Congratulations! If you are reading this article, you have advanced to the final stage of the physician assistant application. You are a top candidate but not yet out of the woods, and need to overcome one last hurdle to accomplish your dream. This blog will briefly outline what strategies are recommended to cross the finish line with an acceptance letter in hand. Specifically, how a mock interview can be advantageous in regards to preparation, time efficiency, and building confidence. As with any challenge, knowing what to expect gives you an upper hand to succeed.
Mock interviews are a great way to put yourself in the best position possible. Similar to an actor rehearsing for a play or an athlete training for the big game, mock interviews eliminate the element of surprise. The process will go much more smoothly thereby reducing feelings of fear or anxiety.
Understanding the PA School Interview Process
Let’s dissect the interview process to bring clarity to the situation. By now, you should be aware physician assistant programs each have slightly different requirements for potential candidates. This includes pre-requisites and supplemental information or essays. The interview process is no different, and anticipate each program to have mild variations in format. However, it is easy to maneuver through each if you are prepared.
Expect to interview with different personnel, which can include the medical director, department chair, didactic and clinical coordinators, and adjunct faculty. Interviews will all likely return to an in-person setup, but some possibly will remain via zoom or video. Usually several candidates are interviewed on the same day to accommodate the faculty work schedules.
A candidate will interview with two to three different staff members. Each interview will last, on average, fifteen minutes. They move quickly, and only a brief break is provided between each session. During the break, it is possible to be asked informal questions by the secretary or faculty member coordinating the event to gain further insight into your personality. Lastly, some programs elect to do a group question where several candidates are combined in one room in order to assess how one participates within a team environment. Following all interviews, there is a closing session where final questions can be addressed.
Given the short amount of time spent with each candidate, it stands to reason that only a few questions can be asked. Therefore, to prepare for this process by memorizing answers to a countless number of potential possible inquiries is counterproductive. That is an overwhelming task, and chances are, the questions you get are different than what you prepared for. A more logical approach is to understand the type of questions that physician assistant schools utilize and structure more in depth responses to them.
Common PA School Mock Interview Questions
- Biographical: to gather further insight about your background, experiences, education, employment, goals, and values (ex: “tell me about yourself”)
- TIP: Don’t assume the interviewer read your personal statement. Be prepared to go over that information, and expand upon it if necessary.
- Behavioral: these questions focus on hypothetical situations that will have conflict and address your ability to resolve the issue (ex: “tell me about a challenging decision you had to make”)
- TIP: Be prepared to share a detailed experience that occurred in your life and systematically work through the issue by explaining the conflict, how you decided to resolve it, what the outcome was, and what you learned from the encounter.
- Ethical: an assessment of your moral character and beliefs (ex:If you make a mistake on a patient, would you tell them despite the fact it caused no harm?”)
- TIP: Programs want candidates with integrity that display fairness and honesty. Typically there is no right answer. The best option is to explain the risks and benefits of the situation, and choose what you feel is most partial or just.
- Program Fit: tries to determine if you match well with the physician assistant program as well as the other students they have accepted (ex: “why should we choose you?”)
- TIP: At minimum, know the mission statement of the program and the culture at that institution. Even better, explain what you can bring to that specific physician assistant program that is in alignment with their values and vision.
- Individual Depth: unexpected or abnormal questions that test your ability to think quickly while the interviewer learns more about your personality (ex: “what supernatural power would you most like to possess?”)
- TIP: These are difficult questions to prepare for if you are utilizing a memorization strategy. Best to approach them in a light manner. Determine one aspect of your personality you would like to display, and answer the question by relating it to that.
- Physician Assistant Questions: inquire about the profession, history, roles, practice abilities, and differences from other clinicians (ex: “what are the major differences between physician assistants and nurse practitioners?)
- TIP: Have a solid understanding of the profession you are entering. The AAPA is an excellent website as are my other blogs.
- Teamwork: programs will observe how you interact with other candidates to accomplish a goal (ex: You are shipwrecked on an island. How will you return to safety? What roles does everyone need to do?”)
- TIP: This is not a time to be idle and allow others to control the room. Practice taking command and delegating responsibilities. Avoid being overbearing. Have a compromising, yet committed, presence.
