Physician Assistant Mock Interview
Master 40 Physician Assistant interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care, and medical decision-making.
Question 8 of 40
Tell me about yourself.
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Community Answers
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.
Healthcare institutions looking to hire physician assistants often end up with pools of very highly qualified candidates from a clinical perspective. The decision can sometimes come down to the PA that is the best cultural fit for the organization and personality fit for the team. In asking you to describe yourself, you are getting an opportunity to discuss your motivation for pursuing a career in healthcare as a physician assistant, your path up to this interview, and some bits and pieces about yourself that make you both a good fit for the organization and the department you are interviewing with. Talk openly about these things to sell yourself as the top PA for the position.
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.
"I have wanted to become a physician assistant for a long time, mostly because I come from a family of nurses and doctors. I was always moved by the stories my mom and my aunt told of being able to help and heal people. I am very relational and empathetic, and I love to help people feel welcome and comfortable. I enjoy working as part of a team and in a fast-paced environment. I'm looking forward to gaining further experience and bringing my unique skillset and experience to this hospital. In my free time, I enjoy trying new restaurants downtown and playing tennis with my spouse. We are looking forward to raising a family here as well."
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.
"From an early age, I always gravitated towards the sciences like biology and chemistry. I decided on a healthcare career after some volunteer experiences at a nursing home during high school. Unsure of my exact direction entering college, I took some opportunities to shadow a couple of physician assistants during college and knew this was a career I could thrive in. If I'm fortunate enough to be hired for this role, you'd be getting a nurturing and skilled PA with a competitive side, as I'm a competitive golfer and water skier."
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.
"I am a passionate, excited team player who loves to learn on the fly and take the lead when possible, and I have a proven track record of success as a PA in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. I'm loyal and have shown that through my decade-long career at one employer. I have risen through their ranks and am ready to take on the next challenge. Outside work, I love to travel and do DIY projects in my home."
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Anonymous Answer
I am a newly licensed and certified physician assistant. I am seeking opportunities that will allow me to continue learning and working as part of a team. I have obtained a Master's of Medical Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Augsburg University. Aside from a PA licensure, I have current active certifications in ACLS and BLS. Outside of practicing my passion for being a healthcare provider, I enjoy traveling and shopping.
Kevin's Feedback
This answer is a good start! I like to teach the 'Past, Present, Future' framework when it comes to the common 'Tell me about yourself' question. This framework will help you to build a more robust response. Here is a guide if you're interested: https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/How To Answer: Tell Me About Yourself/
My great grandmother, who I had the opportunity to know in the early years of my life, was a WWII nurse. She had some training when she volunteered to join, and she was a fighter who lived to a 103 years old. She was something of a hero to me, and that’s what sparked my interest in medicine. Following this dream, I pursued a Master’s of Medical Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Augsburg University. I recently became a licensed and certified physician assistant. Aside from a PA licensure, I have current active certifications in ACLS and BLS. I remember when my grammy said once you take that first step on your journey, you’ll soon discover the real destination is the journey and the road never ends. So I want to seek opportunities that will allow me to continue learning and working as part of a team. Beyond my passion for practicing as a healthcare provider, I love to read on all things related to my profession. When I am not performing research from the questions I have after reading any new developments in my field; I enjoy traveling and shopping. Traveling I also inherited from my grammy. My passion for shopping I inherited from my father.
Anonymous Answer
I came from a family of nurses and physicians, so it was an early dream for me to treat my own patients.
I consider myself as a passionate, enthusiast, hard worker, and team player who loves to learn on the go.
I am looking forward to a successful PA career where I could provide the best care, so I am ready for the next challenge.
Outside of work, I am a husband and a father to 2 boys. I love fishing, ice skating, and photography.
Stephanie's Feedback
Excellent response! This clearly highlights your passion for the medical field, while also providing some helpful context into who you are as an individual outside of work.
Anonymous Answer
I have been a PA for approximately 5 years. Most of that time has been spent in the emergency department which was a great foundation of medicine and I was exposed to a variety of specialties which led to my interest in dermatology. I was able to transfer to dermatology where I received extensive hands-on training from the other providers in the group. Now, I am looking to move into a predominately medical dermatology role and I am very excited about this opportunity with your practice.
Chad's Feedback
This answer is a great start! You have done well to keep your response light and work relevant. While the interviewer will have a good sense of your career journey, and future career aspirations, I suggest expanding on your current career situation. Are you currently working in dermatology? If so, are you able to discuss some of your primary responsibilities as they relate to the new opportunity you are applying to? Open-ended questions like this are best answered using the Past, Present, Future framework "“ we have a guide you may find useful: https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/How To Answer: Tell Me About Yourself/
Anonymous Answer
I love medicine as we are constantly learning new things about diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of ailments. I love challenges and am looking for avenues to grow and learn in the field of medicine. This passion is what made me want to come back after a hiatus.
Stephanie's Feedback
Your passion for medicine is very evident, which is wonderful. However, since this question is a bit broad ("Tell me about yourself,") I suggest adding a bit more about your professional background and the skills and positive characteristics that you'd bring to a workplace setting. I have created an example in the "Revised Answer" section to show what this might look like.
I'm a hard-working physician assistant who is passionate about the evolving field of medicine. I love learning new things about diagnoses, assessment, and treatment of ailments. I am energized by challenges, and I am seeking a new avenue to grow and learn within the field of medicine. My passion for this career field is what made me want to return to work after a hiatus. My colleagues and former supervisors would describe me as being inquisitive, relational, and an active problem-solver. I bring my best self to work every day.
Anonymous Answer
I have always had an interest in problem-solving and science. As you may have noticed, I have a bachelors degree in Pharmaceutical science, Doing this degree, the plan was to go into the pharma industry, however, I found there to be something missing, I could not put my finger on it, so I decided to take a year out to further explore my interests. During that year, I funded myself by working in administration at the local primary care general practice. I became fascinated by the job of the Doctors there, I found myself asking to shadow the Doctors in my free time and that was when I realized what was missing with the pharmaceutical lab work. I realized I loved interacting with patients! The immense satisfaction I felt working with people of all walks of life, how I was able to see myself using my love for science, my critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make a positive impact in the lives of others. With that realization, I invested everything I had and moved to Manchester to pursue the PA course. I am happy to say that it all paid off as I am here, fully qualified, speaking to you, and ready to kickstart my dream career.
Chad's Feedback
Excellent response! You have done well to summarize your career journey and highlight how you first became interested in the profession. Consider concluding your response with a splash of personal information to provide the interviewer with a more complete picture of who you are as an individual outside of work. Open-ended questions like this are best answered using the Past, Present, Future framework. Here is a guide if you're interested: https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/How To Answer: Tell Me About Yourself/
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