The George Washington PA program interview format

The George Washington University PA Program, in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, requires an interview and runs it as a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). Its admissions FAQ says all interviews are virtual and that each interview day includes the MMI, a program overview and a Q&A session with faculty. GW says applicants who are not offered an interview have been denied, so an invitation means your file has already been through a first review.

Item	What GW says
Format	Multiple mini-interview with 5 stations
At each station	A scenario or question to discuss, with time to review it before you respond
Standard station	One scenario asks why you chose a career as a PA
Delivery	Virtual
Interview months	September through December
Also on the day	Program overview, Q&A with faculty, a chance to meet classmates, current students, faculty and staff
Length of each station, scoring rubric, interviewer type	Not published

GW says the interview evaluates communication skills, maturity, alignment with the GW mission and understanding of the role of the PA in today's health care environment. The FAQ also names two example scenario types it has seen in the literature: an ethical decision-making scenario and a communication scenario. GW says scenarios have been described and adapted across health professional programs and points to journal articles on the MMI. The FAQ does not list the scenarios GW itself uses.

GW's own preparation advice

The FAQ says the best preparation is to understand the basic structure, time limit and number of stations, and to listen carefully to each prompt. It says reviewing a list of practice questions is not helpful because MMI stations are different from traditional interview questions. It suggests reflecting on previous interview experiences, or role-playing with a friend or family member, to find nervous habits and get comfortable. Take that seriously: do not memorize scripts, and use our questions below to practice structure, not to memorize answers. Practice the skill of reading an unfamiliar scenario, organizing a response and saying it clearly.

What GW looks for

The 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. The admissions page says the committee uses a holistic review of science preparation, direct patient and related health care experience, community service, leadership and other characteristics such as second-language proficiency. It says it is focused on recruiting first-generation college students, economically or educationally disadvantaged applicants, military veterans and people who live in health professions shortage areas.

The program describes itself as one of the oldest PA programs in the country, with a foundation in primary care and public health and a location in Washington, DC, close to the policymakers and professional organizations that shape health care. Expect to be asked why you want to be a PA, and prepare for questions about the GW mission as well.

The cycle and requirements

Deadline: for the 2026-27 cycle, your CASPA application must be verified and the GW supplemental application ($60) completed by October 1 (GW's page does not give a year, so check it for the next cycle). GW says CASPA verification usually takes three to four weeks to reach the program.
Review: rolling. Decisions are typically finalized by late January. There is no early decision option.
Patient care: 1,000 hours of direct patient care required.
GPA: GW's FAQ refers to a minimum science and overall GPA of 3.2, and says historically the average overall and science GPAs are 3.5 or higher.
GRE: GW does not require or consider GRE scores.
Deposit: $1,000 within two weeks of an acceptance letter.
Start: summer entry only, in May. The two-year MSHS and the three-year MSHS/MPH are both full time.

GW also says clinical-phase students typically work 45 to 75 hours a week on rotation, including possible nights, weekends and holidays. Be ready to explain how you will handle that schedule.

How to prepare for GW's MMI

Have a tight, honest "why PA" answer. It is the only scenario GW says you will definitely get. Say what you saw, what a PA does that attracted you, and why not another role.
Be able to describe the PA role today. Know supervision and collaboration in plain language, and where practice rules are changing.
Practice reading time. You get time to review before you answer. Use it to pick a position and one reason before you speak.
Connect to the mission. Your answers should show advocacy and service without sounding rehearsed. Use real experiences.
Prepare for five fast resets. Time yourself with our MMI timer and take a breath between scenarios.

GW PA practice questions (written by us, not GW)

GW does not list the scenarios it uses. These are ours, built from its stated criteria and the PA role. Practice each aloud for about five minutes, with a short reading pause first.

Why did you choose to become a PA, and why not a physician or a nurse practitioner?
A patient is leaving the emergency department against medical advice and asks you to help. What do you do?
You work in a clinic that serves many patients who cannot afford their medications. How would you approach that as a PA?
A supervising physician is running late and the waiting room is full. A patient asks you whether their symptoms are serious, and it is beyond your training. What do you say?
Describe how a PA can advocate for a patient inside a hospital system.
Some states are giving PAs more independence. What is the benefit and what are the risks?
A classmate in your study group copied an answer from another student's quiz. What do you do?
Tell me about a time you led without a title. What was hard about it?
Roleplay: you accidentally gave a patient the wrong appointment time and they missed their visit. Speak to them.
What is the most important change you would make to primary care access in a community you know?

For a wider set, see our PA program interview questions guide and the scored PA school mock interview.

A drill for a five-station PA MMI

Write your "why PA" answer in under two minutes and deliver it to a friend. Have them ask what you would say if you were wrong.
Choose five scenarios from the list. For each, take 90 seconds to read, then answer for four to five minutes with a timer.
Record the set and watch it once with the sound off. Look for stiff posture and long gaps.
Repeat the five with new scenarios two days later. Keep the same pace.

If you do not have partners, Confetto's PA school interview prep uses AI mock interviews that ask follow-up questions based on what you actually said and give rubric-based feedback afterward. The question bank has over 500 questions, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.

George Washington PA interview FAQ

How many stations are in the GW PA MMI?

GW says applicants complete 5 mini-interview stations. It does not publish the time for each.

Is the GW PA interview virtual?

Yes. GW says all interviews are conducted virtually.

What will they ask?

One scenario will ask why you chose a career as a PA. GW does not list the others.

Does GW require the GRE?

No. GW says it does not require or consider GRE scores.

When do I hear back?

Applicants are notified on a rolling basis, and decisions are typically finalized by late January.

Applying elsewhere? See our guides to the Duke PA program and Emory PA program interviews, or our PA school interview prep page.

Sources: GW PA Program admissions FAQs, admissions and aid, program overview and curricula pages.

Confetto isn't affiliated with the George Washington University. Everything here about the program comes from its public admissions pages, checked in October 2026. Formats and dates can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.