Congratulations, you’ve landed a PA school interview! This is a huge accomplishment, especially considering how competitive PA school admissions can be. But don’t rest on your laurels just yet! Now it’s time to start thinking about some common PA school interview questions and how you’re going to answer them.
If you’re a bit stressed wondering “What are they actually going to ask me?” don’t worry. We can help! This article reviews the three kinds of interview questions you need to be ready for. We’ll give you some tips on how to answer them and what steps you need to take to prepare for your interview.
Let’s get started!
🩺 Want to make sure you’re prepped for PA school? Try out our Pre-PA practice questions from anatomy and physiology to medical terminology, professional practice, and more!
What Are the Most Common PA School Interview Questions?
Preparing for your PA school interview isn’t just about memorizing an answer to, “Why do you want to become a PA?” You should also be prepared to discuss your past experiences, reflect on challenges you’ve faced, and think through ethical or situational scenarios.
While you can’t predict every question you’ll be asked, understanding the different types of questions you may encounter can help you feel much more prepared going into your interview. Here are a few of the most common you may encounter during your PA school interview:
1. Traditional Interview Questions
These are the questions you’ll likely be asked some variation of during almost any interview. Traditional interview questions you should be ready for include:
“Tell me about yourself.”
This is one of the most common traditional interview questions, and it’s likely you’ll encounter some version of it.
Although it sounds simple, it can be surprisingly difficult to answer if you haven’t thought about it ahead of time.
This question is your opportunity to briefly explain who you are, your background, and importantly, what led you to pursue a career as a PA.
I recommend preparing a response that highlights your education, healthcare experience, and the experiences that ultimately led you to apply to PA school. You can also include a few personal details that help the interviewers get to know you as a person if you want.
Try not to simply recite your application. The admissions committee already has access to that information. Instead, think of this as a way to help them connect the dots between your experiences and your decision to pursue the PA profession.
Also, you don’t need to tell your entire life story. A concise, one minute, organized answer that gives the interviewers a sense of who you are and how you got to this point is usually more effective.
“Why do you want to become a PA?”
You should expect some variation of this question during almost any PA school interview.
This is your opportunity to elaborate on what specifically led you to the PA profession. While “I want to help people” may be true, it’s probably not enough to make your answer memorable.
Think about the experiences that shaped your decision. Maybe you’ve worked alongside PAs and were drawn to their role on the healthcare team. Perhaps you had a meaningful experience as a patient. Or maybe your previous healthcare experience helped you realize that becoming a PA was the right career path for you. The more personal and specific your answer is, the better.
You should also be able to explain why you want to become a PA rather than a physician or nurse practitioner. What have you learned about the profession? Why does the PA role align with your goals and interests?
I would avoid making your answer primarily about the flexibility or versatility of the PA profession. This is a very common response. This may be a benefit of the career, but the admissions committee wants to know your personal story and that you’ve thoughtfully chosen to become a PA.
2. Behavioral Interview Questions
These questions are based on the idea that your past experiences can demonstrate how you may respond to similar situations in the future.
They often begin with phrases such as:
- “Tell me about a time when…”
- “Describe a situation where…”
- “Give me an example of…”
For example, a common behavioral interview question is:
“Tell me about a time you faced a challenge, failure, or setback.”
PA school is challenging, so you should expect that an admissions committee may want to know how you respond when things don’t go as planned.
Think of a genuine example from your academic, professional, volunteer, or personal life. Maybe you struggled in a class, had to retake a prerequisite, experienced a difficult situation at work, or had to overcome a significant personal challenge in life while working towards your goals.
The most important part of your answer is not about the challenge you faced. Rather, it’s about how you reacted. Focus on what you did and what you learned. Did you change your study habits? Learn to ask for help? Become better at managing your time? Change the way you approach a situation?
You don’t need to pretend that you’ve never failed. In fact, being able to reflect honestly on a setback will demonstrate maturity and self-awareness.
“Tell me about a time you had a conflict or disagreement with someone.”
This is another behavioral question that you may encounter during a PA school interview.
As a PA, you’ll work with many different people, including patients, physicians, nurses, other PAs, and other healthcare professionals. It should come as no surprise that you won’t always agree with everyone.
For this question, think of a time when you had a disagreement with a coworker, supervisor, classmate, patient, or anyone.
What happened? How did you handle the situation? Were you able to listen to the other person’s perspective? How did you ultimately move forward?
Your example doesn’t have to be dramatic. In fact, a realistic example may be more effective than a story about a major conflict.
One mistake to avoid is making the other person look bad while portraying yourself as blameless. Even if you were correct, the admissions committee is more interested in how you communicated and handled the disagreement than who was right or wrong.
Healthcare is a team-based profession, and being able to navigate conflict professionally is an important skill.
“Tell me about a time you made a mistake.”
