UT Southwestern PA Program: Qui's Acceptance Story (Dental Assistant to PA)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Qui applied once, to 17 programs, received 5 interview invites, completed 3, and finished with 1 acceptance and 2 waitlists. Her patient care hours came from years as a dental assistant, and much of her shadowing and volunteering was virtual. She was accepted to UT Southwestern with a 3.34 overall GPA and a 291 GRE.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

Your Pre-PA Bestie Blog - everything you need to know to become a PA in one place.

Why PA?

To expand medical expertise, lateral mobility, ability to collaborate during difficult medical dilemmas, being a face within healthcare minorities could identify with

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, dental assisting is one of the roles applicants most often worry will not count. Program definitions genuinely vary, so the safest move is to check each school directly before you bank thousands of hours on the assumption. Qui’s outcome — 5 invites from 17 applications — shows the experience carried real weight, and her habit of splitting hours between PCE and HCE with an honest accounting is the right way to present a role that sits on the line.

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

Received 5 invites, did 3 interviews, 1 acceptance and 2 waitlists

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Most of Qui’s shadowing and volunteering was virtual, including 55 virtual PA shadowing hours. Remote options can fill real gaps when local access is limited, though policies differ by program.

****INSERT FREE LEAD MAGNET FORM OR HTML BLOCK AND DELETE TEXT BOX*****

Where will you be attending?

UT Southwestern

Anything you found interesting about interviews?

Some interviewers were quite encouraging

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

Savanna Perry’s book, “Doing Right” by Philip hebert, MMI interview book by BeMo

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

Do not compare yourself- you are on your own journey. Worrying about others takes away from your time working on your application. Work on your application as soon as possible and apply early if you can!

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

Instagram: the_pa_saint

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Prairie View A&M University
Overall GPA: 3.34
Science GPA: 3.57
GRE: 291
PA-CAT: Did not take
Total PCE hours: 8,600 Hours as a Dental Assistant
Total HCE hours: 3,000 Hours as a Dental Assistant
Shadowing hours: 88 hours- 33 in-person shadowing with Internal Med MD and 55 virtual shadowing with PAs
Volunteer hours: Around 150 hours- gulf coast regional blood center, 7 cups (virtual), momentum education (virtual), Crisis Cleanup (virtual)
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 27
Gender: Female

FAQ

Does dental assisting count as patient care experience for PA school?

It depends on the program. Qui logged 8,600 PCE hours and 3,000 HCE hours as a dental assistant and was accepted to UT Southwestern. [VERIFY] how each program on your list classifies dental assisting, since some count it fully as PCE and others do not.

What GPA do you need for UT Southwestern’s PA program?

Qui was accepted with a 3.34 overall GPA and a 3.57 science GPA. [VERIFY] UT Southwestern’s current published minimum GPA and most recent matriculating class averages.

Can you get into PA school with a 291 GRE?

Qui did. A lower GRE is far easier to absorb when your experience hours and science GPA are strong, but [VERIFY] whether any program on your list enforces a hard GRE minimum before you rely on that.

Do virtual shadowing hours count for PA school?

Many programs began accepting them and some still do. Qui’s 88 shadowing hours included 55 virtual hours with PAs and 33 in person with an internal medicine physician. [VERIFY] each program’s current policy.

When should you submit your CASPA application?

Qui’s advice is to start early and apply early if you can. Most PA programs use rolling admissions, so earlier complete applications are generally reviewed against more open seats.

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

Qui turned years of dental assisting into an acceptance at one of the most competitive programs in Texas, and her advice cuts straight to the thing most applicants waste energy on: stop measuring yourself against everyone else and put that time into your own application. Apply early, and let your file speak for itself.

***INSERT HTML SERVICE BLOCK CTA****

UT Southwestern PA Program: Qui's Acceptance Story (Dental Assistant to PA)