Updated
UTHSC PA Program Interview: Dates, Questions and Requirements
Key facts (2026-27)
- Format
- Interview by invitation for the 30-seat January cohort
Dates for 2026-27
CASPA opens April 30, 2026 and must be verified on or before September 1, 2026
Interview invitations
July 27, August 24 and September 28, 2026 (July window aimed at competitive early applicants who have UTHSC as their top choice)
Interviews
Checked November 2026 against UTHSC PA Program: Admissions & Interview Windows and UTHSC PA Program: Program Admissions Policies (A3.12 Rubric). Confirm details in your invitation.
The UT Health Science Center (UTHSC) Physician Assistant program in Memphis holds interviews across three set windows for January 2027 entry: July 27, August 24, and September 28, 2026, with admission decisions released on August 6, September 3, and October 8, 2026, per the UTHSC PA Admission Checklist. The 24-month Master of Medical Science program typically receives over 1,600 applications for its 30 seats and achieved a 96% first-time PANCE pass rate in 2025. Sources: UTHSC Physician Assistant Program Overview, UTHSC PA Program Admissions Requirements and Deadlines, UTHSC PA Program Admissions Policies (ARC-PA Standard A3.12). Last checked November 3, 2026.
Interview windows and decision dates for 2026
UTHSC's Physician Assistant program matriculates one class of 30 students each January. For the cohort starting in January 2027, the CASPA cycle opened on April 30, 2026, and every application must be verified by CASPA on or before September 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Because CASPA verification takes about two weeks on average, UTHSC strongly suggests submitting your application no later than August 1, 2026.
Instead of rolling interviews across six months, UTHSC runs three interview dates and pairs each one with a fixed decision release date on August 6, September 3, and October 8, 2026. On its FAQ page, UTHSC states that the July 27 slot is reserved for highly competitive candidates who apply early and have UTHSC as their top choice, so the program can identify and select them early.
When your invitation arrives, check the email for your day's exact schedule and room or video instructions. Confirm whether your session includes one-on-one, group, or MMI stations in your invitation email, and note that UTHSC's admissions pages require only the PA-CAT. To rehearse out loud before your session, Confetto lets you practice mock PA interviews with follow-up questions and rubric feedback. Start your free week.
| Milestone | Date | What UTHSC says |
|---|---|---|
| CASPA opens | April 30, 2026 | First day of the CASPA application cycle |
| First interview window | July 27, 2026 | For highly competitive early applicants who have UTHSC as their top choice |
| Suggested CASPA submission | August 1, 2026 | Strongly suggested to allow about two weeks for CASPA verification |
| July interview decisions | August 6, 2026 | Admission decisions announced for the July session |
| Second interview window | August 24, 2026 | Second interview session |
| Final CASPA deadline | September 1, 2026 (11:59 p.m. CST-verified) | Application must be CASPA verified on or before this date |
| August interview decisions | September 3, 2026 | Admission decisions announced for the August session |
| Third interview window | September 28, 2026 | Third interview session |
| September interview decisions | October 8, 2026 | Admission decisions announced for the September session |
What the UTHSC PA admissions committee evaluates
UTHSC's Admissions and Program Admissions Policies pages lay out what the committee scores in its structured admissions rubric. Strong applications show seven qualities: academic potential, knowledge of the health care system, motivation to become a PA and an understanding of the PA role, personal maturity, self-assurance, a history of providing care to the underserved, and good interpersonal skills.
Every student must also meet five non-academic technical standards: observation, communication with patients, families, and the healthcare team, motor skills, intellectual-conceptual abilities (critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and problem-solving), and behavioral and social attributes (professionalism, emotional stability, adaptability, and functioning in high-stress, time-sensitive environments).
The program gives additional consideration to three applicant groups: Tennessee residents and residents of contiguous states, University of Tennessee system alumni, and military veterans or active-duty personnel. Historically about half of its students are from Tennessee and half come from out of state, with no cap on non-Tennesseans.
