Pre-PA Certificates
Begin gaining direct patient care hours during your pre-health program
Pre-physician assistant students must complete a minimum number of direct patient care hours. However, successful applicants usually complete more than the minimum. A survey by PAEA showed that they completed on average 2,977 paid hours. This works out to over a year of employment.
To gain this high number of clinical hours, most students hoping to become a physician assistant work in entry-level healthcare positions. The problem is that most of those positions require an advanced certification. With your already full course load, you do not have time to add more classes to your schedule. You also may not want a gap between undergraduate and graduate school.
Advanced eClinical Training (ACT) designed fully online and self-paced programs in as little as 8-weeks. You’re also guaranteed a job in 6 months upon completion or we’ll give you a full refund.
Now you can gain clinical hours without a gap year.
The biggest obstacle to a job in healthcare is completing an advanced certification. ACT makes it easy for pre-PA students to get certified with our self-paced and flexible courses. Many students pass their certification exams after a couple of months of study.
You also have lifetime access to ACT’s career development services. We offer personalized career counseling, resume and cover letter writing, and exclusive access to our job board. If you don’t receive a job offer in 6 months upon completion, we will give you a full refund.
All students receive a clinical placement at a local healthcare facility. With our extensive network, we can usually place you in a facility that matches your clinical interests.
By enrolling in one of our pre-PA certificates, you will:
- Earn an advanced certificate trusted by employers in as little as 8 weeks
- Gain clinical competencies through our immersive training program
- Master essential patient-care skills to show your dedication to healthcare
- Add credibility to your PA school application
- Receive a Clinical Externship (placements guaranteed)
- Begin earning patient care hours for PA school
Which Certifications Could You Enroll in as an ACT Pre-PA Student?
At ACT, we recognize pre-PA students have busy schedules. All our pre-physician assistant certificates are self-paced and 100% online. This format allows you to fit your certification studies around other commitments.
These three online medical certifications provide direct patient care experience:
- Patient-Care Technician — In this role, you’ll take care of the patients’ daily needs. You’ll collaborate with nursing and hospital staff to monitor patients and provide high quality care.
- Medical Assistant — This role helps you learn excellent patient interaction skills. Medical Assistants are on the frontline helping patients get the treatment they need for optimal health.
- Phlebotomy Technician — Phlebotomists perform blood draws on patients of all ages. They’re an integral part of the team at hospitals, laboratories, and clinics.
Showcase your commitment to a career in healthcare without compromising your studies.
This role gives you the perfect opportunity to gain direct patient experience. Patient Care Technicians assist patients with daily needs and report changes to the healthcare team.
PA schools consider work experience as PCT to be high quality. You also learn valuable teamwork skills, which will be vital for working as a PA. The work environment can also be challenging, but rewarding. Your ability to succeed as a PCT shows your commitment to healthcare. Your responsibilities in this role include:
- Patient comfort to maximize quality of care
- Preoperative & postoperative care
- Cathetering
- Venipuncture
- Oxygen therapy
- Emergency care
In this certificate, you develop clinical competencies through immersive learning experiences. You’ll practice your new skills through situation-based clinical scenarios including realistic patient interactions. In as little as 8 weeks, you could gain more confidence in your clinical abilities and skills.
With our clinical placements, you’re guaranteed to gain clinical exposure. As a PCT, you’ll prove you can deliver exceptional patient care in this role.
Begin earning direct patient care hours in as little as 8-weeks.
To become the most competitive candidate possible, you should have a wide range of clinical exposure. However, it can be difficult to access private clinics or specialist offices. As a medical assistant, you will be able to secure a job in diverse medical settings.
This role offers you the opportunity to have numerous patient interactions. You’re the first person a patient interacts with in a physcians’ office, hospital setting, or outpatient clinic. This experience will build excellent patient communication and education skills.
ACT’s medical assistant certificate teaches you hands-on skills and medical knowledge through immersive learning experiences. You’ll have the chance to practice clinical procedures in simulation-based activities. These activities build your confidence to deliver high quality patient care. You’ll complete modules on topics including:
- Administering vaccinations and injections
- Preparing patients for diagnostic testing procedures, such as an X-ray or CT scan
- Collecting specimens, such as urine and blood
- Healthcare Ethics
- Medical Terminology
At the end of the program, you’ll have earned a nationally-accredited certification. This certification qualifies you to work across the country. It also highlights your dedication to a career in healthcare.
Don’t only gain clinical hours to get into PA school. Find a healthcare job that matches your clinical interests.
The Phlebotomy Technician Certification is another one of our pre-physician assistant certificates. As a Phlebotomy Technician, you’ll be responsible for drawing blood samples. You’ll earn patient care hours by interacting with patients of all ages.
This role also makes you a well-rounded candidate with experience in diverse clinical settings. You could work in hospitals, laboratories, long-term care facilities, or outpatient clinics.You’ll also have the chance to care for patients in a stressful situation.
This course teaches basic laboratory procedures and various venipuncture techniques (blood draws). You’ll build confidence in your ability to deliver exceptional patient care. These critical patient care and clinical skills will be vital to your career as a Physician Assistant. In this certificate, you’ll master the following skills:
- Infection control practices
- Venipuncture techniques
- Point-of-care testing
- Basic Laboratory Procedures
- Healthcare Ethics
You’ll have instant access to ACT’s immersive learning experiences. You will also receive a Phlebotomy Simulation Kit (realistic arm model + necessary medical supplies). Unlike university labs, you’ll keep your kit. This means you can continue practicing your skills after completing the course.
In as little as 8 weeks, you could earn direct patient care hours with a clinical placement. Or, you could be brushing up your resume with our career services to apply for a phlebotomy position. Your nationally accredited certificate allows you to work as a phlebotomist across the country.
Build a strong foundation for a career in healthcare with experience in phlebotomy.
Check Out Our Pre-Physician Assistant Mentorship Program
At ACT, we recognize that preparing your application and gaining acceptance to physician assistant school can be a daunting task. That’s why we offer all pre-PA students the opportunity to sign up for our Physician Assistant Mentorship Program. It’s designed to provide comprehensive support so you have the best chance of getting into the school of your choice.
The ACT pre-PA mentorship program empowers aspiring physician assistants with the guidance and assistance necessary to successfully navigate the competitive application process and secure admission to top-ranked PA programs.
You’ll work 1:1 with a mentor to:
Guidance and assistance to successfully navigate the competitive application process.
- Showcase your unique strengths and experiences.
- Craft a captivating personal statement designed to stand out.
- Select the best references to highlight PA admission committees “must haves.”
- Prepare for interviews with insider tips.
- Polish your application for optimal results with expert feedback.
Your expert PA mentor will have years of experience on admissions committees. This experience gives them a deep understanding of the admissions process. They can provide 1:1 guidance and feedback to help you distinguish yourself from the competition.
In addition to personalized guidance, the pre-PA mentorship program grants access to valuable resources designed to guide you through your application journey.
You’ll have access to:
Work with a mentor to develop a comprehensive application strategy.
Access to a variety of valuable resources designed to aid students in their application journey.
- Shadowing and research opportunities.
- Webinars covering essential topics.
- Resources for time management, interviews, and more.
- Help navigating the complex CASPA application system.
- Network of fellow pre-PA students and alumni.
Our mentors will help you excel in a competitive applicant pool and secure acceptance into the nation’s top-ranked PA programs.
Enroll now into ACT’s pre-PA certificates for expert guidance and feedback every step of the way!
