Welcome to the second video in our Mock PA School Interview Series: Ten blog posts featuring ten amazing Pre-PAs who have graciously shared their recorded mock PA school interviews with one singular intention:
To help you achieve success on your path to PA school and be more confident on the day of your PA school interview.
Today's interview is with Kassidy Anthony, a PA school applicant from Pensacola, Florida who graduated from The University of South Florida in Tampa, received her degree in health science, worked as a medical scribe for a year and a half, and then got her CNA license and worked at Tampa General Hospital as a tech in surgical oncology and now as a patient care "float" tech where she gets to work with medical teams in all different specialties.
Her volunteer experience includes work with Prevent Child Abuse America and JWI, which is a domestic violence organization. She has shadowed PAs at Tampa General Hospital. Like many of us, her least favorite class was Organic Chemistry, but she grew from the experience while learning to lean on others.
Kassidy's story reminds us all that the road to PA school applicant success is paved with hard work and an eagerness to serve others. She is an optimistic go-getter who knows what she wants and is willing to step out of her comfort zone to get the healthcare experience and shadowing experience required to make her dream of becoming a PA her reality.
Above is the entire 60-minute video interview with Kassidy and below is the written transcript of our interview including our per-question analysis.
Questions asked in this mock interview:
- Can you tell me a little bit more about yourself and why you want to be a PA?
- What are your weaknesses or one of your weaknesses?
- What was your least favorite class in college?
- There's a push right now to change the title of the profession from physician assistant to physician associate, can you tell me what your thoughts are on that?
- Tell me one thing about you that I won't find anywhere in your application.
- Can you tell me what you think will be your biggest challenge in PA school?
- What type of preparations do you think you might need to make in terms of schoolwork and organizing your time?
- What would you do if a patient refused to be seen by you because you were a PA rather than a physician?
- Can you tell me why you want to be a PA versus a physician or a nurse practitioner or any other healthcare specialty?
- Tell me what patient population you least liked working with during your health care career?
- Can you tell me about a situation in which you had to work with a supervisor that maybe you had a disagreement with or someone that you maybe just had differences of style or ways of doing things?
- Can you for this question think of I guess maybe the program you're about to interview with would be great, tell me why that program is right for you?
- If you weren't accepted into that program, why do you think it would be?
- So tell me about a time when you surprised yourself.
I hope you enjoy this mock interview with Kassidy as much as we loved recording it.
Interested in having your own recorded mock PA school interview? Click here
Question by Interviewer:
1. Tell me a little bit more about yourself and why you want to be a PA?
Response by Interviewee:
Okay, so I was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, which is near Lower Alabama so it's a very small town. We didn't have a lot of ... People in my family wanted to go into health care, but I'm the first one in my family that decided to go into health care.
So yeah, I was born and raised in Pensacola. I actually went to the University of South Florida in Tampa. I got my degree in health science, and then I ended up staying in Tampa because there's more opportunities for me here. I worked ... At first, I worked as a medical scribe for a year and a half, and then I got my CNA license and I worked at Tampa General Hospital as a tech in surgical oncology. And then I kind of made the switch from surgical oncology to being float tech, so I could go all around, see all the different specialties, and kind of learn about every ... like from pediatrics and whatnot, and gain experience from that. So that's what I'm doing now.
Anything else? I have a lot of community service and I am ... I work with Prevent Child Abuse America and JWI, which is a domestic violence organization. I work with a lot of abuse victims, so that kind of humbles me a little bit and especially kind of resonates with me a lot. So I like to kind of incorporate that whenever I become a PA.
But mostly I've always wanted to be a PA, it's always been my dream ever since I was in high school. I was educated on it in high school and I loved being on the sidelines and whenever a cheerleader or like a football player would get injured, I was always like I know what to do, like back up, like I know how to handle this. But, of course I didn't, but I wanted to, because I did like anatomy, and I did ... I always kind of want to be in the action with that.
So I kind of learn about sports medicine and becoming a PA in sports medicine and working with athletes, so that's always kind of been my goal is to kind of get to that point. And I've worked a lot with shadowing PAs at Tampa General, kind of getting a little bit of experience behind that, and yeah, I don't know anything else.
Analysis: That’s great. You did a really nice job on that. I think that one thing you could do is just introduce yourself with your name in the beginning. They’re going to know, and you probably may have already done that. But it’s just a nice touch if you haven’t, but that’s a very nice thing. It’s just … You did a really nice job though. You were funny and engaging and you showed a lot about your personality and your background and I just love that story you told about like back up, back up, I can do this. That’s super funny.
