Updated October 26, 2026

UT Southwestern PA Program Interview (MMI): Format, Dates and Who Gets In

UT Southwestern's last three interview sessions for 2027 entry are November 13-14 and December 4-5, 2026, and January 22-23, 2027. Here is what happens on the day, how you get invited and how offers are decided.

UT Southwestern's September 1, 2026 CASPA deadline has passed. Three in-person interview sessions are left: November 13-14 and December 4-5, 2026, and January 22-23, 2027. The day in Dallas has a meet and greet, a 10-station multiple mini interview (MMI), a campus tour and a financial aid talk. Final decisions come in January and February, for up to 60 seats.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Next step: Interview sessions on November 13-14 and December 4-5, 2026, and January 22-23, 2027. Final decisions in January and February.
Format: A multiple mini interview (MMI) of 10 stations on a range of topics. UT Southwestern does not publish station timing.
Online or in person: In person, on the UT Southwestern campus in Dallas.
When: Six sessions from August 2026 to January 2027. August, September and October have passed. November, December and January are still ahead.
Who applies: More than 2,000 applications a year for the past three years, for a class of up to 60.
Application: CASPA, not TMDSAS, with no supplemental application. The deadline was September 1, 2026, GRE scores included.
Interview limit: Two cycles at most. If you interview twice without an offer, you won't be reviewed a third time.
GRE: Required unless you hold a U.S. master's degree or higher. No minimum score.

What happens on the interview day

The in-person day in Dallas has four parts.

Meet and greet. An event with faculty, staff, current students and alumni.
A 10-station MMI. Ten stations on a range of topics. UT Southwestern does not publish how long each station lasts or what the topics are.
Campus tour. A tour of the medical center campus.
Financial aid talk. A presentation on paying for the program.

Use the meet and greet. Ask students about the clinical year and rotations at Parkland. It also helps you settle in before the stations.

How offers are decided

After the interviews, the Admissions Committee does a final review and tells each candidate its decision.

January to February. The committee makes its final acceptance decisions in this window.
Not just grades. The committee says it does not decide on GPA alone. Letters, patient care, service, leadership and awards all count.
The ideal candidate. A strong work ethic, a commitment to primary care and to diversity in the workplace, and life, work and academic experience that shows you can handle the demands.

Who got in

PAEA's directory lists an average overall GPA of 3.75 and science GPA of 3.71 for UT Southwestern's matriculants.

How you get an interview

The Admissions Committee reviews CASPA applications as a whole and invites the most competitive applicants to campus.

Grades. A 3.0 science and overall GPA, with a C or better in every required course. The typical candidate has more than 50 hours of science.
Hands-on patient care. Strongly recommended, but there is no minimum number of hours.
Service and leadership. The committee weighs service, leadership, awards, people skills, enthusiastic letters and a mature, insightful essay.
Tell them about you. UT Southwestern asks you to mention if you speak more than one language, come from a rural or underserved area, are the first in your family at college or come from a disadvantaged background.
Prerequisites done. All prerequisites must be finished when you submit, and within 10 years of when you would start.

Dates and other details

UT Southwestern posts its interview sessions for the whole cycle on its admissions page.

Dates for 2027 entry

September 1, 2026. CASPA deadline, at midnight Eastern time, with GRE scores received. This has passed.
August to October 2026. Sessions on August 20-21, September 11-12 and October 23-24. These have passed.
November 13-14 and December 4-5, 2026. Friday and Saturday interview sessions still ahead.
January 22-23, 2027. The last interview session.
January to February 2027. Final acceptance decisions.
May 2027. Classes begin.
2028 entry. UT Southwestern's deadline is September 1 each year. PAEA says each CASPA cycle opens on the last Thursday in April.

The program

The full-time program lasts 30 months, with four semesters of classes and four semesters of clinical rotations. Training sites include Parkland Memorial Hospital and Clements University Hospital.

How to prepare

Ten stations is a lot of fresh starts, so practice many short scenarios out loud and on a timer.

Practice ten in a row. Run a full set of ten practice stations back to back, so the real circuit doesn't wear you out.
Mix the topics. The stations cover a range of topics, so practice ethics, teamwork, communication and questions about the PA role.
Know the mission. The program promotes inter-professional primary care for a multifaceted and dynamic population. Be ready to say why that matters to you.
Have a primary care story. Commitment to primary care is part of the ideal candidate, so prepare one real example from your patient care.

Reset between stations. If one station goes badly, take a breath at the door and give the next one your full attention.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a MMI (in person) station, written for applicants to UT Southwestern Medical Center, School of Health Professions, Physician Assistant Studies. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

You are a PA student. Another student on your rotation keeps jumping in to answer every question the preceptor asks, so you never get a chance. Talk to your classmate.

Speak up for your own learning without making your classmate feel attacked.

You are a PA. A close friend visiting from out of town forgot their asthma inhaler and asks you to call in a refill so they don't have to go to urgent care. Respond to your friend.

Say no kindly, explain why and help your friend get safe care quickly.

You are a PA in a surgical practice. Your supervising physician routinely skips hand hygiene before entering patient rooms when in a hurry. You're about to walk into a room together. Address the issue.

Be quick, tactful and firm on patient safety, even with someone senior.

Suppose a law passed tomorrow giving every PA full independent practice, removing any required collaboration with physicians. Would you still want to be a PA? Why or why not?

Show that you value working in a team, not just the fastest route to practicing alone.

You are a PA. A senior nurse just yelled at you in the hallway because you forgot to sign a form, which delayed a patient's transfer. Approach the nurse and resolve the conflict.

Own your mistake fully before you mention how the nurse spoke to you.

You're a PA student on rotation, and a patient asks what you think their rash is. You're fairly sure it's eczema, but you haven't discussed it with your preceptor yet. How do you answer?

Be honest that you are a student and promise a clear answer after you check with your preceptor.

Frequently asked questions

Is the UT Southwestern PA interview an MMI?

Yes. The interview day includes a multiple mini interview (MMI) of 10 stations on a range of topics, plus a meet and greet, a campus tour and a financial aid presentation.

When are UT Southwestern PA interviews for 2027 entry?

Six sessions from August 2026 to January 2027. The sessions still ahead are November 13-14 and December 4-5, 2026, and January 22-23, 2027.

Does UT Southwestern PA use CASPA or TMDSAS?

CASPA. The program asks you to apply on CASPA by September 1 and requires no supplemental application.

Does UT Southwestern PA require the GRE?

Yes, unless you hold a U.S. master's degree or higher. There is no minimum score, scores up to five years old are accepted and the GRE code is 6686.

How many times can I interview at UT Southwestern PA?

Twice at most. Applicants who interview in two cycles without an offer are not reviewed for a third.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

UT Southwestern: Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Admissions · read October 26, 2026
UT Southwestern: Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Admission Requirements · read October 26, 2026
UT Southwestern: Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Prospective Students (FAQ) · read October 26, 2026
UT Southwestern: Master of Physician Assistant Studies · read October 26, 2026
PAEA CASPA Program Directory: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · read October 26, 2026
PAEA: CASPA for PA Programs (annual CASPA timeline) · read October 26, 2026