How to Apply
Application Process and Timeline
The information below applies to the Summer 2025 admission cycle.
The program has a rolling admissions process with interviews beginning in September and ending in December for May enrollment annually*. The deadline to complete the applications is November 1. All materials must be submitted and verified by CASPA on or before the November 1 deadline. It is highly suggested that applicants submit their application no later than September 15 to give CASPA enough time to verify the application.
Applicants must provide:
- Application for Admission: Applicants must apply through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) at https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login. Through CASPA, applicants submit the following:
- CASPA Application
- CASPA Application Fee
- Official Transcripts: Bachelor’s or higher degree completed prior to matriculation from a regionally accredited institution in the United States is required. Transcripts from institutions outside the United States are not accepted, even after use of an evaluation service. A minimum Cumulative Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by CASPA, is required. A minimum Cumulative Natural Science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by CASPA, is required. Please refer to CASPA’s Course Subject List for more information.
Note: If you are admitted to the Physician Assistant program you will also need to provide official transcripts from all colleges where courses were still in-progress at the time of the CASPA verification deadline.
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- Letters of Recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are required:
- One from a physician or physician assistant
- One from a supervisor (paid or unpaid)
- One from a university/college professor or another physician/physician assistant
Letters must be written by individuals who have directly supervised or observed you in a professional or academic setting, such as during work, shadowing, or other relevant experiences. Letters from family members, friends, or relatives will not be accepted, as they do not provide the objective evaluation required for admissions consideration.
- Personal Narrative: The CASPA application requires one narrative and the PA Program requires two additional narratives (total of three). Narrative questions may change annually. Please refer to the application for the specific narrative questions.
- Patient Care Experience: Clinical experience of at least 500 hours demonstrating direct patient care is required and is documented in the CASPA application. This requirement must be completed prior to the start of the program. The experience does not have to be paid or full-time experience. Volunteer hours may count towards this requirement. Some potential categories of experience may include:
- Athletic Trainer
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- Chiropractic Assistant
- Dental Hygienist
- Dietician
- Emergency Room Technician
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Corpsman
- Nursing Assistant/Aide
- Occupational Therapist
- Ophthalmology Technician
- Paramedic/ EMT
- Patient Care Technician
- Peace Corp Volunteer (medical)
- Phlebotomist
- Physical Therapist
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Radiologist Technologist
- Registered Nurse
- Respiratory Therapist
- Surgical Technology
- Letters of Recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are required:
Direct patient care is defined as actively working in a medical setting with patients and having a direct influence of care on a specific patient. Example activities include eliciting histories, taking vital signs, drawing blood, performing procedures, etc. While shadowing a PA/physician is highly recommended to gain a better understanding of the medical profession, they cannot count towards direct patient care. Up to 250 hours of scribing or pharmacy technician will be accepted as direct patient care. The remaining 250 hours must be from a different form of direct patient care.
- UAMS Workday Application: Complete and submit the online admissions application through Workday. You will find this application under “UAMS CHP Applicant Home (Graduate and Professional)”. A non-refundable fee of $40 is required and must accompany the Workday Admissions Application submission. Applications can be saved and returned to at a later date but will not be considered for review until the application is submitted and the application fee is paid. Once your application is submitted, you will return to the application site to complete action items related to your application, such as providing transcripts.
- IMPORTANT: You must create an application account in order to apply to your program of choice via CASPA. Once you create the account and start the application, you may save your information and return later. NOTE: The email address you use for the CASPA account creation must match the email address you use when completing the Workday Admissions Application in order to avoid delaying your application for consideration. Once you’ve created your CASPA account, your credentials can be used to apply to other programs that require a CASPA application.
- Interview: The most qualified applicants will be contacted for an on-campus interview.
Admission to the Physician Assistant Program at UAMS is a highly selective and competitive process that evaluates applicants through a holistic lens to identify those who demonstrate the greatest potential for success and alignment with our mission.
Our review process considers three key areas: academic metrics, including undergraduate GPA, science GPA, and performance in foundational coursework; experience, emphasizing the quality of direct patient care, community service, military service, leadership, and other relevant activities; and attributes, such as geographic diversity, first-generation college status, socioeconomic background, cultural humility, self-direction, teamwork, and professionalism.
Additionally, selection incorporates the evaluation of personal narratives, letters of recommendation, and performance during the interview process.
While Arkansas residents may receive first consideration, highly qualified out-of-state applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and graduating diverse, compassionate, and highly skilled healthcare professionals who reflect the communities they will serve.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible and then forward any updated information to the College of Health Professions Admissions Office as coursework becomes completed or additional direct patient care is obtained.
Applicants that are selected for and interview will be invited for an on-campus interview beginning in the fall. Due to the large number of applications each year, the program may not be able to provide individualized feedback on application or interview performance.
Candidates may be interviewed with outstanding prerequisites or direct patient care and can be contingently accepted with two outstanding pre-requisite courses remaining. However, applicants cannot be officially accepted into the program until the outstanding pre-requisites and 500 hours of direct patient care have been obtained.
*The application cycle opens at the end of April.
**All accepted applicants must consent to a criminal background check and drug screen prior to matriculation. Background checks and drug screens are required by most clinical sites during the didactic and clinical phase of the program. Matriculation into the program is contingent upon acceptable background check and drug screen results. Adverse results of a background check will be considered on an individual basis and may result in an inability to matriculate into the program. Enrolled students may be randomly drug tested throughout the curriculum and clinical sites may require updated background checks. More information about the requirement will be provided to accepted applicants.
