1) August, 2013
The School: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis, TN.Components: Short essay and one 10-minute interview
My Experience: I showed up in my black skirt suit, turquoise blouse, nude shoes and pantyhose (the same outfit I wore to all six interviews). The men were all looking sharp in their suits, but the women around me looked anything but professional in poorly fitting suits or casual, revealing outfits. We had no group portion, no information session, and no tour. I was interviewed by two administrators who were also PAs. The main interviewer had his game face on, showed no emotion and provided no conversation or feedback. Instead of asking about my health care experience or any thing else merit-based, he simply grilled me on whether I was really going to attend this school. “You’re a great applicant, and you’ll have multiple acceptances. How do we know you'll come here?” I was prepared for this and gave lots of reasons, the least of which was that Tennessee is my home state and my dad is a professor at UT Knoxville. They asked this question at least 5 times in different ways and I spent the entire session trying to convince them that I really wanted to go to school there.
Finally when it was my turn to ask questions, I asked a lot since there was little information on their brand new website. When I asked about the clinical year, the stone-faced interviewer finally livened up to tell me about the locations and preceptors. I was very impressed by all of his answers and told them so. I hand wrote nice and enthusiastic thank you notes to both of them.
Result: Rejected. If they rejected me based on merit, it is frustrating that they didn't ask me a single question about my experiences or qualifications, so they didn't use this interview to air those problems. Alternatively, they may have been convinced I didn't want to attend... apparently driving 12 hours each way was not enough proof.
What I learned: ***Sell yourself*** Do not wait for them to
prompt you to talk about your experiences. That may never happen. I made a list
of things I wish I had told them and I studied it, added to it, and used it in
all my future interviews.
2) September, 2013
The School: Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, PA.
Components: Science test (yes, really!), essay, one interview, tour
Components: Science test (yes, really!), essay, one interview, tour
Interview: This was by far the oddest interview experience I have had. I was interviewed by two amiable professors. I noticed that other applicants interviewed for 10-15 minutes, but I was in there for at least
30. This was the only school (of six) that asked about my disciplinary probation in college. (background: I attended a Christian college with rules that nobody in the secular
world cares about, and it was a
really abusive experience with the administration. I later received an apology from the school for how I
was treated and I helped reshaped their policies. I wrote about all of that in my narrative for PA school, making it fair game for the interview.) One of my interviewers, a self-proclaimed church-goer, framed it as if I was being rebellious, testing the waters, and pushing a little
too far. Instead of getting defensive, I just responded that I learned a lot, made positive changes in the school, and I am much more mature at the age of 24 than I was at 19.
Then it got worse. I nodded and smiled as they talked about their church lives, which I apparently had invited them to talk about by merit of attending a Christian school. It became apparent that they assumed I was one of them, and a pro-life, submissive, doting housewife. Clearly, because my husband is in seminary and I went to a Christian college, we must be super conservative fundamentalists. Well, surprise! We are not. In fact, my husband might be a bigger feminist than I. They asked me to consider a scenario in which I am a PA and my husband is the pastor of a local church. In this scenario, a mother from our church comes into my office to ask for a referral for her 15 year old daughter to get an abortion. "Now, think about how your husband would feel about you taking part in that, not to mention the entire church community," they said. "How would you deal with the emotional turmoil this situation puts you in and the repercussions you might face?” I hate that this question assumes I hold certain religious, political, and moral affiliations; I hate that it assumes my husband has control over my career or that I should care what some crazy church people think; I think the way he asked it was completely inappropriate. I couldn't tell him any of that without offense, so I told them that I think my patients should have access to all information for all legally available options, including abortion, and I would never allow my personal life to affect the care my patients receive.
