Physician Assistant Interview Questions & Answers

Physician assistants practice medicine on teams with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers.

Interviewers look for candidates that demonstrate excellent skills such as:

• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Attention to detail
• Compassion
• Emotional stability

In this blog, we discuss commonly asked interview questions during job interviews for Physician Assistant positions. We also discuss the qualities that interviewers look for in successful candidates. In other words, we’re here to help you out!

Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Skills Interviewers Look For In Successful Candidates

Below we discuss the skills you can highlight in your answers to demonstrate that you’re qualified for the job.

Communication skills

Why interviewers are interested in your communication skills:

Physician assistants must explain complex medical issues in a way that patients can understand. They must also effectively communicate with doctors and other healthcare workers to ensure that they provide the best possible patient care.

Learn more about communication interview questions and how to answer them!

Compassion

Why interviewers are interested in how compassionate you are:

Physician assistants deal with patients who are sick or injured and may be in extreme pain or distress. They must treat patients and their families with compassion and understanding.

Attention to detail

Why interviewers are interested in your attention to detail:

Physician assistants should be observant and have a strong ability to focus when evaluating and treating patients.

Emotional stability

Why interviewers are interested in your emotional stability:

Physician assistants, particularly those working in surgery or emergency medicine, should work well under pressure. They must remain calm in stressful situations in order to provide quality care.

Problem-solving skills

Why interviewers are interested in your problem-solving skills:

Physician assistants need to evaluate patients’ symptoms and administer the appropriate treatments. They must be diligent when investigating complicated medical issues so they can determine the best course of treatment for each patient.

Learn more about problem-solving interview questions and how to answer them!

(source: bls.gov)

Physician Assistant Job Interview Questions & Answers

During a job interview, the hiring manager wants to discuss several things. Think of your:

• Employment history
• Skills and abilities
• Accomplishments
• Job qualifications
• Educational background
• Career goals
• Personality

Below you find a list of commonly asked interview questions.

Examples Of General Physician Assistant Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How would you describe yourself?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What interests you about this position?
5. Walk me through your resume.
6. What motivates you?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Describe your work ethic.
9. What is your greatest strength?
10. How does your experience qualify you for this job?
11. What is your greatest weakness?
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
13. Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
14. What are your expectations for this position?
15. What are your career goals?
16. Why should we hire you?
17. What did you like most about your last position?
18. What did you like least about your last position?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Learn how to answer these common job interview questions!

Examples Of Specific Physician Assistant Behavioral Interview Questions

Learn more about answering behavioral interview questions by using the STAR interview technique.

1. Are you able to work under pressure? Can you give me an example that demonstrates your stress-management skills?
2. Walk me through your experience with performing physical exams. Can you give me an example?
3. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague. What happened, and how did you solve it?
4. How would you rate your communication skills? Give me an example of how you effectively communicate with doctors and other healthcare workers to ensure that you provide the best possible patient care.
5. Describe a time you had to deal with an angry or upset patient. What happened, and how did you handle the situation?
6. How would you handle a situation where a patient refuses necessary care?
7. Give me an example of what actions you took to improve patient safety.
8. Can you give me an example of how you overcome the challenge of working as a physician assistant (i.e., long hours, stress)?
9. Tell me about how you keep patient families informed about the health condition of a patient?.
10. Give me an example of how you deal with emergencies that happen as you’re assisting another patient.

Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer during your job interview.