Franklin Pierce PA Program Interview: Format and Questions

How the admissions committee selects interviewees, and what mission fit means

All three campuses review applications on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis once CASPA verifies your file. At the New Hampshire campus, the committee evaluates your academic achievements, personal attributes, and experiences alongside the quality of your interview. By our calculation from the New Hampshire FAQ, 24 seats for over 1,000 applicants is under 2.4 seats per 100 applications, plus a Direct Entry pathway that accepts up to 5 Franklin Pierce undergraduates per cohort.

At the Arizona hybrid campus, initial interview selection is based on academic readiness and professional readiness, while mission alignment, narrative and professional identity, and external validation are evaluated after the interview. At the Texas hybrid campus, applications are ranked for virtual interviews according to GPA, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and clinical experience. For test policies at Texas, see our guide on whether the Franklin Pierce Texas MPAS Hybrid Program requires Casper.

The New Hampshire program's mission is to prepare PAs who demonstrate clinical excellence, embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, advocate for their patients, lead and advance the profession, and serve their communities. According to the program's May 2023 goals report, 100% of students complete clinical training in rural or medically underserved areas and in New Hampshire or Vermont, 50% of matriculants over the last three cohorts came from New Hampshire or Vermont, 44% came from rural and/or medically underserved areas, and 60% of graduates over the last five cohorts practice in rural or medically underserved areas. Didactic students also use the facilities at Geisel Medical School in Hanover for cadaver dissection.

The Arizona and Texas hybrid programs share a mission of expanding access to PA education, addressing the primary care workforce shortage, and developing culturally sensitive clinicians who embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. First-year hybrid students complete online coursework from home and travel to Goodyear or Round Rock for required campus immersion weeks (two immersions of about one week each in year one for Arizona, plus two more immersions and a board review in year two), followed by second-year clinical rotations at Arizona or Texas hubs or sites nationwide.

• Academic readiness indicators (AZ) and preferences (NH): Overall GPA of 3.5 or higher, science GPA of 3.4 or higher (AZ) or 3.5 or higher (NH), research or publications, a degree in science or healthcare, completion of prior online degree programs (AZ), or at least one 17-credit semester with a science course and grades of B or higher (AZ).
• Professional readiness indicators: Direct patient care showing responsibility and integration into a care team, healthcare experience, professional licensure, leadership roles, PA shadowing, and career progression.
• Mission alignment and personal background preferences: Residence in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), Medically Underserved Area (MUA), or rural community, Vermont or New Hampshire residency (NH strives for 40% to 50% of each class from VT or NH), first-generation college status, bilingual or multilingual ability, overcoming significant life adversities, military or government service, voluntary service, and Franklin Pierce student or alumni status.
• Technical standards for behavior: Candidates must show emotional stability, maturity, empathy, cooperative teamwork, the ability to handle physical and emotional stress in emergencies, and the ability to accept criticism and modify behavior.

Franklin Pierce PA interview questions and example answers

Our team wrote these practice questions and example answers to match the evaluation domains, preference factors, and technical standards on the university's official pages, and you can pair them with our broader list of PA school interview questions for extra drills.

