Application and Admission to the LMU-Chattanooga PA Program 2025-2026 CASPA Cycle

Download as PDF

APPLICATION AND ADMISSION TO THE LMU-CHATTANOOGA PA PROGRAM

2025-2026 CASPA CYCLE FOR ENTRY IN SPRING 2027

We seek academically prepared applicants who are inspired by our mission and values. Our program requires a full-time commitment—one that demands dedication, curiosity, and a strong sense of responsibility for your own learning. In return, you’ll be supported by faculty who are fully invested in your success and deeply committed to education, community service, patient advocacy, and advancing the PA profession through holistic, compassionate care.

PREFERENCES

Each of the following preferences contributes equally to the interview selection score. While meeting preferences is not required and does not guarantee admission, applicants who meet one or more preferences have a higher chance of being selected for an interview or admitted.

  • Graduated from a high school in a Federally Designated Primary Care Health Personnel Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Area/ Population (MUA/P). Please go to the following web address to verify the shortage designation by address: https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area
  • Applicants from the Appalachian region (TN, KY, VA, NC, GA, AL, WV)
  • Military experience
  • Established record of community service (>250 hours of community service)
  • Higher GPA scores- higher weight in the interview selection score
  • Amount and type of health care experience- higher weight in the interview selection score

Students enrolled in LMU's GPA program (https://www.lmunet.edu/undergraduate-admissions/lmu-gpa-program/index.php) who apply to the LMU–SMS PA program are guaranteed an interview if they meet the Program's criteria for application and admission. Completion of an interview does not guarantee an offer for admission.

Because the program uses rolling admissions, applicants are encouraged to submit all application materials as early as possible. Early submission does not confer preferential treatment; however, interviews and seats are filled progressively throughout the admissions cycle, which may reduce seat availability later in the cycle.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

GPA/Degree

  • Required: Overall undergraduate GPA: 3.0, with preference for higher scores*
  • Required: BCP (Science): 3.0 Minimal with preference for higher scores
  • Bachelor’s degree (may apply without a bachelor’s degree, but the degree must be completed before entering PA training).

*Students with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 who have earned a graduate degree may petition for a waiver to allow their graduate GPA to stand in lieu of their undergraduate GPA. There is no guarantee that the waiver will be granted. The committee will consider the length and rigor of the graduate degree training when granting the waiver request.

Pre-Requisite Courses- Required

  • (1) General Biology with a lab- 4 credit hours or equivalent
  • (1) General Chemistry with a lab- 4 credit hours or equivalent
  • (1) Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry- 3 credit hours or equivalent (May substitute embryology or genetics)
  • (1) Microbiology with lab- 4 credit hours or equivalent
  • (1) Statistics- 3 credit hours or equivalent
  • (1) Medical Terminology- 1 credit hour or online certification course
  • (2) Human Anatomy/Physiology with Lab: 7 - 8 credit hour courses or equivalent OR Human Anatomy (with lab) – 4 credit hour course and Human Physiology-3-4 credit hour course

The pre-requisite score must be a “C” or better.
The highest retake grade will replace the original grade.
There is no time limit for when the prerequisite was taken.
The applicant may apply with two unfinished prerequisites, but prerequisites must be completed with a minimal score before entering PA training.

Health Care Experience- Required

  • Required: voluntary or paid- minimum 250 hours with preference for higher-level experience hours.
  • No shadowing is required.
  • Examples of health care experience include, but are not limited to, the following: Any licensed health care professional (EMT, EMT-P, RN/BSN, RT, AT, etc.), Patient Care Technician (in any setting), Scribe (in any setting), Pharmacy Technician, Home Health Aid, Certified Nurse Assistant, as well as unlicensed medical assistants.
  • A research assistant does not count as health care experience unless the experience included direct patient interaction, such as completion of medical assessments, taking vital signs, etc.
  • Health care experience will be evaluated based on the level of patient responsibility and the required training, with preference given to positions that demonstrate higher levels of both.

A note regarding personal statements and letters of recommendation:

Although CASPA requires a personal statement and letters of recommendation, these materials are not used as admissions screening measures, are not scored, and do not influence interview invitation decisions. They will be reviewed after interview selection as part of the Admissions Committee’s holistic discussion and are not independently weighted in admissions decisions.

