Interview Preparation

It is the University of Iowa.

pleasssssssssssssse can anybody help! I know alot of interviees ask WHY NOT BECOME A DOCTOR???? How doesn one pursuade them that you aare not a "wannabe doctor" PLEASE DO REPLYYYYYYYYYYY! PRETTY PLEASE!

well, why DON'T you want to become a doctor? only you know the answer to that one. just be honest. is it too expensive? take too long? what are your reasons?

I actually was pre-med and then decided that I wanted to finish school before I was too old to procreate! So I basically told them that I decided on PA because it was financially within my means (which is true-I support myself), that it would afford me the opportunity to take the time that I want to have for my family (which I made sure to express that this is my personal preference-bc of course women doctors have children and families too) and the greatest appeal for me was (to some extent at least) the flexibility of not having to do an entire residency in order to change specialties. Hope that helps a bit. Make PA apply to you.

ASMA in United Kingdom said: pleasssssssssssssse can anybody help! I know alot of interviees ask WHY NOT BECOME A DOCTOR???? How doesn one pursuade them that you aare not a "wannabe doctor" PLEASE DO REPLYYYYYYYYYYY! PRETTY PLEASE!

From what I understand, you need to be genuine during your interview or people will see right through you. What I suggest is sit down and write out a list of pros and cons of becoming a PA or becoming an MD. Stick to what is true in your heart. Maybe this will also help you realize if PA is actually what you want to do.... or maybe becoming a physician is a better fit for you. Either way, figure out what works best for your life and use that to formulate your answers. Good luck to you!

does anyone know the timeline for interviews/acceptance/decline in FL? I have applied to a few schools in FL and GA (oct 1 deadlines)and was wondering how long programs in this area were taking to respond to applicants.
Thanks!

I just ran across this website and have an interview in 2 days at GWU. I want to thank everyone for the great advice. I actually went through the interview process last year and was accepted in SC, but decided to wait a year after undergrad. Anyway...the interview was a lot more laid back than I expected. They mostly concentrated on "What are you strengths and weaknesses?", "Why are you a good fit for our program?", and "Why a PA?", with a few ethical and hypothetical situations. The interviewers knew we were nervous, but did what they could to help us feel more comfortable. Just relax and be confident in youself!

I was laughing reading this post as I reminisced about my interview. I had a very similar experience and got the same impression from the interviewers: I felt like I could have said the dumbest thing and they still would have smiled and nodded encouragingly so that I felt more comfortable. It was really overall a pleasant experience and my program basically covered exactly what Erin mentioned. :)

Hey i was wondering, what are the chances of getting into a PA program with a low GPA (2.5). I have lots of healthcare experience and good 3 recommendation letters....you think that might help me?

Hey everyone,

I know what its like to be in your guy's shoes! the interview process is nerve racking! but don't forget to have fun its your time to shine. The biggest thing you will learn in medicine IT IS OKAY TO ADMIT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. You may not be sure how to answer the questions perfectly, but knowing where to start is the key.

Paula, those questions that you asked are so tough and even after taking classes in ethics and dealing with those social and professional issues there is not perfect answer for any of them. Knowing how to approach those questions is what's important.
For example take your last question.. how do you pass along bad news to the family? show the interviewer you are empathetic to this family, hopefully you have established trust in your patients family and that what you say exactly is not the most important part but showing them that even though their family member is deseased or got a terminal diagnosis that you havent given up and that you will continue to be there for the family and the patient (if still living)and not give up on treatment or helping the patient retain hope. if it helps put yourself in the family's position - what would you want from your physician assistant. I hope that helps a little.

Good luck to everyone with interviews. If anyone has questions for me feel free to ask. You'll find that physician assistants and PA students are some of the nicest and most open people you will ever meet and more than willing to help anyone and everyone!

Diana Y in Brooklyn, New York said: Hey i was wondering, what are the chances of getting into a PA program with a low GPA (2.5). I have lots of healthcare experience and good 3 recommendation letters....you think that might help me?

I think when schools post the average GPA of those accepted, you have to remember they are just averages. Some students will have higher and some lower. I think if you have a stellar resume with good experience, they will see that favorably. Good luck!

So, I'm getting nervous - I applied to 10 schools, have received 2 rejection letters for lack of experience, and haven't heard from the other schools. Although I don't have any paid patient care experience, I have worked in two research projects that are health related, and have volunteer experience. My GPA is pretty good (3.5 overall, 3.4 science). Is anyone else in this same boat and does anyone have any words of encouragement? Thanks!

