University of New England 716 Stevens Avenue Portland, ME 4103
43.683277246688775, -70.29385410850838
Summarized from the program’s official admissions / selection-process pages. Always confirm current details on the program’s website.
★ Straight From the Program — 2026 PAEA Virtual Admissions Fair
The admissions team was unusually candid about the trade-offs applicants actually face. They recommend getting the highest number of patient-care hours you can, but were explicit that they cannot recommend putting an application ahead of your financial security. On experience, they do not treat variety as automatically better than depth; they weigh the type of experience and how well you can talk about what it did to you. Scribing came up specifically: it may not build hands-on clinical skills, but scribes often arrive fluent in medical terminology and comfortable communicating across a care team. Volunteer work is strongly encouraged, and research is reviewed but generally carries less weight than volunteering. Gap years are ordinary here rather than a red flag, used to refresh science coursework, raise a GPA, add clinical and volunteer hours, or simply arrive more sure.
Shared by this program’s admissions team at the PAEA Virtual PA Admissions Fair on August 22, 2026, and paraphrased here. Admissions guidance changes between cycles — always confirm requirements, deadlines and prerequisites on the program’s official website.
Interview sessions are by invitation only and are a required part of the application process, with admissions decisions released after each interview session, but the page does not describe the interview's format or delivery method.
Summarized from University of New England’s own admissions and interview pages — verified 2026-08-01. Interview formats and dates change between cycles, so confirm with the program before you make travel plans. See the program’s interview page.
To prepare master’s level primary care physician assistants to be highly skilled members of interprofessional health care teams. The program is committed to developing clinicians who will provide compassionate, competent, and evidence-based, patient-centered health care to people of all backgrounds and cultures throughout their lifespans. The program places special emphasis on training clinicians who are knowledgeable about the health care needs of our aging population and have the skills and passion to provide health care to people in underserved rural and urban communities.
A free 10-day email course on actually getting into PA school — the three kinds of deadline and which one quietly ends applications, what your CASPA GPA really is, how to build a school list you qualify for, and what committees are looking for in your essay and your interview. One short email a day, written by a practicing PA.
