Updated
University of Lynchburg PA Program Interview: Group Format
Key facts (2026-27)
- Format
- Group interview activities conducted by PA faculty members
- Where
- On campus in Lynchburg, Virginia
- Also required
- Supplemental application ($50 fee, due within 15 days) after CASPA verification
Dates for 2026-27
Rolling invitations after review of the verified CASPA and Supplemental Application
Interview invitations
Emailed by the Program Director after each session, with a $1,500 non-refundable deposit due within 15 days of acceptance
Offers and decisions
Checked November 2026 against University of Lynchburg: Master of PA Medicine (MPAM) and University of Lynchburg: MPAM Technical Standards. Confirm details in your invitation.
The University of Lynchburg Master of PA Medicine (MPAM) interview is an on-campus assessment featuring group interview activities conducted by PA faculty members, per the University of Lynchburg MPAM admissions page. In the program's most recent published class profile, 94 applicants were interviewed from 646 verified CASPA applications to fill 40 seats. Decisions are made after each session and emailed by the Program Director. Sources: University of Lynchburg: Master of PA Medicine (MPAM), University of Lynchburg: MPAM Class Profiles, University of Lynchburg: MPAM PANCE Performance. Last checked November 3, 2026.
What the University of Lynchburg PA interview looks like
Qualified applicants are invited to an on-campus interview at the Graduate Health Sciences facility in Lynchburg, Virginia. According to the University of Lynchburg Master of PA Medicine admissions page, the interview day assesses candidates through group interview activities conducted by PA faculty members.
Some third-party directory websites label Lynchburg as a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) school. The university's own admissions page describes on-campus group interview activities led by PA faculty, so confirm your schedule in your invitation email.
Invitations go out on a rolling basis as verified CASPA and Supplemental Applications are reviewed. Returning the Supplemental Application with its $50 non-refundable fee within 15 days keeps your file active, though it does not guarantee an interview. University of Lynchburg undergraduate and transfer students in the MPAM Graduate Pathway who complete their degree and meet all requirements and prerequisites are guaranteed an interview.
To practice answering PA faculty questions out loud before your campus visit, Confetto runs AI mock interviews for PA school interview questions and mock interviews with follow-up questions and rubric feedback. Start your free week.
| Item | What University of Lynchburg states |
|---|---|
| Location | On campus in Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Format | Group interview activities |
| Evaluators | PA faculty members |
| How it is scored | Admissions rubric is updated to include interview day activity scores |
| Invitations | Rolling, via email, after CASPA and Supplemental Application review |
| Guaranteed interview pathway | MPAM Graduate Pathway students (up to 10 of 40 cohort seats reserved per year) |
| Post-interview decisions | Determined after each session and emailed by the Program Director |
Rubric scoring, decisions, and how to handle group activities
Lynchburg evaluates candidates with a point-based rubric covering academic achievement (cumulative, science, and prerequisite GPAs), official GRE scores, letters of recommendation, supplemental data, direct patient care quality and quantity, service, and leadership. The rubric grants 5 bonus points (maximum 5) to University of Lynchburg graduates and honorably discharged military veterans who provide service documentation. The committee also values military service (veteran, active, or reserves), students from economically and environmentally underrepresented populations (per CASPA HRSA indicators), minority applicants, and first-generation college students.
On interview day, your scores from the faculty-led group activities are added to that rubric. The rubric score is a component of the review, though it alone may not determine the final decision. After each interview session, the Program Director emails one of three outcomes: Admitted to enroll (requiring a $1,500 non-refundable deposit within 15 days, applied to tuition), Added to an active candidate list for consideration, or Unable to be admitted.
In a group activity, PA faculty watch how you work with peers. This aligns with the program's Technical Standards for behavioral and social attributes: emotional stability, flexibility, compassion, integrity, interpersonal skills, and accepting constructive criticism. Use this four-step plan written by our team:
- Share the floor deliberately. Keep your points brief, then invite a quieter applicant in by name or build on a peer's point.
- Disagree with ideas, not people. Validate a teammate's point before adding a different clinical or ethical angle.
- Connect to your clinical role briefly. Tie your reasoning to your direct patient care hours without turning it into a monologue.
- Treat every campus interaction as part of the evaluation, from check-in to student tours.
Mission, values, and program features to know
The mission of the University of Lynchburg MPAM program is to educate PAs to become compassionate health care providers with an emphasis on teamwork, communication, human diversity, and patient-centered care, preparing generalists and leaders in local and global communities. Its seven core values are Diversity, equity, and inclusion, Professionalism, Interprofessional collaboration, Scholarship, Leadership, Outreach, and Kindness and compassion.
When faculty ask why you chose Lynchburg, connect your background to specific parts of the 27-month, 101-credit curriculum:
- Graduate Health Sciences facility: A 26,000-square-foot building with a physical diagnosis lab, simulation lab, VR lab (using OMS software), integrated SonoSim ultrasound training, and a 21-station cadaver anatomy lab with flat-screen monitors.
