UTHSC PA Program: Charlie's Second-Cycle Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Charlie treated her first cycle as a trial run, applying to a single school just to learn the process. The second time she applied to 15, received a lot of interview invites, interviewed with only 2, and was accepted to both — then turned down the rest. She brought a 3.37 overall GPA, 3900 PCE hours as a CNA and MA, 1277 HCE hours, and 150 shadowing hours across five types of providers.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

I was first interested in sports medicine because of my background in powerlifting and bodybuilding. That grew and changed a lot as I had more exposure in healthcare. Today my “why” is that I want to serve populations that are often highly stigmatized even within the healthcare system and whose care can be compromised by bias. My primary interest is in addiction medicine where PAs have a growing role nationwide. Becoming a physician assistant allows me to begin serving these patients quickly while allowing the flexibility to do so in many settings and specialties. For example, patients suffering with substance use disorder are not seen just in recovery or psych settings but emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, internal medicine and more.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

1 school first cycle, mostly to get experience with the process. 15 schools the second time.

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Charlie’s honesty about overspending is one of the most useful things in this whole series. Insecurity is an expensive way to shop. Buying five opinions on your personal statement does not produce a better essay, it produces five conflicting drafts and a candidate who has edited their own voice out of the application. Pick one or two resources you trust, use them fully, and put the rest of that money and energy into hours and grades — the two things admissions committees actually score.

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

I got a lot of interview invites (and rejections), but interviewed with 2 schools early on and was accepted to both so I turned down my other interviews.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Charlie found her first PA to shadow through an Instagram connection, and another by emailing names pulled from her state PA organization’s directory. Both are free, repeatable ways to find shadowing when you have no hospital connections.

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Where will you be attending?

I am attending UTHSC in Memphis, TN!

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

Probably just the variety. I only did zoom interviews. I interviewed at one school that was strictly MMI, 5 timed rounds and it was almost entirely clinical situations. The other school was only two interviewers, 20 minutes each, the content of the interview was pretty expected. But other schools I received invites for were in person with varying formats. I was also waitlisted at a school that didn’t do interviews at all! So that was a big surprise.

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

OMG so many things! Khan academy for general chemistry, tutors for organic, I’ve been following the PA Platform for a long time and have networked with a lot of PAs who have all been incredible resources. I did read the Personal Statement Guide and Interview Guide by Savanna Perry and How To “Ace” The Physician Assistant School Interview in prepping for interviews. I used a few different services for my personal statement, experiences and COVID essay. I also did mock interviews with some of my mentors and the PA platform!

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

I spent a LOT of money on different resources that I honestly probably didn’t need to and think I it mostly driven by being insecure about my application. Ugh. Definitely regret all the doubt I had about myself. We all have so many unique things to offer and some schools will see it and others won’t and that’s okay! It also created some conflicting opinions on how to edit my application. Deeper in the process I had a better sense of myself and how I wanted to present myself but it took a lot of work to get there. More technical advice: tell people early and often you want to be a PA, I had a lot of doors opened from doing just that. Get hours early, even if you are just doing a little at a time. GPA is HARD to correct (not impossible though!) so prioritize your academics. It’s one of those things that most programs draw a strict line on what they take and don’t and you want to keep your options open.

Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc)

@pa_tientcare on Instagram is the best place to find me

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Eastern Kentucky University
Overall GPA: 3.37
Science GPA: 3.31
GRE: 312 (161V, 151Q, 4.0 writing)
PA-CAT: Did not take
Total PCE hours: 3900 hours: I worked as a nursing care tech (CNA) at a hospital on a med/surg floor and then in a CVICU for the majority of my hours. I also worked as a MA at an outpatient recovery center.
Total HCE hours: 1277 hours: I worked as an anesthesia tech and briefly as an allergy tech. The anesthesia tech position probably could have been PCE, but only around ~30% of my job was direct patient care so I chose to list it under HCE and provide a clear explanation of my role.
Shadowing hours: 150 hours with PAs, MDs, DOs, NPs and an athletic trainer. I chose to include all these roles because each helped me define “Why PA?” and not another healthcare profession. My first PA shadowing experience was through a connection on Instagram! Working at an academic hospital helped make many connections, but one PA I shadowed came from sending out countless emails I got from the directory of my state PA organization.
Volunteer hours: 230 hours: I had a few different volunteer roles but most of my hours came from working at a Ronald McDonald Charities house and at a local equine therapy center called Justin’s Place. Pro tip: find a volunteer opportunity you are truly passionate about, not something just to fill a requirement. I learned so much about my time at Justin’s Place and would still volunteer there during PA school if I hadn’t moved!
How many times did you apply?: 2
Age: 31
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the UTHSC PA program?

Charlie was accepted with a 3.37 overall GPA and a 3.31 science GPA. [VERIFY] the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s current published minimum GPA and most recent accepted class averages, as both change by cycle.

Does UTHSC require the GRE for PA school?

Charlie submitted a 312 (161 verbal, 151 quantitative, 4.0 writing) and did not take the PA-CAT. [VERIFY] whether the GRE is currently required, optional, or not accepted at UTHSC.

Should anesthesia tech hours count as PCE or HCE for PA school?

Charlie listed her anesthesia tech role as HCE because only about 30% of the job was direct patient care, and she explained that reasoning clearly in her application. That transparency is the right approach. [VERIFY] how each program defines PCE versus HCE, since the line varies.

How do you find PA shadowing hours with no connections?

Charlie got her first PA shadowing experience through an Instagram connection and secured another by emailing PAs listed in her state PA organization’s directory. Working at an academic hospital also opened doors. She logged 150 hours across PAs, MDs, DOs, NPs, and an athletic trainer.

Is it worth applying to PA school just to practice?

Charlie applied to one school her first cycle mainly to learn the process, then applied to 15 the following year and was accepted to both schools she interviewed with. Weigh the application fees against the experience, and remember some programs ask about prior applications.

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

Charlie is heading to Memphis at 31 with a clear purpose — addiction medicine and patients whose care is too often shaped by stigma. Her advice to tell people early and often that you want to be a PA opened doors for her, and it costs nothing. If you are between cycles and trying to decide where to put your effort, our resources can help you spend it on the things that actually move an application.

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UTHSC PA Program: Charlie's Second-Cycle Acceptance Story