• 1. Why do you want to become a Physician Assistant, and what did you observe during your PA-C shadowing hours that confirmed this role for you? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "While shadowing a family medicine PA-C at a community health center for 24 hours, I watched him manage a full panel of chronic disease follow-ups while collaborating with his supervising physician on a complex pediatric rash. What confirmed the PA role for me was seeing how he combined diagnostic autonomy with team-based care. When an older patient came in with uncontrolled hypertension, the PA took the time to learn that the patient had stopped taking his diuretic because of work shifts, adjusted the regimen on the spot, and coordinated a follow-up check with the clinic nurse. I want that same training as a medical generalist who can build long-term trust with patients and adapt as community needs change."
• 2. Why did you apply to this specific Franklin Pierce campus (Lebanon on-ground vs. Goodyear or Round Rock hybrid), and how does its format fit how you learn? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "I applied specifically to the West Lebanon on-ground program because I learn best through daily face-to-face collaboration and hands-on lab repetition. During my undergraduate anatomy courses, my strongest retention came from working directly at the dissection table with my lab partners and asking questions in real time. Knowing that Lebanon students use the facilities at Geisel Medical School in Hanover for cadaveric dissection during the didactic year and clinical seminar weeks fits how I build clinical confidence. I also live in New England and want to complete my 13 months of clinical training in rural New Hampshire and Vermont clinics where I plan to practice after graduation."
• 3. (New Hampshire) Every student here trains in rural or medically underserved communities in New Hampshire and Vermont. Tell us about an experience you have had with a rural or underserved patient population. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "For the past two years, I have worked as an EMT for a rural ambulance service in northern Vermont, where our transport times to the nearest community hospital often run 40 minutes in winter weather. Last January, we responded to an older farmer with worsening shortness of breath who had rationed his inhalers because his truck was broken and the closest pharmacy was 25 miles away. When we handed him off in the emergency department, I made sure to tell the receiving PA about his transportation gap and his empty prescriptions so social work could set up mail-order delivery before discharge. That call showed me how quickly a manageable condition becomes an emergency in a rural town, and why I want to train across rural New Hampshire and Vermont."
• 4. (Arizona and Texas) In your first year, you will complete online didactic coursework from home and travel to campus for immersion weeks. Tell us about a time you had to manage a heavy workload independently without daily in-person oversight. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "While working full time as an emergency department technician, I completed my post-baccalaureate microbiology and biochemistry courses online through a regionally accredited university. Because I worked three 12-hour night shifts a week, nobody was checking whether I watched the lectures on Tuesday or Friday. I built a fixed weekly schedule every Sunday night, blocking four-hour study mornings on my days off and setting a 48-hour early deadline for every lab assignment. I also formed a virtual study group with two classmates where we quizzed each other on Zoom every Thursday evening, and I finished both courses with an A. That routine is why the Goodyear hybrid structure fits me, and I have already arranged my family schedule for the one-week campus immersions and year-two clinical rotations."
• 5. Tell us about a significant life adversity or struggle you have faced. How did you work through it, and how does it shape the way you treat patients? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "During my sophomore year of college, my father suffered a stroke and lost his ability to work, which meant I needed to take on 30 hours a week as a night-shift phlebotomist to help cover my tuition and family bills. My grades dipped that first semester because I tried to handle the schedule alone out of pride. Before junior year, I met with my academic advisor, shifted my labs to morning blocks right after work, and started using faculty office hours every week. I finished my junior and senior years with a 3.7 GPA while keeping my hospital job. Going through that stretch taught me what financial and caregiver stress looks like from the inside, so when a patient misses a lab draw or seems overwhelmed, I ask what barriers they are dealing with at home before making assumptions."
• 6. Describe a moment from your direct patient care experience where you took initiative or helped solve a problem as part of a healthcare team. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "While working as a medical assistant in an urgent care clinic, I noticed that several afternoon patients were waiting past their discharge time because nebulizer supplies were stocked only in the back hallway closet. During a busy flu shift, I stayed 20 minutes after our morning huddle to assemble three portable respiratory bins with adult and pediatric masks, tubing, and peak flow meters, and got approval from the lead PA to place them in the main exam bay. That small change cut room turnaround time by about ten minutes per respiratory visit and kept the nursing and provider team moving together during peak hours."
• 7. Tell us about a time you received constructive criticism from a supervisor, preceptor, or professor. What did you change afterward? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "During my first month working as a certified nursing assistant on a busy medical-surgical floor, my charge nurse pulled me aside after morning rounds. She told me that while I was thorough with vitals, I was taking too long in each room making small talk, which delayed the nurses who needed morning blood pressures before giving cardiac medications. After thinking it over on my break, I saw that slowing down the team's workflow hurt patient care. The next shift, I explained upfront to each patient that I was grabbing quick morning vitals so their nurse could bring their medications on time, and promised to check back in once the floor settled. My charting times dropped by 20 minutes, and it taught me that empathy has to work alongside clinical efficiency."
• 8. Our mission calls on PAs to advocate for their patients and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Tell us about a time you advocated for someone whose background or primary language differed from yours. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "As a phlebotomist at an outpatient clinic, I called back a Spanish-speaking patient whose teenage daughter was trying to translate complex fasting instructions for a glucose tolerance test. I could see the patient looked confused and embarrassed, and the front desk was rushing to keep the morning line moving. Even though I speak conversational Spanish, I knew medical instructions required a certified medical interpreter. I paused the check-in, connected our tablet interpreter service in Spanish, and asked the lab supervisor to print the Spanish preparation sheet so the patient could read it at home. She completed the three-hour test accurately the next morning, and it reminded me that true patient advocacy means slowing down to protect clear communication."
• 9. Describe a situation where you had to prioritize competing demands or respond to an emergency while under high stress. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "On an evening shift as an emergency department technician, I was asked to perform a stat ECG on a chest pain arrival at the exact moment a confused patient two rooms down set off his bed alarm trying to stand with an IV line running. I knew both situations carried immediate risk. I stepped into the hallway, called out to the unit clerk to hold the fall-risk patient at the bedside for thirty seconds, grabbed the ECG machine on my way past, and completed the 12-lead strip within three minutes for the PA on duty before returning to help re-settle the second patient. Staying calm, communicating clearly in one sentence, and triaging by clinical urgency kept both patients safe."
• 10. During your clinical year, you may be assigned to a rotation site far from your home and support network. How will you adjust and stay on track academically? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "I have already talked with my partner and budgeted savings specifically for temporary housing and travel during the clinical year, whether my rotations take me across New England or to a national hub. When I relocated for a summer research internship two states away during college, I learned that sticking to a daily routine right away prevents isolation. On away rotations, I plan to map out my commute and study space the weekend before day one, schedule daily thirty-minute PANCE question blocks right after clinic hours, and keep a Sunday evening video call with my classmates and family so I stay grounded while adapting to each preceptor's expectations."
• 11. (Arizona and Texas) Both hybrid campuses currently hold ARC-PA Accreditation-Probation status while working toward full compliance. Why do you still feel confident training here, and what questions do you have for us about the program? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "I read the ARC-PA accreditation history carefully before applying, and I understand that Accreditation-Probation is a temporary status while the program documents full compliance ahead of its next review, and that matriculating students remain in an accredited program eligible to sit for the PANCE. I feel confident training here because Franklin Pierce has sponsored an accredited PA program in New Hampshire since 2009 with a 96% five-year first-time PANCE pass rate, and the hybrid structure lets me complete my didactic year from my underserved home community before traveling for immersions and rotations. One question I would love to ask the faculty is what specific curricular or clinical site enhancements the team has put in place as you prepare for the upcoming ARC-PA review."
• 12. How do you see yourself leading and advancing the PA profession five years after graduating from Franklin Pierce? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "Five years after graduation, I see myself practicing full time in primary care at a Federally Qualified Health Center and serving as a clinical preceptor for Franklin Pierce PA students. When I was looking for my 20 required PA-C shadowing hours, I saw firsthand how stretched rural clinicians are and how much a welcoming preceptor matters to a student's growth. Beyond precepting, I want to stay active in my state PA academy to advocate for team-based primary care in underserved counties so patients have shorter waits for preventive visits."