Well! I am in the same boat as you. My GPA is (3.4 overall,3.7 science) which I think is very good. I have got one rejection letter and waiting to hear from other schools. I am nervous but still positive. Have a positive attitude and things will work out.

Thanks everyone for the posts it is both motivational to see so many of you doing well and exciting to get in there and do my best. I have an interview in January and I am starting the preparations. My goal is to be me. I feel like if you know who you are and what you believe in the answers to the tough ethics and decision based questions will come and the other more black and white questions will come with a bit of research on the topics. Keep the posts coming I will keep checking in. Good luck to all.

ASMA in United Kingdom said: Oh and also WHY NOT BECOME A DOCTOR?!?!?!?

Never say that you want to become a PA as a "stepping stone" to get into medical school! They don't want people like that. They may respond with something like "well then why not apply to medical school rather than PA?"

Help Guys! I have done research and formed my own opinions, but I would REALLY appreciate any additional insight if anyone has anything! Which program is better-Cornell or Stony Brook???

These are great questions and I will not be able to answer them directly, however, I will offer some suggestions, yet know I am in the same boat you are; a student. I recognize a few key aspects, outside of the obvious "you"; and these are:

1. One must first have a general if not specific understanding about each of these topics as a foundation. If one does not understand or know ethics in medicine, they may overlook key terms that dictate the professional standards in treating patients. So I would touch up on ethics. We treat all patients according to ethics and the law, despite our personal agenda...down syndrome; not necessarily abortion, or we refer them to one whom can.

2. National and Global trends in health care; policies, etc...start learning. Health People 2010, WHO, your state issues, Medicare policies, lobbying issues, etc...

3. Science and technology: know what is going on. New news...possible breakthrough as there is no longer a need for partial birth abortion tissue for stem cells...see why, if you don't know.

4. Know what services are out there to your patients...regarding financial services, etc... we can't just see everyone for free, can we?

5. Know how to communicate with empathy...I am working on these too, but I recall learning somewhere one is to not dance around death, you state the person has died, not passed on, etc... As far as making a mistake, well, I am pretty certain we are not to simply say, I am sorry, I made a mistake, however, we are to address it in other ways...actually, this one evades me, I will inquire as well, from those mentors around me.

6. Your personal twist: how will you respond, based upon your experiences and interpretations of these and other subjects, yet more importantly...why?

This is what I am going with, anybody in school or already a PA that states otherwise? I would appreciate it too.

Thanks

Deb :)

I just found this website. I have an interview in a couple of weeks in PA. I was hoping to interview in WA next week, but I haven't heard from them either way, so I'm assuming it's a no. Thank you for all who have posted their comments.

I have sat on many interview panels for work, so here is what I can tell you from an interviewer perspective.

1. Wear a suit or something nice. Definitely. If this interview is important to you then you will take the time to dress nicely. You need to impress them the second you walk in the door.

2. Be yourself and show your personality. Though you should be prepared, you also don't want to just answer the questions with your prepared answers in a "robotic" manner. They want to see who you are.

3. Be prepared. Although I haven't been in a PA interview yet, the fact that you know that the PA program you applied for is one of the first in the nation, or had a 93% first time board exam passer rating last year may help you if it comes down to you and one other person for the last spot.

4. As many others have mentioned, make sure you answer the "you" questions as YOU would do, not as others have told you. Subsequent questions regarding your answer will reveal the truth.

Finally, good luck to all of you. I hope you all get into a program this year (as long as I do too!).

Mike

Pablo
--What school are you interviewing at in Philly??? I am interviewing at PCO in January.

Just found this sight about an hour ago, and have been reading through posts. The advice has been great! I am so nervous about my upcoming interview, and still waiting to hear back from a few other schools. I will just be graduating in May, and would appreciate any advice as far as interviews go.

How exactly do you find out the percentage of people who passed the boards (first time) at the school of my choice?

Barb in Buffalo, New York said: How exactly do you find out the percentage of people who passed the boards (first time) at the school of my choice?

Many of the websites for the school have statistics regarding the school.

I found most schools to offer that information on their sites, they tell you on interview day as well as part of the information session...so on that note if you call the program and request a brochure, or even ask that one piece of information I am sure they will be happy to give it to you. Where are you applying?

nicky in Port Jefferson Station, New York said: I found most schools to offer that information on their sites, they tell you on interview day as well as part of the information session...so on that note if you call the program and request a brochure, or even ask that one piece of information I am sure they will be happy to give it to you. Where are you applying?

I only applied to a couple of schools as my prerequisites are still in progress. Those that I met are St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, University of Washington Medex, and Riverside Community College.

MichaelJ in Blythe, California said: I only applied to a couple of schools as my prerequisites are still in progress. Those that I met are St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, University of Washington Medex, and Riverside Community College.

