Stephens College PA Program: Madison's Acceptance Story (Rad Tech to PA, 8 Shadowing Hours)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Madison came to PA school from radiologic technology, with a bachelor's in rad tech and CT and 4,250 patient care hours as a nursing assistant, radiography student and CT technologist. She applied to five programs, took three virtual interviews and finished with one acceptance and two waitlists. She had eight shadowing hours — the fewest in this series — because the programs she chose had no shadowing requirement.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

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Why PA?

There was no pivotal moment for me, but rather a culmination of my experiences thus far. I saw and worked with PAs in my clinical internships and while working as an NA. I admired their involvement and role in a patient’s care and working as a team. I realized my clinical scope as a radiologic technologist is limited, and I strived for more involvement in a patient’s care. I considered radiologist assistant and shadowed one and was also mentored by one. I realized I wanted the lateral mobility of PA. I really admired their involvement in a patient’s care and the teamworks aspect as well as being able to work autonomously. Becoming a PA was the logical next step in my healthcare career and I am excited to be a dedicated lifelong learner as a PA!

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, applicants who already hold a clinical credential often underestimate how much of their training counts. Madison logged roughly 2,000 hours of radiologic technology student internship as patient care rather than healthcare experience, and every program accepted that classification. If your clinical rotations involved hands-on patient contact, they are generally PCE regardless of the fact that you were a student at the time. [VERIFY] Confirm with each program, and describe the patient contact explicitly in your CASPA entry rather than just naming the rotation.

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

I received 3 interview invites, all virtual. I have two waitlists and one acceptance!

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Madison had eight shadowing hours, all with a radiologist assistant, and used them as the backbone of her Why PA answer — shadowing that role is what convinced her to go the PA route instead. A small number of hours with a clear decision attached is worth more than a hundred hours you cannot say anything about.

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Where will you be attending?

Stephens College PA Program in Columbia, Missouri.

Anything you found interesting about interviews?

First, virtual interviews can be confusing with the interview day schedule, so don’t be afraid to reach out for clarifications! I was surprised that one of my interviews did not ask any traditional questions and were all behavioral questions instead. Prepare for those types of questions by having tons of examples and experiences ready on hand! Overall, all of my interviews were very laid back. They truly want to get to know you as a person, and the program I got accepted to was the interview where I felt most connected with the interviewees. Don’t be afraid to stem off their questions with your own questions.

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

I used so many resources from The PA Platform; I won a mock interview which was super helpful for my first interview, attended the free webinars, listened to her podcasts and YT videos.

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

Keep going. When I had my second round of rejections, I was so close to giving up on PA school. I told myself I’d have one more chance because this was something that I wanted so badly and it paid off. I’m succeeding in PA school and have fallen more in love with the career. If it’s something you really want to do, go out and make it happen!

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

– Insta: @thatemmilygirl

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: I graduated from The University of Iowa with my Bachelor’s in Radiologic Technology and Computed Tomography.
Overall GPA: 3.91
Science GPA: 3.95
GRE: 292
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: I had a total of 4,250 hours of PCE at the time of application submission. My experience was as a nursing assistant in interventional radiology, a radiography student in my clinical internships, and a CT technologist which I still am doing.
Total HCE hours: I had a total of 40 HCE hours. I was a COVID screener at my hospital. I also had around 2,000 hours in my radiologic technology student internship, but I put it under PCE hours and schools accepted it like that.
Shadowing hours: I had 8 total hours of shadowing. I shadowed a Radiologist Assistant. This was great to bring up in interviews for the “Why PA?” question because after shadowing I was able to conclude I wanted to go the PA route. The schools I applied to had no shadowing requirement.
Volunteer hours: I had 57 volunteer hours. In my radiologic technology program, I volunteered as a student representative. Upon graduation, I was also a volunteer for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists providing assistance to undergraduates looking to gain professional experience.
How many times did you apply?: I am a first time applicant.
Age: 23
Gender: Female

FAQ

Can you get into PA school with almost no shadowing hours?

Yes, if your programs do not require it. Madison had eight shadowing hours and was accepted at Stephens College, having deliberately applied only to programs with no shadowing requirement. [VERIFY] Requirements vary widely — confirm each program’s policy before counting on this.

Can a radiologic technologist become a PA?

Yes. Madison’s bachelor’s was in radiologic technology and computed tomography, and her 4,250 patient care hours came from nursing assistant work in interventional radiology, clinical internships and CT technologist work. Imaging professionals bring strong anatomy knowledge and established patient contact skills.

Do clinical rotation hours from another healthcare degree count as PCE?

Often yes. Madison counted about 2,000 hours from her radiologic technology student internship as patient care experience and reports that programs accepted it. The key is that the hours involved direct, hands-on patient contact. [VERIFY] Confirm classification with each program.

How do you prepare for a virtual PA school interview?

Madison found the schedules for virtual interview days genuinely confusing and recommends contacting the program for clarification rather than guessing. She also encountered one interview that was entirely behavioral questions, so have concrete examples ready rather than rehearsed speeches.

Can you get into PA school with a 292 GRE?

Yes. Madison scored 292 and was accepted at Stephens College with a 3.91 overall and 3.95 science GPA plus 4,250 patient care hours. A strong GPA and deep clinical experience can absorb a low test score. [VERIFY] Many programs no longer require the GRE.

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

Madison built a PA school application out of a career she already had. Four thousand patient care hours across three imaging and nursing roles, a 3.91 GPA, and a program list chosen specifically because it did not require the shadowing she had not done. If you are already working clinically, the fastest path is usually to audit which of your existing hours count and pick programs accordingly.

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Stephens College PA Program: Madison's Acceptance Story (Rad Tech to PA, 8 Shadowing Hours)