A two-week preparation plan before your interview

This is our team's suggested preparation checklist for either the West Lebanon on-campus day or the Arizona and Texas virtual sessions.

• Days 1 to 3: Audit your CASPA file and uploaded resume or CV. Pick four clinical or volunteer moments you can tell concisely.
• Days 4 to 6: Map your stories to the program's preference list: one for overcoming adversity, one for healthcare teamwork, one for serving an underserved or rural community, and one for receiving feedback.
• Days 7 to 9: Prepare your logistics. For New Hampshire, plan your travel to West Lebanon (24 Airport Rd., West Lebanon, NH 03784) to arrive the evening before. For Arizona or Texas, test your camera, microphone, and quiet space.
• Days 10 to 12: Record yourself answering the practice questions in this guide out loud. Cut any answer that runs past two minutes.
• Days 13 to 14: Prepare two questions for faculty, such as how didactic students prepare for the Geisel Medical School cadaver labs in New Hampshire or how clinical hub placements are coordinated in year two for the hybrid tracks.

Franklin Pierce PA admissions in brief

Show details

For how these rules compare nationally, see our guide to PA school requirements. All prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited institution with a grade of C or better prior to matriculation (no AP, CLEP, audit, or advanced placement credit is accepted), and you can apply with up to two outstanding prerequisites (accepted NH students must finish them with a B or better). On Franklin Pierce's New Hampshire pages, the main program page states that applications must be verified by CASPA before October 1, while the FAQ and Academic Catalog list a November 1 submission deadline, so plan for the earlier October 1 CASPA verification date.

When you are ready to practice your answers out loud and get instant feedback on your structure and delivery, Confetto's AI mock interviewer is built for PA applicants. Start your free week.

Franklin Pierce PA admissions requirements and outcomes by campus

Requirement	Lebanon, NH (On-Ground)	Goodyear, AZ	Round Rock, TX
Minimum GPAs	3.0 cumulative, 3.2 science (3.5 average accepted, 3.2 overall for evaluated foreign transcripts)	3.0 cumulative, 3.0 science	3.0 cumulative, 3.2 science
Patient Care Experience (PCE)	At least 500 hours direct hands-on care (medical scribe does not count)	Not required (evaluated under holistic professional readiness)	Evaluated to rank applicants for interviews
PA-C shadowing	Minimum 20 hours shadowing a PA-C	Evaluated under professional readiness	Check program FAQ
Prerequisite credits	31 credits: A&P I & II w/ lab (8), Biology w/ lab (4), Chem I & II w/ lab (8), Micro w/ lab (4), Stats (3), Organic Chem or Biochem w/ lab (4, 3 in catalog)	35 credits: A&P I & II w/ lab (8), Biology w/ lab (8), Gen Chem I & II w/ lab (8), Micro w/ lab (4), Stats (3), Organic Chem or Biochem w/ lab (4), within 10 years recommended	33 credits: A&P I & II w/ lab (8), Gen Chem I & II w/ lab (8), Organic Chem or Biochem (3), Micro w/ lab (4), Stats (3), Biological science w/ lab (4), Medical Terminology (1), within 10 years recommended
CASPA deadline	Opens late April, verified before October 1 (FAQ/Catalog list November 1)	Opens April, faculty review June, verified by September 1	Opens late April, verified before October 1
Letters & documents	3 letters of recommendation, resume/CV upload, no GRE or supplemental fee	CASPA application, no transfer credit or advanced placement	3 letters of recommendation, no advanced placement
TOEFL iBT (born outside US without US high school diploma)	5+ per category (100 overall / 25 each before Jan 21, 2026), ETS 3709	5+ per category (100 overall / 25 each before Jan 21, 2026), ETS C981	5+ per category (100 overall / 25 each before Jan 21, 2026), ETS D360
Published outcomes (NH)	96% 5-yr average 1st-time PANCE pass rate (93% total), 88% graduation rate (last 3 cohorts, May 2023)	See program PANCE link	See program PANCE link