Response by Interviewee: I was serious when I did it though. No, but I’m still like that 100%. I’m like, “Oh, I know what to do, like 100%.” Like, I’m like my friend today, she had like a rash on her neck, I’m like, “Go take Benadryl like you have a rash.” Like, and she’s like, “I don’t even know where it’s from.” I’m like, “I know where it’s from.” I just do that.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, that’s so funny. Well, I think that’s great. Yeah, I can’t even think of like anything to add for that question. You just did a really nice job. The way … I was going to say because you hadn’t totally answered the part about being a PA, but then you just launched right into that. And you did a beautiful job really of like explaining it, so it was great, all the way around.
Response by Interviewee: Thank you. I appreciate that.
Response by Interviewer: Nice job. Okay, so are you ready for the rapid-fire section where you have a minute to answer.
Response by Interviewee: All right, go for it.
Response by Interviewer: All right, here we go.
Question by Interviewer: Let's start with the question no one likes to talk about and that way it's only a one-minute conversation you have to have about it.
2. Can you tell me about one of your weaknesses?
Response by Interviewee:
I definitely I can. So one of my weaknesses is that I don't know how to cut a story short, so one of my nicknames in college was long story long, so I will go on and on for a conversation forever and never get to the point, but I think one of the ... I'm working on that a lot, and I think working in the hospital and having to explain things to patients in like a more concise manner has definitely changed my perspective on that and kind of made me a more fluid person in the way I speak to people.
But I just kind of have the issue of stuttering and having ... losing the train of thought in what I'm saying, but I'm working on it and it's getting better. But the more I mature the more I get better, the more I realized that it's okay to make mistakes with the way I talk, but it's also okay to just improve and better yourself too. So I'm trying to do that.
Analysis: Yeah, awesome, great job. You could talk a little bit about the … if you weren’t under a time constraint, you could talk a little bit about like the steps you’re taking to improve I guess. But overall I think it’s a great weakness to talk about. It’s also super funny, because the question limits you to a minute and answer, so you’re answering like about talking too long. It’s just looks super ironic and awesome, so yeah.
Response by Interviewee: Great.
Response by Interviewer: It was really good. I can see why you were wait-listed like even just quickly, because I think you are really … even though you’re being critical of your communication skills, I think you really excel at like connecting with people when you talk or at least in this situation I feel that way. Like, you’re using humor at just the right times, and it’s just that you’re just like a warm person and good at connecting with other people. So it makes a lot of sense to me that even though you interviewed late they’d be like, “Oh, we really want this girl.” So I think you’re going to do well.
Response by Interviewee: Yeah. Thank you.
Response by Interviewer: Awesome. Yeah, definitely.
Question by Interviewer: So next question for one minute.
3. what was your least favorite class in college?
Response by Interviewee:
Organic chemistry was my least favorite class. Not because it was hard, but because mostly I think I beat myself up over getting things wrong. And I definitely learned from that, taking that class how to develop more of like getting my resources. So at first, I was like, "Oh, I can do everything by myself. I know how to figure out this all by myself." I was very independent, and it was that class that I had to learn to depend on other people. Because there was no way for me to get through that class without the help of my classmates and going to tutoring all the time and getting help from my TA. And I think it was just a very ... Okay.
No, it's just that ... it was a very difficult learning experience for me.
Analysis: Yeah, awesome. You did really well. So the key to that question is not being negative about the situation, which you did beautifully because you really focused it on the content and how you needed to work with other people to learn it. I think it’s a great example of answering that question because it really shows that you’re willing to reach out to other people when you need help. And that’s always something that’s really good especially as a PA in the collaborative nature of that work, so that’s fantastic. And especially the fact that you didn’t go into it by saying, “The professor was very boring,” or anything negative like that, which is always a red flag. So great job.
Question by Interviewer:
4. There's a push right now to change the title of the profession from physician assistant to physician associate, can you tell me what your thoughts are on that?
Response by Interviewee:
I think that I like physician assistant right now just because it is what everyone knows about, like everyone kind of relates to that now, everyone understands or is beginning to understand what it is. There are still people that don't understand what a physician assistant is, and it gives you a chance to explain the profession to them. I think if you changed it to a physician associate it might have some confusion within the whole healthcare field, like they might have to go back and reassess everything and figure out how do we relate this profession to people who didn't know what it was in the first place. So changing that I think can maybe cause some confusion in the healthcare field right now.
Analysis: Great. So I think the important thing about that question is taking a position, it doesn’t really matter which side you’re on, because people will be on different sides probably on the committee as well. But I like your perspective and you hit all the points that I am looking for whenever I’m thinking about why physician assistant would be the right choice to make, to stick with.
You said something that was nice that I hadn’t actually heard before which was explaining … people still don’t really understand what it is, so explaining … it gives you an opportunity to educate people about the profession when they ask, which is nice. I hadn’t actually considered that. But that’s true.
