Physician Assistant Interview Questions – Flashcards

For as long as I could remember I have always wanted to practice medicine. After learning about PAs at a career forum and shadowing a PA, I knew this was the career for me because I would be able to do what I have always dreamed about in a shorter time than a physician and with more time outside of my career to have a life.

A PA is a mid-level provider who practice medicine as part of a healthcare team with a collaborating physicians or other providers or under supervision of a physician. They share patient care responsibility with the collaborating physician

PAs work under the supervision of or collaborating with a physician. They can take pt's medical Hx, examine/treat pt, make Dx, Rx medication, assist in surgery, counsel pt and perform minor procedures like suturing a laceration

PAs take a general medical examination called PANCE while NPs take an exam that is more specific to the focus field (i.e. pediatrics or geriatrics). To qualify for NP, one must have a BN. PAs must practice under supervision or with collaboration with a physician while NPs may be more independent and provide healthcare without doctor's supervision depending upon state laws, level of education and additional certifications/qualifications. The number of hours a PA works is in sync with their supervised physical while a NP can work solo and decide when and for how long they work

To practice, a PA must graduate from an accredited program and pass the national PA certifying exam (PANCE). It is required that a practicing PA must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years and be re-certify every 10 yrs. All PAs must practice with a collaborating physician; however, state laws dictate the extent of that relationship. There is The Six Key Elements of a Modern PA Practice Act from AAPA that each state has used to modify their approach to PA regulation. The 6 Key Elements are: 1) Licensure as regulatory term 2) Full prescriptive authority (determined at the practice level) 3) SCOPE OF PRACTICE DETERMINED AT THE PRACTICE LEVEL 4)ADAPTABLE COLLABORATION REQUIREMENTS 5) CO-SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS DETERMINED AT THE PRACTICE LEVEL 6) NUMBER OF PAS A PHYSICIAN MAY COLLABORATE WITH DETERMINED AT THE PRACTICE LEVEL Florida follows element 1,2 and 5

As many hours permitted depending on the workload of that week and my class schedules

1) Location: after being in South Florida for school and now working I've grown to admire and appreciate the communities that makes up SoFlo and I've grown to love and call it my home 2) Fits my own values: Integrity Diversity Competence Compassion Scholarship 3) Fits my goals; in particularly: Train students to serve South Florida's diverse population through a patient-centered curriculum that emphasizes medical and cultural competence. 4) The 27-month PA program is sponsored by Florida International University-Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. There is a chance that we would be able to collaborate with the medical school as we would in the career. Directly aligned with the goals of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine's 5-year plan. This plan deals with imparting knowledge through excellent teaching, promoting public service, discovering new knowledge, solving health problems by increasing the work force in the health care field, and fostering creativity. -The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation - Provisional status to the Florida International University Physician Assistant Program because it is a new school (2015) -MISSION: The mission of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Master in Physician Assistant Studies is to prepare a diverse workforce of master's-level primary care physician assistants to collaboratively practice with physicians and other members of the health care team.

Since finishing school, most days (4-5 days/week) I spend at work. When I am not at work, I like to spend time with friends, do research on things I may need or sit on my patio and read a nice book.

I expect 2-4 test and quizzes per week and I know I can handle the work load.

Yes I have a car. I live in Davie, Florida. My social support are my friends that I made while down here and they are close

I plan on joining the Air Force or Army to help pay off loans, otherwise I will take out federal loans with support from my family

The kind of stress I see associated with the PA profession is on how to manage life and career in a balance and healthy manner. Being a healthcare provider can be stressful in itself when dealing with fellow providers and patients while making sure you are being the best provider you can be.

Yes

While taking mainly science classes in undergraduate studies, I shadowed a PA in a local OB/GYN clinic where I was able to truly understand the importance of PA. After undergraduate, I went to obtain my masters in Biomedical Science which I believe was the best decision I made because it prepared me for the rigors workload that is to come in PA school. I also was able to shadow some physician to get an understanding of the difference between a PA and a physician. The biggest preparation I believe I received was from my current job as a medical scribe where I got a first hand understanding of the long work hours that is required of an ER provider and how continuing to educate yourself after completing the PA program is important to being a successful PA.

Yes. Obtaining my master's in biomedical science and working as a medical scribe

Not knowing his/her story, I can only speak on who I am. I have always been a hard worker and I fighter, which I contribute to being a student athlete for most of my life. I was able to participate in a D1 sport while working and going to school. With that I understand the meaning of working hard and balancing a heavy load. Understanding my flaws from my undergraduate studies, I knew I had to prove myself academically to increase my resume for PA school; so I applied to get a masters in biomedical sciences. From there I grow a new kind of confidence in myself that I lacked during my younger years. Overall, what makes me unique is my passion to strive for what I want and not giving up on my dreams to provide the best healthcare experience for the community.

I see the PA playing a crucial role in the healthcare system because they allow more pt's to be seen and tx'ed especially with the increasing demand of healthcare providers due to the growing population of elderly individuals. This is very valuable to areas that have little to no providers available to care for the community.

I am ready for the task. While working as a medical scribe, I am always on call when I do not work and I typically work 40-50 hours a week.

An interaction I had with a patient that impacted me was when I shadowed Dr. Pearlmutter at her clinic. Most of her pt's are elderly and it made me realize how many of the older population really requires medical attention. One pt expressed how grateful she was fro Dr. Pearlmutter who has been her PCP for many years. Dr. Pearlmutter showed that she cared for her pt's and I can see the appreciation the pt's had for her continued hard work she showed for her pt's.

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The most stressful academic situation I have been in was when I lost my uncle and then his wife shortly after. Both of them were like second parents to me and when they died, leaving my little cousins orphans, it truly hit me hard and I was in a slump for a some time. Even though my grades started to slip, I was able to pull myself together thanks to the support of my family and friends. I also knew that I would be disappointing them if I let myself fall out of school, so I was able to also self motivate myself to bring my GPA back up the next semester.

I usually talk it out with my family or friends. After talking it out, I find something that will take my mind off the stressor like working out, watching a movie or being around good company

The stress of constantly being on top of one's studies

The first educational program for physician assistants began in 1965 in response to a perceived shortage and maldistribution of physicians. As a response to address the health care delivery issues of the time, Dr. Eugene Stead, chairman of the Department of Medicine at Duke University, established a two-year program to formally educate "physician assistants". The physician assistants were trained to provide medical care to rural and other medically underserved populations with physician supervision. The PA concept has grown substantially in the past several decades. n the late 1990's a white paper developed by the Association of Physician Assistant Programs, recommended the move from undergraduate training to graduate level training.