Need responses to an informal interview of a PA

[Charley]

Hi all, I'm Charley, a pre-PA student in Tennessee. As a part of my scientific writing class, I have to do an informal interview in the field I am interested in. If anyone could help me out and answer these questions, I would appreciate it greatly! You can answer any or all of the questions you are comfortable answering!

 

WHAT SCHOLARLY JOURNALS/MAGAZINES DO YOU READ OR SUGGEST THAT I READ?

 

DO YOU KNOW OF OR ATTEND/PARTICIPATE IN ANY CONTINUING EDUCATION IN YOUR FIELD?

( ANNUAL COLLOQUIUMS/CONFERENCES./LECTURES?)

 

WHAT ROLE DOES WRITTEN COMMUNICATIN PLAY IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?

( REPORTS/GRANT OR RESEAARCH PROPOSALS)​/

 

​WHAT TYPE OF RESEARCH HAVE YOU DONE/EXAMINED?

 

How much debt did PA school put you in?

 

Have you paid it off, and if so, how long did it take you to do so?

 

What was your starting salary?

 

Has your salary changed?

 

What are your suggestions for getting into a PA program?

 

Was becoming a PA the right decision for you? Why or why not?

 

Did you ever want to become a physician or a nurse practitioner instead?

 

What kind of experience did you have before applying for PA school?

 

How many times did you apply before you got into PA school?

 

Just how rigorous were your studies?

 

How many schools do you suggest applying to?

 

Is there any information you wish you had before you applied for/entered PA school?

 

Do you have any suggestions for me at all?

[Febrifuge]

"Do you have any suggestions for me at all?"

 

Sorry, my young friend, but for your sake I hope you have other avenues open to you.

 

In a lot of situations, these assignments are a nice ice-breaker and provide an opportunity to meet and talk with someone in person, in your own local area, who then might possibly become a recommendation writer, someone to shadow, etc.

 

If you find that people here are quiet, it's nothing personal. It's just that we do not know you, and this is literally your first post on the board. This kind of request comes by fairly frequently; there are some of us who feel like it's no big deal and they're happy to help out -- but maybe they're not on the board in the period of time you need, or maybe they're tired of answering and want to let someone else take a stab at it. Others among us find it a little bit... awkward, let's say, or perhaps "impolite" wouldn't be too strong a word, to just show up in the Professional section and lay out your homework like this, hoping someone will help you do it.

 

Please do also try the Pre-PA section. Professional PAs who are specifically looking to help will visit over there, and anyone who's over there would be more likely to respond in the way you're looking for, I think.

[Charley]

Thanks for your response. I hope I didn't offend anyone. I have shadowed and interviewed in person, but I was hoping to access more PAs from across the country as well. It seems things vary in different regions of the country. This was not a mandatory assignment, so I was not trying to push my homework off on someone else. I actually expanded it quite a bit. I see where you're coming from; this isn't quite the topic for the professional section. I must have overlooked the Pre-PA section. Anyhow, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I posted it here. Thanks again for your response.

[Febrifuge]

Absolutely no offense taken, and it does help to know more about the assignment.

 

And it's not your fault that posts like this pop up from time to time; sometimes if one of us is in a good mood and has time to kill, they get answered right away, too. There are no hard and fast rules.

 

I'm glad to know this didn't leave you hanging too badly. New people are always welcome on the board, in general.