You might be able to, if you want to you could throw in something about physician associate and why it could be a good thing to change it, just to show that you’ve considered the other side of the issue. But I think the way you answered it was fine and definitely corresponds to I think like the standard answers that go along with that. So basically like what they would be looking for. Yeah, I think it was great. You’re making my job super easy, because you’re doing so well.
Response by Interviewee: Okay, well, but you need to criticize me.
Response by Interviewer: I’m trying.
Question by Interviewer:
5. Tell me one thing about you that I won't find anywhere in your application?
Response by Interviewee:
So I grew up in a very small town outside of Pensacola, and I grew up hunting and fishing with my dad. My dad was like a really backwoods guy and he refused to go to the doctor, that's like his thing. He will wait until he's absolutely sick as a dog before he's like, "All right, I guess I have to go to the doctor." Like, one time he had to go on a cruise and he had to go to the doctor on the cruise because he had bronchitis and he wasn't getting better. So like when I grew up in that small town I kind of want to bring back ... get rid of the stigma of not seeing a doctor, seeing a PA because it's not as accessed. And I think that's a reason why my family never got into health care is because they had that stigma against doctors or PAs, but I think now that I'm a PA they might say a little bit differently.
Analysis: Yeah, definitely.
Response by Interviewee: When I become a PA.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah. Well, practically already there because you know exactly what to do, right? So in your cheerleading career.
Response by Interviewee: Oh, I know exactly what to do, yeah.
Response by Interviewer: No, I love that answer. I think it’s great because it shows a lot about your background. I identify with that, because I’m from a really small town with similar … I think similar family members, or my family members have a similar attitude, some of them, so I really can see the value with like educating people in smaller towns, but I haven’t always had that access, and I think that’s great. So I think it’s just nice and unexpected to hear a little bit about your relationship with your dad and I kind of [unclear 13:41] too, so you’re a good storyteller.
Response by Interviewee: Thank you.
Response by Interviewer: I’m just thinking if there’s any … there’s just nothing … I mean, there’s no right or wrong to that answer, except for like if you were to be negative that you weren’t at all. And in fact, I think you answered it well because you brought health care into it in terms of like rural populations and how that relates to the PA profession is great. So yeah, nice job.
Response by Interviewee: I think I took that from the school that I’m interviewing first, is that Nova Fort Lauderdale, and one of their mission is to bring health care back to rural and underserved communities. So I think that’s kind of where I was putting my answer towards.
Response by Interviewer: You did a great job. And it’s even better because it actually is genuine with you too, right? Like, it’s actually part of your background which is nice. So that’s very cool. Good job. All right, I’m going to try to be tough.
Question by Interviewer: So these are untimed questions. You rocked those one-minute answers perfectly, so here we go.
6. Can you tell me what you think will be your biggest challenge in PA school?
Response by Interviewee:
I think that actually the didactic portion probably would be my biggest challenge because I have been out of school for two years. But I think my motivation to go to PA school and actually get the degree and actually work as a PA has motivated me enough to really assess and prepare myself for it. I prepared my family for it, I prepared my friends for it, everyone's on board and I have a big support system. But I know that it's going to be a rigorous didactic schedule, and I think that that's going to be my hardest challenge is getting used to that schedule and not having the free time that I do now.
Question by Interviewer:
7. What type of preparations do you think you might need to make in terms of schoolwork and organizing your time?
Response by Interviewee:
Well, right now I do a lot of binge-watching Netflix. That is not going to happen anymore. No, but I think that I'm just going to have to organize my life a little better, I currently work two jobs, so I'm used to kind of the hard work and working 60 hours a week plus studying and preparing for PA school. So I am kind of used to the hard work and the long hours, but I think what I prepare most is maybe doing a little bit more shadowing and kind of getting prepared in that aspect and getting more health care hours, continuing to work in healthcare, and I think just organizing how I study. And preparing myself with the proper study skills, even though I have that from undergrad, I think that I need to reassess a little bit more.
Analysis: That makes sense. I mean, your GPA was really good, I notice. So it seems like you had that under control anyway. Great. I’m trying to think if there was anything I would add to that. I think the biggest takeaway really for me was there wasn’t a lot of detail about, like multitasking or how you would organize. It was a little … it didn’t have a lot of specifics involved. Discussing your support system and all that stuff was really great, it was more that … You said that like the coursework and the didactic year, so I guess I had took that to mean more like how you would study, how you would approach the coursework. But you didn’t talk about that very much, so it could have just been that I like misinterpreted what you were saying and you were thinking more along the lines of not having as much time for family. If that’s the case, then you answered it really well. But you might just expand on that overall. Like, why the didactic year would be challenging.
