You have started the interview process for physician assistant (PA) school! That’s great, you are one step closer to finally being accepted! *Cue the confetti.* You have probably thought about the fact that during a PA school interview, and this goes for any interview really, you need to be prepared with questions to ask. Asking questions shows your interest in the program. You are after all interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. You probably forgot about that, didn’t you? It’s not enough to ask generic questions, in fact, that could actually hurt you. You want to ask smart thoughtful questions that are pertinent to the school or to its staff. Let’s dig into some examples of questions to ask.
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Questions about the program
The most obvious questions to ask will be about the program itself. Typically at interviews, the staff will answer a lot of your questions up front before you have the opportunity to ask anything. You need to come prepared with a handful of questions. An example that may not be answered up front can include: how late are the buildings open? This may be of particular importance for anatomy. Are you allowed to go into the cadaver lab after hours to study?
Speaking of anatomy, how many cadavers will be available for your class? Will you have to share your cadavers with any other programs? Our program had fresh cadavers for my class and there were 5 of us per cadaver. After we finished the semester, the physicial therapy class then used our cadavers. My program was not associated with a medical school, so we did not have to worry about having to share our cadavers with medical students. There are some PA programs that receive cadavers from medical students after that had already been dissected. I strongly believe that would have negatively impacted my learning, so be cautious of attending a program where this is the case.
Questions about the location of the program
Questions about the location of the program show you have thought long and hard about actually living in the area. You are already picturing yourself at the school and your day-to-day activities. If it is a small rural program like the one I attended, then you can ask about community involvement. What do current students do to be involved in the community?
These types of questions will get any students present involved in the conversation, which you want. The current students that are at the interview may have a voice regarding whether or not they are accepted. Another good question for a smaller rural program would be, what does the community think about the program? My program was located in such a small rural area that the school being there was a BIG deal for the local community. We even had local families that were assigned to each of us. They took us out to dinner or invited us to their house one to two times a semester. The local community was happy we were there and this was a big talking point during the interview.
If you won’t be attending a small rural program then you can ask questions about housing options for students, if any current students commute to school, and if there are additional libraries nearby not associated with the school where you can study. If you are in a city you can ask: what does the transportation system look like, and how much do students pay on average per semester for housing and transportation? What events if any do the current students attend together outside of school?
Questions for the staff
If you want to try and build a connection with the staff members to become memorable then consider asking them about their chosen specialty. If one of the staff works or worked as a psychiatry PA, ask what drew them to the specialty. Is there any extra emphasis on psych in the program because that’s something you are also interested in. (Of course only say that if you are ACTUALLY interested in psychiatry.) I’m giving this example because my program director was a psych PA and there was a lot of emphasis on psych throughout my program. I personally loved this since I was a psych major in undergrad however some of my classmates were a little less enthusiastic about it.
Maybe one of the staff members worked in cardiology. I remember during one of my interviews another interviewee asked a staff member what her favorite heart rhythm was. It was an interesting question, and since I remember it I’m assuming the staff member also remembered it. This question showed that the potential student did her research and found out the staff member worked in cardiology. The potential student announced she was a paramedic and followed up the question by stating her favorite cardiac rhythm. In doing so she formed a connection, even if it was a slightly cheesy question.
Final thoughts
There you have it. I hope you consider these three areas when contemplating questions to ask before your interview. You should come prepared with 5-10 questions that will likely NOT be answered immediately by the staff. I was asked on several occasions throughout all 3 of my interviews if I had any questions. During my first interview by the time I was asked this, all of the questions I had come prepared with had already been answered. Of course, questions may naturally arise throughout the interview process. Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions to show you have been paying attention while people were speaking.
The last thing you want to do is ask a question that has already been talked answered. You must pay attention when staff and students are speaking, which I know you will. Interviews can be intimidating but if you come prepared, then I know you will do great! Have you already attended a PA school interview? What questions did you ask the staff or current students? Comment below and share them with us!
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