- Understanding the PA role: UTHSC defines PAs as licensed professionals who practice medicine on healthcare teams with the supervision of a physician.
- Care for the underserved: Every UTHSC PA student completes clinical training in settings that serve underserved or rural populations.
- Academic readiness for a fast-paced curriculum: The committee checks whether you have handled semesters with multiple science courses, upper-level sciences, and heavy credit loads, and reviews course withdrawals or repeats in context.
Mission, Memphis didactic year, and the four clinical hubs
On its Program Mission and Goals page, UTHSC states that the mission of its Physician Assistant program is to prepare highly skilled physician assistants who are dedicated to improving access to health care, provide high-quality primary and specialty care as part of interprofessional teams, are knowledgeable about all factors that can affect a patient's health and well-being, and are committed to lifelong learning and service to their community.
The 24-month curriculum is split into a first-year didactic phase in Memphis and a second-year clinical phase across Tennessee. Knowing how both years work helps you give a specific answer to "Why UTHSC?"
- Didactic year in Memphis: All 30 students spend the first year on the Memphis campus inside the College of Medicine, with a full dissection cadaver laboratory and high-fidelity simulation and standardized patient encounters at the UTHSC CHIPS Center. The first year also includes a 9-week total-immersion Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum and a required Patient-Centered Care curriculum covering social, legal, and ethical issues.
- Four clinical year regions: For the second year, students select their preferred region from Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, or Chattanooga and in most cases stay in that region for the entire clinical year, training alongside medical students and resident physicians in the UTHSC College of Medicine statewide network.
- Rotation structure, service, and capstone: The second year includes 9 required clinical rotations and 2 elective rotations, followed by a final-month summative experience back on campus. Every student rotates in underserved or rural settings and completes a capstone project proposing a PA-led initiative, and principal faculty maintain a bimonthly presence at the Wellness and Stress Clinic of Memphis.
12 likely UTHSC PA interview questions and example answers
Our team wrote the 12 practice questions and coaching notes below around UTHSC's mission pillars, curriculum, and admissions rubric. If you want to drill common prompts across all programs too, see our guide to PA school interview questions and our PA school interview prep hub. If you are also weighing medical school in Memphis, compare our guide to UTHSC medical school admissions.
- 1. Why do you want to attend the UTHSC PA program in Memphis? What to cover: Connect your clinical background to training inside the College of Medicine, the full dissection cadaver lab, the UTHSC CHIPS Center, the 9-week Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum, and the 30-student cohort.
- 2. Why do you want to become a Physician Assistant rather than a physician or nurse practitioner? What to cover: Show that you understand UTHSC's definition of PAs as licensed professionals who practice medicine on healthcare teams with the supervision of a physician, using a real clinic example.
- 3. Which of our four clinical regions (Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, or Chattanooga) would you request for your second year, and why? What to cover: Name your preferred hub and why staying in one healthcare community for most or all rotations fits your goals, while staying open to any of the four.
- 4. Every UTHSC PA student completes clinical training with underserved or rural populations. Tell us about a time you served an underserved patient or community. What to cover: Share one specific encounter from volunteer or clinical work that shows your commitment to improving healthcare access.
- 5. For your capstone, UTHSC students propose a PA-led initiative. What patient care problem have you noticed that a PA could help solve? What to cover: Identify a concrete access or workflow gap from your clinical hours and outline a practical PA-led step to address it.
- 6. Our mission emphasizes providing care as part of an interprofessional team. Tell me about a disagreement you had with a teammate and how you handled it. What to cover: Describe a private, respectful conversation where you listened, adjusted your workflow, and kept patient care first.
- 7. UTHSC's curriculum is fast-paced and intensive. Tell us about the heaviest academic or work load you have carried and how you managed it. What to cover: Point to a semester with multiple science courses or heavy work hours and explain how you adapted your study habits.
- 8. Tell me about a time you made a mistake in a clinical, academic, or work setting. What did you do when you realized it? What to cover: Own the mistake without excuses, explain how you corrected it immediately to protect the patient or team, and name the habit you changed.