Response by Interviewee: I think I was trying to answer it in the way that kind of both, but like I’m not going to have the time that I have now with everyone else, and that’s going to be a difficult adjustment because it is going to be long hours and hard studying and adjusting myself to that. I think I was kind of going in that direction. But … And if I was going to go in the other direction, do you think I should add like specifics and what exactly?
Response by Interviewer: I think it was just more along the lines of like how you would approach studying and maybe reaching out to study groups, things like that, like how you would … How would you actually study in order to … Not so much like what do you do when you’re alone, but just maybe talk a little bit about how you have planned, do you use a planner, do you carve out specific times, like just that kind of thing. It was just … It just felt a little general to me, that’s all.
Response by Interviewee: No, I understand. Yeah, absolutely.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, sounds good. Do you have any other questions about that?
Response by Interviewee: Yeah, actually I was going to ask about … So there is a discrepancy in my application where I do have a C-plus in microbiology, and I was going to mention that if I could somehow with the question that they do asked, how I managed to flip around the way I studied in time management and brought that grade, because I … it was like one bad test score that kind of brought my … at the very beginning of the semester, and if you like look at all the other grades that semester where they’re all A’s. It’s like that one bad grade, and it was like three grades the whole semester, so that one bad grade could have brought my grade down in that class.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah.
Response by Interviewee: So I basically buckled down and reassessed how I’d manage my time and balance my social and personal and academic life. I was going to kind of touch on that.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, I think you could do that, and that would be great, it would explain that to the committee, which is something that is always good to do in case they’re thinking about it, and it also just kind of ties in to that answer that I was really sort of searching for, was like how do you plan on buckling down and doing that stuff. So I think that it would really kind of kill two birds with one stone or whatever that horrible saying is.
Response by Interviewee: Yeah.
Response by Interviewer: I think that would be great, yeah. Answering it that way seems like a good idea, especially showing how it like really pushed you to get your ducks … what is the bird thing with me, get your ducks in a row. You know what I mean?
Response by Interviewee: Yeah, I was going to say something about how I don’t think it like kind of discouraged to me, I think it actually empowered me to change the way that I balanced my life.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, I think that’s a beautiful way of saying it. Yeah, great. And I’m mentioning your support system is awesome too, so definitely, I want to make sure I acknowledge that that part of your answer was really, really great.
Question by Interviewer:
8. What would you do if a patient refused to be seen by you because you were a PA rather than a physician?
Response by Interviewee: At first I think I would have a conversation with the patient to determine if they knew what a PA was, because a lot of times a patient might not know what a physician assistant does or what they're capable of doing. And I would take it as an opportunity to educate them like, "Hey, this is exactly what I do. I have the medical knowledge in order to ... and the medical experience in order to diagnose and treat you. I would love to treat you. I do work alongside your physician, and I have the complete trust of my supervising physician in order to treat you." And if they're still a little adamant about it, I think I would respect them, it's all about them and they need to feel comfortable and it's their choice. So if they still don't feel comfortable with me treating them then I would definitely contact the physician and explain to them the situation and getting them in contact with the physicians in order to treat them.
Analysis: Okay, perfect. Yeah, so I love the way you explained working with the physician. And that the physician has perfect … like has good trust in you, good faith in your ability to do the work. And explaining your qualifications, those are all really great things. The key to that question definitely is respecting the patient’s wishes, so you did that really, really well.
The one thing that you could maybe add would be something about maybe like helping the … You could offer to help them reschedule with the physician, which I think you kind of alluded to but you could … You could also explain what the inconveniences of rescheduling might look like to them, just so they understand like if they have to have a longer wait time, if you were working in a clinic that was understaffed or something they might have to wait significantly longer. So you could just mention those kinds of things, like break down the inconveniences. But overall, yeah, you did a great job.
Question by Interviewer:
9. Can you tell me why you want to be a PA versus a physician or a nurse practitioner or any other healthcare specialty?
Response by Interviewee:
I've always kind of wanted to be a PA. I don't think I've ever considered from the beginning wanting to be a physician or nurse practitioner, mostly, and physician, because I didn't see myself going to school for 8 to 12 years after college. I just didn't think that would fit with how I wanted to kind of live my life. I still wanted to be in health care, I still wanted to be diagnosing and treating patients, so I decided that that wasn't the life I wanted to live. Not that I don't respect them, but I have complete respect for the field, I just ... that wasn't ... it didn't fit with me at the time or right now.
And a nurse practitioner, so you go under the nursing model and I feel like I like the medical model a little bit more, learning about treating an acute care and the diseases, you learn like disease-oriented, the way to treat that, that way, and you have to go to nursing school and I just didn't see myself going into nursing school and then becoming a nurse practitioner. I just ... I've worked as a tech, and I kind of understand the nursing field and it's not exactly something that I want to go into.
