Being admitted to Physician Assistant program is not a walk in the park. There are serious and strict requirements that are asked to pre-PA students before they can even be called for an interview and get the chance to enroll. Once you complete all the requirements and succeed though, you need to make sure that you study the common PA school interview questions to get prepared.
The PA school applications process demands a lot from students. Some of the more technical requirements include the completion of a bachelor’s degree, having outstanding grades from university, and possessing some sort of background that will help them excel in Physician Assistant school, such as proficiency in related subjects like chemistry and other sciences.
A lot of PA schools start creating their shortlist of qualified candidates merely by looking at your credentials. Of the hundreds who submit their PA application, only a few will be selected by admissions committees to proceed to the next phase.
But you’re probably here because you’ve crossed the hurdle of getting shortlisted and invited for a Physician Assistant interview. And for that, congratulations! But that doesn’t guarantee your spot just yet — you have another challenging part to face, and it’s probably the most nerve-wracking one yet: the difficult physician assistant school interview questions.
Some PA schools even require a series of multiple mini interviews (MMI) before they can make the final determination of whether or not you are cut out for the PA program. Chances are, you will be speaking to medical professionals like faculty members, administrators, and others during the PA school interview process. In terms of the interview format, some PA programs might conduct panel interviews while others might choose to hold group interviews.
Going to your PA school interview requires a lot of mental training and preparation beforehand. The admission committees are going to take it seriously — some more than others. They will delve into your credentials, qualifications, character traits, etc. And your answers will determine the rate of your chances of getting in.
So the pressure to do well in your Physician Assistant school interview is on. But don’t get too overwhelmed. Interview preparation is the key to success. And as long as you are aware of what to expect, the chances of you getting admitted is high.
So how exactly do you prepare for your PA school interview? You study a list of questions and answers. Knowing what you might be asked will help you formulate your answers beforehand and confidently deliver them on the big day.
5 Common Types of PA School Interview Questions
Usually, interviewers ask 5 types of PA school interview questions that cover important aspects of your credentials, values, and skillsets. These include:
Biographical: covers who you are and who you want to be or your future goals.
Critical thinking and behavioral: measures the skills you have for a medical career and whether or not they are enough to help you excel in PA school.
Culture fit: determines if your skills and character will be able to meet the demands of PA program. Essentially, it’s a determination of whether or not you are fit to become a member of the institution.
Ethical: digs into your work ethic, your views, and beliefs. This helps the interviewers get a bird’s eye view of your character and what kind of PA you will become.
Projective: portrays your ability to address out of the ordinary questions and unforeseen situations — things that you will encounter in the degree and the medical profession.
Let’s discuss these types of inquiries in a little more detail to help you become more aware of what to expect. Plus, get some bonus sample physician assistant interview questions for PA program candidates, that you can use to prepare yourself for the big day.
Biographical Questions
The first question type for PA school interview covers the basics of who you are, your background, your experience and credentials, personality, etc. Some of them may be very simple to answer, as they are based on facts like what your undergraduate degree is or where you’ve worked before applying for PA program.
These inquiries are usually those that are asked in regular interviews. This is the phase when the interviewers mainly get to know you and also verify the information that you provided in your PA application form.
It sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? After all, you know yourself well enough and you, of all people, are the most aware of your background, personality, and previous experiences such as a role in patient care, shadowing a primary care PA or other healthcare professionals. But you shouldn’t take biographical questions for granted. A lot of potential PA applicants do — and this becomes the section where they end up failing.
You might know a lot about yourself. But the question is if you will be able to deliver and talk about your credentials with honesty, authenticity, and confidence. Remember that the interviewers will not only be paying attention to the content of your answer, they will also be watching how you deliver it.
Have you ever been in a job interview when the first thing you were asked was “tell me about yourself?” If you have, then you know that it’s not as easy as you think. This is where the importance of practice comes in. Even though these are considered the most basic, make it a point to conduct mock interview sessions to work on your delivery. Have your answers memorized and make sure you structure them to deliver your main talking points.
