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What to Expect at the PA School Interview
If you have received an invitation to interview at a PA program, you should feel proud and know that the PA program is seriously considering you for a spot in their incoming class! While anyone can apply to a PA program, PA schools are selective about who they invite for an interview.
Every PA school in the country conducts some form of interview. The goal of the interview is to get to know the applicant more closely, understand their motivations for becoming a PA, and assess their interpersonal skills.
How are PA School Interviews Conducted?
PA school interviews are either conducted in person at the school or online usually in the form of a Zoom interview. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some schools have moved their interviews online but many other PA schools still require applicants to interview in person.
Some PA Schools Allow Applicants to Choose Between Zoom and an In-Person Interview
If a PA school gives you the choice to interview in person or to do so online, they will not hold it against you, if you opt for the online option. That being said, there are certain pros to going to an interview in person:
Showcasing Interpersonal Skills: Many students feel they can more effectively leave a positive impression on PA school admissions committees and showcase their interpersonal skills in person. Demonstrating strong nonverbal communication is at times more challenging online. For example, many interviewees for PA school report that it is more difficult to make eye contact when interviewing online.
Avoiding Connectivity Problems: With online interviews, you always run the risk of connectivity problems. Even if the connectivity problems are not your fault, they may disrupt the flow of the interview and make the process go less smoothly.
Evaluating the Program Up Close: The PA school interview is an opportunity for PA school applicants to see a school up close, interact closely with faculty and students, and get a feel for what it would be like to attend that particular PA program. Remember, the interview is not just a chance for PA schools to assess your candidacy, it’s also an opportunity for you to determine if the program is right for you.
The pros of interviewing in person have to be weighed against the cons. This includes the costs of airfare and lodging involved in traveling to an in-person PA school interview as well as the time required for travel.
A study of applicants who interviewed for PA school between March 2020 and January 2022 revealed that the majority of applicants favored the online interview because of the lower costs and less time away from work.
Bottom Line: Should I Interview for PA School Online or in Person?
If the PA school is among your top choices OR is the only program where you have received an interview AND if you feel you would leave a stronger positive impression in person, then you attend the interview in person.
If on the other hand, you have multiple PA school interviews, the school is not among your top choices, or financial and time factors are major considerations, it is perfectly reasonable to do the interview online.
PA School Interview Formats
Whether you do an interview in person or online, the PA school interview can take one of several formats:
PA School One-on-one Interview: This is a traditional interview with a faculty member and/or student where you are asked a series of questions. At some schools, you may have one-on-one interviews with more than one person. Depending on the interviewer, the interview can be very structured with a series of questions or it can be more laid back and conversational.
PA School Group Interview: Group interviews usually involve one or more interviewers and a group of aspiring PA students. In group interviews, you will encounter many of the same questions as those in a one-on-one interview. However, since there are other PA school applicants present, you are less likely to be asked questions about the specifics of your academic background or personal life.
Group Activity: Some group interviews involve interviewees working together to complete a task or solve a problem. An interviewer or evaluator will evaluate each interviewee on their ability to accomplish the task and collaborate with others. Most of the time, the group activity will be accompanied by another interview format as well.
PA School Panel Interview: Panel interviews are the reverse of a group interview. In this setup, one PA school applicant is interviewed simultaneously by multiple interviewers from the PA school. The types of questions you encounter in a group interview are typically similar to those you would see in a one-on-one PA school interview.
PA School Multiple Mini Interview (MMI): The MMI interview for PA school comprises a series of timed interview stations, with each station located in a room. Before entering the room, the interviewee is presented with a prompt. The interviewee then enters the room and responds to the prompt in a defined period of time (usually 5 – 10 minutes). Interviewees rotate from one station to the next but the interviewer at each station remains the same.
The prompts in a PA school MMI interview typically involve an ethical scenario or situation that requires critical thinking and problem-solving. Some PA school MMI prompts may involve role-play. For example, you may be prompted to enter the room and play the role of the PA for a patient who refuses to comply with your proposed treatment. An actor in the room will play the role of the patient.
Sometimes, an MMI prompt at a PA school interview may mirror questions you would encounter in a traditional one-on-one interview. For example, at one of the stations in an MMI interview, you may be promoted to explain to the interviewer why you want to be a PA.
PA School Video-Based Interviews: Some PA schools use a video-based interview like the Kira Talent assessment as part of their admissions process. In a video-based interview such as Kira, you will be given a series of interview questions and asked to provide your responses in a timed video recording. The questions you encounter in a Kira Talent assessment for PA school will not differ drastically from those you see in a traditional interview or MMI.
Keep in mind that the KIRA Talent assessment does not necessarily replace the other interview formats and may be used in conjunction with other interview formats or as one of the screening steps prior to a full interview. To the best of our knowledge, few PA schools currently use this format.
Sample PA School Interview Questions: What Types of Questions Will I be Asked in My PA School Interview?
