Trevecca PA Program Interview: Format, Questions & Prep

How to prepare for the academic, general and mission components

In the academic component, the committee looks past your raw GPA to how you handled rigor. Trevecca gives preference to applicants who took multiple lab sciences concurrently across several semesters, completed 3 to 7 upper-level science courses (especially Biochemistry I and II, Genetics, and Immunology), and kept strong grades while working or volunteering alongside a full course load. Be ready to discuss how you study and how you will adjust to Trevecca's self-directed preparatory science modules and 15-month didactic phase.

In the general component, the focus shifts to your character, your patient care stories, and why you want to train at a Christian university in Nashville. Established in 1976, Trevecca is the first and longest-tenured PA program in Tennessee, with more than 1,300 alumni. Its mission statement is direct: "The mission of Trevecca's PA program is to prepare professionally competent physician assistants who will use their skills to serve their communities in compassionate ministry." Trevecca states that it values "experiential differences, service-mindedness, empathy and determination," builds its foundation on "leadership and service," and holds "professionalism, integrity, equanimity, humility and capacity for growth in the highest regard." As a Christian university, Trevecca prioritizes compassion, integrity, and a biblical worldview.

During the 27-month Master of Science in Medicine (MSM) program, students spend 15 didactic months in the four-story, 33,000-square-foot Health Sciences Building (opened in 2022 with a dedicated 8-cadaver anatomy lab reserved exclusively for PA students), followed by 12 months of eight 6-week clinical rotations (family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral/mental health, internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, women's health, and one elective). Students serve with local organizations reaching Nashville's medically underserved and homeless populations, and can rotate at urban and rural faith-based clinics or international sites where students have served, including Ghana, Zambia, Swaziland, Haiti, and Peru.

Use the checklist below before your interview date to prepare for both components. This checklist is our team's suggested plan.

• File and transcript audit: Reread your CASPA application and transcript. Write down examples of academic rigor (such as concurrent science labs or upper-level courses like Biochemistry, Genetics, or Immunology) and patient stories from your 250+ direct patient care hours showing empathy, humility, integrity, equanimity, and determination.
• Mission and curriculum match: Draft a concise "Why Trevecca?" answer that connects your service history to Trevecca's Nashville partnerships with unhoused neighbors, faith-based clinics, or international rotations.
• Spoken practice with follow-ups: Practice answering the 12 questions below out loud on camera or with a partner, leaving room for follow-up questions.
• Full mock and faculty questions: Run a full mock session, confirm your invitation email instructions, and prepare questions for faculty about mentoring, small-group cadaver dissection in Applied Anatomy (PAS 5070), team-based case learning in Clinical Integration Skills (PAS 5290), or Nashville community service.

12 Trevecca PA practice questions with example answers

Our team wrote the 12 questions and example answers below to match Trevecca's academic and general interview components, its mission of compassionate ministry, and the competencies listed on its website. Each example answer is written by our team, and the applicant is invented. For more prompts, see our guide to [PA school interview questions](/articles/pa-program-interview-questions).

