Interview Preparation

Jen in Greensburg, Pennsylvania said: Has anyone had an interview at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania? Any idea how the interview goes?

Just wondering if you interviewed at Lock Haven and how it went.

Has anybody interviewed at Harding University or A-B college?

sbarkerplnu in Oceanside, New York said: I finally heard back from a program! Accepted to Le Moyne College up in Syracuse...the wait is over!!

How did you find out? Did they call or write you a letter? I interviewed there on the 12th and I haven't heard back yet...By the way-Congratulations!

James in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania said: Just wondering if you interviewed at Lock Haven and how it went.

James, what up? I interviewed there on Dec 5(Lock Haven), and as of yet... nothing. But, that seems to be a common theme around here.... The word so far is that I met one person who got in right away; as far as I know(for all us unluckys) they drag it out until 2nd/3rd week of february. ~Jay

Jay in York, Pennsylvania said: James, what up? I interviewed there on Dec 5(Lock Haven), and as of yet... nothing. But, that seems to be a common theme around here.... The word so far is that I met one person who got in right away; as far as I know(for all us unluckys) they drag it out until 2nd/3rd week of february. ~Jay

Thanks Jay...

What did the interview consist of? Any tips?

KNB in Erie, Pennsylvania said: How did you find out? Did they call or write you a letter? I interviewed there on the 12th and I haven't heard back yet...By the way-Congratulations!

Thanks! I had my interview on the 11th and they called me about a week later. They said they would send me a packet of info to fill me in on everything, but they wanted to give me a heads up as soon as possible. Good luck! Hopefully I see you in August!

James in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania said: Thanks Jay...

What did the interview consist of? Any tips?

As far as any advice, it's fairly relaxed. No surprises, just the basic why do u want to be a PA, application q and a stuff.

pancakes in Norwalk, Connecticut said: Hi Pablo,
Congrats on UNE! I have an interview there this wkend. They didn't give much info as far as what to expect. Is it a group interview AND an individual interview? They didn't mention anything about a writing sample, did you have one? Also, did you go to the optional social gathering the night before? This sounds ridiculous, but what kind of clothes were people wearing? I don't want to be under or over-dressed.
Any tips,advice, suggestions are appreciated!Thank you!

Hi My name is Lori I'm interviewing at UNE this weekend too! Im excited this is only my second interview, but the last one everyone was in suits. Are you going to the social on friday night?

Hey! I got accepted at Trevecca!!! I am so excited! Guess I'll be seeing you in May!

Troy in Durham, North Carolina said: Maggie, good luck at your interview! I had commented on the Trevecca interview a little further up the page so i'll repost it for you. If you have any more questions about it feel free to ask......

it is one panel interview lasting about 15 minutes; you are in a small room at a table of about 5 faculty members asking questions. my questions consisted of reasons i wanted to attend tnu, cultural diversity, and my caspa application. i had a "c" in one of the required classes so they questioned me about that too so if you have any of those be thinking of a good response.

SKstrudel in Methuen, Massachusetts said: Has anyone interviewed at Pacific University? Since I live on the east coast and already scheduled one interview on the West coast (AT Still University), I'm trying to decide if I can fly out again (money is real tight). I have only a few days left to decide and any info would help. Thanks.

Hi I saw that you were from the east coast, Im originally from New England but im flying in from colorado for the interview at UNE on the 26th. Have and information for me, I just got the letter last week, so im a little pushed for time. any info would be great!

Hi has anyone interviewed at mcphs (mass pharm), Quinnipiac in CT?
any info would be great!

Maggie Seagle in Jefferson City, Tennessee said: Hey! I got accepted at Trevecca!!! I am so excited! Guess I'll be seeing you in May!

Congrats Maggie!! I'm looking forward to it!

Teresa,

USC will ask you why a PA, why not a doctor? What is the role of a P.A? What leadership qualities do you posses? Tell me about yourself? Have you had any obstacles in your lifetime, how did you deal with them if any? How do you plan to fulfill our mission statement? The interview is not that bad they try to make you feel very comfortable. Make sure you are honest and speak from your heart because they will be able to find out if your lying. Goodluck! I just found out that I was accepted! If you need anything else let me know.

