Yale PA Program Mock Interview

Master 40 Yale PA Program interview questions covering clinical reasoning, patient care philosophy, and program fit.

Question 34 of 40

Do you have any hands-on experience as a caregiver?

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Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.

"My grandmother, mother, and brother all suffered from Huntington's disease, so in personal regard, I have some experience as a caregiver, having cared for them through several stages of the disease. After they passed, I volunteered at a convalescent home that was severely under-funded while I was in high school. Presently, I am at about 800 hours of my 1,000 total hours of hands-on patient care experience in a similar healthcare setting."

Kevin Downey

Your admissions interviewers are interested in what work experience you've taken part in, if any, and what you learned from it. Personal experiences with caregiving are worth offering here as well. They ultimately want to know whether you've put in the hours to understand medicine and a caregiver's role.

As they state on their site under their admissions prerequisites, "Competitive applicants are recommended (but not required) to have a minimum of six months full-time healthcare employment, or 1,000 total hours of hands-on patient care experience and/or community service in a healthcare setting. Preference is given to applicants having experience that requires a period of training and results in direct (hands-on) patient care.

Examples include: EMT, Paramedic, Registered Nurse, Medical Assistant, CNA, ER Tech, Physical Therapy Aide, Medical Scribe, Personal Care Provider. Hours associated with the completion of academic degrees, certifications, or training will not count. Evidence of community service (i.e., healthcare for under-served populations, medical mission trips) is highly valued."

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40Yale University School of Medicine Interview Questions & Answers

BehavioralBehavioral

1.What fuels your passion for pursuing a career in medicine and for pursuing your education with the Yale University School of Medicine?

Education

2.What is the most concerning issue facing the medical industry today?

Education

3.How would you describe your academic performance so far?

Behavioral

4.What sets you apart from the other equally qualified students?

Behavioral

5.What quality should a physician’s assistant possess above all others?

Career Goals

6.What is your self development plan, both professionally and personally?

Education

7.What can you tell us about your current GPA?

Career Goals

8.What is your favorite area of medicine so far? Which is your least favorite? Why?

Behavioral

9.If you could meet anyone in the history of medicine, who would you choose and why?

Behavioral

10.What questions do you have for us about the Yale University School Of Medicine?

Education

11.What do you know about Yale University School Of Medicine?

Career Goals

12.Is there an academic area you’d especially like to improve upon? How can the Yale University School of Medicine help you grow?

Behavioral

13.What research did you conduct that led you to apply to Yale University School Of Medicine?

Background

14.Tell us something that we would not know about you from reading your CV.

Background

15.What achievement are you most proud of on your path to becoming a PA?

Behavioral

16.What are you reading right now?

Behavioral

17.Describe your comfort level and experience with exposure to blood and other bodily fluids.

Career Goals

18.Where does Yale University School Of Medicine rank among the other schools you’ve applied to?

Education

19.Which medical-related newspapers, journals, and publications do you read, and how often do you refer to them?

Behavioral

20.How do you express your opinions on controversial topics such as abortion, euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, and cloning?

Behavioral

21.What is your opinion on socialized health care versus privatized health care?

Trust

22.You discover a classmate cheating. What do you do?

23.Describe a situation where you received negative feedback on work you were proud of. How did you respond?

Behavioral

24.Who in your life served as a mentor or inspiration for you?

25.How do you feel about your interview performance today?

26.Describe the impact your professional setbacks have had on you in the past.

Behavioral

27.How would you like to see the delivery of healthcare evolve?

Career Goals

28.As a PA, you need to gain certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Have you started preparing for the PA-C exam?

Career Goals

29.In order to keep your PA-C certification, you need to perform 100 hours of continued education every 24 months. What is your continued education plan?

Background

30.Describe the familial support you’ve had in pursuing a career as a PA.

Career Goals

31.Why choose a career in medicine over another field or profession?

32.What are your interests outside the field of medicine?

33.Hindsight is 20-20. If you could go back in time five years and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Experience

34.Do you have any hands-on experience as a caregiver?

Behavioral

35.What is your biggest pet peeve?

Creative Thinking

36.How long is the answer to this question?

Communication

37.How important is communication as a PA?

Behavioral

38.Do you prefer alcohol or coffee?

Communication

39.Tell me about a recent conflict you experienced and how it ended.

Experience

Yale PA Program Mock Interview

Do you have any hands-on experience as a caregiver?

40Yale University School of Medicine Interview Questions & Answers

1.What fuels your passion for pursuing a career in medicine and for pursuing your education with the Yale University School of Medicine?

2.What is the most concerning issue facing the medical industry today?

3.How would you describe your academic performance so far?

4.What sets you apart from the other equally qualified students?

5.What quality should a physician’s assistant possess above all others?

6.What is your self development plan, both professionally and personally?

7.What can you tell us about your current GPA?

8.What is your favorite area of medicine so far? Which is your least favorite? Why?

9.If you could meet anyone in the history of medicine, who would you choose and why?

10.What questions do you have for us about the Yale University School Of Medicine?

11.What do you know about Yale University School Of Medicine?

12.Is there an academic area you’d especially like to improve upon? How can the Yale University School of Medicine help you grow?

13.What research did you conduct that led you to apply to Yale University School Of Medicine?

14.Tell us something that we would not know about you from reading your CV.

15.What achievement are you most proud of on your path to becoming a PA?

16.What are you reading right now?

17.Describe your comfort level and experience with exposure to blood and other bodily fluids.

18.Where does Yale University School Of Medicine rank among the other schools you’ve applied to?

19.Which medical-related newspapers, journals, and publications do you read, and how often do you refer to them?

20.How do you express your opinions on controversial topics such as abortion, euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, and cloning?

21.What is your opinion on socialized health care versus privatized health care?

22.You discover a classmate cheating. What do you do?

23.Describe a situation where you received negative feedback on work you were proud of. How did you respond?

24.Who in your life served as a mentor or inspiration for you?

25.How do you feel about your interview performance today?

26.Describe the impact your professional setbacks have had on you in the past.

27.How would you like to see the delivery of healthcare evolve?

28.As a PA, you need to gain certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Have you started preparing for the PA-C exam?

29.In order to keep your PA-C certification, you need to perform 100 hours of continued education every 24 months. What is your continued education plan?

30.Describe the familial support you’ve had in pursuing a career as a PA.

31.Why choose a career in medicine over another field or profession?

32.What are your interests outside the field of medicine?

33.Hindsight is 20-20. If you could go back in time five years and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

34.Do you have any hands-on experience as a caregiver?

35.What is your biggest pet peeve?

36.How long is the answer to this question?

37.How important is communication as a PA?

38.Do you prefer alcohol or coffee?

39.Tell me about a recent conflict you experienced and how it ended.

40.Describe your study habits and your approach to your work.