Examples
Tell us about yourself.
Talk a little bit about your experiences in undergraduate school.
What are your hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc.?
What do you do on a typical day?
Tell us about your family.
Do you have any work experience? Tell us about it. What did you learn?
What do you know about the PA program?
Why did you choose PA school over medical school?
Tell us some relevant facts about yourself that are not in your PA application or personal statement.
What issue in healthcare are you most passionate about?
2. Critical Thinking and Behavioral Questions
Probably the most important skill set that physician assistants need is critical thinking. Their job requires them to be quick in identifying and resolving issues effectively for the sake of their patients which also requires excellent time management skills in such a fast paced and busy environment. Of course, being the core skill needed to become an effective PA, the interviewers will be paying attention to your critical thinking skills.
They will want to know if you as a prospective PA student can analyze, evaluate, and address different types of situations. So you can expect critical thinking and behavioral questions that will force you to make logical connections between ideas, solve a hypothetical issue, and explain your conclusion.
These are some of the toughest ones asked in PA school interviews. In fact, it feels more like a final exam than a casual interview. But what’s important is that you are able to quickly collect your thoughts, form an answer, and justify your ideas confidently.
And don’t be afraid to think out of the box! PA interviewers will love to see that creative and logical side of you.
Examples
What is the most challenging decision you had to make? Tell us about it, why it was hard, and what you decided to do.
Describe a time when you had to make a decision despite not having adequate information to help you make an informed judgment.
Talk about a conflict you had with someone. Exactly what was it about? How did you resolve it?
Tell us about a time when you disagreed with current solutions, voiced out your concerns, and convinced people to try your method instead.
Imagine that you encounter an ungrateful patient who’s tough to handle. How would you handle or navigate the situation in order to yield a positive result?
Tell us about the biggest mistake that you made in your life. Why do you think it’s your biggest mistake? What did you do to correct it?
Imagine you encounter a patient who demands to take a test that they don’t need. How would you explain it to them?
Would you say you are effective in time management? Why do you say so? How do you manage your time wisely?
What solutions do you propose for the rapid rise in healthcare costs?
What do you do to cope with stress?
What do you think is the biggest problem PAs face and what would you do to overcome it?
3. Culture Fit Questions
To want to become a PA and enroll in PA program is one thing. But to belong in the degree and profession is another. The interviewers will want to determine if you will become a good fit for their institution and the profession.
The main crux of culture fit questions is whether or not your values align with the organization’s. Many potential enrollees base their answers entirely on their desire for becoming a PA and how passionate they are about it. But that is not what interviewers want to hear.
Instead, they want to see how well you will be able to fit in and be a good contributor to the institution and the PA profession. So, you’ll want to do your research and need to know about the culture of the specific PA institution you're interviewing with.
Learn as much as you can about the school, the values they stand for, their mission and vision, etc. This will help you craft some sample answers that will showcase your values and align them with the school’s. Let them know how their culture matches with yours and how you both have the same values and are fighting for the same cause.
Examples
Why do you think you should be admitted to the physician assistant program?
What is your edge over the other pre-PA students? What would you bring to our program?
Why do you want to study in our institution and not in other schools?
Do you think you are a good fit for our program and our institution? Why or why not?
Why do you want to be a future PA? What is your vision about your future as a PA?
What are your study habits? How do you overcome or approach academic challenges?
Do you work better individually or in groups?
What is the most important factor between a PA and their physician supervisor?
Is there a person you know personally or publicly that symbolizes professionalism? Why?
Why did you choose to write about (....) in your personal statement? How does that define you?
4. Ethical Questions
In the Physician Assistant profession, you will face a lot of ethical dilemmas that will challenge your thinking and your values. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Institutions take pride in molding young PAs to become ethical contributors to society. And in order to do that, they need ethical students who understand the value of morals and adopt proper approaches to challenging situations.