Non-US Academic Credential Guidelines

For applicants who have earned degrees outside the United States, the following must be completed before applying:

  • Pre-requisite courses taken outside the United States: Transcripts will be reviewed for pre-requisite equivalency. Those found to be equivalent will be accepted for application; those not equivalent must be taken before applying.
  • Foreign medical graduates must complete the same application process as any other applicant to be considered for an interview or admission.
  • Advanced academic credit/transfer credit will not be granted to foreign medical graduates.
  • Applicants who completed courses and/or a degree outside of the United States must submit a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (wes.org), Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org/ECE), or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. (www.jsilny.com) to CASPA to verify equivalency to a US bachelor's degree.
  • Student applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the combined Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Spoken English (TSE) examination (https://www.ets.org/toefl) unless that applicant is a graduate of a regionally or nationally accredited college or university in the United States. The minimum accepted score is 79 for Internet-Based Testing (iBT) and 26 for the speaking component

APPLICATION PROCESS AND INTERVIEW SELECTION

  • Apply through CASPA- https://caspa.cas.myliaison.com/applicant-ux/#/login
  • Application to the LMU–SMS Chattanooga PA program is separate from any other LMU–SMS PA program. The applicant must select the LMU Chattanooga PA program from the CASPA menu.
  • No supplementary application is required.
  • Applications will be reviewed from April (or when CASPA opens) to December 1st. (Must be verified in CASPA by November 15th).
  • Applicants who are selected for an interview will be emailed to schedule the interview. There is an option for a Zoom interview if requested. Interviews will start in June, the year before enrollment in January. Interviews will continue until December or until a full class has been selected and an adequate waitlist has been established.
  • Note that we use rolling admissions: applications are reviewed as they are received. Early submission is strongly encouraged for the best opportunity for selection.
  • The Admissions Committee meets after one or more interview sessions and makes one of three decisions: (1) offer admission, (2) place on the waitlist, or (3) decline the offer of admission. Student applicants are notified of the Admissions Committee’s decision via email as soon as possible following their student applicant interview.

IMPORTANT DATES

April 2026: CASPA cycle opens.
June 2026: Student applicant interviews begin.
December 1, 2026: Deadline for application to be completed and verified by CASPA.
December 15, 2026: Deadline for submission of matriculation materials by students selected for admission to the PA 2027 student cohort.
January 2027: Classes begin for the PA 2027 student cohort.

Interview dates are on a single Friday in June, July, August, September, and October. If the required number of applicants has not been interviewed or selected, then an additional interview date in November will be utilized. It is beneficial to apply early in the process. 

ADMISSION SEAT DEPOSIT

  • Student applicants who are admitted to the Program must submit a non-refundable seat deposit of $500.00 to secure their seat. The seat deposit is applied to the balance of tuition and fees for the first semester. The seat deposit is not refunded to students who do not matriculate into the Program.

SEE LMU SMS CHATTANOOGA PA PROGRAM WEBSITE FOR ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO:

  • Advanced placement policy
  • CASPA Code of Conduct
  • Immunization and Screening Requirements
  • Arrest/Criminal Background Check Policy
  • Drug/Alcohol Policy
  • Health Insurance Policy
  • BLS Requirement

  • Pre-Enrollment Assignment

    https://www.lmunet.edu/school-of-medical-sciences/pa-chattanooga/admissionsTechnical Standards for Admission

CONTACT INFORMATION

LMU–SMS Chattanooga PA Program
Ph: 423-568-4911
Email: pachatadmissions@lmunet.edu 
Campus Address: 555 Walnut Street | Chattanooga, TN 37402

 

 

The Lincoln Memorial University Chattanooga PA Program has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The Lincoln Memorial University Chattanooga PA Program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2027, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the October 2026 ARC-PA meeting.

* Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. Accreditation – Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. Accreditation-provisional remains in effect until the program achieves accreditation-continued after its third review, closes or withdraws from the accreditation process, or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.

In the event the Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Physician Assistant Program – Chattanooga is not granted Accreditation-Provisional status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), the Program will not commence and will not matriculate a student cohort in January 2027 as planned. If the Program is not granted Accreditation-Provisional status, applicants will be notified in writing and receive a full refund for any tuition and fees paid to the Program within 30 days of the Program receiving notification of the ARC-PA decision. Fees paid by applicants to the program will be reimbursed. Other expenses associated with the admissions process, such as interview travel, are not included in the LMU refund policy.

Academic Calendar