PA Studies Admissions & Applications

To be considered for admission, you must first apply through the CASPA. Here you will find everything you need to navigate the admissions process.

Deadline: CASPA application must be VERIFIED by September 1 (11:59 pm ET).

CASPA Personal Statement

Areas for your personal statement on your application include but are not limited to: experiences (medical and otherwise), special and unique talents, honors and accomplishments, work history, community service, extracurricular activities, geographic representation, social and economic background, special personal circumstances (poor grades, etc.), and leadership potential. If you are a reapplicant, consider explaining how your journey to PA school has evolved and what you have done to improve your application.

Candidates will receive an email invitation from UTMB with instructions on how to complete the supplemental application once the CASPA Application has been processed by enrollment services. No applicant will be invited for an interview without the submission of a completed supplemental application. The deadline to submit the supplemental application is in the email with the application instructions. Fee: $35

All applicants applying to JSSOM’s PAS are required to complete the Casper exam via Acuity Insights. Successful completion of Casper is mandatory to maintain admission eligibility. Casper tests must be taken by September 1; register after you receive your CASPA ID at Casper test/Acuity Insights.

Physician Assistant applicants are required to submit a minimum of three individual letters of evaluation directly to CASPA.

Letter Requirements

• All letters of evaluation must include the following criteria in order to be accepted. Any letters that do not meet these standards will be rejected.

• Be written on official letterhead (personal or professional letterhead is accepted)

• Include the evaluator's contact information (specifically a phone number and/or email address)

• Include the evaluator's signature

• Include the applicant's name

• Letter must be dated. The Admissions Committee will take the letter's date into consideration during review.

• Written in English

Download the Admissions Self Appraisal Checklist.

Please Note: All documents and Casper scores must be received before an application will be reviewed.

The UTMB Physician Assistant Studies department reviews applications and recommends admission to the applicants deemed best qualified. Personal qualifications, reference letters, personal statements, undergraduate coursework, graduate coursework, overall and science GPAs, and Casper scores are considered in the decision-making process. Additional considerations include community service, healthcare or patient-care experience, shadowing, leadership roles, and unique educational, career, or life experiences. In alignment with our mission and values, interview preference is given to Texas residents, first-generation college students, students with GPAs above 3.2, students with environmental and economic disadvantages, and military service (veterans, active duty, reserves). However, all applicants will be considered.

Applicants

Demographics

Academics

Interview Day Information

You must be invited for an in-person interview to be considered for admission. Once an applicant has been granted an interview, the applicant will be contacted via email with the interview date. All pertinent interview details will be sent to the applicant via email.

Interviews are typically held on Fridays. Applicants are interviewed utilizing a multiple-station interview format. It will consist of four 6-minute interviews. Applicants will have 2 minutes to read a scenario before each interview. Once you enter the room, you will have 6 minutes to respond and engage in dialogue. Interviewers consist of faculty, staff, and community PAs.

Rescheduling Your Interview Date

While PAS recognizes that extenuating circumstances may arise, requests to reschedule a confirmed interview are considered on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed; therefore, rescheduling is strongly discouraged.

UTMB PAS has a rolling admission process:

• Rolling Admissions is from September to December.

• Your application is open until you hear from us with a final decision.

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Deposit

If you are accepted, you will be required to pay a deposit of $1,000 for a position in the class, which is payable at the time you accept admission. This deposit is non-refundable. Instructions for this process will be included in the acceptance letter. The deposit will be applied to accepted students' first semester tuition.

Background Check

All entering students must undergo a security background check prior to matriculation. The security background check must be completed after you have been offered acceptance and no more than 60 days prior to your enrollment into the program. Admissions is conditional until a clear background check is received.

Basic Life Support

BLS or BCLS Certification is required upon enrollment in the program and must be maintained throughout matriculation. Course must be AHA approved.

Deferred Admission

UTMB does not routinely grant deferments. If you wish to be considered for a deferment, you must make a request in writing to the Admissions Committee and Program Director. This must be done prior to matriculation. Once received, the Admissions Committee and the Program Director will meet to review your request and notify you when a decision has been made.

Applicants interested in the PA program should apply online with the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants.

Yes, the UTMB PA program requires a supplemental application for all applicants.

Applicants are sent an email inviting them to complete the supplemental application after their application has been verified and reviewed by Enrollment Services. The supplemental application fee is $35.

Successful completion of CASPer is mandatory to maintain admission eligibility.

Applications will not be reviewed until their CASPer score has been received.

For full consideration, applicants must:

1. Apply online via CASPA

2. Have three letters of recommendation (submitted to CASPA)

3. Complete the supplemental application

4. Pay a $35 supplemental application fee

5. Have a minimum total AND science GPA of 3.0

6. Have a CASPer score on file

The minimum overall GPA is 3.0. The minimum science GPA is 3.0.

Yes, CASPer scores are only good for one cycle.

Any course taught within an institution’s chemistry, physics, biology, or biochemistry department.

We do not accept AP or IB credit for prerequisite requirements. All prerequisites must have a letter grade.

We do not accept pass/fail grading for prerequisite courses. All prerequisites must have a letter grade.

No, we do not accept letters of intent.

We consider personal qualifications, reference letters, personal statements, undergraduate and graduate coursework, grades, and CASPer scores. Academic and nonacademic factors are of equal importance. Additional considerations include community service, healthcare experience, patient-care experience, type of healthcare or patient-care experience, shadowing, leadership roles, and unique educational, career, or life experiences.

In alignment with our mission and values, interview preference is given to Texas residents, first-generation college students and those with environmental and economic disadvantages, and military service (veteran, active, reserves). However, all applicants will be considered.

Yes, we have rolling admissions.

We accept coursework from any regionally accredited US college and university.

Yes, as long as the coursework is from a regionally accredited US college and university, it will be accepted.

Prerequisites must be completed within the last ten years from the September 1 application submission deadline.

Coursework and/or degrees are only acceptable if completed at regionally accredited US colleges and universities.

No, the UTMB PA program does not accept transfer students.

Interviews are conducted in person on the UTMB campus.

The UTMB PA program uses a modified multiple mini-interview format. Our interview process involves candidates rotating through four separate eight-minute one-on-one interviews. Interviewers include faculty, staff, and alumni.

We invite you to sign up for one of our campus tours here: Register for a campus tour.

We invite you to register for one of our open houses here: Register for an open house.

No. We do not offer reviews or a workshop. Please utilize the CASPA Reapplicant Checklist to review and revise your application (Reapplicant Checklist).

We recommend reviewing the CASPA Reapplicant Checklist (Reapplicant Checklist).

Additionally, meeting with a health professions advisor may help you to identify ways to improve your application. You can find an advisor through the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (Find an Advisor).

For your Physician Assistant application, you'll need to submit at least three letters of evaluation directly to CASPA. These letters are crucial, so ensure they come from individuals who can speak to your professional or academic capabilities, such as medical providers you've worked with or shadowed, employers, or previous faculty members. Submissions from friends or family are not accepted. Each letter must be on official letterhead, include the evaluator's contact information and signature, clearly state your name, be dated (as the Admissions Committee considers this), and be written in English. Letters not meeting these standards will be rejected.