You are having a disagreement with a colleague about the best treatment path for a patient after discussing options. How would you handle that situation?

Scenario-based questions are common during PA school multiple mini interviews as they allow the interviewer to gauge how you will act in real-world scenarios as a student with their program when you are completing your rotations. While the types of scenarios that could be presented to you during the interview are endless, practicing responding to them professionally and respectfully in a short time frame will pay dividends during your actual interview. Also, remember that your interviewer will be evaluating your body language and tone of voice as you respond.

The first important thing you want to drive home with your interviewer is that you will take the time to talk things out with the person you disagree with. Stress that you would speak your professional opinion confidently while listening to your colleague's perspective. From there, it is all about making the best decision for the patient and coming to an agreement.

"I would want to sit down and talk through our thoughts and listen to each other's perspective. My approach would be confident and respectful. If I realized that my colleague's treatment path was the best, I wouldn't hesitate to agree with them and take that path. Pride can't stand in the way of providing the best care possible to a patient, and this would never be an issue for me as a physician assistant. With all of the treatment paths available for many of the common ailments patients face, I foresee that colleague disagreements would be fairly common. For me, it's all about taking a professional approach that focuses on the best path for the patient."