In addition to the above tips, interviewers are typically looking for a polished candidate that is able to articulate clear answers that satisfy the question posed. Being able to engage in a conversation without sounding rehearsed is preferred. A professional appearance is highly suggested to avoid unintended judgment.
Overall, the major issue is to eliminate RED FLAGS, or signs that you are a poor choice for the program. This can be related to an inability to answer a question, giving inappropriate responses, appearing immature or disinterested, and having a poor knowledge of the physician assistant profession and/or program.
Once completed, all candidates will be scored upon their responses. The marks will be compared to the other potential students and discussed by the faculty team as a whole. Standout candidates might be offered a position right away, while those that performed poorly could be eliminated. The majority will gravitate to the mean and be decided for acceptance based on their whole application including grades and the personal statement.
Preparing for Your PA School Mock Interview
To reiterate, preparation is your most useful tool to maintain a level of confidence and composure throughout the interview process. I recommend arriving at least thirty minutes early to avoid being stressed or starting off on the wrong foot by being tardy from unforeseen traffic or nowadays, internet problems with logging into a video conference. Be very familiar with your personal statement and any supplemental information you provided that specific program. Know about the institution you are applying to, and possibly even research the faculty at the program.
If you practice answers to the above interview categories, you can adequately respond to most questions. Compose a mental list of life experience stories that tie into each group and that highlight your strengths and attributes. Doing an internet search of potential questions can be helpful, but again, will be extremely time consuming and cause a sense of being overwhelmed.
Listen to each question and take your time to respond. Don’t be afraid to have the interviewer repeat the question, if needed. Avoid knee-jerk reactions to questions or sounding rehearsed. Lastly, have a few thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the session. Avoid topics that can be found on the program’s webpage or difficult questions that challenge the interviewer.
Overall, be reassured you are a top candidate and hence at the interview stage. Just by avoiding red flags, you will not hurt your chances of acceptance. However, if you excel during the interview, you can almost guarantee yourself a seat in the upcoming class.
Once you finish the process, it is customary to send a thank you to the program and list the individuals you interviewed with. Generally the program will respond with a generic message regarding the time frame for their acceptance notifications or waitlist instructions.
If you have future interviews, reflect upon what you learned in your prior sessions and how you can improve going forward. Most programs will use a similar format allowing you the opportunity to gain experience with every interview you complete.
If you want to be better prepared and not risk losing an opportunity for placement, I highly recommend you take advantage of mock interview preparation strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
A mock interview allows a candidate to learn the necessary strategies to succeed during their physician assistant interview stage by teaching them the specific types of question categories asked, appropriate responses, and techniques to improve their graded responses.
It is recommended to do as many mock interviews until you feel prepared and confident with your responses. It is difficult to practice hundreds of questions, therefore a more efficient method is to learn about the process and what is expected.
There are various companies that offer mock interview services. They are usually run by physician assistants that are interested in helping future students get an upper hand in the selection process.
A mock interview is a practice session with the goal to have a physician assistant applicant better prepared when they arrive at their scheduled interview. Note cards or cue cards are initially helpful, but eventually should be replaced by rehearsed responses.
Feedback will be provided to gauge how well you will do during an authentic interview and what areas need improvement.
It is suggested you perform to the best of your ability during the mock interview to allow the interviewer the opportunity to grade your performance and make suggestions for improvement. It is also a unique opportunity to mimic what the interview stage will feel like thereby gaining experience for when it really occurs.
If you would like the opportunity to partake in a physician assistant mock interview, it is recommended you contact a company that provides those services.
Yes, that is a possibility. But given the questions during interviews typically change, it is likely best to perform a second interview after reviewing your feedback.
Conclusion
In conclusion, preparing for your PA school interview is critical to your success in getting accepted into a physician assistant program. By understanding the types of questions that are commonly asked, avoiding red flags, and building your confidence with mock interviews, you can increase your chances of acing your interview and securing a spot in the program. Remember to stay calm, be yourself, and show why you are the best candidate for the program. With these tips and strategies, you can be well on your way to achieving your dream of becoming a physician assistant. Good luck!
