Duke University Medical Center PA Program: Requirements, Tuition & Stats
Who This Program May Be A Good Fit For
Middle-of-the-pack GPA: The average accepted overall GPA (3.63) is close to the national middle, so a solid-but-not-spectacular academic record is genuinely competitive here.
Experience-heavy: A 1,000-hour patient care minimum is at or above the national 75th percentile. Plan on a year or more of full-time work before you apply.
Faster to practice: At 24 months, this program is shorter than most. That means less tuition and earlier income, but a denser schedule with little slack.
Large cohort: A class of 90 is among the biggest in the country. More seats improves your odds, and the alumni network is larger, but you will need to be proactive about mentorship.
Apply early: Admissions are rolling, so seats come off the board as the cycle goes. An application submitted in the first few weeks is worth more than the same application submitted in month four.
Stricter prerequisite grades: A minimum of B- in prerequisites is tougher than the typical C. Recheck your transcript before you invest in the application.
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Program Details
Duke University Medical Center is located in North Carolina. The details below come straight from the program and are re-checked on a rolling basis.
At a glance
Location: North Carolina
Institution type: Private
Program length: 24 months
Class size: 90 students
Start month: August
Application deadline: September
Rolling admissions: Yes
In-state tuition: $97,902
Average overall GPA: 3.63
Minimum PCE hours: 1,000 hours
Letters of recommendation: 3
First-time PANCE pass rate: 93%
Accreditation status: Continued
Admission requirements
GRE: Yes
PA-CAT: No
CASPer: No
Supplemental application: Yes (fee $60)
Shadowing: No
Letters of recommendation: 3: Healthcare Professional
Patient care experience: 1,000 hours minimum
Interview format: two individual interview, one group with other applicants
Prerequisites
Minimum prerequisite grade: B-
Prerequisite expiration: 10 years
In-progress prerequisites accepted: Yes
AP or CLEP credit accepted: No
Pass/Fail coursework accepted: Yes
Online coursework accepted: Yes
Required coursework
Anatomy: 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours
Physiology: 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours
Microbiology: 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours
Other Biology course of choice: 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours
Second Other Biology course of choice: 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours
Chemistry course of choice with lab: total of 4 semester or 5 quarter hours
Second Chemistry course of choice with lab: total of 4 semester or 5 quarter hours
Statistics: 2 semester hours or 3 quarter hours
Recommended: To fulfill the other biological science course prerequisites, the PA Program recommends courses in genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, embryology, histology, or immunology.
Cost
In-state tuition: $97,902
Supplemental application fee: $60
Seat deposit: $950
Want to compare your stats to this program? Pre-PA Bestie is a free, always-updated PA program database where you can save schools and see how your numbers line up. Check out Pre-PA Bestie.
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Listen: Ortho Trauma PA and Duke Grad: An Interview with Olivia
Olivia emailed me asking if she could come on and talk about her path, and I'm glad she did.
Episode show notes & key takeaways
Olivia emailed me asking if she could come on and talk about her path, and I'm glad she did.
She's an ortho trauma PA and a Duke grad - our first guest from that program. Ortho trauma is exactly what it sounds like: fractures, ORs, and a lot of urgency. It's a specialty people either love immediately or know right away isn't for them.
We get into what her application looked like, what Duke's program was like from the inside, and how much her life experience outside of medicine mattered when she was applying. That last part comes up constantly and people underestimate it. Programs are building a class of humans, not a spreadsheet of stats.
What we talk about
- Getting into and going through Duke's PA program
- What ortho trauma looks like as a new grad
- The hardest parts of her application process
- How life experience shaped her candidacy
- Adjusting to a fast, procedure-heavy specialty
- Her advice for students applying to top-ranked programs
Resources
Follow The Pre-PA Club: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · All episodes
Program Contact
Program website: Duke University Medical Center
Admissions page: Admissions information
Prerequisite details: Prerequisite coursework
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 919.681.3161
Address: Duke Physician Assistant Program, DUMC 104780, Durham, NC 27710
Program information last verified June 16, 2026. Requirements change, always confirm directly with the program before applying.
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