Hi Michael,
Aside from the prereqs what made you choose these programs-given you are in Cali I am curious why you want to interview in PA... I see alot of people applying to so many different programs. I only applied within state but mainly because NY schools dont require the GRE so instead of waiting a yr I could apply now.

For the most part I applied to the programs that I met the requirements for. I chose schools whose missions most reflect my own personal missions.

I go over these tips when I prepare my candidates for an interview. Remember to sell yourself, but there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Below is a list of the most common mistakes made during the interview process.
1. PRENEGOTIATING:

DO NOT Prenegotiate an offer you do not have!! – The preemptive eagerness to inform a potential employer of your hiring "conditions" ---- before an offer is even rendered ---- is a critical, major mistake in the interview process! A candidate MUST FIRST impress a hiring authority of his/her sincerity in seeking an opportunity and a position within the company. During the phone and face-to-face interviews, your objective is to impress the hiring authority of your talent and attitude to come aboard seeking a better path for YOUR career and family's future as a valuable new asset for the company. Statements made too early by a candidate of his/her income aspirations, vacation needs, relocation benefit desires, hours of work and other job expectations will have a very high tendency of terminating the interview process immediately and eliminating "The Offer" in its tracks.

If the hiring authority asks you about money or income, it is fine to tell him/her your current income. When asked loaded questions such as “what do you want”, “what are your income expectations”, “what are you worth”, etc., if you choose to respond, only four possibilities will occur:

You shoot too high and they think they cannot afford you, which may stop the interview process and any potential offer.
You shoot too low and leave some income on the table, if an offer is made.

For a more complete list and other interview tips visit www.gr-morris.com

Hi Can someone tell me how was the interview in AT still university??? I am interviewing there in friday!!! I am nervous as its a group interview. I will appreciate it.

Thanks
Ankita

HI, Is there anyone who have applied to the UF ?I applied couple of months ago and haven't heard back .
MY GRE is only 1160 ,I am thinking it might be the reason that I didn't get any response .could anyone tell the minimum gre score required for acceptance into PA program

DS in Gainesville, Florida said: HI, Is there anyone who have applied to the UF ?I applied couple of months ago and haven't heard back .
MY GRE is only 1160 ,I am thinking it might be the reason that I didn't get any response .could anyone tell the minimum gre score required for acceptance into PA program

Hi applied to UF and have an interview there next week. They only offer them specific dates it seems every couple of months. My GRE score wasn't dramatically better than yours. It might not hurt to call up to the head of Admissions or email and check on the status of your application. Her email address and phone number is on the website for the PA Program. Hope this helps. Good luck!

ET in Inglis, Florida said: Hi applied to UF and have an interview there next week. They only offer them specific dates it seems every couple of months. My GRE score wasn't dramatically better than yours. It might not hurt to call up to the head of Admissions or email and check on the status of your application. Her email address and phone number is on the website for the PA Program. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thanks.. All the best for ur interview

DS in Gainesville, Florida said: HI, Is there anyone who have applied to the UF ?I applied couple of months ago and haven't heard back .
MY GRE is only 1160 ,I am thinking it might be the reason that I didn't get any response .could anyone tell the minimum gre score required for acceptance into PA program

i applied to UF and received an email from them almost immediately saying that my GRE score was not "competive enough" and that they only offered interviews to students who had competive scores. So that may be a reason why you have not heard. It was weird instead of just rejecting me they asked me if i would take them again because they said my academic performance was really good and i agreed but then I got into school in Cali so i'm no longer going to retake. I'm from CO and i can tell you that the P.A program here expects at least a 500 on verbal and math but the average is much higher

Ankita in Arlington, Texas said: Hi Can someone tell me how was the interview in AT still university??? I am interviewing there in friday!!! I am nervous as its a group interview. I will appreciate it.

Thanks
Ankita

Let me know how your interview goes tomorrow and how your group interview went. Relax, be yourself and you'll be wonderful!

Hey ANKITA in ARLINGTON,TX, I was wondering how your interview went at AT Still University. I'm interviewing there In January. Also, any one still waiting to hear from UNE. It's one of my top choices, but I have not heard anything from them except for the letter about when their interview dates are. I was wondering if anyone had the same problem. Thanks.

Has anyone had an interview at Wakeforest? If so, how was it? Mine is in January and I am very nervous!

Hey!
I am a med tech also, I am just wondering if you have had any success getting into PA school yet? What schools did you apply to?
thanks!