Then it got worse. I nodded and smiled as they talked about their church lives, which I apparently had invited them to talk about by merit of attending a Christian school. It became apparent that they assumed I was one of them, and a pro-life, submissive, doting housewife. Clearly, because my husband is in seminary and I went to a Christian college, we must be super conservative fundamentalists. Well, surprise! We are not. In fact, my husband might be a bigger feminist than I. They asked me to consider a scenario in which I am a PA and my husband is the pastor of a local church. In this scenario, a mother from our church comes into my office to ask for a referral for her 15 year old daughter to get an abortion. "Now, think about how your husband would feel about you taking part in that, not to mention the entire church community," they said. "How would you deal with the emotional turmoil this situation puts you in and the repercussions you might face?” I hate that this question assumes I hold certain religious, political, and moral affiliations; I hate that it assumes my husband has control over my career or that I should care what some crazy church people think; I think the way he asked it was completely inappropriate. I couldn't tell him any of that without offense, so I told them that I think my patients should have access to all information for all legally available options, including abortion, and I would never allow my personal life to affect the care my patients receive.
In an unexpected turn of events, the question immediately after came from the other interviewer, who I think was trying to save me from this heavy, dark pit of an interview: "If you could wear any
costume for the rest of your life, what would it be?" After
the stress and depth of thought for the previous questions, I literally could
not come up with one single costume to just blurt out.
I laughed nervously and mumbled something about how scrubs were comfy. Oddly enough, I think this silly question is the one that killed my chances, not the crazy religious talk. I think she was offering me a life line, but I was so stuck in the seriousness that I couldn't pull myself out of the muck.
Result: They didn't accept me, but "retained my application" to make a decision in March. I never responded to that decision. I suppose if I had wanted to pursue that school, I should have sent a letter of intent. I don't remember if I received a rejection letter eventually, but I never got accepted.
Big mistake #1: When I was trying to clue them in to STOP assuming I’m super conservative, I said something about “not getting along with" my classmates at the Christian college. That wasn't what I meant! I meant that I have different values than the people they are wrongly associating me with. But who wants to accept someone who just said they are difficult to get along with? I'm surprised they "retained my application" at all!
Big mistake #2: miserably failing to answer the stupid, easy costume question.
3) October, 2013
The School: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Boston.
Components: Essay, sample lecture, individual prerequisite review, tour, and three 10-minute interviews
My Experience: This school was an absolute breath of fresh air given my previous interviews. They were SO nice. They fed us lunch while we hung out with current students. A professor gave a sample lecture, which was fantastic. I could tell they really value their students and care about our education and well-being. They honestly made me want to go to school there. Fun fact: the anatomy lab is inside Harvard Medical School.
All three interviews had the same vibe: upbeat, on topic, supportive. No dumb questions and no tricks. During my last interview, they asked if there was anything else I wanted them to know about me. BAM! I gave her three concrete things that set me apart, let her know I was already seriously thinking about my PA career, and incorporated my background in law. I sent really nice thank you e-mails to everyone, including the program director.
Components: Essay, sample lecture, individual prerequisite review, tour, and three 10-minute interviews
My Experience: This school was an absolute breath of fresh air given my previous interviews. They were SO nice. They fed us lunch while we hung out with current students. A professor gave a sample lecture, which was fantastic. I could tell they really value their students and care about our education and well-being. They honestly made me want to go to school there. Fun fact: the anatomy lab is inside Harvard Medical School.
All three interviews had the same vibe: upbeat, on topic, supportive. No dumb questions and no tricks. During my last interview, they asked if there was anything else I wanted them to know about me. BAM! I gave her three concrete things that set me apart, let her know I was already seriously thinking about my PA career, and incorporated my background in law. I sent really nice thank you e-mails to everyone, including the program director.
Result: They accepted me! They said I should hear back in a
month, but it took 6 weeks.
What I learned: It pays to prepare to sell yourself. Also, some schools are way cooler than others.
4) December, 2013
The School: University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB).
