Prepare for 35 WesternU PA interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care philosophy, and program fit.
Question 20 of 35
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
As you enter PA school and get face-to-face with patients in your clinical rotations, you'll need to develop a neutral stance on many controversial topics in medicine. That is true even if you have a strong opinion on any issue because your patients will rely on you to give your professional medical opinion and not your own. In asking this question, the team at Western University of Health Sciences wants to ensure that you will always take a professional approach to these topics as a student in their program.

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"When it comes to controversial topics like these, as a PA trainee and future Physician Assistant, I will give my opinions more freely in a social setting with friends versus a workplace setting or around patients. If face to face with patients, I would try to keep my personal opinion to myself or, at the very least, remain diplomatic by expressing how each side has their right to an opinion. If there is specific medical evidence supporting viewpoints on any topic, I wouldn't hesitate to talk that through with a patient so they could make the best decision for their care."

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
Questions like this can be tricky! Be sure to take note of the wording here as the interviewers are looking to see how you will navigate controversial topics versus directly asking your opinion on these topics. This question is the time to discuss how you will remain tactful when controversial topics arise as a Physician Assistant student in their program.

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Written by Rachelle Enns
35 Questions & Answers • Western University Of Health Sciences

By Rachelle

By Rachelle