Admissions Process

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The Admission Process Consists of Four Key Steps

Step 1: Review Application Requirements

Determination of minimum requirements. Applicants must submit the following by the application deadline and meet the program’s minimum requirements:

• Earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative and prerequisite grade point averages
• Completion of appropriate prerequisite coursework as published by the PA Program
• Completed CASPer Test
• Minimum of 500 hours of hands-on health care experience
• Completion of TOEFL test and earn minimum score (if applicable)
• Meet UM-Flint PA Program Technical Standards
• Compliance with all published requirements

Note: Applicants are required to be United States citizens or hold a permanent resident alien visa (“green card”) or be eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals process of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the time of application.

Step 2: Apply

Applicants must submit a complete application through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants by the program’s deadline. Required materials include:

• CASPer Score
• Official transcripts
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation
• Documentation of patient care experience

Important: All required materials must be received by the August 1 deadline and verified by August 15 to be considered for admission. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the status of their application via the CASPA Application Progress Portal to ensure all materials (including official transcripts and letters of recommendation) are submitted before the deadline.

Step 3: Interview

Competitive applicants will be invited for an in-person interview, typically held in early September, on the UM-Flint campus. Interviews are by invitation only and consist of two one-on-one timed interviews with faculty, program leadership, and practicing PAs. The program aims to issue acceptance decisions between mid-October and early December.

Purpose of Interview Day: To evaluate applicants’ fit with the UM-Flint PA Program by assessing their alignment with the Program mission, essential attributes, and potential for success.  Additionally, the day provides applicants the opportunity to learn about the program through direct interaction with faculty, staff, current students, and university representatives. The day will consist of applicant interviews and activities aimed at gaining information from the student (may include a writing sample, group participation, and other activities), a walking tour of the campus, and meeting with institutional representatives to learn more about services provided by the university.

The interview process evaluates applicants on:

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Understanding of the PA profession
• Problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
• Alignment with the program’s mission

Step 4: Acceptance Requirements

Applicants offered admission must complete the following requirements:

• Submit a $1,000 non-refundable seat deposit within one week of acceptance. This deposit is applied to the first semester’s tuition. Candidates who rescind their acceptance after submitting the deposit will not receive a refund.
• Sign the Technical Standards Attestation
• Complete a background check and drug screening
• Meet all health and immunization requirements

Alternate List

An alternate list will be kept for applicants who were interviewed but not initially offered admission. Candidates on the alternate list will be notified if a seat becomes available. Once accepted, alternates have a specific timeframe to accept the offer and pay the seat deposit, or they will forfeit their seat. 

Deferment Policy

The UM-Flint PA Program does not offer deferment. Candidates unable to enroll in the accepted cycle must reapply through CASPA in the next application cycle.

Transfer Policy

The UM-Flint PA Program does not consider transfer requests from students in other PA programs. All PA students must be matriculated through the published admissions process and complete all courses in the UM-Flint PA Program curriculum.