The questions you encounter at a PA school interview can be broken down into one of the categories listed below:
PA School Traditional Interview Questions: These are the classic questions that you are most likely to encounter at a PA school interview. They are the ones you should prepare for first because they are statistically most likely to show up. Examples include:
- Tell me about yourself
- Why do you want to be a PA?
- Why do you want to attend our PA school?
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years
- What is your biggest weakness?
- What is your biggest strength?
- Why should we accept you to our PA school over other highly qualified candidates?
- If you could not be a PA, what profession would you choose instead?
- What is the difference between a PA and an NP?
- What is the difference between a PA and an MD?
These types of questions are usually seen in traditional interviews, panel interviews, video-based interviews, group interviews, and occasionally in MMI interviews.
PA School Interview Application Questions: This category includes all questions that you may be asked about your CASPA application or supplemental applications. You may for example be asked to:
- Provide more detail about any of your activities including patient care experience or community service
- Describe your reasons or motivation for taking part in a certain activity
- Explain any bad grades or withdrawals
- Describe why you choose to participate in a certain extracurricular activity
- Explain why you chose to attend the college you attended
- Explain any gaps in your education
These types of questions are usually seen in traditional interviews and panel interviews.
PA School Personal Interview Questions: These questions are designed to help the interviewer know more about you as a person and to learn about your values and interests. Examples include:
- What was the last book you read?
- What was the last film you watched?
- If you could meet any person living or dead, who would it be and why?
- Who is your biggest role model in life?
- Tell me about a time when you had a lot of fun recently
- How do you deal with failure?
- What achievement are you most proud of?
- What is your biggest regret in life?
- How do you deal with stress?
- How do you deal with criticism?
- What three words would your friends and family use to describe you?
- What does professionalism mean to you?
- What does integrity mean to you?
- How do you know you possess the emotional maturity to work as a PA?
These types of questions are usually seen in traditional interviews, group interviews, video-based interviews, and panel interviews.
PA School Situational Interview Questions: These questions are designed to assess how you handle challenging situations. Situational questions may be asked in one of two ways:
- Real Situation: You can be asked to think of a specific situation you have encountered in the past and explain how you handled it.
- Hypothetical Situation: You may be given a hypothetical scenario or situation and asked how you would handle this situation.
Some Examples of situational questions are as follows:
- Tell us about a time when you disagreed with a superior. How did you overcome this disagreement and what did you learn from it?
- Tell me about a time you failed at something
- If you were given one million dollars today, what would you do with it?
- Tell me about a time when you did not get along with someone you were working with
- As a PA, if you saw your supervising physician administering the wrong medication to a patient, what would you do?
- What would you do if you saw a PA school classmate cheating on an exam?
These types of questions are usually seen in traditional interviews, MMI interviews, video-based interviews, and panel interviews
PA School Ethical Interview Questions: Ethical questions are questions that involve addressing a moral or ethical quandary. They can be presented as hypothetical situational questions and, in that respect, they overlap with situational questions. For example, the question about how a PA should respond if they saw their supervising physician administering the wrong medication or about how you would respond to a peer who was cheating on an exam both have ethical implications!
Ethical questions can also be asked in a more general sense. Examples of some general ethical questions are as follows:
- What is your view on medical marijuana?
- Do you believe that the government should restrict a woman’s ability to have an abortion?
- Do you believe that active euthanasia is morally justified?
- In the event of a future pandemic like COVID-19, should the government mandate a vaccine?
These types of questions are usually seen in traditional interviews, MMI interviews, group interviews, and panel interviews.
Healthcare System Questions: These are questions that pertain to the healthcare system. While you are not expected to be an expert, PA schools are in particular interested in learning how much you know about the role of PAs within the healthcare system and legislation that affect PAs. Examples of healthcare system questions are as follows:
- Should PAs be allowed to practice medicine in the absence of physician collaboration?
- What are the laws surrounding PA physician collaboration in your state?
- Should the term physician associate be used to refer to PAs? Why?
- What is the biggest challenge PAs face within the healthcare system?
- What is the largest challenge facing the US healthcare system?
These types of questions are usually seen in traditional interviews, MMI interviews, group interviews, and panel interviews
Key Takeaways
- Getting Interviewed is a Big Deal: If you’re invited for a PA school interview, it’s a pat on the back – they’re seriously considering you for a spot in their program. These interviews aim to know you better, understand your PA motivations, and evaluate your people skills.
- Interview Styles Vary: PA school interviews come in different flavors – one-on-one, group, MMI, and even video-based. Expect questions ranging from traditional to situational and ethical ones.
- In-Person vs. Online Dilemma: Some schools let you choose between in-person and Zoom interviews. In-person lets you shine with your people skills, but online saves you time and money. Consider your priorities and the school’s vibe.
- Question Categories: Be ready for classic “Tell me about yourself” and questions about your application. They might also throw in personal stuff, tricky situations, ethical dilemmas, or even quiz you on healthcare system knowledge.
- Choosing the Format: If it’s a dream school or you think in-person suits you, go for it. But if you have multiple interviews, financial concerns, or Zoom’s your comfort zone, online is a perfectly legit choice.