Dominican University of California PA Program: Trisha's Acceptance Story (3.0 GPA, Failed Class)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Trisha finished undergrad with a GPA below 3.0 and a failed class on her transcript. She spent a three-year gap retaking every science course she earned a C or lower in, plus extra coursework, and built 2000+ PCE hours as a medical assistant. She applied to 7 programs, interviewed at 1, was waitlisted, and was accepted two weeks before the first day of class.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

I was always interested in a career in the medical field, like many, I contemplated nursing, medical school and even becoming a pharmacist. However, I felt most aligned with the PA profession because of my involvement in several club leadership positions in college. At one point, I became vice president of two organizations and once I found out about the PA profession, it made me realize how much more I didn’t want to become a nurse or a doctor. Being in those leadership positions allowed me to be a person with autonomy and influence among others, but part of it also allowed me to be able to lean on the other leaders in the group and work closely with the president. It was something I felt pride in and excelled in during my undergraduate years. After shadowing and working with several PAs, I confirmed that the PA profession was similar to what I had been involved in, which is having the autonomy while working closely with colleagues such as other healthcare workers and especially the supervising physician.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, a failed class is not the disqualifier applicants believe it to be — an unaddressed failed class is. Trisha did the unglamorous version of the fix: three years, every C or lower retaken, plus additional coursework to move the average. A committee reading that transcript sees a clear before and after and a candidate who understood exactly what was wrong. That story is far more persuasive than a clean record with nothing behind it.

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

I interviewed with 1 school, became waitlisted, and then accepted at that same school 2 weeks before the first day.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Trisha built 150+ shadowing hours by asking the PAs she already worked with, and by shadowing while volunteering at the VA. Stacking shadowing onto commitments you already have is the most time-efficient approach there is.

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Where will you be attending?

I currently attend Dominican University of California’s MSPAS Program, Class of 2023

Anything you found interesting about interviews?

I only interviewed at one school during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was through zoom. It was a standard interview, and I was surprised at how welcoming the program is and how straightforward the interview process was.

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

The PA Platform definitely helped me organize everything I needed in order to complete all my prerequisites and get to the application process. After completing an assessment, I was able to create a path and plan that included all the courses I needed to take, the hours I needed, and other areas of the application to work on. I also used www.myparesource.com for personal statement editing. Other resources I owe my thanks to is James Kim on Youtube and @jazminek_pa on instagram.

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

You can still get into PA school with a failed class! I did. However, I spend a great deal of my time (3 year gap after undergrad) retaking all the science courses I received a C grade or lower, as well as additional courses to boost my GPA. Coming from a low GPA applicant that had an undergraduate GPA below a 3.0, I can tell you that it won’t be easy but it is possible! Meanwhile, make sure you always work on the rest of your application, which may be your volunteer hours, PCE, leadership roles, and personal statement. Those are some areas that should also stand out. Stay motivated and inspired! Surround yourself with like-minded people, working PAs, and PA students, in real life and on social media. Doing that for myself really kept me going. Good luck! 🙂

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

Instagram: @treeshmae (Feel free to DM me with any questions you may have!)

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: University of California, Merced
Overall GPA: 3.00
Science GPA: 3.06
GRE: N/A
Total PCE hours: 2000+. I worked as a medical assistant at an allergy & asthma clinic, then at a pulmonology clinic.
Total HCE hours: 500+. I accumulated my HCE from working in the front office as a medical assistant, as well as assisting in the billing and administration department at the pulmonology clinic.
Shadowing hours: 150+ hours. While volunteering at the VA, I was also allowed to shadow PAs at the same time. I also would ask the PAs I worked with if I could shadow them during my free time while working as a medical assistant.
Volunteer hours: 300+ hours. I accumulated my volunteer hours through volunteering at a nursing home, the VA, my local free clinic, and with American Red Cross
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 26
Gender: Female

FAQ

Can you get into PA school with a failed class?

Yes. Trisha had a failed class and an undergraduate GPA below 3.0, and spent a three-year gap retaking every science course she earned a C or lower in. Programs generally want to see that weak grades were addressed and replaced with strong recent performance.

Can you get into PA school with a 3.0 GPA?

Trisha was accepted with a 3.00 overall GPA and a 3.06 science GPA after extensive retakes. [VERIFY] each program’s published minimum, and note that many calculate a separate prerequisite or last-60-credit GPA that retakes can improve substantially.

Does Dominican University of California require the GRE for PA school?

Trisha listed her GRE as N/A and was accepted. [VERIFY] the program’s current standardized testing policy directly.

Do PA schools replace your grade when you retake a class?

CASPA typically averages the original and repeated grades rather than replacing them, which is why retakes move a GPA slowly. [VERIFY] how each program treats repeated coursework, since some recalculate differently.

What should you do during a gap year before PA school?

Trisha used three years to retake coursework, build 2000+ PCE hours as a medical assistant, log 300+ volunteer hours, and accumulate 150+ shadowing hours. A gap is most valuable when it targets the specific weakness in your file.

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

Trisha got one interview, sat on a waitlist, and got the call two weeks before class started — after three years of retaking courses she had already taken once. She is now in the Class of 2023 at Dominican and offers to answer questions from anyone walking the same road. Her message is simple: it will not be easy, but it is possible.

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Dominican University of California PA Program: Trisha's Acceptance Story (3.0 GPA, Failed Class)