• 1. Why Trevecca, and how does our mission of compassionate ministry fit your goals as a PA? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "I want to train at Trevecca because your program treats clinical competence and compassionate ministry as inseparable. For the past two years, I worked as a medical assistant at a sliding-scale clinic and volunteered on Saturdays with a mobile foot-care ministry for unhoused neighbors. Trevecca has trained PAs in Tennessee since 1976, and your curriculum builds that mindset into the didactic year through partnerships with nonprofits serving Nashville's unhoused community and clinical rotations at faith-based clinics. Your five-year 100% first-time PANCE pass rate and dedicated eight-cadaver anatomy lab also show how seriously the faculty take clinical preparation. I want to be pushed hard academically inside a Christian community that keeps service at the center."
• 2. How have your science courses prepared you for the academic rigor of our 15-month didactic phase? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "Beyond the required anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and microbiology labs, I took five upper-level science courses, including Biochemistry I and II, Genetics, and Immunology, while working 20 hours a week as a patient care technician. When I took Biochemistry II and Microbiology with lab in the same semester, I realized re-reading lecture slides was too passive. I switched to drawing mechanism maps from memory on a whiteboard every evening and meeting a study partner twice a week to quiz each other on clinical correlations. Because Trevecca's didactic phase covers 15 months of intensive medical science and organ-system blocks, I already know how to manage my time, study actively in small groups, and ask faculty for help early."
• 3. Tell us about a time you showed humility and a capacity for growth in a clinical or work setting. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "During my third month as an emergency department technician, I was setting up a 12-lead ECG on an older patient who was trembling and short of breath. After the encounter, the charge nurse pulled me aside and pointed out that while my lead placement was fast and accurate, I had barely spoken to the patient or offered a warm blanket first. She was right. I had let task speed crowd out the person in the bed. I thanked her, and from that shift forward, I made a rule for myself: before touching any equipment, I introduce myself, explain what I am doing in plain words, and check one comfort need. Humility in medicine means turning feedback into a better habit the same day."
• 4. What does equanimity mean to you, and when have you had to practice it under stress? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "To me, equanimity means staying steady, clear-headed, and kind when the room around you is tense. Last winter at our urgent care clinic, our electronic charting system went down during a Monday morning surge while three patients with high fevers waited to be roomed, and an upset father in the lobby began raising his voice about the wait. Instead of rushing, I paused, lowered my voice, and spoke with the father at eye level. I acknowledged how frustrating it was to wait with a sick child, explained that we were switching to paper charts to keep seeing patients safely, and checked his child's vitals right away so the PA could triage appropriately. Staying calm lowered the temperature in the room and kept our team focused."
• 5. Describe a patient encounter from your direct patient care hours that shaped your understanding of empathy. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "While working as a CNA on an inpatient medical floor, I cared for a man in his sixties admitted for uncontrolled hypertension who kept refusing his evening medications and turning toward the wall. Instead of simply charting 'patient refused,' I sat down for three minutes when I brought fresh water and asked what was worrying him most. He told me his wife had passed away in that same hospital wing a year earlier, and the monitor sounds at night were overwhelming him. I shared that with the night-shift PA, who listened to him, adjusted his non-urgent nighttime vitals schedule so he could sleep, and arranged a chaplain visit. He took his medications that night. Empathy starts with curiosity about what a patient is carrying unseen."
• 6. Why do you want to be a physician assistant rather than a physician or nurse practitioner? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "During my shadowing and my 600 hours as a medical assistant in orthopedics and family medicine, I saw how the PA role combines generalist medical training with team-based flexibility. In family medicine, the PA I shadowed managed her own panel of chronic and acute visits while consulting with her collaborating physician on complex multi-system cases. I want to be trained in the medical model across all major specialties, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, emergency medicine, women's health, and behavioral health, just as Trevecca structures its eight rotations. That generalist foundation, paired with the ability to adapt later if my community's needs shift, fits me better than a single-specialty residency or a nursing-track degree."
• 7. Tell us about a time you worked with someone whose background or life experience was very different from yours. Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "At the community health clinic where I worked as a phlebotomist, many patients were recently resettled refugees who spoke Arabic or Swahili. One afternoon, a mother arrived 40 minutes late for her child's lab draw because she relied on two city buses, and a coworker wanted to cancel the visit. Using our video interpreter, I asked what happened and learned she had left home two hours early, but a bus route had detoured. I worked with the lab lead to squeeze the draw in between slots and printed a visual bus-transfer map with our flexible lab hours circled. Working across backgrounds taught me to ask before assuming and respect people's real constraints."
• 8. How will you handle the transition to a 50-student cohort and team-based learning in courses like Clinical Integration Skills? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "A close-knit 50-student cohort is a major reason I applied to Trevecca. In college, I served as a peer teaching assistant for human physiology lab, leading weekly case study groups of six students. I learned that a strong team isn't one where the loudest person answers every question, it's one where people feel safe saying, 'I don't understand how this lab value fits the presentation.' In Trevecca's Clinical Integration Skills, my goal is to come prepared, listen actively before jumping in, and invite quieter classmates into the differential diagnosis. Because all 50 of us take the same 142 credits together, my classmates' success is my success."
• 9. Describe an ethical dilemma or a time you witnessed unprofessional behavior. What did you do? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "When training a new medical assistant at our clinic, I noticed she recorded a normal respiratory rate of 16 in the chart for a crying toddler without counting breaths because she wanted to finish rooming quickly. After we stepped into the hallway, before the PA entered, I spoke with her privately. I kept my tone friendly, acknowledged how hard it is to count respirations on a crying toddler, and showed her how I watch the child's belly for 30 seconds while the parent holds them before taking the temperature. We went back in together, got an accurate count of 32, and updated the chart before the PA went in. Protecting the patient came first, and handling it privately helped my coworker fix the habit."
• 10. Trevecca PA students serve Nashville's medically underserved and homeless populations. How would you approach a patient experiencing homelessness who is hesitant to follow a treatment plan? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "First, I would focus on building trust and understanding their daily reality before recommending a plan that might be impossible to follow. When an unhoused patient hasn't taken a twice-daily medication or kept a wound clean, the barrier is usually safe storage, cost, clean water, or transportation. I would ask respectful questions like, 'Where are you staying this week, and what makes it hardest to take these pills during the day?' Working with my preceptor, I would look for practical adjustments: once-daily generics, waterproof dressing bags, and connecting the patient with Nashville street outreach or faith-based clinic social workers. Treating a patient with dignity means fitting the care plan to their actual life."
• 11. What is the hardest piece of feedback you have received, and what did you change because of it? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "In my first semester leading our campus community-service club, my faculty advisor told me that I was taking on too much of the logistics myself instead of delegating to our committee chairs, leaving them disengaged. Hearing that stung because I thought I was just being reliable. On reflection, I saw that holding onto every detail kept my teammates from growing. The next week, I apologized to my three chairs, handed each full ownership of one partner site, and switched our weekly meetings to ten-minute check-ins where I asked what support they needed. Event turnout went up, and two of those chairs ran for president the next year."
• 12. If you are placed on the alternate list or not accepted this cycle, what is your plan? Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "If placed on the alternate list, I will stay ready to matriculate and keep the admissions team updated on new coursework or patient care hours as allowed. If not accepted this cycle, I will ask for feedback if available and audit my application honestly. Over the next year, I plan to continue working full-time as a medical assistant to add over 1,500 direct patient care hours, take Pathophysiology in person at my university to strengthen my upper-level science foundation, and deepen my volunteer work at our local free clinic. My commitment to becoming a PA in compassionate ministry isn't for one cycle, and I would reapply to Trevecca stronger next spring."