- Didactic Community Clinic courses: During the 12-month preclinical phase (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some Saturdays), students take Community Clinic I (PA 617) and II (PA 618) in local clinics.
- Polloway Student Society (PSS): Collaborates with the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, Lynchburg Daily Bread, and Habitat for Humanity, runs eight student governance committees (budget, bylaws, morale, wellness, outreach, mentorship, fundraising, and diversity), and attends the AAPA Leadership and Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., and White Coats on Call in Richmond.
- Students Without Borders (SWOB): Raises funds for local free care and leads annual medical humanitarian trips with licensed preceptors, with past trips to Oaxaca, Mexico (San Andres Huayapam and Teotitlan del Valle) and the Dominican Republic.
- Clinical and Summative phases: A 14-month clinical phase starting with Advanced Clinical Procedures (PA 640), followed by seven core Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (Primary Care, Emergency Medicine, Inpatient Medicine, General Surgery, Women's Health, Pediatric Medicine, and Behavioral Health), four 1.5-credit electives, and a Research Clerkship with partners like Centra. A 1-month Summative Phase completes master's research and PANCE prep, and graduates are prepared for entry into fellowships and Lynchburg's Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program.
12 University of Lynchburg PA practice questions
Our team wrote these 12 practice questions around Lynchburg's group format, values, and curriculum. For more prompts, see our guide to the top 40 PA school interview questions.
- 1. Why do you want to earn your Master of PA Medicine at the University of Lynchburg specifically?
- 2. Group activity prompt: Your group has 10 minutes to agree on the top three qualities of a compassionate PA and present them to the faculty. How do you contribute?
- 3. Tell us about a time you worked on a healthcare team where communication broke down. What was your role in fixing it?
- 4. Lynchburg lists 'kindness and compassion' as a core value. Describe a patient interaction where showing compassion was difficult.
- 5. How have your direct patient care hours prepared you for the transition from your current role to a PA?
- 6. Group scenario: A rural clinic in Central Virginia has grant funding for either a mobile health van or a full-time bilingual patient navigator. With your group, decide which to fund.
- 7. Our didactic curriculum runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some Saturdays, and students must pass every course sequentially. How will you handle that workload?
- 8. Tell us about a time you interacted with someone from a background very different from your own. What did you learn?
- 9. What does interprofessional collaboration look like in clinical practice, and when have you seen a PA model it well?
- 10. Tell us about a mistake you made in a clinical, academic, or work setting and how you handled it.
- 11. Lynchburg emphasizes scholarship culminating in a master's thesis poster defense. What clinical question or systems problem would you want to investigate?
- 12. If a classmate in your 40-person cohort was falling behind and pulling away from the group, what would you do?
Class profile, PANCE pass rates, and competitiveness
On the University of Lynchburg Class Profiles page, the most recent cohort profile reports 1,314 total applications, 646 verified applications, 94 interviews, and 40 enrolled students. Up to 10 of the 40 seats are offered to Lynchburg undergraduates or transfer students through the MPAM Graduate Pathway.
According to the University of Lynchburg PANCE page, the first-time taker pass rate was 97% for the Class of 2025 (national average 91%), 100% for 2024 (national 93%), 95% for 2023 (national 92%), 98% for 2022 (national 92%), and 100% for 2021 (national 93%). Earlier classes scored 93% in 2020 (national 95%), 96% in 2019 (national 93%), 100% in 2018 (national 98%), and 100% for the inaugural Class of 2017 (national 97%).
| Metric | Program minimum to apply | Most recent enrolled class profile (25th-75th percentile) |
|---|---|---|
| GPA | 3.0 cumulative, 3.0 science, 3.0 prerequisite | 3.68 median (3.55 to 3.83) |
| Patient care / healthcare hours | 500 hours direct patient care (+ 8 hours PA shadowing) | 2,260 median hours (1,163 to 4,493) |
| GRE Quantitative | No minimum score (required within 5 years, code 3874) | 151 median (149 to 154) |
| GRE Verbal | No minimum score | 153 median (150 to 155) |
| GRE Analytical Writing | No minimum score | 4.0 median (3.5 to 4.5) |
| Demographics and residency | US/Canadian bachelor's degree | Average age 24, 62.5% women / 37.5% men, 72.5% from Virginia |
Admissions requirements, prerequisites, and 2026-27 costs
Show details
Applicants apply through CASPA (for the May 2026 entry term, CASPA opened April 25, 2025, with a verified deadline of January 15, 2026) and need a US or Canadian bachelor's degree, 3.0 cumulative, science, and prerequisite GPAs, 500 direct patient care hours, 8 verified PA shadowing hours, three recommendation letters (at least one from a PA, NP, or physician), and official GRE scores within 5 years (code 3874, waived with a graduate degree or MCAT). Prerequisites require a grade of C or higher (B or better preferred for Anatomy and Physiology, within 5 years preferred. AP credits on a transcript count, while CLEP and pass/fail do not) across biology with labs (8 semester hours), general/intro chemistry with lab (4), organic chemistry or 200+ level biochemistry with lab (4), human anatomy with lab (4), human physiology with lab (4), microbiology with lab (3-4 semester hours), genetics (3), psychology (3), statistics (3), and social sciences (3). For 2026-27, tuition is $15,120 per semester across 7 semesters ($105,840 total), plus mandatory institutional fees ($420 technology, $1,300 laptop, $525 SonoSim, and $600 lab fee, excluding parking). See our guide to PA school requirements for a broader comparison.