- 9. Our Patient-Centered Care curriculum covers social, legal, and ethical factors that affect health. Tell us about a time a patient's social circumstances changed how your team cared for them. What to cover: Walk through a case where cost, transportation, or home support shaped the care plan.
- 10. How do you handle high-stress, time-sensitive situations when several people need your attention at once? What to cover: Show how you triage by clinical urgency, communicate clearly with teammates and families, and stay calm under pressure.
- 11. If you are not accepted to PA school this cycle, what is your plan before reapplying? What to cover: Give a concrete plan to request feedback, build direct US patient care hours, or take upper-level science coursework before reapplying in April.
- 12. What questions do you have for us about the UTHSC PA program? What to cover: Ask two informed questions about faculty advising between the didactic year and regional clinical hubs or recent student capstone initiatives.
A two-week preparation plan before your UTHSC interview
Whether you are interviewing on July 27, August 24, or September 28, use the two weeks before your date to map real experiences to UTHSC's rubric.
- Days 14 to 11 (Audit your CASPA file): Pick one specific patient story, one interprofessional team story, one underserved care story, and one example of handling a heavy science load.
- Days 10 to 7 (Map UTHSC specifics): Review the four mission pillars, the Memphis didactic features (full dissection cadaver lab, CHIPS simulation center, 9-week POCUS course, Patient-Centered Care curriculum), and the four clinical hubs (Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga). Practice a 90-second "Why UTHSC" answer.
- Days 6 to 3 (Timed spoken practice): Answer all 12 practice questions out loud, with a partner asking at least one unscripted follow-up per answer.
- Days 2 to 1 (Logistics and questions): Confirm check-in instructions from your invitation email and write down two questions for faculty.
PANCE pass rate, class GPA, PA-CAT scores, and graduation rates
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UTHSC holds Accreditation-Continued status from the ARC-PA (next validation review in April 2027) and earned a #75 national ranking in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, the highest-ranked PA program in Tennessee. UTHSC also has the lowest total tuition and fees of any PA program in Tennessee.
UTHSC reports a 96% first-time PANCE pass rate in 2025. From 2023 through 2025, 100% of students passed the End of Curriculum (EOC) medical knowledge exam, 100% passed the clinical skills OSCEs, and 100% passed the technical skills procedure check-offs implemented in 2025.
By our calculation from UTHSC's graduated classes table, single-year graduation rates were 87% for the Class of 2023, 97% for the Class of 2024, and 90% for the Class of 2025 (26 of 30 in 2023, 29 of 30 in 2024, and 27 of 30 in 2025).
| Graduation Cohort | Matriculation Cumulative GPA | Matriculation Science GPA | PA-CAT Composite Range | PA-CAT Average Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2023 | 3.73 | 3.70 | N/A | N/A |
| Class of 2024 | 3.76 | 3.72 | N/A | N/A |
| Class of 2025 | 3.71 | 3.67 | 460 - 597 | 528 |
| Class of 2026 | 3.68 | 3.61 | 497 - 626 | 532 |
| Class of 2027 | 3.64 | 3.62 | 505 - 614 | 543 |
UTHSC PA admissions requirements, PA-CAT, and prerequisites
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Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents with a bachelor's degree by August 31 prior to matriculation, at least a 3.0 cumulative and 3.0 science CASPA GPA (repeated course grades are averaged, and the committee also evaluates the Last 60 Credit Hours GPA and coursework rigor), and a PA-CAT score (500 or higher composite and Anatomy & Physiology is competitive. the GRE is not required). Direct patient care and shadowing hour minimums are waived, though direct US clinical experience is preferred, and all prerequisites (8 semester hours each of Anatomy & Physiology with lab, Biology with lab excluding plant biology, and Chemistry with lab for science majors, plus 3 hours each of Advanced Biology, Microbiology, Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology, and Math, and 1 credit hour of Medical Terminology, with A&P, Microbiology, and Medical Terminology taken within the last 5 calendar years) must be completed with a C or better before CASPA submission (potential exception only for Medical Terminology). For how these compare nationwide, see our guide to PA school requirements.