Lori Berube in Denver, Colorado said: Hi has anyone interviewed at mcphs (mass pharm), Quinnipiac in CT?
any info would be great!

Lori and pancakes (replied to you on that other site)

I will be at UNE this weekend. I'm flying into Boston tomorrow and hopefully won't hit the snow! I am going to the social and dressing casual for that... pants and a button down. I will be wearing a suit for the interview. It's gonna be around 30 degrees that day with a slight wind from the east! :) What else you want to know!!! Me and a friend are at the Days Inn in South Portland for like 50$ with AAA. I believe we interview with a faculty member and then have another with community PAs. There is a writing sample that you have the morning to work on and it just needs to be passed in by the end of the interview. What else do you want to know.

art in Fullerton, California said: did you get any help in regards to interview questions?

I am looking for a PA traning program. I was the MD in MOngolia. Where is the best PA program?

In preparing my application, I made great friends with a PA who had graduated from the school of my choice. Since she was once on the school's interviewing committee, she told me what the school was looking for. She also helped me write my personal statement and prepare for my interview. So far, the interview is this Monday. I am currently 21 and quite young, but we'll see how it goes!

hi thanks for the reply. Im flying in tomorrow too, Ill see you on Friday!

Miranda in Lafayette, Louisiana said: In preparing my application, I made great friends with a PA who had graduated from the school of my choice. Since she was once on the school's interviewing committee, she told me what the school was looking for. She also helped me write my personal statement and prepare for my interview. So far, the interview is this Monday. I am currently 21 and quite young, but we'll see how it goes!

You are very young. Good luck for your interview.

Myrna,

Thanks for responding. How long did it take them to respond to your acceptance?

thanks soo much!!
teresa

Teresa,

Two weeks.

Amy in Denton, Texas said: I was rejected by UTSW but havent heard from TTUHSC....Tell me how it goes...
I have an interview in January with UTMB in galveston....have you interviewed there?

Hi- I just found this forum. I have not interviewed anywhere yet, but I have a interview at UTMB next week and Baylor too. Did you already go UTMB? I havent heard anything about their process...have you? Please let me know. Thanks

I have an interview at Cornell tomorrow. Has anyone had one there yet? Thanks!

Mindy in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: I remember freaking out about my PA school interview. It wasn't bad. The next year, I was a PA student helping to interview other prospective candidates. It's important to know about the history of PAs (e.g. knowing that they're trained in the medical model, knowing their strengths and limitations, why the profession was developed in the first place, etc.). One big question was how a PA differs from a Nurse Practitioner. Know this. Also, for my program, it was important that you possessed versatility as many of the rotation sites were far away.

Patients don't always want to see PAs (although I can't understand this; we are as capable as doctors in my opinion) and they asked me how I would handle patients who didn't want to see me. Obviously, you have to be a good communicator when seeing patients all day, so that's important to convey as well. PA school is hard, and you have to be dedicated to make it through. Make that apparent in your interview.

Look here for lots of information about PAs: www.aapa.org or www.nccpa.net

Quick question. Since you are already in school, were you asked about what you did during a challenging time in your life? Or how you handled a certain situation? I was thinking about using that opportunity to discuss a 'low' grade in a class just to get it out in the open...do you think that is a good idea? Thanks for any info you can give me!

Kellie in Baton Rouge, Louisiana said: Hi- I just found this forum. I have not interviewed anywhere yet, but I have a interview at UTMB next week and Baylor too. Did you already go UTMB? I havent heard anything about their process...have you? Please let me know. Thanks

Hey Kellie,
Yea...I found a better forum to go to and that is where I met some of the people at the interview. UTMB is really nice. Laid back people...I have one at UNTHSC in fort Worth on Monday...I heard that is laid back too.... You should sign up on this other website....there is a lot of information and nice people that I met in person at my interview.
www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13467

Hi JOSEF!
Sorry for the delay...I was really busy with school.
In regards my medical experience, I was a doctor in my country and since I moved to US I’ve been working as a lab tech. Anyway...did you hear from them? I did not receive a letter yet.
Let me know...
Paula =)

josef holguin in Gonzales, California said: Hey Paula, Well I have been in the medical field for alittle over 10yrs. Currently I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse for 5 yrs. My grades are not straight A's but alot of experience and Excellent letters of recommendations. I am currently "shadowing" a PA friend on Sundays after I get out of work, He works in the ER. Also, because of the county I live in is one of the counties they are looking for students. There is one other person, that I don't know, who got a letter of recommendation from the same person I got a letter from. Are you in the medical field? I know this one PA that had a couple of BA degrees and didnt get into Stanford but got into UCLA PA program.???