You do have to do a lot of bit of the grunt work, and it's a lot of times very frustrating because you want to do something for the patient that you have to get in contact with the PA, you have to get in contact with the physician, a lot of times you don't have that direct contact especially in the hospital, you have to go through other mediums to get there. So I think there's a little frustration with that, and I still want to diagnose and treat a patient, I still want to have the flexibility to go from one specialty to another. I think that's something that really resonates with me, especially since I'm a float, I love being able to see the difference between working in different aspects of healthcare. One day I might be in a mom and baby unit, the other day I might be in transplant, seeing those different specialties just kind of makes me want to dive into that a little bit more.
Analysis: Great. Great job.
Response by Interviewee: That’s like really difficult.
Analysis: Good job. That’s a big question, and you handled it perfectly I think really respectfully. The only thing I think maybe I wanted to know was how you learned about the PA profession. Like, what was it in the beginning, like how you got interested in it I think in the beginning. So you might touch on that a little bit. But other than that …
Response by Interviewee: Go ahead, sorry.
Response by Interviewer: No, no, go ahead. You go ahead.
Response by Interviewee: I was going to say, so when I was in high school my mom actually … she kind of knew a little about me and how I wanted to go into health care. And she’s actually the first person that mentioned PAs to me because I did talk to her about working with the doc athletic trainer that was on the field and how he worked at the Andrews Institute and Sanders Institute, that orthopedic institute that’s in Pensacola. And you got to work with athletes, and so that’s where I kind of got the whole, “Oh, I can work for a PA for a sports team, because I can incorporate both my loves of football and baseball and all sports into a career.” So that’s kind of how I learned about being a PA.
Response by Interviewer: Okay, awesome. Yeah, that makes sense.
Analysis: Yeah, overall though you showed a really good understanding I think of the differences in the medical and nursing model and your preferences for it seemed very clear and like very good reasons, you’ve reasoned them out well. I’m trying to think if there’s anything … That was the only thing I felt like I kind of wanted to know more about, so other than that I think you answered it really well. And you didn’t found nervous to me either, even though it seems like when you finished the answer and you seemed like that was a tough one for you, but it didn’t come across like it was a tough one.
Response by Interviewee: I guess, and that’s another thing is I feel like I talk in like … like I said long story long, I feel like my stories are like this big and I never get to like the point I’m trying to make, it’s like this weird journey.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, but you know what? I followed along with you. It could be because I kind of do that myself, but you did a great job with it. It made a lot of sense to me, so I think you’re a little bit harder on yourself maybe than you need to be with that.
Response by Interviewee: And that could be another one of my weaknesses because I do you have a lot of self-doubts and I think I’m afraid of rejection.
Response by Interviewer: Oh, that though. Oh, well, I know how tough that is actually, but you don’t come across as having that either. You seemed very confident and very sure of yourself. So I hope that helps you as you’re … as you’re going through that, and if you have those feelings like just remember like you don’t come across that way.
Response by Interviewee: Okay, excellent. Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better.
Response by Interviewer: Good. It should be I think.
Question by Interviewer:
10. Tell me what patient population you least liked working with during your health care career?
Response by Interviewee:
I think the population, the geriatric population honestly. Just working as a tech ... it was just a lot ... It was just a lot harder. The older generation is a lot different than the generation that I'm in, and it is harder to connect with them and harder for them to understand exactly what you're doing. And sometimes they are stuck in ways that you have to understand, but I think that's another ... That's a thing about cultural competency; you have to be able to relate to every single community and population and respect each one. And I think I do that very well. I connect with every single population, and I try to, I try to find something with that person that connects us.
And I think something that I learned when I was shadowing was especially if it's like a difficult situation or a difficult patient, to kill them with kindness. And that's what I do when I practice with my patients is I ... if I'm having a difficult day and it is something and a difficult patient who's kind of stuck in their ways, I just kill them with kindness. And a lot of times they turn around.
Analysis: That’s great. I think that’s a really good answer. You might … I think when you were talking I was wanting to know a little bit more about like when you said the geriatric population I was expecting it to be more about like the kind of care that they require or something like that, but it was more it seemed like about their personalities or like connecting with them on a personal level. That was what you … It seemed like that’s what you were saying, which I thought was interesting and I didn’t fully understand that. So I guess maybe elaborate a little bit more on that because it was kind of like … I guess it kind of felt to me like … I’m trying to think of how to say this. Stereotyping an entire age group of people, I think.
Response by Interviewee: Yeah.
Response by Interviewer: Like, everybody was the old guy on Dennis the Menace, and do you know what I’m talking about? Like the person you never like. I think it was kind of was the connection I was making with it was like everybody was a crotchety old man and you were like the young kid that no one understood. I mean, I know that’s not what you were getting at, but I feel like if we had a little bit more specifics, it would help me kind of visualize what’s happening.