Ready to practice your answers out loud before July, August, or September? Confetto runs AI mock PA interviews with follow-up questions and rubric feedback. Start your free week.
Practice question
Worked example: If you are invited to our July 27 early interview window, why is the UTHSC PA program your number one choice, and how does your background fit our mission in Tennessee?
See an example answer
Example answer written by our team. The applicant is invented. "UTHSC is my top choice because of how the curriculum connects hands-on training in Memphis to primary and specialty care across Tennessee. For the past 2 years I have worked as a medical assistant and scribe at a federally qualified health center in West Tennessee, where our PAs care for patients who often drive an hour for basic lab work and diagnostics. Watching our PAs work alongside physicians showed me how much further a clinic can reach when PAs are trained to handle complex, team-based care. UTHSC is the only program in the state where I can spend my didactic year inside a College of Medicine with a full dissection cadaver lab and the CHIPS simulation center, and then complete my clinical year in a single regional hub where every student rotates in underserved or rural settings. I applied in May specifically for the July interview because if I am offered a seat on August 6, I am ready to commit to UTHSC and build my career serving patients here in Tennessee."
This answer states a clear commitment to the July 27 early interview slot, ties the applicant's clinic experience to UTHSC's mission of improving healthcare access on interprofessional teams, and references real curriculum features (full cadaver dissection, CHIPS, and the regional clinical model) without reciting the website word for word.
Frequently asked questions
When are UTHSC PA program interviews held, and when do decisions come out?
For the January 2027 entering class, UTHSC holds interviews on July 27, 2026 (reserved for highly competitive early applicants who view UTHSC as their top choice), August 24, 2026, and September 28, 2026. Admission decisions are announced after each session on August 6, September 3, and October 8, 2026.
Does the UTHSC PA program require the GRE or the PA-CAT?
UTHSC does not require the GRE and requires all applicants to take the PA-CAT exam and submit their score with their application. While there is no minimum score requirement, UTHSC considers a composite and Anatomy & Physiology score of 500 or higher competitive, and the Class of 2027 averaged a 543 composite.
How many patient care experience (PCE) hours does the UTHSC PA program require?
UTHSC does not require a minimum number of direct patient care or shadowing hours, having waived its minimum requirement. However, the admissions committee gives preference to applicants with direct care experience (such as scribing, pharmacy technician work, taking vitals, drawing labs, giving injections, and assisting in procedures) completed in the United States and not for academic credit.
What GPA do you need for the UTHSC PA program?
You need a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.0 science GPA in CASPA, and UTHSC averages the grades of any repeated courses even if taken at different schools. Recent matriculating cohorts (Classes of 2023 through 2027) entered with average cumulative GPAs between 3.64 and 3.76 and average science GPAs between 3.61 and 3.72.
What is the UTHSC PA program PANCE pass rate?
The program's first-time PANCE pass rate reached 96% in 2025. In addition, 100% of students passed the End of Curriculum (EOC) exam and clinical skills OSCEs in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Can I apply to the UTHSC PA program with prerequisites still in progress?
No. All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a grade of C or better prior to submitting your CASPA application, with a potential exception made only for the 1-credit Medical Terminology course. Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, and Medical Terminology must also have been taken within the last 5 calendar years.
Sources
- UTHSC Physician Assistant Program Overview
- UTHSC PA Program Admissions Requirements and Deadlines
- UTHSC PA Program Admissions Policies (ARC-PA Standard A3.12)
- UTHSC PA Program Prerequisites
- UTHSC PA Program 2026-2027 Admission Checklist (PDF)
- UTHSC PA Program Frequently Asked Questions
- UTHSC PA Program Mission, Goals, and PANCE Outcomes
- UTHSC PA Program ARC-PA Accreditation Status