Practice question

Both our New Hampshire and hybrid PA programs aim to prepare clinicians for primary care and address the primary care workforce shortage. What draws you to primary care, and how has your clinical experience prepared you for it?

See an example answer

Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented. Working as a medical assistant in an outpatient family practice showed me that primary care is where chronic illnesses are caught before they turn into hospital admissions. Last fall, I roomed a middle-aged carpenter who came in only for a work physical, but when I took his manual blood pressure, it was dangerously elevated. Because he trusted our clinic's PA-C from treating his kids, he agreed to stay for labs, start antihypertensive therapy, and return every two weeks for blood pressure checks with me until his numbers stabilized. Watching that continuity of care over three months convinced me that primary care is where I can make the biggest difference. At Franklin Pierce, completing rotations across Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and a Primary Care Elective will give me the broad diagnostic foundation I need to serve patients in a community health center.

It connects a concrete hands-on patient care moment to longitudinal primary care, highlights collaboration with a PA-C, and references Franklin Pierce's published primary care goal and required rotation sequence.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Franklin Pierce PA program conduct in-person or virtual interviews?

It depends on the campus you apply to. The Lebanon, New Hampshire on-ground program conducts interviews on campus face to face (typically from November through May), while both the Goodyear, Arizona and Round Rock, Texas hybrid programs hold virtual interviews.

What is the class size and acceptance rate for the Franklin Pierce PA program?

The Lebanon, New Hampshire PA program has a maximum class size of 24 seats per year and receives over 1,000 applications each cycle, which works out by our calculation to under 2.4 seats per 100 applications. Up to 5 seats per cohort are also available through the undergraduate Direct Entry pathway.

What are the GPA, PCE, and shadowing requirements for Franklin Pierce's PA programs?

The New Hampshire campus requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA, a 3.2 science GPA (accepted students average a 3.5 in both), at least 500 hours of direct hands-on patient care experience (medical scribing does not count), and 20 hours of PA-C shadowing. The Arizona hybrid campus requires a 3.0 cumulative and 3.0 science GPA with no required PCE hours, and the Texas hybrid campus requires a 3.0 cumulative and 3.2 science GPA while ranking applicants using clinical experience.

Can I apply to all three Franklin Pierce PA campuses with one CASPA application?

No. Although the New Hampshire, Arizona, and Texas programs share Franklin Pierce University as their sponsoring institution, they are separate PA programs and require separate applications in CASPA.

Does Franklin Pierce require the GRE or a supplemental application fee?

No. The New Hampshire MPAS FAQ confirms the program does not require the GRE and does not charge an application or supplemental fee beyond the CASPA fee, though you must upload a copy of your resume or CV.

What is the accreditation status and PANCE pass rate for Franklin Pierce's PA programs?

The New Hampshire campus holds ARC-PA Accreditation-Continued status (next review September/October 2027) and reported a 96% five-year average first-time PANCE pass rate as of May 2023. The Goodyear, Arizona hybrid program was placed on Accreditation-Probation in March 2025 (next review March/April 2027), and the Round Rock, Texas hybrid program page reports it was placed on Accreditation-Probation in April 2026 (next review April 2028).

Sources

• Franklin Pierce University MPAS, New Hampshire Program Overview
• Franklin Pierce University MPAS, New Hampshire FAQ
• Franklin Pierce University MPAS, New Hampshire Mission and Goals
• Franklin Pierce University MPAS Program, Goodyear, Arizona
• Franklin Pierce University MPAS Program, Round Rock, Texas
• Franklin Pierce University Academic Catalog, MPAS in New Hampshire
• Franklin Pierce University Academic Catalog, Accreditation
• ARC-PA Currently Accredited Programs
• ARC-PA Accreditation History, Franklin Pierce University (NH)