fakingpatience Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Are there any tips on how to "justify" a low GRE score if the ADCOM asks about it during an interview? I know the GRE is just a part of the application process, but my scores were way less than stellar and because of that, I always feel like they will ask about that. I have a poor score on the quantitative section and have not been asked about it at any interview, nor did I bring it up. I think by the interview they've decided your qualifications are good enough for their program, and they're primarily looking to see if you're the right fit. ETA: After a handful of interviews, 1 program did bring up the discrepancy between my GRE and GPA; I told them honestly I hadn't taken a math class for ~8 years. I didn't get into that school, who knows if that was a factor or not. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imomo Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I am curious, I see other writing about a pre-interview session the day before the interview. Is this information provided by the school themselves via email invitation? I have yet to get any email or information regarding any pre-interview get together etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jschwartz Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 For an interview, would a modest and appropriate dress worn with tights and a suit jacket be okay? Is a pant suit or pencil skirt preferred? Thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arosswoods Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I think a nice dress would be fine with jacket. No shorter than 3 inches above knee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakingpatience Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I am curious, I see other writing about a pre-interview session the day before the interview. Is this information provided by the school themselves via email invitation? I have yet to get any email or information regarding any pre-interview get together etc.... For my interviews the ones officially provided by the schools were included in the email with the interview info. Otherwise I've had a couple get together a with people from here the day before an interview 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MedLib42 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 For an interview, would a modest and appropriate dress worn with tights and a suit jacket be okay? Is a pant suit or pencil skirt preferred? Thanks! I wouldn't risk it. Suits are not only preferred, but essentially an implied requirement for both women and men straight across the board. Women can wear a skirt suit or pants suit, but I wouldn't wear a dress with a suit jacket or, essentially, anything else that's not a suit. Wearing anything but a suit really takes you from business formal (which the interview is) to the business casual side of things. While little infractions in dress code won't make or break your acceptance, after working interviews at my own school for two years, I have seen people get rejected because of their failure to wear a suit - it looks like you don't take the interview seriously enough to make sure you're wearing the proper attire, or you lack an understanding of the formality of it. And I have heard similar stories at other schools. I'm sure there are a few schools out there that really wouldn't care one way or the other, but because suits are such an implied requirement most places, I wouldn't recommend deviating from that. Unless, of course, your school has blatantly stated you don't need to wear a suit - then you're OK. You could always call the schools you're interviewing at ahead of time, and ask what the required or recommended attire for interviews is, if you want to be really sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emorley Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 I found the book "How to ace the Physician Assistant school interview" helpful as far as potential questions to arise in the interview. The book includes a brief synopsis of the beginnings of the PA profession, various resources and links to advocacy groups, and what was considered "poor", "fair" and "good answers" to questions. Be prepared to answer the "Tell me about yourself question." Be familiar with the interview style of the schools. UT Southwestern, for example, does a very different interview style called the Multiple Mini Interview. (Look this up and how it is done). Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (the program I currently attend), conducts 2-on-1 interviews with an essay portion. Be familiar with the school's mission and qualities about the program that interest you. Be able to describe a PA. Too often do applicants not have a good grasp on the role of the PA. PAs are healthcare providers who are trained in the medical model to practice medicine (with a focus in primary care). They are nationally certified (by NCCPA) and state licensed. PAs have what I would call "structured autonomy", where autonomy is exhibited through the PA/ physician relationship. PAs provide various medical services, which include, but are not limited to, diagnosing and treating illnesses, performing physical examinations, ordering and interpreting lab tests, providing treatment plans and writing medical prescriptions. At this point, most schools offer a Master's in PA studies. Be able to show that you recognize the rigorous coursework you are about to undertake. PA programs are efficient and succinct, meaning we have little time for breaks. How can you demonstrate that you have good time management? This is what will keep you "afloat." What I learned from my interview experience is that anyone can memorize a prompt of perfect answers, but what can set you apart is the ability to think on your feet, being personable, and being calm, cool and collected (even though you may be thinking its impossible). Confidence is key. Best of luck to all those interviewing this cycle. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyH Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 For an interview, would a modest and appropriate dress worn with tights and a suit jacket be okay? Is a pant suit or pencil skirt preferred? Thanks! Yes, that's what I wore. I wore a black sheath dress with a gray blazer. It looked very professional and business-like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakeeater12 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 For everyone waiting for an interview, I just wanted to share a great video. I hope you enjoy! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpatel4 Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 What are some good questions to ask faculty/current students who may be interviewing you when they ask you "Do you have any questions for me?" Thanks in advance! Good luck to everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dndandrea Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 What are some good questions to ask faculty/current students who may be interviewing you when they ask you "Do you have any questions for me?" Thanks in advance! Good luck to everyone! Ask them what advice they have for a first year PA student at suchandsuch college. Ask them what their didactic schedules are like. Do you have class 9A-5P 5 days a week or something like 8A-8P 4 days a week? Ask for a tour of their facility (if they haven't provided you with one). Ask about their clinical rotations, how far are you expected to drive, or what their relationships are with closer health care facilities. Ask the students whereabouts do most of the students live and what there is to do around the city or school. Ask the students what the like most about the program, what they dislike most about the program. Ask the students if there's something they wish they knew before entering the program. You want to find out as much as you can about this school, especially if you end up getting multiple acceptance offers from other schools. Ask if they've made any recent changes/improvements to their program. Ask them what their withdrawal/attrition rate is. They might have 100% PANCE pass rate, but what if only 50% of the class made it through the program? Why did these people not make it through the program? Were these students struggling, failed, or told to withdraw from the program by the school to improve PANCE pass rates? Ask what they do to students who lack the academic performance. Do they retake the class next year? Do they take the lecture test again? How many times? What does the school offer to help these students? Etc... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APatterson Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Any recommendations about sending thank you letters to the interviewers personally? Everything I have read says to send a thank you note to the interviewer directly through mail not email, keep it more personal. Amy thoughts? And how do you get this info without seeming like a keeper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seamonkeez3 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Would it be inappropriate to email a school and ask about the possibility of an interview? I live in California and received an invite to interview at Weill Cornell in December. However, I have also applied to 4 other schools in the same area that I still haven't heard back from. I was wondering how I could somehow group my interviews so I won't have to spend a small fortune traveling back and forth. Would it look bad if I just contacted the schools I am still waiting on? I would be grateful for any advice or even tips on how to keep travel costs down while interviewing. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forensikchic Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Any recommendations about sending thank you letters to the interviewers personally? Everything I have read says to send a thank you note to the interviewer directly through mail not email, keep it more personal. Amy thoughts? And how do you get this info without seeming like a keeper? We were told explicitly NOT to send a thank you note to anyone by the faculty. It is frowned upon at the school I interviewed at. I would be sure its okay to send one first is all I am saying. They told us numerous times not to and they also said inevitably someone would. I wonder if they wont except that someone if they do because they cant even follow directions? Check with them and see what the policy is on thank you notes. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emorley Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Any recommendations about sending thank you letters to the interviewers personally? Everything I have read says to send a thank you note to the interviewer directly through mail not email, keep it more personal. Amy thoughts? And how do you get this info without seeming like a keeper? As Forensikchic said, if that particular school does not want thank you letters, then I would advise not to do so. However, I have never experienced this and sent thank you letters to all my interviewers. I would use the letters to say something you wanted to say in the interview but didn't (because face it, we all get nervous and sometimes forget) or to talk about something you liked in particular that maybe your interviewer had said (this may also help to remember exactly who you are when you send the letter). Thank you notes are a useful, clever final move in your interview experience. Of course begin with "thank you," incorporate a specific experience from the interview, how you hope to contribute to the program, etc... Benefits of a follow up: Shows persistence, allows you to expand, reinforce, or clarify something discussed in the interview, it is good mannered and reinforces that you want the position at their particular school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arosswoods Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I would caution against using thank you notes to convey anything but gratitude. Adding to them the things you forgot to say in the interview changes then from thank you notes to sales pitches. If you need to add something to your application do but using thank you notes to ask for something (in this case, acceptance) is bad manners. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyM2 Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I would caution against using thank you notes to convey anything but gratitude. Adding to them the things you forgot to say in the interview changes then from thank you notes to sales pitches. If you need to add something to your application do but using thank you notes to ask for something (in this case, acceptance) is bad manners. I respectfully disagree with this comment. First of all, a plain vanilla "thank you" verges on pointless (goes directly into the round file), and it is NOT bad manners to refer back to something that relates to your interview. emorley did not suggest you use the thank you note to ask for acceptance but rather to continue to build rapport and show interest in the program and/or some aspect of the interview. Is it a sales pitch? In a tangential way, sure it is...and that's the point. Never stop selling yourself! If done in good taste, it can help improve your chances. During my long career, I sent out dozens of 'Thank You' notes after various interviews and I always added something to help the interviewer remember me and see that I had a real interest in their position. The same is true of my wife who was a master of the 'Thank You' note that helped sell her. With each new job application, I advanced in my career, so no one thought of my 'Thank You' notes as gauche. The reality is that, in a competitive world, you need to use every contact you make with a prospective employer (or PA school) to try to stand out and help move your application to the next level. Benefits of a follow up: Shows persistence, allows you to expand, reinforce, or clarify something discussed in the interview, it is good mannered and reinforces that you want the position at their particular school. This statement is dead on point. I can't tell you it will get you the acceptance but I can assure you it won't hurt unless you were an idiot in the interview and you remind them that you were the idiot they didn't like. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arosswoods Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I'm not saying not to personalize it and refer to specific aspects of interactions from interview but the reality is the purpose should be gratitude for hospitality and opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBallent Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Here's one to add to interview question on the best and worst qualities about you: For worst quality, I like that the workaholic answer is one of those double edge "it's a weakness-but-also-perceived-as-strength" answers. However, I didn't quite want to use workaholic nor perfectionist(although still true with me) because I felt like it wasn't an answer that stood out. It's something that interview workshops have told people to use. Because my weakness is something that I was actively struggling with recently and have been slowly but surely starting to manage better, it was easy for me to identify this 'weakness.' For me, I said that I struggle a little bit with setting limits/setting strict priorities because I find things that mean a lot to me and therefore I get really involved and am personally commited to it. I find it difficult for me not to give just a little bit more. I guess in a way, my answer is similar to the 'workaholic' answer but it fleshes it out to the idea of passion. Workaholic is a common use word that might be associated with a working machine in a cubicle but the way I describe my weakness puts it in the light of putting in a lot of heart and energy because I deeply care for the things I believe in. It's more personal. Everyone has weaknesses. And so you just have to introspect into your patterns of struggle and think about how you have worked to overcome it. I shows more strength to recognize weaknesses and learn how to tempering it into a strength. Another thing that helps with interview questions is to answer questions in a multifaceted perspective. That comes more easily when you're a person who thinks from multiple angles. It indirectly shows that you're an holistic and integrated thinker (a good trait to have as a health provider). For example, a common ethical question might be: "You catch your collegue stealing restricted drugs. Your collegue says: please don't tell anyone. I'm doing this to help a friend who doesn't have the money and insurance to pay" So things going through your mind would be -by stealing drugs, it is putting the clinic/practice/supervising physician at risk -if the drugs truly were for a friend, it might be a disservice to only steal the drugs whereas finding out what other options/services/funding might be available. -the collegue is putting him/herself at risk -desperate people do desperate things so this is the time when your collegue needs you the most so sit down, listen, and get the big picture before jumping into conclusions. -probably talk with the supervising physician and pose a 'hypothetical question' about what a person might do if they where to be found in a situation like that. Then follow that advice. I'm sure this isn't the most complete answer, but I think you get the gist on the thinking process behind giving well rounded thoughtful answers to interview questions. I feel interviewers aren't interested necessarily in hearing the perfect answers (just make sure you don't give any red flag answers), but that they're more interested in how you think through questions...they're trying to gauge your maturity level, get a feel for your personality, and that constantly growing person inside. If you're going through interviews now, good luck to you and bring out that glow, Mable As with any interview question, interviewers can feel out the cookie cutter answers. The ideas posted on the forums are points of access for us to spin off to think about Wow, honestly the 'you catch your co-worker stealing drugs' question wouldn't have been one of the first I'd anticipate on an interview- thanks for offering your take on this. Seems like a tough question, tough topic. Would welcome any feedback you have on any other tough questions you've encountered or anticipate... thanks Mable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBallent Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I'm a soon-to-be applicant, applying this coming Spring/Summer (2015). I'm finishing pre-reqs at the University of Utah, where the PA program has put on some great informational sessions. The PAs and PA students have been gracious with their time and knowledge- at the last event I attended we actually got to do mock interviews with current students. I'm throwing a few of those questions up here; some you may have seen before, others perhaps not. At any rate hopefully they help- cheers and good luck to everyone! "Why do you want to be a PA instead of a [med student/pharmacist/nurse practitioner]?" "Describe a time when you had to improvise." "At what point do you refer your patient to a specialist?" "Tell me why [person to your left] would make a good PA? What qualities do they possess that we'd like to see in healthcare?" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh18 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 What are " weaknesses"to say you have when asked in an interview? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max PA17 Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I think you're better off discussing a weakness you truly have (and possibly how you're addressing that weakness) versus regurgitating what someone else says or giving a canned answer... But just my opinion! :) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April_Louise Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 I purchased the book how to Ace a PA school interview. I'd love to sell it 10$ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dichotomy Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Which State are you in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April_Louise Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Which State are you in? I'm in Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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