Components: Group activity, essay, tour, two 10-minute interviews
My experience: This is a sad one. I almost
cancelled this interview because it was during my exam week in December, I didn't have any strong feelings about the school, and it is very expensive out-of-state. But,
because it is a top 25 school, I made the time. Well, after being there for all of 15 minutes, I knew this was the only place for me and I didn't want to consider any other school. I would forsake family, friends, health, and beauty for this school. They used to be a surgical assistant school so they retain a unique focus on surgical skills. They have a live pig lab. This is grey's anatomy, Owen Hunt style. I knew that this would give me an edge in my career, no matter what field I wanted to go into.
Group exercise: This was fun. My group of 6 was prompted with a problem and had to talk through the possible solutions and come up with a unanimous plan. No one was loud and controlling
and no one was shy; the instructor even said we had the "best group dynamics [she had] seen all day" (note that this is positive feedback #1).
Interviews: Then my first interviewer said that my essay was the "best [he had] read all day" and that I "must have a writing background" (positive feedback #2). He also said interviewing me was "easy" because I had great grades and nothing suspicious like withdrawals, etc (positive feedback #3). Then he asked me if I had been accepted anywhere, and I said yes, but that UAB's program is completely unique and I was so impressed and excited about it. My second interview of the day was great as well, and then the day was over and I just thought, “Wow, this is MY school!” They said that they interview about 150 people, and offer spots to about 90 of us. Those are great odds. I thought I couldn’t lose, considering all the aforementioned positive feedback. I overheard someone say that we should be notified within the week.
Interviews: Then my first interviewer said that my essay was the "best [he had] read all day" and that I "must have a writing background" (positive feedback #2). He also said interviewing me was "easy" because I had great grades and nothing suspicious like withdrawals, etc (positive feedback #3). Then he asked me if I had been accepted anywhere, and I said yes, but that UAB's program is completely unique and I was so impressed and excited about it. My second interview of the day was great as well, and then the day was over and I just thought, “Wow, this is MY school!” They said that they interview about 150 people, and offer spots to about 90 of us. Those are great odds. I thought I couldn’t lose, considering all the aforementioned positive feedback. I overheard someone say that we should be notified within the week.
Result: I did not get notified within the week. Or two
weeks. After about three weeks, I got a small letter in the mail. Rejected. This definitely hurt the most, by far, because I was hooked. They made me care and they convinced that I had nailed it! Oh, the heart break!
What I learned: I have plenty of ideas about why UTHSC and
Lock Haven didn’t accept me, but I will never know why UAB rejected me. Of all 6 interviews, that was my absolute best performance, and I was still turned down. It just goes to show that the interview is not all that matters. You need to be the whole package, and I must have been beat out by other applicants' grades, health care experiences, etc. Perhaps not having residency in Alabama played a role, since most state schools are required to admit a certain percentage from within the state, and that's out of my control. I just keep telling myself that it would have cost exactly twice as much to attend UAB compared to where I ended up. That soothes the heartbreak a little.
5) January, 2014
The School: Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS) in Roanoke, VA.Components: presentation, tour, interview, essay, group activity
My Experience: Jefferson College was one of 3 schools that I continually checked in with as I was completing prerequisistes to make sure I met their requirements. I was offered a spot at their November interviews, but I had to postpone because of a chemistry test (I can't believe that's my excuse, but my professor had no empathy). First of all, Roanoke is awesome. It's an adorable small city right on the Appalachian Trail with endless community festivals. Jefferson is owned by the Carilion hospital system and classes are held inside a hospital. There are no sparkly new classrooms, but the panoramic view of the mountains is priceless (update: they do now have a sparkly, new, state of the art anatomy lab). It is the oldest PA school in Virginia and is not overshadowed by a medical school sharing the same campus. The professors were nice and quirky, and the
current students were helpful and hilarious.
