Physician Assistant Mock Interview
Master 40 Physician Assistant interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care, and medical decision-making.
Question 13 of 40
What department of the healthcare field most interests you?
How to Answer
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Entry Level
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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.
Tell the interviewer what type of patients you enjoy working with or a particular department you prefer to work in. This preference may be related to your educational expertise. Tell the interviewer if you enjoy assisting the elderly or working in the neonatal unit. Talk about your experience regarding your area of specialty, elaborating on why you enjoy it.
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 enjoy working in the ER because I see all kinds of different injuries and accidents. I specialize in handling trauma. I'm good at moving quickly and staying calm in an emergency. I love working in the business of saving lives and giving people the tools to begin their recovery."
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.
"My educational specialty is in patient assessment. For that reason, I am most interested in working in triage or intake."
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 interested in working within oncology. My training is geared towards this specialty, and I have been a PA in the oncology department at our local children's hospital for the past eight years."
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Anonymous Answer
I am most invested in Orthopedics. Ortho was my primary interest going into PA school, and I particularly enjoyed my ortho rotation.
Rachelle's Feedback
Great! Your answer will help guide the hiring authorities when it comes to finding placement and opportunities for you.
Anonymous Answer
I am extremely interested in emergency medicine as well as dermatology. I am currently volunteering at Mercy Hospital in the emergency room department, and I love that it is fast-paced. I am always assisting and addressing patient needs; I fill up pediatric IV start kits, fill lab tube trays, restock blankets, and make urine specimen kits. I also am interested in dermatology because my sister had severe eczema. I want to help others with skin issues they may be insecure about.
Rachelle's Feedback
You have excellent reasoning behind your desire to focus on either one of these areas of health care. Nicely said.
Anonymous Answer
As a type 1 diabetic, I have a bias towards endocrinology. I very much appreciate the long term connection you can make with patients and the help you can provide at various stages of managing their chronic condition. My motivation for becoming a PA was positive connections I had with providers, and as a PA, I would like to have similar impacts on my patients' long term.
Rachelle's Feedback
Your desire to work in endocrinology comes from a personal reality that gives your answer so much meaning. Well said.
Anonymous Answer
I have been most interested in family medicine/primary care even before starting PA school. Throughout PA school, my interest in family medicine has increased. What interests me about family medicine/primary care is that it allows me as a PA to have the opportunity to treat patients from different walks of life with various medical complaints. I love that it requires me to stay on top of things since it is a comprehensive practice. I believe starting in primary care as a new PA will lay the groundwork for knowing all generalized medicine, which will further qualify me for other specialties if I choose to change career paths.
Rachelle's Feedback
It's terrific that you know where your interests are! Great edits and adds regarding your passions and what drives you in your career as a PA.
Anonymous Answer
I am most interested in working with Cardiac patients. I love watching cardiac patients enjoying a better quality of life after providing them with the right advice. That's why I chose to do cardiovascular medicine research where I was able to publish 14 cardiac-related papers in prestigious journals.
Stephanie's Feedback
Great response; you clearly articulate the department of the healthcare field that interests you most and why.
Anonymous Answer
I am certified B-EMT and worked as an ER technician for a few months. I always wanted to be a part of first-line workers, and saved many lives as I can through my passion for medicine.
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! Why does working in emergency care interest you exactly? Do you thrive in fast-paced, stressful situations? Why do you like to be one of the first to help the patient? The more details you can give, the more powerful your response will be. Let your passion shine through!
Anonymous Answer
In my experience in a primary care office, I have very much enjoyed working with older populations. For most people being in a healthcare setting is not ideal, but many times older people can see it as an enjoyable experience and they like to socialize with staff and providers.
Marcie's Feedback
That's really nice! Do you like socializing with them? Explain in more detail why you enjoy this population and serving them. Also, consider adding the technical name of this healthcare specialty (geriatrics) to your answer to further impress the interviewer and appear knowledgeable. Good job!
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