Response by Interviewee: At first I think I was going in that direction, but then I didn’t want to sound like a horrible person. So I decided to turn it around so I wouldn’t sound like a horrible person. But really as a tech it is … they do demand so much more, and like because the care is just so much harder and they are … their bodies aren’t exactly … they’re not great. And I don’t know how exactly to say this, they’re more fragile than the average person that I take care of. So it is harder, they take a little bit more care, and it’s more time consuming, so they’re … it’s definitely they’re more in need of your responsiveness.
Response by Interviewer: Okay, yeah, that makes it make a lot more sense I think.
Response by Interviewee: I don’t want to sound horrible.
Response by Interviewer: No, no, you didn’t sound horrible. That question is so scary to answer; I always feel bad when I ask you it. But it’s an excellent question I think because it helps you think a lot about it, and you don’t want to be caught flat [unclear 32:27] I don’t think. I’m using like every cliched phrase, I don’t know, but I’ve never said you don’t want to be caught flat, but anyways I’m going to work on that in my own spare time, like find some new catchphrases.
Anyway, yeah, but you get what I’m saying. Like, when you’re talking about an actual group of people, you want to come across as diplomatic as possible. And I could see that you’re trying to do that, and I think with the way you explained it just now as a follow-up, that was perfect. So maybe throw those things in a little bit sooner. Like, they’re more challenging because they’re may be … I think it’s okay to say they’re a little bit more demanding; they demand a different … maybe a different style of care. Is that what you were getting at? Like, they’re from a different generation, so the service was different back, maybe back in the day?
Response by Interviewee: Yeah, a lot of times when I was working as a tech, and I do have an older patient, things that I do or say might not be something that they want to hear or the way they do things. And it’s a little bit more challenging to connect with them because they are from a different time where care is a bit different I guess.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, okay, yeah, that makes sense. So focus it I think on that, just made me throw in a few more of those details, and I think you’ll be fine.
Response by Interviewee: Could I also throw in like a story of like … Somehow like … I don’t know, I think would be bad if I do that.
Response by Interviewer: I don’t know, I think it would depend on the story. But it could be fine if you felt like it was relevant. I don’t know. Because it’s about a group of patients …
Response by Interviewee: Yeah, you don’t want to like generalize or stereotype, yeah. I understand, just curious.
Response by Interviewer: I think as I think about it I might lean toward not doing a story just for that particular one unless you feel like it’s truly relevant. Because you are a good storyteller, so I would trust you to tell it in a good way.
Question by Interviewer:
11. Can you tell me about a situation in which you had to work with a supervisor that maybe you had a disagreement with or someone that you maybe just had differences of style or ways of doing things?
Response by Interviewee:
I have a perfect story for you. It is great. So when I was working on the oncology unit, we had this 90-year old lady who came in, and she was Haitian, and she only spoke French Creole. And not one person on that whole floor can speak French Creole, and I can't ... I think there's a lot of Spanish patients that I can ... I picked up in a lot of Spanish, but French Creole, that's not going to happen. So we do have these thing called blue phones where were able to pick up the blue telephones and translate.
Her daughter had come in, and she was a medical assistant, so I'm like, "Oh, this is going to be great, she can help me out." The patient was very confused like she just had to confuse, I didn't know what she was saying, but I knew she needed a little bit of extra watch because she ... Well, at first I was told she'd pulled out one of her IVs. So she was pulling out one of her IVs, and then she was trying to pull out the other one so I was like kept putting her hand down like, "No, you can't pull out your IV," but she didn't understand what I was saying. So it was really hard to kind of connect with her and try to get her to understand what I was trying to say. And it was just me in the room.
So finally the nurse came in to admit her and do the admission process. And I was explaining to the nurse like, "We need to put her under a one-to-one watch because something isn't right. She keeps rambling the same thing, even though ..." It's the same word that I'm just, I don't understand what she's saying, but she just keeps saying the same thing, and I think something's wrong.
And then the doctor comes in and I said ... I mentioned to him, I'm like, "She's pulling out her IV in her arm. She had her blanket over her, but she kept like messing with something." And I was like, "I think she's pulling out her other IV." And he looked at me, he's like, "Great observation. Like I didn't ..." He's like, "I would have totally missed that, like I didn't even see that." I'm like, "Well, I think she needs to be under video monitoring or one-to-one person and one-to-one watch." And so no one would do anything about it because we weren't with her on the floor, so it was a little bit more difficult to get ... And the process at TGA is you have to put like a one-to-one person before if you don't have a video monitor on the floor, like a camera in the room.