PANCE pass rates, cohort size and accreditation status

Trevecca's PA program has achieved a 100% first-time PANCE pass rate for five consecutive graduating classes (Classes of 2021 through 2025), as well as in 2016 and 2017. On its PANCE Data tab, Trevecca notes that its 5-year first-time test taker average of 100% compares to a 93% 5-year national average (and a 95% single-year national average noted in its November 5, 2025 news release). Across the four graduated classes of 2023 through 2026 in the program's Graduation Rate table, graduation rates ranged from 96% to 100%. By our calculation from Trevecca's Graduation Rate table, 198 students graduated across the 200 maximum entering seats for the Classes of 2023 through 2026 (99% of the 200 maximum entering seats).

First accredited in October 1978, Trevecca's PA program remains fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). At its March 2025 meeting, ARC-PA extended Accreditation-Probation status for the program until its next review in March 2027 (keeping the maximum entering class size at 50 students), and in July 2026 ARC-PA accepted the program's report on rotation duration announcements and preceptor board certification. Trevecca submitted its self-study report ahead of an October 2026 ARC-PA site visit, with an accreditation decision anticipated in April 2027. Because probation is an active accreditation status, matriculating students remain eligible to earn their MSM degree, sit for the PANCE, and apply for state licensure. Trevecca also guarantees in writing that if ARC-PA withdraws accreditation and the university cannot matriculate the Class of 2029, Trevecca will refund all enrollment deposits paid by members of that class.