Hi to all of you who interviewed at Chatham!

I'm super excited to hear something from Chatham. I thought the school was awesome and I'm really excited about PBL. Let me know if any of you hear something.

Cheers,

AMM

KNB in Erie, Pennsylvania said: How did you find out? Did they call or write you a letter? I interviewed there on the 12th and I haven't heard back yet...By the way-Congratulations!

hey I have an interview for harding this next week, anything you can tell me would really help

HELLO EVERYONE. HAS ANYONE HERE APPLIED, GOT ACCEPTED OR ALREADY A STUDENT AT EITHER UT SOUTHWESTERN IN DALLAS, NOVA SOUTHWESTERN IN FL, YALE, AND WESTERN UNIVERSITY IN CALIFINIA, ANY ADVICE FOR ME? OR WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS THEY ARE ASKING ON THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND ARE THEY PICKY OR HARD TO GET IN??

SJane in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania said: Quick question. Since you are already in school, were you asked about what you did during a challenging time in your life? Or how you handled a certain situation? I was thinking about using that opportunity to discuss a 'low' grade in a class just to get it out in the open...do you think that is a good idea? Thanks for any info you can give me!

i think it may be a good idea...i actually stated that during mine..make sure you say why you did bad and how you learned from that mistake...i actually got in to the school i did that interview for!

Do you have to explain why you make Cs in some your classes??? and is a C a bad grade??? the reason i ask because i taken nursing classes and i made Cs in some of my classes.

aaa in Victoria, Texas said: Do you have to explain why you make Cs in some your classes??? and is a C a bad grade??? the reason i ask because i taken nursing classes and i made Cs in some of my classes.

Some programs will ask especially if there are multiple C's. They want to be confident that you will be able to maintain the min GPA standards of the program. There are many programs that require no less than a B....some even have stricter grading scales (i.e 100-95 is an A, 94-80 is a B so on and so forth). They will also take into account how long ago these courses were.

I would say if you can, take them over again and do better.....but if they are all nursing courses, Im sure that its not possible to take them over so just be prepared to explain why you received the C's just in case.....some might not even bring it up, but you want to have an answer ready.

Cindy M in Orlando, Florida said: Some programs will ask especially if there are multiple C's. They want to be confident that you will be able to maintain the min GPA standards of the program. There are many programs that require no less than a B....some even have stricter grading scales (i.e 100-95 is an A, 94-80 is a B so on and so forth). They will also take into account how long ago these courses were.

I would say if you can, take them over again and do better.....but if they are all nursing courses, Im sure that its not possible to take them over so just be prepared to explain why you received the C's just in case.....some might not even bring it up, but you want to have an answer ready.

Yeah thats kinda what im worrying about like alot. Im still in the RN program and in the past two semesters i made Cs in all my courses. Now i have 4 Cs nursing courses and is that BAD?? Thats why im tryign to study harder this next two semesters to get an A or atleast B. Its just that nursing exams just confuse me. Theres two correct answers and you choose the best one..thats what kinda makes me mad. Thats why im planning to go to UC Berkeley to take a post bac to boost my GPA and to take some more advance science courses. You think thats a good idea??

AND PLUS....DO NURSING COURSES ( THEORY, SKILLS, FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING ) COUNT AS or COUNTED AS PART OF THE SCIENCE GPA?

aaa in Victoria, Texas said: . You think thats a good idea??

Sounds good to me! Usually you still have to take a few pre-reqs anyway to meet the PA program pre-reqs because nursing programs dont require all the same ones like CHEM I and II, Organic CHEM, BIO CHEM and usually the MICRO that nurses take is one for health professionals and not a level three MICRO (I just found that out the hard way).

Even if you have a few C's on your transcript, programs liek to see an upward trend....meaning your grades progressively get higher as you go through school. With that said, if you can keep maintaining A's and B's (especially in the pre-reqs)then you should be good. I would also look at the sites of the programs you are most interested in and take not of the "recommended" courses and take those (usually foreign language, medical term, genetics etc) and take those and do real well in them.

