Duke University PA Program: Divine's Acceptance Story (7 for 7 Interview Invites at 20)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Divine applied to 7 programs and was invited to interview at every single one. She attended 3, was accepted at all 3, and stopped taking interviews once Duke came through. She was 20 years old, with a 3.73 GPA, a 330 GRE, 2,018 PCE hours, and an extraordinary 2,252 volunteer hours.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

I can think of a million ways to answer this question, but at the top of my list is that the PA profession will enable me to work as an integral part of a team by collaborating with a variety of healthcare providers, give me the opportunity to work in different areas of medicine throughout my career, and work closely with patients which could lead to planting a seed of trust in them when it comes to the healthcare system as a whole.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, young applicants routinely assume their age will be held against them, and Divine’s experience is the common one: nobody brought it up. Committees are evaluating whether you can handle the academic load and communicate with patients, and 2,018 patient care hours accumulated during undergrad answers that question regardless of birth year. Her practical tip about letters of recommendation deserves underlining too — give your writers your deadlines months ahead, because a late letter can hold an otherwise complete application hostage.

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

I received interview invitations from all 7 schools, but I only went to 3 and was accepted at 3. I stopped accepting interviews because I got into my top program!

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Divine logged 2,252 volunteer hours — more than her patient care hours, and the highest volunteer total in this entire series.

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Where will you be attending?

Duke University School of Medicine

Anything you found interesting about interviews?

I was a nervous wreck going into interview season due to my performance anxiety. Being on the younger side of applicants, I was afraid the schools I interviewed at would be critical of that factor. Fortunately, none of the schools I interviewed with brought this up. My interviewers were very hospitable and holistic as they truly wanted to get to know who I was outside of my grades and reports. I was taken aback by that!

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

Savanna Perry’s PA school Interview Guide helped me so incredibly much!

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

1. BREATHE. Everything is going to be okay and will fall into place. 2. Apply as early as you can, and make sure to inform anyone writing your LOR your deadlines months in advance 3. If you feel like you’re not the best at interviewing, brush up on this skill. Practice with as many people as you can and do mock interviews. This helped me so much. 4. BREATHE (again), you’ve got this!

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

@Divinemengue on Instagram 🙂

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: The University of Georgia ’22
Overall GPA: 3.73
Science GPA: 3.66
GRE: 330 | verbal 166; quantitative 164; analytical writing 4.5
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: 2,018 hours; I worked as a Patient Care Assistant and a Nurse Aide throughout undergrad
Total HCE hours: 195 hours; I worked as a medical scribe at a rheumatology practice
Shadowing hours: 82 hours; I shadowed an Emergency Med. PA, Psychiatry and Addiction med. PA, and a Rheumatology PA
Volunteer hours: I gained a total of 2,252 volunteer hours, as I was very involved in campus activities (community service, volunteering at my local high school, campus clubs leadership roles, and medical mission trips)
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 20
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the Duke PA program?

Divine was accepted with a 3.73 overall GPA and a 3.66 science GPA. [VERIFY] Duke’s current published minimum GPA and most recent accepted class averages before applying.

Does Duke require the GRE for the PA program?

Divine submitted a 330 (166 verbal, 164 quantitative, 4.5 analytical writing) and listed the PA-CAT as N/A. [VERIFY] Duke’s current standardized testing policy directly.

Are you too young to apply to PA school at 20?

Divine was accepted to Duke at 20 and reported that no program raised her age during interviews. What matters is completing your degree and prerequisites and accumulating meaningful patient care experience. [VERIFY] each program’s degree completion requirements.

When should you ask for PA school letters of recommendation?

Divine advises informing your letter writers of your deadlines months in advance. Late letters are one of the most common causes of a delayed CASPA verification, which matters enormously under rolling admissions.

How do you handle interview anxiety for PA school?

Divine describes herself as a nervous wreck due to performance anxiety and credits mock interviews and practicing with as many people as possible. Repetition is the most reliable treatment for interview nerves.

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

Seven invitations from seven applications, three interviews, three acceptances, and Duke at twenty. Divine’s advice list starts and ends with the same word for a reason. Breathe. It is going to fall into place.

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Duke University PA Program: Divine's Acceptance Story (7 for 7 Interview Invites at 20)