Dominican University of California PA Program: Katherine's Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Katherine applied to seven PA programs without taking the GRE, was invited to three interviews, attended two, and finished with one acceptance and one waitlist — enrolling at Dominican University of California. She had a 3.8 science GPA and roughly 3,100 PCE hours as a back office medical assistant in dermatology. Her two interview days ran 7.5 and 4 hours and included tests, group activities, and a research assignment.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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

Invited to 3, Interviewed at 2, 1 acceptance and 1 wait list.

In this post:

Where will you be attending? (if you’re comfortable sharing)

Dominican University of California

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Katherine's interview days illustrate how much format variation exists between programs. Three written tests before a group interview at one school, and a 2-on-2 interview plus a research assignment at another, are not things you can prepare for generically. Ask each program what the day includes when you accept the invitation. Her decision to skip the GRE for reasons of timeline and workload was also a considered trade rather than avoidance — she knew it would narrow her list and accepted that. That is the right way to make the call.

Any red flags on your application?

I did not have as many extracurricular hours as many students tend to have and I also chose not to take the GRE. While I did understand that would limit my choices during applications, it was a personal decision I made based on timeline, stress and my current workload at the time. Luckily I was never asked about either of these things during interviews but I was nervous that programs would not see me as “well-rounded” as other applicants who had far more volunteer/shadowing hours.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Katherine bought an interview prep book the same day she received her first invitation and read it cover to cover three times. Her tip about comfortable shoes for campus tours is more useful than it sounds on a 7.5-hour interview day. [VERIFY] Confirm Dominican University of California's current GRE policy.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

People are so friendly- fellow interviewees, faculty and current students! At both interviews I attended, the students and faculty truly made a huge effort in trying to settle our nerves and make us feel more comfortable during the process. I even made friends with a few people at both interviews and have stayed in touch during the process. You need to go into the interview open minded and try your best to relax!

I also had two completely different interviews at each program. One had 3 tests (3!!) that we had to take prior to our group interview which was followed by an individual interview. The other school had a 2-on-2 interview, group activity and an active research assignment we had to complete. The days were long! I spent 7.5 hours at the first school and about 4 hours at the second.

Tip #1: Bring comfortable walking shoes for campus tours. Your feet will thank you

Tip #2: Wear a smile throughout the day! Your interview starts the moment you set foot on campus and won’t end until you’re on your way home. Everyone is watching you, so put your best foot forward, portray confidence with a smile and be friendly to others that are interviewing. It will make you less nervous!

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

When preparing for interviews, I LOVED Savanna’s book the Physician Assistant School Interview Guide. I bought it the same day I learned of my first interview invite and read it cover to cover probably 3 times! The questions were helpful and gave me a better idea of how I should formulate my answers.

PAEA directory for researching programs.

Various blogs and Instagram profiles (Life as a PA, With Ashley Kay, Page the PA, Fresh Prince of Healthcare) were a great reminder to push through the tough times and keep working towards your goal!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

Don’t compare yourself to others! Remember you are just as deserving as everyone else who is applying during your cycle or at your interview, you just need to show admissions just how awesome YOU are! I will be the first to admit I often found myself looking at people’s “stats” on the PA forum and would think I wasn’t good enough or wouldn’t get in my first time, but I learned quickly that you can’t do that! It’s not healthy and it won’t do you any good. Focus on your positives and what makes you unique, write them down even so they’re at the forefront of your mind (this will help you during interviews too). The process is slow and nerve-wracking but everything happens for a reason and if you keep working hard, you’ll one day get to be a PA!!

Where can we find you? (website, instagram, etc)

Instagram: Kat_thepa

Blog: kat-thepa.weebly.com

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: UC Santa Barbara, Biology major
Overall GPA: 3.65
Science GPA: 3.8
GRE: I chose to not take the GRE
Total HCE hours: ~1300 hours
Total PCE hours: ~3100 hours at time of application – back office MA in a Dermatology office
Shadowing hours: 100
Other volunteer hours: 100 (Junior League of Santa Barbara, Loma Linda Hospital, Beach Clean Ups, Homeless shelter)
LORs: 1 PA (I work with at my office), 2 MDs (owner of practice/supervisors), 1 Profressor and
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 23
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 7

FAQ

Do you need the GRE for the Dominican University of California PA program?

Katherine chose not to take the GRE at all and was accepted. She noted it limited which programs she could apply to. [VERIFY] Confirm Dominican's current testing policy before assuming the GRE is optional for your cycle.

What GPA do you need for the Dominican University of California PA program?

Katherine was accepted with a 3.65 overall GPA and a 3.8 science GPA. [VERIFY] Confirm the program's current published minimum GPA requirements directly.

How long do PA school interview days last?

Katherine's two interviews ran 7.5 hours and about 4 hours respectively. Formats varied widely — one included three written tests before a group interview, the other a 2-on-2 interview, group activity, and a research assignment. Ask each program what to expect when you accept the invitation.

Do you need a lot of volunteer hours for PA school?

Not necessarily. Katherine had about 100 volunteer hours, well below what many applicants report, and was never asked about it during interviews. Strong patient care experience and academics can carry an application that's lighter on extracurriculars.

How do you stop comparing yourself to other PA school applicants?

Katherine's approach was to write down her own strengths and keep them front of mind, which also helped her in interviews. She specifically warns against browsing stats threads on forums, which she found discouraging and unhelpful.

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

Katherine made a deliberate choice to skip the GRE and applied to a shorter list of programs because of it. It worked. If a piece of the standard application doesn't fit your circumstances, understand the cost, build your list accordingly, and then focus on the parts you can make excellent.

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Dominican University of California PA Program: Katherine's Acceptance Story