South College PA Program: Olivia's Acceptance Story (Medical Assistant Path)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Olivia worked as a medical assistant in three offices across three states — cosmetic dermatology in Los Angeles, medical dermatology in New Hampshire, and internal medicine in St. Louis — for 3,120 PCE hours. She applied once to 11 programs, received 4 interview invites, completed 3, and was accepted to South College in Nashville with a 3.57 GPA and a 314 GRE.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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How many programs did you apply to?

In this post:

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

Out of the eleven programs I applied to, I have received four interview invites. I interviewed with three programs and declined the fourth invite, because at that point I had already received an acceptance. From the three interviews, I have been accepted to one program, waitlisted at one program, and I am still waiting to hear from the third.

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, medical assisting is one of the most efficient ways to build patient care hours because of the sheer range of skills you touch. Olivia’s list — manual blood pressures, sterile excisions, ECGs, IM and subcutaneous injections, venipuncture — is exactly the kind of concrete detail that makes an application readable. Do not just log the hours. Write down what you actually learned to do, because that is what turns a job title into an interview answer.

Where will you be attending?

My acceptance is to South College in Nashville, TN!

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Olivia found her first medical assistant position through her university’s Pre-PA club. Campus pre-PA organizations are one of the most overlooked sources of clinical job leads.

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

Savanna’s PA Platform Interview Guide was key for strong interview preparation.

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

Be yourself in your interview (while remaining professional, of course). I found that sharing stories of my experiences with patients helped to put me at ease during the interviews, and also allowed me to highlight my strengths and personality.

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

@oliviasanderson32 on Instagram

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: University of Southern California
Overall GPA: 3.57
Science GPA: 3.58
GRE: 314
PA-CAT: Did not take
Total PCE hours: 3,120; I gained my patient care experience by working as a medical assistant in three different offices over the course of my undergraduate education and throughout my gap year. I worked in a cosmetic dermatology office in Los Angeles, CA (I discovered this position through the Pre-PA club at USC), a medical dermatology office at home in NH, and finally an internal medicine office in St. Louis, MO (where I am currently living with my boyfriend, until we move to our next destination for PA school)! I highly recommend obtaining hours as a medical assistant, as I have acquired and sharpened skills ranging from taking a manual BP, to assisting in sterile excisions, administering an ECG, giving IM and subcutaneous injections, venipuncture, and so much more.
Total HCE hours: I believe I had about 500 healthcare experience hours. I gained this experience during my time as a medical assistant, when helping out in the front office: taking phone calls, scheduling patients, completing prior authorizations on prescriptions, etc. I also worked at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as a clinical research assistant during the early part of my undergraduate education, and this helped to contribute to those hours as well.
Shadowing hours: I had 120 hours of shadowing experience. This was acquired over several summers of going to stay with family in South Florida and shadowing at a Level I Trauma Center where my aunt is a trauma nurse.
Volunteer hours: 1,230; I focused a lot on service throughout high school and college. These hours are a conglomeration of experiences: serving as a campus ambassador for Gift of Life, volunteering for philanthropic events for my sorority Alpha Delta Pi, serving as Chaplain for my sorority, teaching science for a semester in an underserved elementary school in LA through USC JEP program, as well as volunteer work at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles during my time as a research assistant.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 23
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the South College PA program?

Olivia was accepted with a 3.57 overall GPA and a 3.58 science GPA. [VERIFY] South College’s current published minimum GPA and most recent accepted class averages.

Does South College require the GRE for PA school?

Olivia submitted a 314 and did not take the PA-CAT. [VERIFY] whether the GRE is currently required, optional, or not accepted at South College.

Is medical assisting good patient care experience for PA school?

It is one of the most commonly accepted PCE roles. Olivia built 3,120 hours across cosmetic dermatology, medical dermatology, and internal medicine offices, and recommends it specifically for the breadth of clinical skills. [VERIFY] that your target programs count MA hours as PCE.

Does front office work count as healthcare experience?

Olivia logged roughly 500 HCE hours from front office duties like scheduling, phone calls, and prior authorizations, plus clinical research assistant work. Programs generally treat non-hands-on roles as HCE rather than PCE. [VERIFY] each program’s definitions.

Should you decline a PA school interview after being accepted?

Olivia declined her fourth interview invite once she held an acceptance she was happy with. Releasing interview slots you no longer need is both practical and courteous to applicants still waiting.

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

Olivia is Nashville-bound after building an application across three states and three very different clinics. Her interview advice is the kind that actually works: tell real patient stories. They calm your nerves and show your strengths at the same time, which is more than any rehearsed answer can do.

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South College PA Program: Olivia's Acceptance Story (Medical Assistant Path)