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University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) 2019-2020 Cycle


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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey all, 

One of my classmates told me about this forum today. I am a current first-year student, and I also help run UTHSC PA Program's social media accounts as I am class Historian! I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and ask! I will try to answer as much as possible. 

And to answer the question above, we were on probation, but we now have full accreditation until 2027! The probation status had to do with some faculty turn over, but we now have some of the BEST faculty out there who are really dedicated to us and PA education. If you don't know our program director, check out his podcast, the PAINE podcast. He is really well-respected in the PA community. 

 

Good luck on your applications and interviews! 🙂


Laura H 

Edited by LauraPAS
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11 hours ago, Lifeline10 said:

Hey, @LauraPAS ! Thanks for chiming it. I do have one question, though. How much weight do you think the GRE holds in regards to application decisions?

GRE is important, as is GPA so do your absolute best on those. That being said, our admissions director - and faculty as a whole - are big believers in a holistic view. As long as you meet the minimum GPA/GRE requirements, your application is viewed for who you are as a person. We have GPAs/GRE scores that are near perfect and those that are on the lower end of the scale. If it helps, consider your application a blank slate after you meet the minimums - it doesn't matter much. I'm honestly not sure what the minimum GRE score is for us, but I feel like most schools aim for around a 300. If you are going to put extra time into either GRE or other aspects, I would stick to making sure you have a stellar personal statement/experiences. Show them who you are. Hope this helps. 

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@LauraPAS Afternoon! I do have a question related to the interview process and the length of the program. First, how are you liking getting accustomed to the 24 month time frame... even more stressful than the average "fire hydrant" of info? Also, what was the style of interviews? How many people were there during your session while interviewing? Do you have interaction with the previous class ahead of you? If so, has this helped you with navigating the ropes? Thank you for reaching out to the forum, we applicants GREATLY appreciate it!

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23 hours ago, Reeannuh said:

@LauraPAS Afternoon! I do have a question related to the interview process and the length of the program. First, how are you liking getting accustomed to the 24 month time frame... even more stressful than the average "fire hydrant" of info? Also, what was the style of interviews? How many people were there during your session while interviewing? Do you have interaction with the previous class ahead of you? If so, has this helped you with navigating the ropes? Thank you for reaching out to the forum, we applicants GREATLY appreciate it!

Hey! 

 

Great questions! It’s hard to answer the first question because I don’t have anything to compare it to. I think no matter the program 24 months, 29 months, etc, there’s a learning curve, and the “fire hydrant” is full speed ahead. Personally, I love the 24 month program, get in, get out and start making money haha. Our program still has an above national average on the first-year PANCE pass rate, so that is promising that the shorter curriculum time doesn’t harm our knowledge. I’ve found that the first few weeks are rough but then you get into the groove and it get’s a lot easier. 

 

For my class, they interviewed 100 people over 5 consecutive days - then decisions were made a few days after the last interview date. They sent out all interview invites at once, and you emailed back with your preference of dates. So approximately, 20 people per interview (I think some groups had a little more or less depending on the day). We had two one-on-one interviews with faculty, a writing station and then a student panel. It is all so laid back - I talked about my cats, pandas and my family (of course talked academics and the “why do you want to come to our program” type of questions. 

 

As far as upperclassmen, we are all paired with a “senior buddy” who is meant to be a mentor of sorts. It is really help when it comes to asking how to study for certain classes/life in general. However, most upper classmen are not around campus much because they are out on their rotations. They come by the building like once a month to take their end of rotation exams. Only 15 are here in Memphis and the other 15 are spread between Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville - so we don’t ever really see them.  Other than that, you won’t really see much of them except at events or if you make an efffort. 

 

I am happy to help! 🙂 Keep asking questions if you need/want! 

 

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On 5/31/2019 at 7:46 PM, LauraPAS said:

Hey all, 

One of my classmates told me about this forum today. I am a current first-year student, and I also help run UTHSC PA Program's social media accounts as I am class Historian! I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and ask! I will try to answer as much as possible. 

And to answer the question above, we were on probation, but we now have full accreditation until 2027! The probation status had to do with some faculty turn over, but we now have some of the BEST faculty out there who are really dedicated to us and PA education. If you don't know our program director, check out his podcast, the PAINE podcast. He is really well-respected in the PA community. 

 

Good luck on your applications and interviews! 🙂


Laura H 

And to piggyback off of Laura, I’m a current second year student who has spoken to many a pre-pa so send me a message if you have any questions as well (esp since I’m almost halfway done with clinicals!) I am MY classes historian haha and last year all of the candidates I spoke to pre-interview got in! I also have gone over personal statements, discuss the program with anyone who wants to hear, and love to chat before interviews and such! I can also speak to some of the many great changes that have occurred in the program since 2017 when Kris Maday took the helm, so ready out to me via private message if you feel so inclined (if they’re general, easier questions I can answer here if y’all tag in it or quote me or however it works haha so I get an alert). Good luck all!