Trevecca PA graduation and PANCE outcomes (official program tables)

Metric	Class of 2023	Class of 2024	Class of 2025	Class of 2026
Maximum entering class size	50	50	50	50
Graduates	51	49	50	48
Total attrition	0 (0.00%)	1 (2.00%)	0 (0.00%)	2 (4.00%)
Graduation rate	100%	98%	100%	96%
First-time PANCE pass rate	100%	100%	100%	5-year average (2021 to 2025): 100%

Admissions requirements, prerequisites and GPA averages

Every requirement below comes from Trevecca's PA Program page and STEM PA Scholar Pathway page. While Trevecca's minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA and overall science GPA are both 3.25, admitted cohorts sit higher: for the Class of 2028, the average undergraduate GPA was 3.82 (range 3.43 to 4.00) and the average overall science GPA was 3.74 (range 3.25 to 4.00), with an average of 5 upper-level science courses. For how these compare nationally, see our guide to [PA school requirements](/articles/pa-school-requirements).

Trevecca PA admissions requirements, statistics and costs

Category	Official requirement or statistic
Degree & eligibility	Bachelor's degree from an institutionally accredited college or university. Applicants dismissed from another PA program are ineligible. International students must complete 15 semester hours at an accredited US institution and submit foreign transcripts via WES to CASPA.
GPA minimums & admitted averages	Minimum 3.25 cumulative undergraduate GPA and 3.25 overall science GPA. Admitted averages (each averaging 5 upper-level sciences): CO2028: 3.82 undergrad (Range 3.43 to 4.00), 3.74 science (Range 3.25 to 4.00). CO2027: 3.81 undergrad (Range 3.48 to 4.00), 3.75 science (Range 3.36 to 4.00). CO2026: 3.78 undergrad (Range 3.49 to 4.00), 3.68 science (Range 3.27 to 4.00).
Required prerequisites	Human Anatomy & Physiology with lab (8 semester credits), General Chemistry I & II with lab (8 credits), Microbiology with lab (3 to 4 credits), General Psychology (3 credits), Medical Terminology (min 1 credit/certificate). Developmental Psychology is no longer required.
Prerequisite rules & upper-level sciences	All science prerequisites must be taken in person (online only for Psychology and Medical Terminology, or under the COVID-19 policy, no survey/intro courses). Science courses expire 7+ years prior to May of start year (1-semester refresher required, A&P refresher strongly recommended at 5+ years). Accepted students average 3 to 7 upper-level sciences: Biochemistry I & II, Genetics, and Immunology (noted for greater relevance to PA curricula), plus Cellular Biology, Organic Chemistry I & II, Molecular Biology, Pathophysiology, and Physics I & II.
Patient care, shadowing & letters	Minimum 250 direct patient care hours and 10 PA shadowing hours logged in CASPA at submission. 3 letters of recommendation required, including 1 from a PA, MD, DO, or NP who directly observed you in a healthcare setting.
Tuition & costs (CO2029)	142 credit hours over 27 months (7 semesters). Tuition: $17,143/semester ($120,001 total tuition across 7 semesters, $845 average cost per credit hour). Direct cost of attendance: $53,235 Year 1 + $70,935 Year 2 = $124,170 total direct cost.

Trevecca PA PA program practice question (written by us, not Trevecca PA)

Trevecca's mission is to prepare professionally competent physician assistants who will use their skills to serve their communities in compassionate ministry. Tell us about a time you cared for a vulnerable or underserved patient, and how that experience shapes why you want to train at Trevecca.

