Who is your mentor in the healthcare industry?
In this particular situation, your interviewer is looking for a mentor in the same career field. If your crazy best friend is who you look up to, you may want to censor and save those stories for another time. The interviewer wants to know who you get your professional direction and advice from. Perhaps a professor took you under their wing and guided you, or maybe a family member has overcome challenges in life and has pushed you to become the person you are today.
"When it comes to my career as a physician assistant, the physician I currently work under has been my professional mentor for the past six years. She taught me many skills and knowledge far beyond a basic PA."
"My professional mentor is my former pharmacology professor. I excelled in his class which prompted a great relationship between us. He offered me more advanced work and helped me find an excellent practicum placement. Even though I have graduated, we still meet once per month to discuss changes in the healthcare industry."
"My mentor is an anesthesiologist I have worked with for the past eight years. I asked her to be my mentor because she is a strong woman in the healthcare industry who holds her own, has a great reputation, and has a positive disposition. I wanted to learn from someone like her. Someone I admire and trust."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I had the opportunity to have a PA as a mentor in my senior year of college. She worked as a family medicine PA at a small clinic in an urban suburb of Minneapolis. She very much inspired me to want to go into primary care, and help provide healthcare to populations that do not have adequate access. She made a difference in people of all ages and backgrounds lives, from children's physicals to older adults with hypertension, she impacted the health outcomes of individuals.
Rachelle's Feedback
It sounds like you had an excellent mentor which is an experience that can offer up a significant advantage as you grow in your own PA career.
Anonymous Answer
I was fortunate enough to obtain a mentor during the academic phase of my PA program. I worked with her consistently throughout the year. During rotations, I was lucky enough to do two separate rotations with her at a family clinic. She has taught me a great deal about medicine and allowed me to become more confident when applying that knowledge independently in practical settings. She inspired me to perfect my patient education skills and she was phenomenal at doing so. I was able to observe the positive impact on patients' health solely from her education skills.
Rachelle's Feedback
Excellent answer! You show great enthusiasm and appreciation when discussing your mentor and the ways that she has enriched your professional path. Well said :)
Anonymous Answer
My mentor in healthcare is the pericardiologist who I worked for at Cleveland Clinic. I learned a lot from his professional experience. I was able to learn from him how to be resilient, manage priorities, work efficiently under stress, and is a great and kind leader. I was able to experience success under his supervision by having 15 publications and 3 professional presentations at international conferences.
Stephanie's Feedback
Great response! This is an excellent specific example of an individual who has mentored you and encouraged your professional success.
Anonymous Answer
My mentor was my former undergraduate advisor from Penn State University. She was also my general chemistry instructor.
Marcie's Feedback
Why did you choose her to be your mentor? What are some lessons you learned from her? How do you plan to implement those lessons in this new role?
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