-Taylor A

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On 6/11/2019 at 2:44 PM, LauraPAS said:

Hey! 

 

Great questions! It’s hard to answer the first question because I don’t have anything to compare it to. I think no matter the program 24 months, 29 months, etc, there’s a learning curve, and the “fire hydrant” is full speed ahead. Personally, I love the 24 month program, get in, get out and start making money haha. Our program still has an above national average on the first-year PANCE pass rate, so that is promising that the shorter curriculum time doesn’t harm our knowledge. I’ve found that the first few weeks are rough but then you get into the groove and it get’s a lot easier. 

 

For my class, they interviewed 100 people over 5 consecutive days - then decisions were made a few days after the last interview date. They sent out all interview invites at once, and you emailed back with your preference of dates. So approximately, 20 people per interview (I think some groups had a little more or less depending on the day). We had two one-on-one interviews with faculty, a writing station and then a student panel. It is all so laid back - I talked about my cats, pandas and my family (of course talked academics and the “why do you want to come to our program” type of questions. 

 

As far as upperclassmen, we are all paired with a “senior buddy” who is meant to be a mentor of sorts. It is really help when it comes to asking how to study for certain classes/life in general. However, most upper classmen are not around campus much because they are out on their rotations. They come by the building like once a month to take their end of rotation exams. Only 15 are here in Memphis and the other 15 are spread between Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville - so we don’t ever really see them.  Other than that, you won’t really see much of them except at events or if you make an efffort. 

 

I am happy to help! 🙂 Keep asking questions if you need/want! 

 

OR if you have a buddy who likes to help (not even just my first year buddy but any of the girls I spoke to prior to them getting in or anyone who reaches out) you can have full access to them. Obviously depending on the rotation we’re very busy, but I send my old study guides to my mini first years, text them before and after big exams (like anatomy) and they know I’m always there to talk even though I’m not located in Nashville! It also depends on the first years reaching out to their “senior buddy.” I’m also the weird one who loves to help (hence why I’ve been posting about the program on here since 2017) and also really likes to talk haha

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/27/2019 at 5:33 PM, Chanrika said:

Hi Laura!

Thanks so much for your help! If possible, can you provide any tips for being successful during interviews?

 

Thanks,

Chanrika

Hey! 

Sorry it took me a couple days to see this, I've been busy! 

As cliche as it is, be yourself. Nobody wants to hear (what I call) a "Miss America" answer. They genuinely want to know what you think. That goes for any interview you are at! Don't tell them what you think they want to hear. Tell them what you want them to know about you. Let your passions and personalities shine through. 

Be passionate about the program. Do enough research so you know what you are talking about, but tell them what you like about the program! What you've seen that peaks your interest. What opportunities you see. Slip in a few humble brags, or what you can bring to the program. 

Voice your concerns - in a respectful way (obviously). If there is something that you misunderstood, or you have a genuine concern about...ASK! You need to make sure that any program you are at is the right one for you. I know it is SOO easy to fall into the "I will go anywhere that accepts me" but at the end of the day, you need to be happy with your choice, too. (Seriously, I pulled myself off of a waitlist before I had any acceptances because I knew I would not be happy at a program where I interviewed). 

Be honest. Did you do something you regret during undergrad? Tell them about it, and share how you grew from that/what you learned. 

Be confident and be yourself! 

Also, shameless plug, if you don't already, follow us on instagram @uthscpaprogram and read our student spotlights! We post every Saturday! Get to know the kind of people who have been previously accepted. There's also some good advice sprinkled through there! 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
10 minutes ago, vishu210 said:

you're right! Good luck! Do you guys mind sharing your stats? 

  • BS in Health Science with Biology Minor
  • cGPA: 3.94
  • sGPA: 3.95
  • Last 60 GPA: 4.0
  • GRE: 315 (q:160,v155,AW:5)
  • PCE: 1320 as ER Tech
  • Shadowing: 56 (24 Surgeon/PA, 32 Hospital PA)
  • Volunteer: 440 (disaster relief/summer camp/misc.)
  • LOR: ER Doc, ER manager, professor
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  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, MRRDPA said:

Interviews will be held September 25 through October 1st this year so likely will sent out the first week of September. last year they had interviews earlier and I think I got the email the last week of August with the invite.

Correct... it says in the email for CASPA verification 

"Applicants who are selected for interviews will be notified via email on September 6th, 2019."

So now we wait until Sept. 6!

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55 minutes ago, gbrown33 said:

Correct... it says in the email for CASPA verification 

"Applicants who are selected for interviews will be notified via email on September 6th, 2019."

So now we wait until Sept. 6!

I am a current 1st year here just thought I would mention it just in case you didn’t know the official interview dates! Good luck!

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1 hour ago, Jpa12 said:

Hey guys! How long did it take to receive a verification email from UTHSC after you submitted your CASPA application? 

Hello! My CASPA application was fully verified on June 10th, and I received an email from UTHSC on June 14th saying that they received everything! Hope this helps!

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