University of Kentucky PA Program: Emily's Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Emily applied to exactly one program — the University of Kentucky, where she'd done her undergraduate degree — got one interview, and was accepted. She had a 3.63 GPA, 800 HCE hours, only 318 PCE hours at the time she applied, and a remarkable 400 combined shadowing hours split between PAs and physicians. Her advice is about confidence, and specifically about not letting other applicants' stats get in your head.

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?

1 interview and acceptance!

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, applying to a single program is the highest-risk strategy there is, and we want to be clear that Emily's outcome is not the typical one. It worked here because of specific circumstances: she was applying to her own undergraduate institution, she had 400 combined shadowing hours, and 600 of her 800 healthcare hours came from a structured oncology training program. That's a candidate the program already knew and could evaluate confidently. Her PCE was genuinely low at 318 hours, which in most application pools would be a serious limitation. If you're building a list, treat Emily's story as evidence that fit and familiarity matter — not as permission to apply to one school.

Where will you be attending?

University of Kentucky

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Emily logged 132 hours shadowing PAs and 268 shadowing physicians — 400 total, when many applicants scrape together 20. Heavy shadowing does double duty: it answers the "why PA and not MD" question from direct observation, and it produces the relationships that become your letters. Two of her three letters came from PAs.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

The interviews were very laid back and conversational. I learned a lot about my interviewers and felt very comfortable with the program and faculty.

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

I used Savanna's PA Interview Guide as well as a mock interview with Sam and both were a huge help!

Any other advice for Pre-PA students?

Don't obsessively compare yourself to other applicants stats, and be confident in yourself and what makes you unique! You need to exude confidence in your personal statement and your interview – if you don't know that you're capable of being a PA, how will they?

Where can we find you?

On Instagram @emilybertram

Need to Know:

Undergraduate Education: B.S. in Human Nutrition from University of Kentucky
Overall GPA: 3.63
Science GPA: 3.46
GRE: 302
Total HCE Hours: 800 – Medical Office Assistant (200), Oncology Training Program (600)
Total PCE Hours: 318 at time of application – nutritional counseling, physical therapy tech, patient care tech
Shadowing Hours: 132 PA-C, 268 MD
Other Volunteer Hours: 1000+ American Cancer Society, mission trips, teaching experience, and campus ministry volunteering
LORs: 1 Professor and PA-C, 1 Professor, 1 Cardio PA-C
How many times did you apply? 1
Age: 22
Gender: Female

FAQ

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

Emily was accepted with a 3.63 overall GPA and a 3.46 science GPA. [VERIFY] Confirm the University of Kentucky's current minimum GPA requirements.

Does the University of Kentucky PA program require the GRE?

Emily submitted a GRE score of 302. [VERIFY] Confirm whether the program currently requires the GRE, as many have dropped the requirement.

How many patient care hours do you need for the University of Kentucky PA program?

Emily applied with 318 PCE hours from nutritional counseling, physical therapy tech, and patient care tech roles, plus 800 HCE hours. That PCE total is on the low end. [VERIFY] Confirm the program's current PCE minimums.

Should you apply to only one PA school?

It's very risky and we don't generally recommend it. Emily was accepted to the only program she applied to, but she was applying to her undergraduate institution with 400 shadowing hours behind her. Most applicants should build a list of programs whose requirements they meet to give themselves multiple chances in a single cycle.

Does it help to apply to the PA program at your undergraduate school?

It can. Familiarity with the institution, faculty who know your work, and coursework the program already recognizes all reduce uncertainty. Emily earned her B.S. in Human Nutrition at the University of Kentucky before being accepted to its PA program. [VERIFY] Confirm whether the program gives any formal preference to in-state or internal applicants.

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

Emily went one for one, which is the kind of result that's fun to read and dangerous to copy. The parts of her approach that generalize are the depth of her shadowing, the structured oncology program that made her healthcare experience substantive rather than incidental, and her refusal to measure herself against other applicants' numbers. That last point is genuinely good advice — comparison is a distraction, and confidence is something interviewers can hear.

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University of Kentucky PA Program: Emily's Acceptance Story