Try to keep your GPA as high above the min. accepted GPA because we all know, just meeting the min. isn't always good enough. Your nursing experience will help you greatly so make sure you pick up a great position taht will give you lots of experience (there is a PA program that only takes nurses, Ill see if I can find the name and Ill post it for you)

aaa in Victoria, Texas said: AND PLUS....DO NURSING COURSES ( THEORY, SKILLS, FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING ) COUNT AS or COUNTED AS PART OF THE SCIENCE GPA?

I dont think that CASPA counts those courses as part of the science GPA, but you should call and verify....this is from their website:

Your Science GPA is calculated based on these courses:
Biology/Zoology
Inorganic Chemistry
Biochemistry
Organic Chemistry
Other Science
Physics

Your Non-Science GPA is calculated based on these courses:
Math
English
Other Non-Science
Behavioral Science

CASPA will calculate numerous GPA's.

1. Undergraduate
2. Post-Baccalaureate
3. Graduate
4. Running total per academic year to equal the overall GPA
5. Science GPA running total for each year to equal overall Science GPA
6. Non Science GPA running total for each year to equal overall Non Science GPA

Cindy M in Orlando, Florida said: Sounds good to me! Usually you still have to take a few pre-reqs anyway to meet the PA program pre-reqs because nursing programs dont require all the same ones like CHEM I and II, Organic CHEM, BIO CHEM and usually the MICRO that nurses take is one for health professionals and not a level three MICRO (I just found that out the hard way).

Even if you have a few C's on your transcript, programs liek to see an upward trend....meaning your grades progressively get higher as you go through school. With that said, if you can keep maintaining A's and B's (especially in the pre-reqs)then you should be good. I would also look at the sites of the programs you are most interested in and take not of the "recommended" courses and take those (usually foreign language, medical term, genetics etc) and take those and do real well in them.

Try to keep your GPA as high above the min. accepted GPA because we all know, just meeting the min. isn't always good enough. Your nursing experience will help you greatly so make sure you pick up a great position taht will give you lots of experience (there is a PA program that only takes nurses, Ill see if I can find the name and Ill post it for you)

HEY CINDY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IM THINKING ABOUT APPLYING AT NOVA SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN EITHER ORLANDO OR FT LAUDERDALE. ALSO PLANNING TO APPLY AT UT SOUTHWESTERN IN DALLAS. BUT YEAH ABOUT THE MICRO, SO I STILL HAVE TO TAKE THE LEVEL 3 MICRO?

aaa in Victoria, Texas said: HEY CINDY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IM THINKING ABOUT APPLYING AT NOVA SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN EITHER ORLANDO OR FT LAUDERDALE. ALSO PLANNING TO APPLY AT UT SOUTHWESTERN IN DALLAS. BUT YEAH ABOUT THE MICRO, SO I STILL HAVE TO TAKE THE LEVEL 3 MICRO?

No prob....glad to help!

The best thing to do is to contact the program or the registrars office at the schools to see if they will take yours (sometimes they will give you thumbs up or down on a course)....they will need a course description, course number and maybe even a copy of the syllabus. I know I was going to take mine (MICRO) at a community college...but while getting ready to transfer to a state 4 year, i found out that mine and theirs are not the same...i was advised at the community college level, mine is one built for health care providers and theirs (level 3) is for science majors.

Im glad I asked a head of time because when I looked at some of the schools I wanted to apply to I noticed that most of them listed a level 3 or a 3000 course for Micro. Even with my A&P I and II I think Im going to retake at a 4 year because mine are lower level and I dont think that they will be accepted....one school already said no.

Also....I dont think any of the schools you listed specify this, but make sure that you check and make sure thati ts ok if your courses come from a community college (if you are at one). I know I have seen a few (like Dusquene University) require that all science courses be taken at a 4 year, so if you have taken any of teh pre-reqs at a community college and wanted to go to this school you would have to retake those courses at a 4 year

I was just wondering if anyone interviewed at St johns and if so how it went its going to be my first interview so i am kinda worried and not sure what to expect.

hey michelle- st johns was my first interview as well. i had it at the beginning of january and it wasnt bad at all. i had to do one short writing sample on a given topic and i had an interview with 3 people at once. everyone is very nice there :-)
have you applied anywhere else? i just got my first acceptance letter to Pace-Lenox Hill Hospital yesterday and i'm waiting to hear back from 3 other schools. has anyone else been accepted to pace yet?
good luck at st johns :-)

Hey guys, I applied and just had an intervie at NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY in ORLANDO. It went really well. But they did ask me one question that I didnt know.

