Western University PA Program: Jazmine's Third-Cycle Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Jazmine applied to PA school across three separate cycles before it worked. On the successful cycle she applied to 12 programs, earned 5 interviews, and finished with 3 acceptances, 2 waitlists and 2 rejections. A 3.43 overall and 3.33 science GPA were her stated red flag; 3,200 PCE hours as an EMT, MA and ER tech plus 608 shadowing hours across five specialties were the counterweight.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

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A Note From Savanna

I’m so excited to share Jazmine’s stats with you guys! Jazmine has just recently started PA school at Western University, and she’s been sharing all kinds of insight and amazing information on Instagram. You can find her @jazminek_pa and she gives great updates, so follow along if you want to see what PA school is really like. Something interesting is Jazmine applied to PA school 3 times! She didn’t give up, and now she’s making her dream a reality. Thanks for sharing with us Jazmine!

In this post:

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

5 interviews, 2 waitlist, 2 rejections, 3 acceptances!

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, the applicants who succeed after multiple cycles almost always change something concrete between attempts rather than simply resubmitting. Jazmine's third cycle produced five interviews and three acceptances, and her own advice points at what shifted: she kept building patient care hours and retook prerequisites to lift a low science GPA. Reapplying with the same file and hoping for a different committee is the most common mistake we see. Identify your weakest measurable component, spend the year moving it, and let the new number speak for itself.

Any red flags on your application?

Low GPA

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Jazmine's 608 shadowing hours span orthopedics, dermatology, oncology/hematology, pulmonology and pediatrics — an unusually broad range. Breadth like that is genuinely useful at interviews, because it lets you answer 'what kind of PA do you want to be?' with specific comparisons rather than a guess.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

At a few interviews, I was exhausted from the all day interview that included essays, one on one interviews, group interviews, MMI and medical terminology tests. I realized I rambled quite a bit at my first one so I practiced mock interviews for the upcoming ones.

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

ThePAPlatform.com, How to Ace the PA School Interview book by Andrew Rodican, PA-C (affiliate link), DoseOfPA Blog, and PhysicianAssistantforum.com

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

Seek advice from PAs and PA-S and ask many questions. Start on your patient care experience early on and retake prerequisites if your GPA is low like mine. Keep working at your passion, let the fire inside you burn brighter than the fire around you!

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: University of Southern California
Overall GPA: 3.43
Science GPA: 3.33
GRE: 305
Total PCE hours: 3200 (EMT, MA, ER Tech)
Shadowing hours: 608 (Orthopedics, Dermatology, Oncology/Hematology, Pulmonology and Pediatrics)
Other volunteer hours: 800 (Medical Mission to Africa, Skid Row, Spanish Translator, Elementary School Educator)
LORs: Orthopedic PA, MD, Anatomy Professor and Oncology/Hematology PA
How many times did you apply?: Three cycles!
Age: 25
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 12 programs

FAQ

How many times can you apply to PA school?

There is no limit. Jazmine applied across three cycles before being accepted at Western University, and her third cycle produced five interviews and three acceptances. Reapplicants are common and are not penalized for reapplying, provided the application shows measurable improvement.

Should you retake prerequisites if your science GPA is low?

Jazmine explicitly recommends it, having applied with a 3.33 science GPA. Retaking a course replaces nothing on CASPA — both grades are averaged — but a strong recent grade demonstrates current academic ability, which is what committees are actually assessing. [VERIFY] Check each program’s prerequisite recency and repeat-course policy.

What happens at an all-day PA school interview?

Jazmine describes days that combined written essays, one-on-one interviews, group interviews, MMI stations and medical terminology tests. Fatigue is a real factor, and she found her first interview suffered from rambling. Scheduling mock interviews between real ones is the fix she used.

Is 3,200 hours of patient care experience enough for PA school?

Jazmine accumulated 3,200 hours as an EMT, medical assistant and ER tech, which is well above typical program minimums and helped offset a 3.43 GPA. High-acuity roles like EMT and ER tech also give you stronger interview material than hour count alone suggests.

Can you get into PA school with a 3.43 GPA?

Yes. Jazmine listed low GPA as her only red flag and still earned three acceptances on her third cycle, supported by 3,200 PCE hours, 608 shadowing hours and 800 volunteer hours. [VERIFY] Confirm Western University’s current minimum GPA requirements before applying.

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

Three cycles is a long time to keep believing something will work. Jazmine used those years to stack 3,200 patient care hours, 608 shadowing hours and 800 hours of volunteer service, and to retake the prerequisites that were dragging her science GPA down. The third application was not the same application. If you are heading into a repeat cycle, that distinction is the whole game.

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Western University PA Program: Jazmine's Third-Cycle Acceptance Story