What’s important when answering these specific ethical questions is to be authentic. Interviewers will immediately see through dishonesty, so make sure you’re being thoughtful with your answers. That means that you don’t have to answer straight away. Take a few minutes to give it some thought — this shows that you are taking the interview question seriously instead of just trying to formulate responses without really taking it to heart.
Show your PA interviewers exactly how passionate you are about making a positive difference in the healthcare industry — but not to the point when you are willing to sabotage your own values and that of the school’s.
Examples
Do you think it’s okay to lie to a patient? If yes, in what instances?
Imagine that you are the PA in charge of 2 patients who came to your emergency room: a drunk driver and the pedestrian that he or she hit. Which one of them will you treat first and why?
What will you do if a patient refuses medical treatment but you know that they absolutely need it?
Would you prescribe placebo to someone who insists on getting a medication you think it's unnecessary?
Would you provide a minor with birth control? If yes, would you tell her parents?
What would you do if you make a harmless mistake? Are you going to admit it to the patient or cover it up? Why?
What would you do if a colleague in your healthcare team, who also happens to be one of your closest friends, shows up to work intoxicated?
5. Projective Questions
You can memorize everything you may be asked during your PA interview — and even master all your answers. Interviewers know that and in fact, expect that from you. But that doesn’t mean you’re immediately one step ahead of them.
Interviewers have a habit of asking projective questions — those that are so out of the ordinary and unusual that doesn’t seem to be relevant to the PA profession. You can think of this as a psychological test that allows interviewers to get to know you on a deeper level without being direct on their intentions.
These will help an interviewer figure out how you think. And because they’re so out of the ordinary, they are very tricky to prepare for. A lot of progressive questions you may be asked are those you don’t expect. They can be as odd as “what flavor of ice cream do you think you are and why?”
The best approach is to keep your values, personality, goals, and passions in mind while answering these. Relate them as much as you can to yourself and give them a little more meaning. Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer. But an answer with meaning and purpose is far better than an impulsive and straightforward one.
Examples
If you were a superhero and had the chance to pick your superpowers, what would it be and why?
If you won the lottery tomorrow, what’s the first thing you would do with the money?
If you were stuck on a deserted island and can only bring 3 things with you, what would they be?
What is the best gift you have ever received? Why do you consider it the best?
If you could bring an iconic person from the past back to life, who would it be and why?
What’s your favorite day of the week and why?
What is one thing that you want to be remembered for? What’s the legacy that you want to leave behind?
If you could be a famous actor for a day, who would you like to be?
You’re Ready to Ace Your PA School Interview
Now that you have a better idea of what you can expect and have allocated the time and effort to prepare well for it, you’re ready for your PA school interview! Remember that these common PA school interview questions may or may not be asked, but try not to get caught off guard. Trust in yourself and the preparatory steps you took for this big day!
Be yourself, set your intentions straight, make sure you’re reflecting your genuineness and values. Those are what the PA interviewers are looking for. More than your intelligence, experience, or educational background, they want to use this time to know the real you. Although you will want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of the profession and why you want to work as a PA, know the differences between a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner or a medical doctor etc., thoughtful interview prep, practice, and self-reflection to demonstrate what a great applicant you are is as important. Remember: a background is nothing if you don’t have the right qualities to show for it.
Some other things that can help you ace your interview:
Get a complete 8-hours rest for the few days prior to your big day in front of the PA admissions committee. Not only will this make you more relaxed but it will help your brain deal with the projective questions quicker.
Eat a heavy breakfast to get your mind working.
Arrive at least 30 minutes early! Arriving in a timely manner makes a good impression on the interviewers. And of course, it helps you avoid the stress of rush hour traffic!
Relax. It’s definitely going to be a scary experience, especially if you really want to be admitted. But try not to panic. Take deep breaths before your interview and relax, as much as possible.
Your interview day is your opportunity to show the interviewers who you are and how much of an asset you can be not only for their institution, but more so for the PA profession, and indeed, for the health of your fellow citizens. Prepare for your interview as much as you can to take advantage of that opportunity and showcase your best self!
Now, go and ace that PA school interview! You’re going to be great!