Question: Considering the currnet political race, what do you think would be the best legistaltive steps that would improve the cost of health care and make it more available to everyone in the nation.

I didnt know, and I told them that. That thought that was fine. But I just wanted to know if yall had any ideas.
Thanks,
Mark W

They were probably looking for the answer of Universal healthcare - the democrats are pushing for that one and it would lead to the entire nation having health care, just like in Canada and other countries

Hey Laura :) Thank you!! They did throw any crazy questions at you did they? Just the common ones? I applied to Pace also i havent heard anything yet though i also have an interview at NYIT in February. My first choice was Pace though so i am hoping to hear from them. When did you submit your applications? Good luck!!

Thanks again!!

Hi michelle!
i had an interview at St.Johns december 20th...don't you worry...it was just fine..they are just going to ask things about yourself.
i am still waiting for their answer...
i hope it goes ok for you!
paula =)

Thank you Paula!! Hopefully everything goes well :) good luck!!

Q: Do I list my Professional coursework in the College Courses Completed section?

A: Yes. List all professional coursework in the College Courses Completed section. If you have professional coursework, designate the course type as Professional when entering your courses. CASPA defines professional coursework as medical, dental, chiropractic, pharmacy (Pharm-D only), veterinary medicine, physical therapy, osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, optometry, all military coursework and all certificate programs. Be advised that if you classify an Academic Status as "Professional" the courses will not be calculated into your GPA. However, this information will be used by the programs in the evaluation process.

I GOT THIS FROM THE CASPA WEBSITE AND I KINDA CONFUSED. IS NURSING A PROFESSIONAL COURSEWORK?? IF SO, THN THE NURSING COURSES IVE TAKEN WILL NOT B CALCULATED INTO MY GPA?

carly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: They were probably looking for the answer of Universal healthcare - the democrats are pushing for that one and it would lead to the entire nation having health care, just like in Canada and other countries

Yeah...I have a friend who's Dad lives in Canada. He was having chest pains and got a referal to get an angiogram. After a few months of having chest pains whenever he was somewhat active he went in for the angiogram. They determined that he needed to have a stint during the angiogram. So, they sent him home with an order to have a stint put in. It took 6 months before he got in for the stint. I wonder how many people died during that same 6 months while waiting for their stint? My dad went to the local hospital E.D. with chest pain. Later that day he went into the cath lab for the angiogram. While there they decided he needed a stint, so they did it right then. He felt more energetic almost immediately. So, which is better? I know my thoughts......

Yes - I definitely hear you. There are of course down sides like what you said to universal health care. In a perfect world everyone would have health care and it would be timely. Thats where PAs come in. They aid physicians in being cost-conscious solutions to underserved medical areas. The care definitely suffers. However, there are children out there right now without any health insurance. medicaid only covers so much and you have to be dirt poor to get it. So kid's parents who are working but makign too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to pay for health benefits are certainly in a sticky situation. I don't totally agree with either side there are pros and cons to both.

hey you guys i have an interview at pace next thursday and im super nervous. I have only been to ny twice in my life so it will be overwhelming just trying to find the right train to the school. can you give me any idea on what type of interview pace has? and also what do you think rent would be like in brooklyn if i had a couple of roommates?

Hi everyone,

Can anyone tell me what color suit I should wear for my upcoming PA interview? I have heard that it is best to wear gray or navy, but am not sure what is wrong with wearing black.

Thanks!

AMM in Salt Lake City, Utah said: Hi to all of you who interviewed at Chatham!

I'm super excited to hear something from Chatham. I thought the school was awesome and I'm really excited about PBL. Let me know if any of you hear something.

Cheers,

AMM

AMM,
I'm Jay, no word yet from Chatham for me, how about you? I forget when they said it would be announced. ~Jay