Be ready when PA General Surgery interviewers ask one question deeper

Question practice

Questions drawn from the realities of PA General Surgery

Practise explaining the clinical decisions, patient conversations and career experiences that matter in PA General Surgery—then handle follow-ups that ask for evidence behind your first answer.

1. 01

   Discuss a time you had to adapt quickly to an unexpected change in a general surgery patient's condition or an intraoperative finding.

2. 02

   A patient is admitted for elective ventral hernia repair; what key elements would you include in your preoperative assessment and patient education?

3. 03

   How do you ensure effective communication and coordination with ancillary services, such as physical therapy, dietary, or wound care, for your surgical patients?

4. 04

   A patient with a complex surgical problem and poor prognosis requests to undergo an experimental surgical procedure not yet FDA approved; how do you ethically counsel this patient and communicate their wishes to the surgical team?

5. 05

   How might a PA fellow contribute to research projects within a busy academic general surgery department?

6. 06

   What questions do you have for us about the daily life of a General Surgery PA fellow, the learning environment, or the specific expectations of our program?