How honest is too honest.

[FunkyMedic]

So I have my first interview coming up and the past couple of months I have spent a lot of time introspectively analyzing my past, reasons for attempting this profession and future goals.  I know I will be asked questions about "Why PA..." and "Tell me about a time you were challenged..." and so forth.  I'm a non-traditional student with a good deal of "life experience." I want to appear as honest and genuine as possible in my interview, which may mean laying it all out on the table (Which can also be difficult for me because I am an emotionally reserved person) but I also don't want to appear jaded or cynical or give off a negative "vibe." I'm ex military and currently a paramedic so I could sit and tell war-stories all day about challenges I've faced and difficult times including but not limited mass-casualty incidents in Iraq, The never ending phone calls about comrades who have killed themselves or overdosed to the point of anoxic brain injury or helplessly watching people die in my ambulance....but are these things too negative for an interview? I don't think there is any "one" event that set me on a path to PA school but more an accumulation of experiences since the military.  I'm thinking of using my re-entry into the civilian world as an anecdote for a "challenge" I've faced because it was difficult but has a positive outcome. Does anybody have any thoughts or suggestions on this matter. Thank you in advance.

[panglossian]

I am sure in addition to the hardships and challenges you have faced you have also made a difference in other people's lives. Talk about positive or inspiring moments from your experience as a medic, when your actions improved a patient's medical condition. Link your time in the military to demonstrating your ability to work as part of a team, communicate well with others, and dedicate yourself.

I worked in undergraduate admissions and my favorite interviews were personal, however, that does not mean you need to lay out all the gory details. There are many ways to be memorable and I think your experiences will stand out!

[beattie228]

I'm a former Army medic and current practicing PA. In regards to your question, it's important to be sincere and honest but not at the expense of oversharing, if that makes sense. What you've done in the past has forged your path to a coveted PA school interview, and you should feel very proud for having made it to this phase of the process. With that said, you don't want to find yourself rambling or telling a 'blood and guts' story just for the sake of attempting to share your past. A successful interviewer is one who can use examples and anecdotes from their past to fully answer the question.

 

You don't necessarily need to go into specifics unless you think it's important to fully tell the story of who Funky Medic is. I.E. "Tell me about a time you were challenged" can easily be answered as a brief synopsis of the things you've done prior to interviewing. You can easily answer that question (assuming it's one that is asked of you) by stating something to the effect of how your path has encountered multiple challenges and then summarizing the skill-sets you have that perhaps many of your interviewing counterparts don't have (real world problem-solving experiences, the know-how to ask for assistance outside of your scope of comfort, the ability to remain calm and collected in order to assimilate ongoing facts... you can see where I'm going with this in terms of the characteristics and skills a competent and accomplished PA would possess).

 

Best piece of advice I can give you comes from a former physician I worked with prior to getting into PA school. I was a bit nervous for my interview at my #1 choice and he told me something along the lines of "You've already been hand selected among a big pile of applicants. They liked you on paper; now they just want to get to know you to see if you're someone they can trust with a prescription pad. Are you someone they'd want to grab a cup of coffee with at a national conference?". I repeated that mantra during the interview process. They already liked what they saw of you on paper and now it's your responsibility to prove them right. Hope that helps.