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I got the interview!


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I have my first interview this week and I just want to make sure I have everything I need to be fully prepared if anyone can give me some feedback please!

For the PA profession, I want to see if there is anything missing that I should know. I prepared on PA history and how the profession came about dating back to the 60's with a shortage of PCP's in the US as well as many PAs were from the Army. I have the first class graduation date/anniversary as well as National PA Week Oct 6-11. I thought it would be important to obviously know what a PA does (do schools expect the AAPA definition?), as well as some roles/duties of PAs such as prescribing medications, ordering lab work, etc. Anything else on the PA profession that I am missing that would be beneficial for the interview?

I have the PA interview book, so I know there will be traditional, behavioral, social, ethical questions. Any questions stand out that I should definitely focus on?

I know it's important to know all the common questions... Why PA? Why not med school, difference b/w PA and NP, why you want to attend the program, etc.

If anyone has any other information or thoughts please share as this is my first interview for PA school!

Thanks in advance!!!!

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8 minutes ago, Kgizzi said:

For the PA profession, I want to see if there is anything missing that I should know. I prepared on PA history and how the profession came about dating back to the 60's with a shortage of PCP's in the US as well as many PAs were from the Army. I have the first class graduation date/anniversary as well as National PA Week Oct 6-11. I thought it would be important to obviously know what a PA does (do schools expect the AAPA definition?), as well as some roles/duties of PAs such as prescribing medications, ordering lab work, etc. Anything else on the PA profession that I am missing that would be beneficial for the interview?

 

Obviously you should know what a PA does, but I would bet money NO one will ask you PA week dates or first class graduation....zoom out.  Go bigger picture.  Wasting brain space with that.

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I've been to 7 interviews this cycle. Not a single program has asked me a single question in the paragraph of info you've memorized. My best advice is honestly to calm down. They aren't going to rapid-fire quiz you on PA history - they just want to get to know you. To know that you're the kind of person they can trust to treat them or their family members. To know you can handle challenges and that you'll be an asset to their team of incoming students. To know you've experienced the messy, smelly reality of caring for patients and that you're still committed to a lifetime of messes and smells. Think of stories that demonstrate your qualities - show, don't tell is good advice for the personal statement AND the interview. Be honest, be genuine, don't be afraid to be vulnerable when appropriate, be yourself. Your stats got you in the door, now show them who YOU are and why you'll be a great PA student and provider. You've got this. ?

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I have also attended several interviews this cycle and worked in undergraduate admissions interviewing prospective students. I completely agree with @nichole96. Calm down and prepare stories that are good examples of your strengths and weaknesses. You are preparing for rapid fire questions when the best interviews are conversations. Know why you want to be a PA and what makes you such a great candidate. You are definitely overthinking the interview. I would highly recommend eating some of your favorite food and relaxing the night before so you don't get yourself all wound up. Be yourself and you will be golden. Good luck! 

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10 hours ago, Monet said:

Congratulations @nichole96 and @panglossian on your multiple interviews. During your interview sessions, were there any moments/ questions that you found difficult or that caught you off guard?

The questions "what question do you want me to ask?" and "what question do you not want me to ask?" really threw me off guard. Also the question "why are you here?" because it is so open ended (but perhaps that is the point).

I enjoy MMIs but it is difficult to stick to what the prompt asks you to argue for when you disagree with what you are saying. 

Regardless being honest and being yourself will get you accepted. I answered "I don't know" to an interview question and still somehow got into the program. Demonstrate that you not only are informed about the program/profession, but that you are a good fit and a strong candidate.

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1 hour ago, panglossian said:

The questions "what question do you want me to ask?" and "what question do you not want me to ask?" really threw me off guard. Also the question "why are you here?" because it is so open ended (but perhaps that is the point).

I enjoy MMIs but it is difficult to stick to what the prompt asks you to argue for when you disagree with what you are saying. 

Regardless being honest and being yourself will get you accepted. I answered "I don't know" to an interview question and still somehow got into the program. Demonstrate that you not only are informed about the program/profession, but that you are a good fit and a strong candidate.

Hahaha I think we interviewed at the same school because those were the only two questions that really stumped me so far. I was also asked how I deal with grief and that wasn't  my smoothest response. I strangely found the "a patient only wants to see the physician. What do you tell them?" issue tricky to concisely answer as well - I started rambling both times I was asked this. 

My first MMI was absolutely brutal - the faculty were instructed to keep a blank face so it felt like talking at a brick wall. The internet said there would be give and take so I was really thrown off by the radio silence. There was also a role play with a hostile patient and I started to get flustered before I remembered they wanted to see me under pressure. I immediately chilled and ended up doing okay. Nevertheless, I hated every minute of it and was absolutely stunned to get the acceptance letter.

I 100% agree that being honest and yourself will get you accepted. It's okay to be vulnerable and talk about hard patients/experiences that make you upset or sad. I think we focus so much on being polished and smooth that we forget to be people with conflicting emotions and thoughts. Anyway, hopping off my soapbox! It really helped me to think of the day as conversations with incredible faculty and PAs - they really just want to learn about you and for me, that took off the performance pressure of an interview. Good luck!

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I agree with most of what everyone has said and focus on the big picture.  That being said, in one of my interviews last year, I was asked what I knew about the history of the PA profession.  So it does happen on occasion, not bad to have in the back of your mind, just in case.  The schools I liked, however, and the one I ended up accepting an offer to, cared more about getting to know me personally.

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On 8/14/2018 at 7:09 PM, Kgizzi said:

Ok, so shortage of primary care physicians and PAs are needed to fill that void.

Careful with that - there might be stats out there showing that less and less PAs are going into primary care bc the high cost of tuition vs the lower pay of primary care is driving more and more PAs into higher paying fields like EMED and surgery.

It's a nice theory, but you can't force PA grads into primary care and we don't all go into PA to be in primary care.

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