Our Club

The Pre-Physician Assistant Student Organization is a non-profit student organization and we are committed to educating students about the physician assistant profession.

PPASO collaborates with physician assistants, medical professionals, UC San Diego faculty, and alumni to provide our members with the best means to reach their goals of becoming physician assistants. We provide our members with invaluable PA admission and application advices and unique health care experience opportunities.

PPASO is one of the very few Pre-Physician Assistant Organizations in Southern California and we welcome everyone and anyone who is interested in the PA profession.





What's a PA?

Physician assistants are medical professionals that are formally trained to prescribe medication, perform or assist in surgeries, diagnose, examine and treat patients, order tests, interpret lab work and follow-up with patients.

Physician Assistants are not to be confused with medical assistants as medical assistants perform routine clinical tasks and do not diagnose or prescribe. PAs are technically under physician supervision, but many, if not all PAs work autonomously and the attending physician delegates their work.





How do I become a PA?

There are over 140 accredited PA programs in the United States. Most programs are 2-3 years long. Many programs, but not all, require a minimum number of hours of direct-patient care. These prerequisite hours range from 1,000 to 3,000 hours, depending on the program.

After graduating from a PA program, all prospective PAs need to also pass the initial certifying exam: Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). PANCE is a computer-based multiple-choice exam that tests for knowledge in subjects such as biochemistry, behavioral science, circulation, diabetes, gastrointestinal, and gross anatomy. Upon completion of an accredited program and passing PANCE, physician assistants will be hired by physicians and be specifically trained by the physician to perform more specialized work.

Our Team
Diana Tam - Co-President

My name is Diana and I am a Senior in Sixth College, majoring in Human Biology. I enjoy reading/napping on the beach and window shopping!

Ashley Erazo - Co-President

I am a fourth year from Revelle College as a Human Development major. Outdoor running, spending time at the beach, and playing basketball are activities I deeply enjoy doing.

Albert Cheng - Secretary

I am currently a third year biology major at Warren. Originally from San Francisco, I have learned to love Southern California and the UCSD community.

Yvonne Lam - Fundraising Chair

Hello! I am a 4th year majoring in Biochemistry and Cell Biology in Warren. I enjoy eating and I am a sucker for anything Disney!

Ronnie Zachary - Community Service Chair

I am a fourth year General Biology major in Muir College. I love to travel, snowboard, and cook on my free time.

Helen Chow - Activities Chair

I am a third year biochemistry and cell biology major. I'm a Marshall student and a Marshall Orientation Leader WOOT WOOT!

Allie Lenox - Public Relations Chair

I am in ERC and also will be a Senior this year. Yikes! I am a General Biology Major, with a Minor in Psychology.

Shelby Yeung - Publicity Chair

I'm a third year Revelle student majoring in Psychology. This past summer I took an EMT class and got certified! I was recently accepted into the CCE Program at Palomar. Welcome to PPASO!