During the interview, I understand that typical questions would be why PT, etc., but I was wondering what questions does the interviewee usually ask the interviewer at the end of an interview? Are your questions usually about the school you're being interviewed for or the job itself? I was just wondering what are the general questions students have for the schools they apply to.
Interview Questions
- Thread starter rsdPT
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I wouldn't try to come up with general questions. Come up with one the interviewer is less likely to have heard. For example, at an interview I went to they had given us a page of bios of the faculty that were doing interviews that day. One of the profs that interviewed me was a very experienced burn specialist and had dedicated most of his career to this patient population, which is quite uncommon in PT. So I mentioned how the little bit of integumentary care I had seen in my shadowing was interesting and asked him to tell me about how he got into the burn care specialty and what it is like being a PT in that area, etc. The other prof interviewing me was the clinical ed coordinator for the program, and we had been told earlier in the day about how the school requires you to travel for one rotation. I hadn't gotten a chance to ask earlier, so I asked about what sort of sites, if any, students had gone to in Albuquerque, as this is where all my extended family lives. So I would try to come up with a unique question that is something you sincerely want to know the answer to during the course of the interview day somehow. Obviously have several canned backups (you could interview in a group and somebody could use yours) just in case you really can't come up with something better. But just asking what is this program's greatest strength or something lame like that isn't going to earn you any bonus points. If you are going to make it through PT school I hope you have enough brains to come up with a thoughtful question the interviewer hasn't heard 50 times. 🙂
Some programs will let you know ahead of time what faculty member will be interviewing you. If this is the case, look over their CV and read a few of their published articles. You can talk about their research, or their career path (how they ended up where they did, etc). Even if you don't know ahead of time, you can still ask the interviewer about themselves. Once they stop grilling you with the mandatory questions it can become more of a two-way conversation.
It is sometimes easier and more likely that you will have questions about the program. There are generally info sessions prior to the one-on-one, so you can ask for clarification about some aspect of the program. I've asked questions about service learning, international programs, scholarship opportunities, etc. Anything that sets that school apart from another PT program. One school had a larger class size, so I asked my interview about how they ensure the quality of education is the same.
It's my personal opinion that you should stay away from questions about the PT profession. Not that there aren't relevant questions, but to me, it could seem like you aren't that knowledgeable about PT. If you are interviewing at a program, you have hopefully already decided that PT is the career for you and you should have enough basic information. But like I said, that's just my opinion. I think questions like "what's your favorite thing about being a PT" or "what is your opinion on -insert PT topic-?" are questions you should be asking the PTs you shadow prior to attending an interview.
If you are attending a whole-day interview session or open house, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions outside of the one-on-one. Remember, at most programs, this is your chance to interview them and see if it is the right place for you. They should be trying to impress you just as much as you are trying to impress them.
It is sometimes easier and more likely that you will have questions about the program. There are generally info sessions prior to the one-on-one, so you can ask for clarification about some aspect of the program. I've asked questions about service learning, international programs, scholarship opportunities, etc. Anything that sets that school apart from another PT program. One school had a larger class size, so I asked my interview about how they ensure the quality of education is the same.
It's my personal opinion that you should stay away from questions about the PT profession. Not that there aren't relevant questions, but to me, it could seem like you aren't that knowledgeable about PT. If you are interviewing at a program, you have hopefully already decided that PT is the career for you and you should have enough basic information. But like I said, that's just my opinion. I think questions like "what's your favorite thing about being a PT" or "what is your opinion on -insert PT topic-?" are questions you should be asking the PTs you shadow prior to attending an interview.
If you are attending a whole-day interview session or open house, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions outside of the one-on-one. Remember, at most programs, this is your chance to interview them and see if it is the right place for you. They should be trying to impress you just as much as you are trying to impress them.
In general I agree. However I thought that asking about the pathway to becoming a PT who was a dedicated burn specialist (as I mentioned in my above post) was a good question because that is a pretty esoteric area of PT (and a field staffed mostly by nurses as far as I know).
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@knj27 I asked the same type of questions in that interview!
I specifically targeted something about each interviewer that I had remembered reading in their Bio and asked a question about that. I also read up on the faculty before I even went to the interview (I just did that the night before). Also, I think researching the program it self is helpful. If there are any new articles, achievements, or studies that are specific to that program.
The way I worded the question I asked was I stated that I had not had a chance to observe wound care but it was something I was very interested in seeing. The PT I shadowed in in-patient had told me it was a very intense procedure and I wondered what had caused him to choose burn rehabilitation and wound care. He then told me his story, which was very interesting, and I could tell he enjoyed telling it. You aren't asking a generalized question about PT, you are asking a personalized question about that specific PT. This shows that you are observant and interested in your interviewers and the career itself.
I specifically targeted something about each interviewer that I had remembered reading in their Bio and asked a question about that. I also read up on the faculty before I even went to the interview (I just did that the night before). Also, I think researching the program it self is helpful. If there are any new articles, achievements, or studies that are specific to that program.
The way I worded the question I asked was I stated that I had not had a chance to observe wound care but it was something I was very interested in seeing. The PT I shadowed in in-patient had told me it was a very intense procedure and I wondered what had caused him to choose burn rehabilitation and wound care. He then told me his story, which was very interesting, and I could tell he enjoyed telling it. You aren't asking a generalized question about PT, you are asking a personalized question about that specific PT. This shows that you are observant and interested in your interviewers and the career itself.
Nice! Guess it worked for both of us lol
