee looks for. If you’re hunting for UC Davis PA program prerequisites, you’ve likely realized that missing even one tiny lab requirement can tank an entire application cycle.

Let's be real. It’s expensive to apply. It’s exhausting to retake classes. You don't want to find out in October that your "Human Physiology" course didn't have the right lab component.

The Academic Foundation: More Than Just "Science"

UC Davis doesn't just want smart people; they want people who can handle a brutal primary care-focused curriculum. The basic academic requirements are non-negotiable. You need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Period. Doesn't matter if it’s in Art History or Biology, as long as the core science is there.

Your GPA matters. A lot. They require a minimum 3.0 for both your overall undergraduate work and your combined science GPA. But keep in mind, the average "invite to interview" candidate usually sits way above that 3.0 floor. If you're rocking a 3.1, you better have some world-class clinical experience to balance it out.

✨ Don't miss: Why sitting on a couch for too long is actually wrecking your back (and how to fix it)

The science prerequisites are the meat of the application. You need Human Anatomy and Human Physiology. These must be separate courses or a combined series (A&P I and II). Crucially, they must include a "wet" lab. Virtual labs were tolerated more during the peak pandemic years, but the school has largely returned to requiring in-person, hands-on experience. You also need Chemistry (usually two semesters/three quarters) and Microbiology with a lab.

Then there’s the "soft" science. UC Davis asks for a course in Genetics. Some applicants try to skip this because other schools don't require it, but for Davis, it's a hard line. You also need a social science course—think Psychology or Sociology—and a course in Statistics.

The 1,000-Hour Hurdle

This is where things get dicey for a lot of applicants. You need 1,000 hours of direct patient care experience.

What counts? Not everything. UC Davis is specific. They want to see you actually touching patients or making clinical decisions. Scribing is a gray area for some programs, but Davis generally prefers hands-on roles. We're talking EMTs, CNAs, Medical Assistants, or Respiratory Therapists. If you spent 1,000 hours at a front desk checking people in, that's "healthcare experience," but it isn't "direct patient care experience."

Quality over quantity? Sorta. You need the 1,000 to even be considered. But if you have 4,000 hours as a high-level paramedic, you're going to look a lot better than someone who hit exactly 1,000 hours as a volunteer. They value longevity and responsibility.

UC Davis PA Program Prerequisites and the Mission Fit

UC Davis is obsessed with their mission. If you don't know it, learn it. They are focused on underserved populations, primary care, and rural health. This isn't just marketing fluff. It’s baked into their UC Davis PA program prerequisites in a subtle way.

They look for "community service" that isn't just a one-off weekend at a soup kitchen. They want to see that you've worked with people who don't have easy access to healthcare. Maybe you volunteered at a needle exchange. Maybe you worked in a rural clinic in the Central Valley. If your resume is all "private practice in a wealthy suburb," you might struggle to convince them you belong in their cohort.

They don't require the GRE. That’s a huge relief for many. No PA-CAT either. They rely on your grades, your experience, and your personal statement to tell the story. This puts a massive amount of pressure on your writing. You have to explain why UC Davis is the only place for you, and it better involve a passion for health equity.

The Timeline and Recency

Time is your enemy here. UC Davis has a "recency" requirement for some of their prerequisites. Generally, you want your core sciences—Anatomy, Physiology, and Micro—to be within the last five to seven years. If you took Bio 101 back in 2012, you're likely going to have to retake it. Science moves fast. They want to know you remember the Krebs cycle, or at least how to handle a microscope without breaking it.

The application cycle opens via CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants). You'll submit everything there, and then, if you're lucky, you get the supplemental application. The supplemental is where they ask the deep-dive questions. It’s also where you pay the extra fee.

Common Mistakes That Kill Applications

1. The Lab Gap: Taking a 4-unit science course without a lab. UC Davis will reject it. Always check the syllabus.
2. The "Wait and See" Approach: Thinking you can finish three prerequisites after you apply. Usually, you can have one or two in progress, but having a massive chunk of your science GPA "pending" makes you a risky bet.
3. Ignoring the Letter of Rec Requirements: They want letters from people who have seen you work with patients. A letter from your favorite English professor is nice, but it won't help you here. Get a PA or a physician who knows your clinical "spidey sense."

Final Checklist for the Serious Applicant

If you're serious about the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, you need to be methodical. This isn't a "wing it" situation.

• Audit your transcripts: Ensure every science class has a corresponding lab on the transcript.
• Log every hour: Use a spreadsheet to track your patient care hours. Don't estimate. If you get audited, you need to prove it.
• Volunteer meaningfully: Find a clinic that serves the uninsured. Spend a year there. It carries more weight than any test score ever could.
• Check the English requirement: Some applicants forget they need a full year of college-level English or writing-intensive courses.
• Prepare for the MMI: If you get an interview, it’s often a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. It’s fast-paced and focuses on ethics and problem-solving, not just your resume.

The road to becoming a PA through UC Davis is long. It's frustrating. It involves a lot of "shadowing" and even more studying. But for those who want to practice at the top of their license in California, there isn't a much better starting point.

Focus on the mission. Get your hands on patients. Nail the sciences. That's the only way through.

👉 See also: Ácido alfa lipoico beneficios: Por qué este antioxidante es tan diferente a los demás

Practical Next Steps

1. Review CASPA immediately: Even if you aren't applying this month, create an account to see how the UC Davis portal looks.
2. Contact a Counselor: If you are unsure if a specific course at a community college counts, email the UC Davis admissions office directly with the course description. Do not guess.
3. Secure Your Shadowing: Start asking local PAs if you can shadow now. It can take months to get through hospital bureaucracy for a single day of observation.
4. Order Official Transcripts: Do an unofficial "audit" of your own GPA to see if you need to retake a "C" grade in a core science to remain competitive.