Example answer (written by us, invented applicant)

Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented. "While working as a medical assistant at an urban family practice, I helped care for an older gentleman with poorly controlled diabetes who came in with a healing foot ulcer. During intake, he admitted he had been cutting his insulin doses in half so his vials would last the month. Instead of lecturing him about his A1C, the PA I worked with sat down at eye level, thanked him for being honest, and asked me to help coordinate a patient-assistance refill and a voucher for our clinic's food pantry before he left. I spent twenty minutes after his exam walking him through the paperwork and labeling his new insulin pens in large print because his vision was blurry. When he came back four weeks later, his blood sugars were steadier and he asked for me by name at the front desk. That encounter showed me that clinical competence and compassionate ministry belong together: you have to know the pharmacology cold, and you have to care enough to ask why a patient is struggling to afford it. I want to train at Trevecca because your program builds that service ethic into both your Nashville community partnerships and your faith-based clinical rotations."

Why this answer works: It pairs a concrete patient story from direct patient care hours with Trevecca's two core pillars: clinical competence and compassionate service to underserved neighbors, then ties both directly to Trevecca's Nashville partnerships and faith-based rotations.

Trevecca PA PA program interview FAQ

What is the interview format for the Trevecca PA program?

Applicants selected to interview at Trevecca participate in both academic and general interview components. The PA Admissions Committee evaluates your academic readiness, communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism, understanding of the PA profession, and alignment with the program's mission and values. Confirm your exact interview day schedule and instructions in your invitation email.

What GPA and patient care hours do you need for Trevecca PA school?

Trevecca requires a minimum 3.25 cumulative undergraduate GPA and 3.25 overall science GPA, though the admitted Class of 2028 averaged a 3.82 undergraduate GPA and 3.74 science GPA with an average of 5 upper-level science courses. You must also have at least 250 direct patient care hours and 10 PA shadowing hours completed and logged in CASPA when you submit your application.

Does the Trevecca PA program require the GRE or PA-CAT?

No. Trevecca does not require the GRE or the PA-CAT. Only applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL iBT scores (minimum 80 total and 20 per section before January 21, 2026, or 4.0 overall and 4.0 per section on the 1 to 6 scale on or after January 21, 2026).

When is the Trevecca PA application deadline, and when do interviews start?

CASPA opens in late April, and your application must reach Complete status in CASPA by October 1 to be considered for an interview. Because Trevecca uses rolling admissions and interviews begin in the summer and run until the 50-seat cohort is filled, the program recommends completing all science prerequisites by August 15 for optimal consideration.

What is the Trevecca PA program's PANCE pass rate and accreditation status?

Trevecca's PA program has achieved a 100% first-time PANCE pass rate for five consecutive years (Classes of 2021 through 2025), compared to a 93% five-year national average. The program holds ARC-PA Accreditation-Probation status through its next review in March 2027 (with an October 2026 site visit and an anticipated April 2027 decision), remains fully accredited so graduates can take the PANCE and apply for licensure, and guarantees a full enrollment deposit refund for the Class of 2029 if accreditation were withdrawn before matriculation.

Who gets a guaranteed interview for the Trevecca PA program?

Graduates of Trevecca Nazarene University and Olivet Nazarene University who meet all admission requirements (including the 3.25 cumulative and science GPA minimums) are guaranteed an interview. In addition, the undergraduate STEM PA Scholar Pathway designates up to 10 early assurance seats per 50-student cohort (7 for Trevecca and 3 for Olivet students who maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative and science GPA). When you are ready to practice your interview out loud with rubric feedback, use Confetto's AI mock interviews. Start your free week.

Sources, checked November 3, 2026:

• Trevecca Nazarene University: Physician Assistant (MSM) Program
• Trevecca Nazarene University: STEM PA Scholar Pathway
• Trevecca News: PA 2025 Class Earns Fifth Straight 100% PANCE Pass Rate
• ARC-PA: Trevecca Nazarene University Accreditation History
• Trevecca Nazarene University: Professional/Licensure Program Disclosures

Confetto isn't affiliated with Trevecca Nazarene University. Everything here about the school comes from its public pages, checked in November 2026.

Formats and dates can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.