Physician assistant school interviews are daunting, plain and simple. If you’re scheduled to interview at a PA school, you are nearing the end of a long and often tedious process. But one last push remains. Preparation cannot guarantee success, but it is the single biggest factor in any interview. So how do you prepare for the big day? Here are ten steps to help you conquer it:
1. LEARN ALL YOU CAN ABOUT THEM. If your application was about you, then the interview is more about how you fit with them. Get thoroughly familiar with the school’s informational materials. Website, pamphlets, articles, acquaintances who have studied there – all offer you vital information. What is the program’s emphasis? For what specialties, if any, do they prepare students who graduate? How does their curriculum work? When you get to your interview, you should already be a student of theirs, in the sense that you have already learned a lot about them.
2. KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. Call the school where you plan to interview (you don’t have to give your name) and ask what they can tell you about the interview process. If it helps, call under the guise of “checking in to make sure I know what I need to bring.” Appropriate questions include:
a. Is there anything that you can tell me about what to expect during my interview?
b. Will I be interviewed by an individual or a panel/group?
c. Will there be a tour of the school?
d. Is there anything I need to bring?
e. Confirm your interview day and time
Arrange to complete any tours before you interview, if possible, and use them to learn about the program.
3. PREPARE FOR THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS. You should have an answer in mind for each of the most common questions, and each should be no more than 60 seconds. Be ready for:
a. Tell us about yourself.
b. Why do you want to become a physician assistant?
c. What is your understanding of what a physician assistant does?
d. What interactions with physician assistants have you had?
4. EAT. Don’t walk into an interview on an empty stomach. Your brain needs fuel, and a growling stomach is distracting. A light meal is best.
5. DRESS PROFESSIONALLY. Whether you are male or female, wear a suit. “But do I really need a suit?” Yes, you do. “But I have this great outfit that…” Just stop there and get a suit.
6. FOR INTERVIEWS, ON TIME IS LATE. Plan to arrive for your interview at least 30 minutes before it begins. If you want to park and walk around until 10 minutes before, that’s fine, but not getting there early is the easiest way to get there late. Along these lines, know where to park and bring cash to pay for it.
7. BUT I’M TERRIBLE AT INTERVIEWS! Do what works for you. If videotaping yourself being interviewed by your friend helps you to prepare, do it. But keep the cardinal rules in mind:
a. Aim for answers no longer than 60 seconds.
b. Be truthful and always present yourself in a positive light
c. If you aren’t sure if you should talk, or stop talking, STOP.
d. Remember: an interview is a formalized game. Everyone in the room is human; everyone there takes their pants down to go to the bathroom. Picture that, if that helps you relax.
e. If you get lost during your answer, ask, “Am I answering your question?” They may help you get back on track.
f. Bring three of your own questions to ask them. You’re interviewing them too, right?
8. DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU CARE. Every school is different, but commonality is their desire to train people who care for and help others. At least for your interview, forget about your future salary, the excitement, the fun. Focus on your desire to do work that is meaningful to you. If meaningful work isn’t important to you, you are in the wrong field already.
9. GET NAMES. Get a business card or write down the names of your interviewers so you can send them a thank you card after your interview. This is courtesy, and helps them to remember you a little bit longer.
10. FINALLY, BE AN ENTHUSIAST. No matter what, don’t tell your interviewer(s) that you really want to be a doctor, or hope to become one someday. PAs don’t think of their profession as a stepping stone to something else, and the vast majority would rather be PAs than physicians (just ask a few). Be enthusiastic in your desire to be a PA, because that’s what every profession needs-people who love their work.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this post. I called the school like you suggested and found out the process is going to be much different than I thought. 10 mini-interviews! Do you have any suggestions on what kinds of questions to ask or not ask? The last time I interviewed when I applied the first time around I remember asking personal questions like what were some of their interests and motivations for becoming a PA. I always feel like I do too much research and don’t have any further questions honestly. What were your go-to questions, if any?
I like to think of it this way:
1) you truly do need information, so ask the things you’re wondering. I remember asking if they had job placement assistance, the number of students in the lectures, and how they handle preceptors – do you need to find one yourself, or do they do it for you?
2) No one wants someone who looks desperate to get in. So I made it clear (in a polite way) that I was interviewing them just as much as they were interviewing me. The questions in #1 above served some of that purpose. But I also suggest you ask some variation of “Why should I choose your school over school X or school Y?” It invites them to sell themselves to YOU, which in turn invites them to think of you as a candidate that they’d be lucky to get.
Finally, I recommend bringing a nice leather or imitation leather portfolio (you know – the kind that holds a legal pad), and write you questions in it, since with the stress, you’ll be likely to forget them. Reading from your portfolio also is evidence that you’ve put some thought and/or planning into your interview, and you aren’t just wingin’ it.
It’s good to be curious, and there’s no better time to ask the things you’re wondering than when you have their full attention.
-P
Hey everyone!
I have two interviews coming up in the next couple of weeks and while I am excited to get a chance to speak up and get my voice heard, I am also quite nervous. Any tips for eliminating nerves or at least not showing this during an interview? What about attire? Although I am female, I am anything but comfortable in heals so would dress-flats be appropriate? I would rather not be concerned with falling on my face and focus on the interview itself.
Any comments or personal anecdotes would be appreciated. Thanks!
My opinion: flats are fine. They’re going to see your clothes and particularly your face. Go comfortable and don’t fall on your face!
As for nerves, I’ve always felt (and as a therapist, it has worked out this way for me with clients) that rather than trying to hide it, which makes it worse, it’s better to acknowledge it. Right up front, tell them you have a case of the nerves/butterflies/whatever, and then try to let it be what it is. I’m a blusher, and the only thing that has ever helped me stop blushing is to acknowledge it. I think interview anxiety works much the same way. Don’t hide it – admit it so you can let it go (a little). No reasonable interviewer could fault you for that.
There is a thread on interview attire in the forum section, which can be found at http://www.mypatraining.com/forum
Hello Paul,
My interview is fast approaching! I can’t believe its only 2 weeks away. I did some research and found out that some schools require you to write a short essay during the interview? Is this true? What are some of the things they ask a prospective student to write about? How can i prepare for this and blow them away.
Please help.
Temi
Hi, Temi!
Don’t fret. In my opinion, there is a fairly predictable group of topics you’re likely to run into:
1) Ethics. Don’t worry about getting the answer right, so much as showing that you can think through the possibilities and their implications.
2) “Dilemma scenarios” (my term). You’re given two instructions that are at odds, you have a problem with what some member of the care team is doing, etc. Answer such that you show you are 1) strong 2) capable 3) willing to stand up and take a hit, if necessary, for the right outcome.
3) PA and supervising physician questions. For my money, they’re mostly about communication. Can you deftly speak with your doc about something that the two of you may disagree on? If you need to choose between standing on the side of the patient and standing on the side of the doctor, who will it be? (Hint: who are you there to heal/serve/protect?)
4) Current events. Should physician assistants change their title, and if so, to what? Health care reform, scope of practice, primary care shortage, etc.
For some schools, the essay is more about demonstrating your English ability (sadly) than about the questions above, so use good composition. Finally, don’t play it 100% safe; it’s okay to have an opinion as long as you can back it up. Everyone tries to be 100% safe, and it usually makes them forgettable.
Let us know how it goes, okay?
SUCCESS.
Paul
Hi Paul:
Thank you so much. I find your website very informative. I was wondering if you can give me some advice as to how to answer to “Tell me about yourself”. In general what should I focus on, what do they like to hear?
Kate
do you suggest that i have all my required courses in before i can summit my application?