So in my case, I had to sit with her. And I went to the charge nurse, and I said, "She needs to be put under one-to-one watch." And the charge nurse looked at me, and she was like ... she's like, "Oh, just keep an eye on her. Like, it'll be fine, she'll be fine." I was like, "No, something's wrong." So I picked up the blue phone again and tried to understand what she was saying, and that person on the other line said, "I don't understand what she's saying. She's not making any sense."
So that kind of alarmed me, and I went back to charge nurse again, and she still disagreed with me. But I was respectful of her, and I still tried to make sure that she was taken care of. But I kept more of a watchful eye on her, and finally, she pulled out everything in her arms, and that's when the charge nurse was like, "Okay, I agree with you. Then let's put her under one-to-one watch." So it definitely saved an accident from happening.
Analysis: Yeah, wow. That was a long story but riveting. So it felt great, like I was totally like, “What’s happening? What’s in her arms?” It was really good. Don’t feel bad it was long.
Response by Interviewee: Definitely.
Response by Interviewer: I liked it.
Analysis: I think that you told it really well, and you came across as respectful but also as persistent on behalf of the patient, which is important. So it made great sense to me. I think it’s an excellent example of that. You could maybe talk a little bit about like … When you say it prevented an accident from happening, was that like it prevented her from pulling the IV out and like something going …
Response by Interviewee: Yeah, something going … Yeah, because she … she ended up having to go to the ICU because she was going into a … I think there was like a … I’m not sure exactly what happened to her. But I know she ended up having to go to the ICU for something. So I was taking the extra precaution definitely to kind of save some time.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, I think that’s great, so maybe just mentioning that to you, so that the seriousness of it comes across really well. But other than that I think it was a great example. I’m going to … I have a call at 8:15, so I’m going to email the person and ask her … That was like the fastest call I’ve ever had. And I think that’s a compliment to you because it was like I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Let me just let her know that I’m going to be a few minutes late, is that okay?
Response by Interviewee: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Response by Interviewer: She’s a second-time interviewee I guess, so I’ve connected with her pretty well, so I think she’ll be understanding. So let me see. I want to ask you a couple more questions just to make sure that you feel really prepared. I want to ask you the ones that I think you are more likely to get asked, just the ones that are remaining. Is that okay?
Response by Interviewee: Yeah, absolutely.
Response by Interviewer: Okay, so we’ll do three more questions. I told her I’d be on in ten minutes, so we should be in good shape.
Question by Interviewer:
12. Can you for this question think of I guess maybe the program you're about to interview with would be great, tell me why that program is right for you?
Response by Interviewee:
Well, when I first researched it, I found that through their mission statement they serve rural, urban, and the underserved communities and I think that they take an emphasis on that. They just want to bring competent PAs into those communities and spread the knowledge of the PA profession, and I think that's incredibly important because a lot of people don't know how great a PA can be to the access of health care and how satisfied people can be by the spending a little more time with the patient. So I like that aspect, they're focusing on that.
But also I had like a couple of criteria at a school, two main criteria of when picking a school, was their PANCE pass rates and their reputation. So they had a 98% average PANCE pass rate over the last five years, and that's incredibly high, so that was like that was a good sign. And the other one was that they are nationally known and like they have an incredible reputation nationwide, so that was a big plus for me.
But something unique about the program that caught my eye was the domestic violence training, and with my background and working with domestic violence victims or working for the organizations and child abuse organization, that really kind of resonated with me and I liked that aspect of it. And then it made an important ... it was an important thing for me to find.
Analysis: I think that’s fantastic. That makes perfect sense, it’s great. I’m going to ask you the hardest question, the one I hate the most, but I think it’s important.
Question by Interviewer:
13. If you weren't accepted into that program, why do you think it would be?
Response by Interviewee: I think it might be that perhaps the C that I have could affect it or that there could possibly be a better candidate who interviews a little better. I try not to focus on my weaknesses, only my strengths, so I think the only weakness that I have, I maybe not have enough healthcare hours or shadowing hours and just trying to build on that. If I don't get accepted, I'll try to improve on that for the next time around.
Analysis: I think that’s a good way of answering it. I hate that question so much, but I just … I’m always worried that somebody’s going to get asked that and I haven’t prepared them for it, so I feel like it’s a good prep question, but it sucks. Anyway, I think you answered it really well, and it’s honest, I think. Because you’re young, even though you have great experience, so saying that you want to build it up is just a good … that’s a great response like you have all the skills that you need in order to keep building experience. And you didn’t say something like it’s your loss or whatever, so that was great.
Response by Interviewee: I know, I have a great GPA, but I think it … I felt … I did a lot of … I did a lot of science classes, and I think I did well in some more than others, so I think that helped me a lot. So my favorite class I think was genetics, and we have that, there’s genetics class and like that we would retake in the program and I think that’s cool because I am actually really interested in it, like I even did like the ancestry DNA thing to find out my ancestry.
Response by Interviewer: Cool.
