Advice & Insight From PA Application Specialists
The PA course at Emory University is ranked in the top 5 in the US and is therefore highly competitive. There are 2071 applicants, of whom 205 were interviewed in the last cycle, for a total class size of 54 students. The average cumulative GPA of the incoming class was 3.63, and the average student had more than 4000 hours of direct patient contact. The school emphasises that those who ‘have served their communities or their countries through volunteer activities, military service, employment opportunities and/or service-oriented programs greatly enhance the cultural perspective of the class.’
You must additionally have the following prerequisite courses:
Natural Sciences: 23 credits of which 4 must be biology, 8 chemistry, 8 human anatomy and physiology, 3 organic chemistry or biochemistry. 3 semester credits for statistics must also be offered. You must offer more than 2000 hours of patient care experience, which must be direct and ‘hands-on.’
Emory’s interview day is constructed to ‘assure a good match between the program and the candidate.’ The typical interview day begins at 7:30 am with check-in and ends at 3:00 pm. The school conducts its PA interviews in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. An MMI consists of students rotating through various ‘stations,’ each of which will focus on a different theme or topic area. The MMIs at Emory assess:
You will not be assessed on your medical knowledge.
The program has a rolling admissions process, with results shared after interview within a month at the most. CASPA applications open on July 1st and must be completed by March 1st. Interviews run once per month from September through to March.
You should follow the outline provided on Emory’s site and focus on the following key areas:
Communication Skills (& Interpersonal Skills)
Learn the best interview strategies and practice with interview questions & model answers.
Understanding of Medical Ethical Issues or Health Policy
Maturity
Attitudes