I was a medic in the Air Force for 6 years, mostly in an Emergency department that saw over 200 patients a day. I also workded my way through college in an ER. I have a bachelor degree in Medical technology (lab) and work in a very large high complexity laboratory.

mary in Wayland, Michigan said: Hey!
I am a med tech also, I am just wondering if you have had any success getting into PA school yet? What schools did you apply to?
thanks!

I was a medic in the Air Force for 6 years, mostly in an Emergency department that saw over 200 patients a day. I also workded my way through college in an ER. I have a bachelor degree in Medical technology (lab) and work in a very large high complexity laboratory.

Hey Mary,

So far, I interviewed at Drexel in Philly a few weeks ago and havent heard back yet, I think I'm in the maybe pile, at least they haven't told me no yet. I have an interview in Portland Maine next week and another at PCOM in Philly in Jan. I still have an application out to Stanford but haven't heard anything either way yet with them. There have been quite a few Med Techs here at my lab who have had great success getting into PA school. It's a good degree to have along with some clinical experience. Also, if anyone hasn't heard back from a program regarding an interview, drop them an e-mail to check the status of your application. I did that recently and was granted an interview. So take a chance, you never know!
Good Luck to everyone!!!

fishergirl in Chadron, Nebraska said: Pablo
--What school are you interviewing at in Philly??? I am interviewing at PCO in January.

I interviewed at Drexel and have an interview at PCOM Jan 4.
Is that the one you will be at?? Let me know.

Pablo,
I don't believe it is the same school. My husband was going to go to Optometry School, so I applied at schools that had both optometry and PA programs. The school I am interviewing at is the Pennsylvania college of Optometry--weird I know--but this is the second year for their PA program. I don't really know a lot about the school because of it being so new, but they have a prestigous optometry program.

WELL, GOOD LUCK JUST THE SAME.

This site is really helpful, I had an interview Friday at Shenandoah University in VA and a lot of the questions were on here.
Has anyone else here interviewed with Shenandoah or Trevecca in Nashville? I have an interview there next week.
Also, has anyone heard from Barry University in FL?
Just wondering. Have a great night.

Troy in Durham, North Carolina said: This site is really helpful, I had an interview Friday at Shenandoah University in VA and a lot of the questions were on here.
Has anyone else here interviewed with Shenandoah or Trevecca in Nashville? I have an interview there next week.
Also, has anyone heard from Barry University in FL?
Just wondering. Have a great night.

Troy,
Since you are in NC any chance you applied to Duke or Wakeforest? I applied to both, and havent heard from Duke yet but have an interview at Wakeforest. thanks.

mary in Grandville, Michigan said: Troy,
Since you are in NC any chance you applied to Duke or Wakeforest? I applied to both, and havent heard from Duke yet but have an interview at Wakeforest. thanks.

I didn't apply to Wake Forest, but I did apply to Duke. I haven't heard anything back yet either. I do know a current PA student at Duke and she didn't get her interview until March last year...I think she was the last one...
Hope this helps! Are you interviewing anywhere other than Wake Forest? Good Luck!

I wanted to apply for Trevecca but I didn't have all the pre-reqs yet. Next year. Good luck with yours!

Troy in Durham, North Carolina said: I didn't apply to Wake Forest, but I did apply to Duke. I haven't heard anything back yet either. I do know a current PA student at Duke and she didn't get her interview until March last year...I think she was the last one...
Hope this helps! Are you interviewing anywhere other than Wake Forest? Good Luck!

I haven't had any other offers for interviews yet, but it is still a little early. Good luck to you!

mary in Bradley, Michigan said: I haven't had any other offers for interviews yet, but it is still a little early. Good luck to you!

Correction-Wakeforest is the only interview I have been offered but none from anyone else. ;)

MichaelJ in Blythe, California said: I wanted to apply for Trevecca but I didn't have all the pre-reqs yet. Next year. Good luck with yours!

A lot of the schools will accept you if you have all the prerequisites by the end of May.
I am having to take a Bio/Organic Chemistry class this spring...

mary in Bradley, Michigan said: Correction-Wakeforest is the only interview I have been offered but none from anyone else. ;)

From what I have heard it is very hard to get an interview at Wake Forest, so I bet you will hear from other schools soon. I have only heard back from two schools and I am getting a little nervous...

Yeah...I applied for those schools. Next year I'll have a bunch more on my list.

Ankita in Arlington, Texas said: Hi Can someone tell me how was the interview in AT still university??? I am interviewing there in friday!!! I am nervous as its a group interview. I will appreciate it.

Thanks
Ankita

Hi Ankita,

How did your interview at AT Still go? How was the group interview? What were your overall impressions about the school/staff/students?

Thanks!