Two-week preparation plan for your Lynchburg interview
Once your on-campus invitation arrives, use this two-week checklist written by our team to prepare for the faculty-led group interview activities:
Walking into a group interview on campus is much easier when you have practiced answering out loud under time pressure. Confetto lets you rehearse PA interview questions, group-style scenarios, and follow-up questions with rubric feedback. Start your free week.
- Days 1 to 3: Review your CASPA and Supplemental Application and match five patient care stories to Lynchburg's seven core values.
- Days 4 to 6: Practice speaking in concise blocks so you make clear points while leaving room for peers.
- Days 7 to 10: Rehearse collaborative group prompts, practicing how to invite quieter applicants in and summarize group consensus.
- Days 11 to 14: Review the 101-credit curriculum, Polloway Student Society, and Students Without Borders, and confirm your travel to 1501 Lakeside Drive in Lynchburg.
Practice question
During a group interview activity at the University of Lynchburg, PA faculty ask your group to design a community outreach initiative for underinsured patients in Central Virginia using a $5,000 student grant. How do you approach the group discussion, and what do you propose?
See an example answer
Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented: "First, I would suggest to my group that we take two minutes so every applicant can share one priority before we debate specifics. When it is my turn, I would propose partnering with an existing local organization rather than spending the $5,000 on overhead, specifically building on the work Lynchburg's Polloway Student Society already does with the Free Clinic of Central Virginia. I would suggest putting the grant toward home blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, and bilingual educational handouts for uninsured patients with hypertension and diabetes, paired with monthly follow-up checks staffed by PA students and preceptors during Community Clinic courses. After sharing that idea, I would ask a teammate who has not spoken yet what barriers they have seen in their own patient care experience, and help weave their ideas into our final group pitch."
It shows faculty how you behave in a group setting (sharing the floor, inviting quieter peers in, and building consensus) while naming real University of Lynchburg initiatives (the Polloway Student Society, the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, and the didactic Community Clinic courses).
Frequently asked questions
What is the interview format for the University of Lynchburg PA program?
Qualified applicants are invited to an on-campus interview conducted by PA faculty members that includes group interview activities. Your interview day activity scores are added to the Admissions Committee's rubric, and decisions are emailed after each session.
What GPA and patient care hours do you need for the University of Lynchburg PA program?
You need a minimum 3.0 cumulative, 3.0 science, and 3.0 prerequisite GPA, plus at least 500 hours of direct patient care and 8 hours of verified PA shadowing before matriculation. In the most recent published class profile, enrolled students had a median 3.68 GPA and a median of 2,260 healthcare experience hours.
Does the University of Lynchburg PA program require the GRE or Casper?
The program requires official GRE scores taken within 5 years submitted to CASPA using code 3874, with no minimum score requirement. The GRE is waived if you hold a prior graduate degree or submit official MCAT scores to CASPA.
How many seats are in the University of Lynchburg PA program class?
Each cohort has a maximum of 40 full-time students. Up to 10 of those 40 seats are offered each academic year to University of Lynchburg undergraduate or transfer students in the MPAM Graduate Pathway.
What is the University of Lynchburg PA program PANCE pass rate?
According to the University of Lynchburg PANCE page, the first-time PANCE pass rate was 97% for the Class of 2025, 100% for 2024, 95% for 2023, 98% for 2022, and 100% for 2021.
When is the University of Lynchburg PA program application deadline?
For the May 2026 entry term, CASPA opened April 25, 2025, and the deadline for a CASPA-verified application was January 15, 2026. Because admission is rolling and closes once the 40-seat cohort is filled, apply well before the deadline.
Sources
- University of Lynchburg: Master of PA Medicine (MPAM)
- University of Lynchburg: MPAM Class Profiles
- University of Lynchburg: MPAM PANCE Performance
- University of Lynchburg: MPAM Graduate Pathway
- University of Lynchburg: Master of PA Medicine Cost Breakdown
- University of Lynchburg: MPAM Technical Standards
More on Lynchburg PA
Practice questions:
- You're a PA in a rural clinic where you're often the only provider on site. A patient comes in with symptoms beyond your comfort level. How do you handle this?
- How would you design a program to address food insecurity among patients at an urban clinic?
- A 12-year-old asks you for birth control and begs you not to tell her parents. What do you do?