Response by Interviewee: And I think that’s something really cool about it.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, very cool. Yeah, I think you answered it in a great way. I mean, that’s exactly how I would have advised you to answer it, is like whatever the response is you’re going to continue building up your experience and becoming the best version of the job that you have to make your skills better for next time. So yeah, great job.
Question by Interviewer: Okay, last question, and this one's kind of a fun one I think.
14. Tell me about a time when you surprised yourself.
Response by Interviewee:
When I was going from being a medical scribe to a patient care tech, I didn't have any hands-on experience except for what I had working as a medical scribe. And I was told that I would not be able to get a job right away in a hospital setting because I didn't have that hands-on experience. And so I went to ... I applied at Florida Hospital, and I didn't get a callback. And for some reason, I was like, "I'm going to go to PA school, so I'm not giving up. I need this hands-on experience."
I took my resume to every hospital in the Tampa Bay Area and went in and demanded to talk to a person in charge so I could get an interview. And it just so happened ... I was kind of scared to go into Tampa General because it was like the biggest hospital, I'm like, "I'm definitely not going to get into this place. Like, there's no way they would hire me, they're the best hospital in Florida, like they're one of the top-rated hospitals in the nation, like course not."
So I went into the nurse recruiter's office, and she was like, just told me the same thing, "We don't really hire people who don't have any hands-on experience." And I was like, I told her, I basically just told her about my passion and how I just really ... I'm excited to get this experience with patients so that I can become a physician assistant. And I kind of left like a little bit like, "Okay, well, I tried."
A week later I got a phone call from the surgical oncology nurse manager, and she was like, "Can I offer you an interview?" I'm like, "Ah, yeah, of course." And so I go in that interview, and the first thing that she says is that she personally talked to the nurse recruiter and was incredibly impressed at how persistent I was and how demanding I was to get the outcome that I wanted, and it was very impressive. And she's like she knew how passionate and how hard of a worker I would be because of what I did. So I surprised myself in that way that I didn't expect to get a callback, but hearing that I did something so dramatic it really ... that led to great things.
Analysis: Yeah, awesome. That’s great. I loved the whole story. It shows so much about like your enthusiasm. I love that you linked it to like, “I’m going to PA school, I have to have this, so let’s get it done.” Like, linking it to your quest I guess to be a PA is awesome. I love the nurse manager who saw that in you and gave you a shot like the whole story just is awesome. I’m using that word too much, but like it’s great. Yeah, that’s fantastic, that was a highlight listening to that, that was great. I love stories like that.
And I think having talked to you for a little while now I think you deserve that. You’ve got such a cool spirit about you, like the warmth that you have and the passion you have, and like a solid persistence, like it comes across really well so I would be super surprised if you interview and don’t just get snatched up right away because I think you’re a great candidate.
Response by Interviewee: Thank you. I appreciate that. Now I just got to show them that. I think my last interview, I interviewed in August at Kaiser and I just choked, like I guess I just completely choked. And I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t answer any question the way I normally would.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, was it … it was a PA program interview? Yeah. I’m surprised.
Response by Interviewee: That was my first cycle.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, well, maybe it’ll be smooth sailing from here on out because you had one rough start, but you did a fantastic job today. So I mean, if this interview is an indication you’re going to rock it hardcore. I think you did fantastically.
Response by Interviewee: Compared to the other people that you work with?
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, right up at the top for sure. Definitely.
Response by Interviewee: Thank you.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, you did a great job. I would be amazed if you don’t email me in a few days saying, “Okay, I got it. I got an acceptance.”
Response by Interviewee: I hope so.
Response by Interviewer: Yeah, I think you’re going to be …
Response by Interviewee: I think you had the same responses, like that PA that I … The last PA interview, when I met him within like an hour, he said the same thing about me. He’s like, “You just have a great personality.” And I’m like, “You’ve only known me for an hour, but awesome. Like, thanks.” And he’s like … And like a couple of days later I was like, “Can you write me a recommendation letter?” And he’s like, “Yeah, I’d love to.” Awesome.
Response by Interviewer: That’s fantastic, yeah. I see it about you for sure. I mean, you just have really great warmth, and you’re just … I don’t know. I think you’d be fun to work with and have in a program, so yeah. Yeah, you’re going to connect well if you perform like you did today with me, you’re going to connect well with that committee, and I think it’s going to go well. You did great. So I’m going to send you the video tonight, I’ll upload it so you’ll have that.
If you have any other questions or anything else comes up feel free to send any questions my way that I can help you with or just anything at all, I’m happy to help any way I can.
Thank you, Kassidy!
I hope this interview with Kassidy will help you as you prepare for your very own PA school interview. Thank you, Kassidy, for sharing your interview with all of us here at The PA Life community!
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