Student Stories – Mona’s Physician Assistant Program Interview Experience

Meet Mona, a third year physician assistant student. Mona has generously offered to share some insights from her physician assistant program interviews!

What type of interviews did you have (traditional, MMI, etc.)?

My PA school interview was traditional, although it did include multiple sections that tested different areas of our critical thinking, ability to work in groups, and writing skills. Overall, it was a jam-packed day, but it was so nice to be surrounded with many like-minded individuals with the same goal in mind. The best part was that there was a tour included as a part of the interview day and they focused on teaching us about the program in addition to them getting to know us. I was part of the very first interview group for my program and accepted the offer immediately upon receiving it, so I don’t have experiences at other schools.

What most intimidated you while you were preparing?

The most intimidating thing about preparing for my interview was that it was my first one and a lot was weighing on it. I was lucky enough to get an interview and an acceptance from one of my top schools in Northern California, where I’ve resided most of my life. Knowing that I would be in a room full of 40+ highly qualified applicants that all wanted one of the 28 seats turned my stomach into knots. And to make matters worse, there were about 4 different interview dates with ~40 students. I’d think to myself, “why would they want me?!”

How did you deal with your nerves on your interview day?

On interview day, I made sure that I got 8 hours of sleep, had my clothes steamed and set aside, woke up early enough, ate a good breakfast, drank minimal coffee (to keep the nerves at bay), and gave myself an ample amount of time to arrive there. When I finally arrived in the parking lot (1 hour early) I reviewed a little more, gave myself a pep talk, and headed out.

What tips do you have on being a clear communicator?

Being a clear communicator is so important, because your verbal interaction with the faculty truly determines your spot in their program. They liked you on paper, now they want to see how you’re like in person. My advice would be to have a mock interview with a trustworthy and honest person and take all of their feedback into consideration. Practice answering lots of interview questions, but try not to go off of a script. This can come off unnatural and if it doesn’t go as planned, you may fumble.

What advice would you give for someone preparing for their interviews?

First and foremost, keep in mind that not everyone receives an interview invite, so congratulations. You’ve made it this far, and with the right preparation, you can do great on the interview as well. Take some time to practice the standard interview questions, look into the school and program history, as well as their mission and values. Do your part, convince them that you’ve got what it takes, and leave a good impression on absolutely everyone you meet. Lastly, I’d recommend sending thank you cards to the program director as well as the people who interviewed you.

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You can follow Mona’s journey through her physician assistant program and beyond by following her at @mona.the.pa on Instagram!