First-Cycle PA School Acceptance: Breanne's Story (Scribe Hours, MMI Interview, 3.45 GPA)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Breanne applied to twelve programs on her first cycle, was offered two interviews, declined one and was accepted at the other after a five-station MMI plus a group interview. Her application ran on 2,328 hours of scribing — which CASPA classifies as healthcare rather than patient care experience — five letters of recommendation and a stats prerequisite she was still finishing when she applied.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

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A Note From Savanna

Breanne reached out to share her Accepted story, and she has some great advice to share. She’s also recently started a blog as she begins PA school to show you what life is really like as a PA student! You can find her at Life With Me – PA Bre.

In this post:

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes?

2, declined one interview, accepted to other

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, the AP credit problem Breanne describes catches a large number of applicants off guard. High school AP statistics, biology or chemistry may satisfy your undergraduate degree requirements and still be rejected as a PA school prerequisite. Pull the prerequisite list for every program on your list at least eighteen months before you apply and check specifically how each treats AP credit, online coursework and courses older than a set number of years. [VERIFY] These policies differ program to program and change frequently.

Any red flags on your application?

A downfall for me was that I took AP stats in high school. Most PA schools now require statistics as a pre-req and some of the programs that I applied to did not accept AP stats. I took an online stats course the summer and so the transcripts for this class were pending during my applications. I was also always concerned that my GPA was too low. My career path was not decided during my freshman year and so I did not put as much effort into my classes which ended up lowering my GPA. After talking to my adviser he told me not to be concerned about my GPA and work on excelling in my current classes and on other areas of my application.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Breanne's five letters include a collegiate volleyball coach and the head of an HIV/AIDS care residence — neither is a clinician or a professor. Non-traditional letters work when the writer has watched you do something difficult over a long stretch and can describe it concretely, which is exactly the kind of detail a committee cannot get from a transcript.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

My interview was designed as MMIs (multiple mini interviews). I was nervous for this experience as I was told that there was no good way to prepare for this as there are standard interview questions, role play, and ethical questions. However, I really enjoyed this interview style. There was a total of 5 MMIs then a group interview. In each MMI, I got to interview with a different member of the PA Program’s staff. It was reassuring because if I felt I didn’t excel with one interviewer, then I could make up for it with the next interviewer. My greatest advice for interviews is to prepare a few stories about your healthcare of life experiences that have shaped and impacted you.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process?

(Amazon affiliate links)

When Breath Becomes Air-Paul Kalanithi

The Applicant’s Manual of Physician Assistant Programs-Mark Volpe, PA-C; Brittany Hogan, PA-C

aapa.org

multiple PA instagrams and blogs 🙂

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

1. Don’t get discouraged if you run into a bump in the road! The journey can be difficult and stressful at times, but it is so worth it. Keep your head up and keep pushing and you will eventually get to your destination.

2. Show your qualities rather than tell. By this I mean when you are writing your personal statement tell stories about how you portrayed compassion, teamwork, etc. instead of just saying “I’m compassionate”. Also, with personal statement have multiple eyes review it!

3. Maintain relationships! Whether this means relationships with providers you shadow or advisers, it is great to have people on your team. This becomes important for letters of recommendation and maybe eventually a job!

4. Lastly, be yourself! 🙂

Where can we find you?

Instagram: lifewithme_pabre

website: lifewithmepabre.blogspot.com

youtube:lifewithmepabre

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Seattle Pacific University, major: Applied Human Biology
Overall GPA: 3.45
Overall Non-science GPA: 3.67
Science GPA: 3.29
GRE: verbal: 148, quantitative: 159, analytical writing: 4.5
Total HCE hours: 2328
Total PCE hours: In CASPA, scribing hours are counted as HCE hours rather than PCE hours.
Shadowing hours: 96 – I spent my weekends shadowing mainly a pediatric orthopedic PA and an emergency department PA. However, I have also shadowed a neurosurgery PA, orthopedic surgeon MD, and registered dietitian RD.
Other volunteer hours: 174
LORs: 5 total: I received letters of recommendation from a primary care MD (who I scribe for), emergency department PA (who I shadowed), one adviser/professor, collegiate volleyball coach, and the head of Bailey Boushay HIV/AIDS House (where I volunteered ).
How many times did you apply?: one
Age: 23
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 12

FAQ

Do scribe hours count as patient care experience for PA school?

Generally no. As Breanne notes, CASPA classifies scribing as healthcare experience rather than patient care experience because you are documenting rather than delivering care. She was accepted with 2,328 scribe hours and no separate PCE total. [VERIFY] A minority of programs count scribing toward PCE, so confirm program by program.

Do PA schools accept AP credit for prerequisites?

Many do not. Breanne’s AP statistics credit was rejected by several of her programs, so she completed an online statistics course the summer before applying with transcripts still pending at submission. [VERIFY] Check each program’s AP credit and online coursework policy well before you apply.

Can you apply to PA school with a prerequisite still in progress?

Usually yes. Breanne applied with her statistics transcript pending and was still accepted. Most programs allow outstanding prerequisites provided they are completed before matriculation and you list them as planned or in progress on CASPA. [VERIFY] Confirm each program’s deadline for completing outstanding coursework.

How do you prepare for an MMI interview?

Breanne faced five MMI stations plus a group interview and was told there was no good way to prepare. Her advice is to have a few well-developed stories from your healthcare and life experience ready to adapt. Practicing ethical reasoning out loud and reading role-play scenarios also helps more than memorizing answers.

Can you get into PA school with a 3.29 science GPA?

Yes. Breanne was accepted on her first cycle with a 3.29 science GPA and a 3.45 overall. Her adviser told her to stop worrying about past grades and focus on excelling in current classes and strengthening the rest of her application, which is generally the right advice. [VERIFY] Confirm minimum GPA requirements per program.

How can I be featured in an Accepted! post?

Email [email protected] or use the contact form at The PA Platform to share your acceptance story.

CLOSING

Breanne got two interviews out of twelve applications and needed only one. Her post is most useful as a prerequisite warning — an AP stats credit taken years earlier nearly derailed her — and as a reminder that a good adviser telling you to stop relitigating freshman year is sometimes the most valuable input you will get.

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First-Cycle PA School Acceptance: Breanne's Story (Scribe Hours, MMI Interview, 3.45 GPA)