This question can be uncomfortable for a lot of people, but it’s one you should be prepared to answer.
Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone handles it the same. What the admissions committee wants to see is whether you can take responsibility, reflect on what happened, and learn from the experience.
Try to choose a genuine example, but avoid sharing something that raises serious concerns about your judgment or integrity. Once you’ve briefly explained what happened, focus on what you learned and what you changed as a result.
Did you develop a system to prevent the mistake from happening again? Did you learn the importance of asking questions? Did the experience change the way you communicate or prepare?
The goal is not to convince the interviewer that you’re perfect. It’s to demonstrate that you’re self-aware and capable of growth.
3. Situational Interview Questions
These questions are meant to assess how you would handle a particular scenario at school or in the workplace. You may encounter this kind of question in what are called multiple mini interviews (MMIs), which involve moving through a series of short, timed interview stations where you’re given a scenario or question and asked to respond to it.
MMIs are used to evaluate your communication skills, ethical reasoning, teamwork, empathy, or ability to think critically.
An example of a situational interview question would be:
“What would you do if you saw a classmate cheating?”
There may not be one perfect answer to a question like this. The interviewers are often more interested in your thought process.
For this kind of question, you want to ask yourself the following:
- How serious is the situation?
- Do you have firsthand knowledge of what occurred?
- Is there an opportunity to speak with the student privately?
- What are the policies of the program?
- How could this affect patients and the profession in the future?
It’s okay if you need a few seconds to think about the question. A pitfall can be jumping to an immediately extreme response without considering the situation first. At the same time, you should also demonstrate that you understand the importance of academic and professional integrity.
The best way to approach these types of questions is to explain your reasoning clearly. Walk the interviewer through how you would assess the situation, what factors you would consider, and why you would ultimately choose a particular course of action.
“How would you handle a patient who refuses a treatment you believe is necessary?”
This is another example of a situational or MMI-style question you could be asked.
The important thing to remember is that your first response shouldn’t be to force the patient to accept the treatment, nor should it be to just give up on them.
Instead, you should consider why the patient is refusing. Do they misunderstand the diagnosis or treatment? Are they concerned about side effects or cost? Are there cultural or personal beliefs influencing their decision?
You should also consider whether the patient has the capacity to make the decision and whether they understand the potential risks and benefits.
A strong answer would likely include listening to the patient, providing clear education, answering questions, and attempting to understand their perspective. Ultimately, competent adult patients generally have the right to make decisions about their own healthcare, even when we may not agree with those decisions.
The point of a scenario like this isn’t necessarily to identify a single correct answer. It’s to demonstrate that you can consider multiple perspectives, communicate respectfully, and think through the ethical issues involved.
How Should You Prepare for Different Types of PA School Interview Questions?
Some programs use traditional one-on-one interviews or panel interviews. Others incorporate behavioral interview questions, group interviews, or MMIs.
One of the best ways to prepare for all the possible questions you can be asked is to think about your own experiences before the interview.
Review your application, personal statement, resume, and supplemental essays. If you wrote about a specific experience, be prepared to discuss it in greater detail.
You should also think through examples of (a):
- Challenge or failure
- Time you made a mistake
- Conflict or disagreement
- Leadership experience
- Teamwork experience
- A time you received constructive criticism
- Time you had to adapt to a difficult situation
You don’t need to memorize a perfect answer for each one. Instead, have a few experiences in mind that you can draw from.
For situational questions, practice thinking out loud. You may be given a scenario that you’ve never encountered before, and as mentioned previously, it’s completely okay to take a moment to gather your thoughts. Start by identifying the main issue, consider the different perspectives involved, and explain how you would approach the situation.
The interviewers are not necessarily expecting you to know the exact answer to every ethical scenario. They want to see how you think.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are different kinds of PA school interview questions you should be ready for. Because of this, preparing for your interviews isn’t just about memorizing an answer to “Why do you want to become a PA?” You should also be prepared to discuss your past experiences, reflect on challenges you’ve faced, and think through ethical or situational scenarios.
PA school interviews can be intimidating, especially when you don’t know exactly what to expect. While you can’t predict every question you’ll be asked, understanding the different types of questions you may encounter can help you feel much more prepared going into your interview. Just remember to focus on your own experiences, reflect on what you have learned from them, and practice how you communicate your thought process.
If you encounter a scenario in an interview question that you’ve never considered before, don’t panic. Take a moment to think, consider the different perspectives involved, and explain your reasoning. Remember, you’ve already accomplished something significant by earning an interview, and now you can show the admissions committee who you are beyond your application.
Best of luck, and be sure to reach out if you have any questions!
And now that you’ve conquered the most common PA school interview questions, check out some questions you can ask programs (after all, you’re interviewing them, too!): Questions to Ask PA Programs During PA School Interviews
