Question for current PA students who were accepted as a reapplicant

[gcppshp]

I am a reapplicant to PA schools and I got an invite to interview again this year. I was wondering if schools usually ask the same type of questions or do they have different types of questions for reapplicants (for instance, bringing up last year's interview and how I've improved my app?).

 

Thanks!

[Acebecker]

Probably depends on the school, but for the most part there will likely be the same type of question plus, as you say, some questions about what you have done in the past year to improve yourself as a candidate. I was a re-app at Medex Northwest, got in second try. Each school will be different, though and there is no set of interview questions to prepare for, so just have a good answer for the standard questions and you should be good to go. Good luck.

 

Andrew

[c0untingstars]

Definitely reapply to schools you previously applied to :) I had different questions but not that different. The process was the same though. Nobody asked me about being a reapplicant, I volunteered the info on my own and used it positively - they liked how determined I was to become a PA

[FSUnoles]

I got in on my 2nd application. I just emphasized that i got more shadowing experience and took another class

 

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[tcd1976]

I was accepted on my second try to most of the schools that passed on me in the first go, including my program. Highlight the methods you used to self-assess your needs for improvement, be able to verbalize them, as well as to elucidate on how all of that comes together to make you better prepared to contribute to your class. As far as repeat questions, I think it totally depends on the school; one program not only asked me the same question in the second app year, I received the SAME question from the SAME interviewer!!!! This was not the case at other programs' interviews.

[adamlane16]

This is all very good information. Thank you for starting this thread as I am about to go re-interview for my choice school as well. Good luck this year to everyone!

[hml925]

I will also be reapplying for this year for my choice school. For those who re-applied, did you have significant changes in your application? Or did you primarily use the same application/personal statement/Letters of recommendation as the year prior (obviously with additional information of what was accomplished during the interim year)? If I received an interview last year, is it likely that they they will send another invitation to the interview using the same application? I appreciate any advice! Thank you in advance :)

[lookingforward]

My guesses/opinions from experience:

 

Anything (at the school, interview questions, applications, etc...) can change from year to year. READ the directions for each school. They may require new additional shadowing documentation/proof for example. Any number of things can happen, new staff, B.O.A. made them change something, or they may re-evaluate their methods in order to find better candidates.

 

Never assume.

 

This is your 1st impression, do you want them to think you are a lazy "cut & paste"®? Or that you don't care enough to get on their website to read the "bold print"? I hope not. Same goes for the interview. They may purposely ask you the same questions to see if you improved over the past year (either in interviewing skills, because you gave a bad answer the last year, or if they want to see if you followed their previously mentioned suggestions). Or they may completely change their interviewing process (ex: add or delete the "Student Interview" portion).

 

IMO, moral of the story is be prepared for anything.

 

I was waitlisted at several schools my 1st year, the second year I was one of the 1st top 10 people chosen. Some interviews were similar, some were totally different, and some were very short. (Almost as if they already had made a decision about me based on my actions over the past year. I kept in touch with the schools and followed their directions on how to improve myself). Be careful to not come off as rude or annoying, even if you are calling an administrative assistant.

 

Keeping in mind that I have not ever worked at a pa school, faculty and administration may be able to give you more definite</SPAN> answers, but the information will only apply at their particular school. As a student I have learned that following/listening to directions is one of the most important skills I need and will use as a pa-s/c. Not only do you need to be able to follow the directions, as opposed to high school & undergrad, I've found that in pa school I had to spend a lot of my time finding/seeking out directions and various changes (i.e. lecture material, reading subjects to prepare for the next day, test date changes, laws/legislation, medical knowledge, etc.).

[lookingforward]

At my schools you needed to resend your letters of recommendation and the applicable forms.

I remember reading somewhere that the B.O.A. does not allow pa schools to keep any interviewing records from year to year.

So if I wanted to use the same LOR I would have to contact the person who wrote it and have them sign a form again. I think it is the schools' way of ensuring that you still have a good relationship with that person. Plus I think I remember you had to fill out a form saying how long you have known them, the nature of your relationship, etc...

[Walkoffshot]

Be aware. Approach this interview the same as you would the last. Obvious, I know. Here's why I say this.. I was interviewed at the only school I applied to my first go around. I was put on the waitlist, and never got off. Next year I applied to the same school and many others that supposedly rank higher. I wasn't offered an interview at the school I was waitlisted at.. even though I have added another year of HCE as well as a few more "recommended" science courses. Fortunately, I was accepted to one of those higher ranked schools which turns out to be a better location for me anyways. Whew. Point is, anything can happen. Questions can change. New faculty are appointed as board members. Many schools that I interviewed at have essential questions that are asked verbatim, then no holds bar from there. These questions may change year to year... you never know.

 

One bit of advice which I never really utilized my first time around. Don't spend all of your time in "preparation". If you stress too much on whether you are prepared enough, you may end up hurting yourself. A year has gone by and showing that you have applied again means that you have a better outlook on yourself and the profession. Use this. Understand yourself, your strengths, and what you can contribute to the field of medicine. If you do this soul searching, and some research on the school, you will never stmble over a question. It's a word I like to call passion, and it goes a long way. I was in a group interviwe recently with four other applicants (whom I assume were first time applicants). In "preparation" I did exactly what I suggested to you. It built my confidence. During the course of the questioning, I would hear the questionbeing asked, and paid attention to the first applicants answering. I wasn't trying to answer it in my head before I spit it out, because I was confident that I would get my point across. REcognize how it applies to you, and drop it. When it came my turn, it was easy. While paying attention to the others, I noticed stumbling, and repetition in the answers. It was actually pretty funny, because I was probably that same person a year prior. I changed my mindset and was a whole different interviewee in the process. Now, you probably don't have a group interview, but this can be applied in an individual interview too... you just get to answer the question sooner. Just a suggestion.

[samilcka7]

I was a reapplicant. I was waitlisted at the same school I am currently accepted to. My very first step was to set up a phone meeting with someone from admissions to talk about my application and how I can be better (and shows my commitment). I also asked if I could use the same personal statement since essentially WHY I want to be a PA hasn't really changed. So I used same essay and same recommenders.

 

My interview format changed a bit and I had some of the same questions which I responded to same as I did previously but I was also asked what I did differently and what makes me a better candidate this year (more classes, higher GRE score, more HCE)