Group exercise: I only felt so-so about this portion. I went in with two male applicants. We were presented with several scenarios/problems which we had to discuss and create a unanimous plan. One person was to present the plan once we had a consensus. The first scenario had ethical components to it and my opinion differed from the guys'. I did a good job of asking them questions, understanding their positions, and explaining my own. They were both respectful and thoughtful as well, and after a few minutes I was still the dissenting opinion. I said I respected their opinions and thought it was a good call, just not the one I would make on my own, and I agreed to assist in carrying out their plan since I was outvoted. I am proud of myself for standing my ground (especially because I think I was legally correct in this scenario), yet I still cooperated with the team when it was time to make a decision. I think that is a quality that is necessary in a PA, since we don’t always get to call the shots. After that, we did a second scenario that the other guy presented. Then we were out of time, which meant that I was the only person who didn't get to do the presenting part. Admittedly, I was a little concerned about that.
Group exercise: I only felt so-so about this portion. I went in with two male applicants. We were presented with several scenarios/problems which we had to discuss and create a unanimous plan. One person was to present the plan once we had a consensus. The first scenario had ethical components to it and my opinion differed from the guys'. I did a good job of asking them questions, understanding their positions, and explaining my own. They were both respectful and thoughtful as well, and after a few minutes I was still the dissenting opinion. I said I respected their opinions and thought it was a good call, just not the one I would make on my own, and I agreed to assist in carrying out their plan since I was outvoted. I am proud of myself for standing my ground (especially because I think I was legally correct in this scenario), yet I still cooperated with the team when it was time to make a decision. I think that is a quality that is necessary in a PA, since we don’t always get to call the shots. After that, we did a second scenario that the other guy presented. Then we were out of time, which meant that I was the only person who didn't get to do the presenting part. Admittedly, I was a little concerned about that.
Interview: The interview was not the best I have had, but also not
bad. The two interviewers and I talked about my health care experience and, as usual, I was glad that I was prepared to sell myself. I did not feel like we really connected, though, and when I got back to the break room I realized that I was the first
student out. I felt nervous that my interview was over so quickly. But then, one of my interviewers
came into the room for a brownie and we started chatting. The other one showed
up too. We talked about all sorts of random things like bluegrass, and I was glad for the extra, unstructured time to make a good impression.
Result:
They told me by e-mail 4 days later that I was accepted!
What I Learned:
1) Use every opportunity you get: the whole day is the interview.
2) Don't give in to peer pressure. Go with your instincts about what is appropriate.
2) Don't give in to peer pressure. Go with your instincts about what is appropriate.
3) While some schools may reject you when you have a stellar
interview day, other schools accept you even with a so-so interview day.
6) January 2014
6) January 2014
The School: East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, NC.
Components: essay, tour, 8 mini-interviews
My Experience: My main complaint about ECU is that they never pitched their school to me. They gave no information session about the curriculum or rotations at all. I had tons of questions lined up, some of which I got answered during the brief breaks, but this was unofficial, rushed, and secondary to their interview activities.
Components: essay, tour, 8 mini-interviews
My Experience: My main complaint about ECU is that they never pitched their school to me. They gave no information session about the curriculum or rotations at all. I had tons of questions lined up, some of which I got answered during the brief breaks, but this was unofficial, rushed, and secondary to their interview activities.
I signed a statement saying I would not reveal any specifics about the interview day (this is the only school that asked me to do this). The invitation letter revealed that there are 8 mini-interviews, so I assume I am allowed to share that
much. This is a common interview technique known as the "multiple mini interview," or MMI. They consisted of different questions and scenarios; I suggest searching google for examples. I felt like a total rock star for some of the activities and a complete idiot for others, but I took solace in the fact that no one was prepared. I will let you all have that peace of knowing the same will be
true for you.
Result: I
didn't hear from them for a while. A friend who interviewed with me was accepted 4 weeks later. I don't remember how many months went by before they officially rejected me.
What I learned:
Ask yourself what you need to know about each
school to make a decision and try get these questions answered on the day of the interview. If I had been accepted, I wouldn't have known what to do since they gave us no information about the school.
Thank you so much for this!
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