Steps I'm taking to prepare for my interview for PA School:
Books!
"The Ultimate Guide to Getting Into Physician Assistant School" by Andrew Rodican (My #1 - reviews the entire Pre-PA process, a must-have!)
"Physician Assistant Interview Guide" by Savannah Perry (Great resource for example questions and how to answer them)
"So, You Want To Be a Physician" by Edward Goldberg (Geared primarily towards MDs, but somewhat relevant for all HCP)
Reviewing Questions
I took the example questions from the books and compiled them into a Microsoft Word document. Then, I put focus points under each question (aka experiences to reference that are relevant to the question)
I have the questions grouped by a few categories, each of which are explained in the first 2 books I've listed. The categories are: "Traditional Questions", "Behaviorial Questions", "Ethical Questions", "Multiple Mini Interview Questions", and "Situational Questions". You should be aware of the focus of each of these questions and how to answer them satisfactorily.
3. Mock interviews
a. PA School Int Guide by S. Perry has a "Mock interview" chapter at the end of the book which you could conduct a mock interview with a friend, family member, professor, or PA.
b. PAID MOCK INTERVIEW RESOURCES: Personally, I don't recommend them. This is for a few reasons... 1. You want to ensure the person you're interviewing with has real experience in PA admissions, which is NOT guaranteed by most services. 2. You will likely receive better advice from someone who genuinely wants to help you and has the "Heart of a teacher" (Thanks, Dave Ramsey). I would recommend doing mock interviews at your school (if possible!), my school hosted a mock interview by the PA admissions counsel... FOR FREE! 3. Paying for resources create a disadvantage for those who may not be able to pay for services. Ethically, it doesn't feel right to me. Plus, I'm broke.
4. General experiences
a. Working in healthcare is essential to being able to answer some of the questions asked. Whether it's working, shadowing, or other HCE / PCE. Ultimately, EXPERIENCE is the number one thing you want to utilize to prepare for the interview! Working with patients has helped me gain confidence and the skills to communicate clearly and concisely.
b. Don't forget to dress to impress but don't go overboard. Be respectful to
EVERYONE you meet while you're at the school. Actually, if you're the type who's
rude to random people, just be yourself! 😉 It's a great way to weed yourself out
from the field of medicine, where compassion is a vital virtue. Be yourself, be
honest, be genuine, and you will get that spot.