Top 9 Questions As A Physical Therapist Assistant You Should Ask During An Interview

When it comes to working in the medical field, there are a lot of things to consider when interviewing for a job. The following is a list of questions for you to ask your interviewer that will help you decide whether this job is one that you’re going to love, or if it will lead to a new job search six months to a year from now.

1. “Why Are You Hiring?”

There’s a difference between a company that’s experiencing growth and looking to add a clinician to keep up with its success, and a clinic that’s burned through its last couple clinicians. Things happen, yes, but knowing why a business is hiring can give insight into the health and trajectory of the business. This is huge to know for your future! It’s not being too up front but it is giving you insight on the position they are hiring for.

2. “What Mentorship Opportunities Will Be Available?”

Starting your first day on the job by getting thrown into patient care, can be a jarring experience. While on boarding can vary from company to company as well as setting, there’s no “right answer” for how a company plans to ramp up a new employee. Likewise, if there’s no plan, that may be a sign of the lack of planning you are likely to experience going forward. As a new grad or new to the setting, this is going to be the cause of headaches and even more frustration.

Companies that have a specific intentional mentorship program offer an indication that they prioritize and recognize the value of mentorship in their clinician’s success. They will mention this right off in the interview. If they have such a program, it will come with objectives, a scheduled curriculum, and resources for the mentee to bring and ask questions to their clinic mentor. Some companies have a mentorship program that has to be completed in 6 months to 1 year. In some companies, you are on your own. Every company is different, and you just have to keep searching until you strike gold.

If you desire a connection with a mentor, make sure the person in that role is someone you see yourself connecting with regularly. If you would rather focus on self-study, ask if they offer subscriptions to journals, continuing education in a web based program like medbridge, or if there is an allotted money amount for continuing education. Everyone learns and grows differently so making sure you ask these questions can show you are eager to grow!

3. “Will I Be Treating My Own Consistent Caseload? Will I Be Treating in a Consistent Location?” 

As a provider looking to grow your expertise, constantly seeing different patients and getting bounced around to different locations can limit your ability to see progress and create frustration for both you and your patients. You want stability and a routine. Learning what you can expect early on will help you determine if the business will provide the clinical experience you’re looking for. Depending on your setting, you may actually want some variety in locations but mention this if they bring it up. Matching expectations and desires is key to finding the right role for you. I was someone who always said yes and was willing to help out another location so it always came back to bite me that when there was a spot to be filled, they assumed I would fill it. It’s wise to set your expectations and wishes up front.

4. “What’s The Expected Caseload?”

Workload and support are important to overlay with your salary requirements. Find out early on what the expectations will be and figure that into discussions about compensation if and when the time comes. When I had to split my time between clinics I was granted mileage since the other clinic was double the distance from my house. Know what the expectations are of how many patients they want you to see everyday or weekly, how many units you need to bill, and what your expected work hours would be.

This is also a time to determine how the schedule works. Will you be expected to treat multiple patients at a time and perform group treatments? If you do see multiple patients, what is the protocol to ensure that ethical billing is occurring? It’s important to know all the details so everyone is on the same page.

5. “What EMR System Do You Use? 

Asking about documentation requirements and what type of EMR system they utilize can make a big difference in how your day flows. Using a fluid EMR software that allows you to keep up with documentation throughout the day and easy to navigate will be a huge stress reliever.

You want to ask about the expectation of do you get a lunch break and is expected that you document through lunch or stay late to finish documentation? If they answer these questions honestly then you knowing that expectation can help when considering if this job is the right fit. It can also be a selling point if you have utilized their documentation system before in a clinical or other position, because they will know that you do not need as much training on how to use it.

6. “What Unique Treatment Philosophies Do They Promote? 

Even if the clinic sees the population of patients you are most passionate about, be sure the overall treatment philosophy matches your interests and values. You want to find a place that is going to add fuel to your fire, not try to distinguish it. If you’re looking to pursue a specific certification, ask what kind of support will be offered for you to accomplish such a goal. They might give the support or they might not. Luckily when I moved clinics, the new clinic wasn’t seeing a population that I was skilled in treating but they gave me the opportunity to teach and train my coworkers so we all can serve that population. I felt valued and innovative that I could make such an impact and continue to grow the practice.

As a professional looking for a place to hone their skills and grow their career, it’s important to assess if your potential new employer makes an effort to stay current with the changes. Is the clinic dynamic and have cutting edge ideas? Or do they seem to always be implementing the newest Instagram fads but not actually caring about the patients?

Taking the time to reflect on this prior will you determine what your future holds if you work at this clinic. You don’t want to be bored but you also don’t want to be left behind in what’s coming soon.

8. “What Are Opportunities For Growth?”

Whether you want to accelerate your career and move up the chain or settle in and refine your skills for a few years, make sure those expectations are a match with what the company has to offer. Having options is always a good thing; however, mismatched expectations can lead to frustration and resentment down the line. I decided to leave my clinic after serving there for 5 years. I felt I reached my potential at that clinic and was ready to expand my knowledge, gain skills and take the leap into a brighter future. With that leap, I was able to help mentor new grad PT’s, market my clinic to local doctors and referral sources, build a vestibular/concussion program, become assistant manager and become a more proficient clinician myself. You never know when or where growth can happen, so keep your eyes open to possibilities. If this company has the tools for you, it might be worth taking the leap.

9. “Can You Talk To The Staff? Can You Shadow For A Few Hours To See The Clinic In Action?”

Asking about the ability to shadow gives you an opportunity to see how the clinic runs, operates, and ask questions to their staff and patients. If this is going to be your new work place, you want to see how the daily functions run.  Most people forget to ask if they can shadow in the clinic for a few hours but it’s extremely helpful to make sure if this is the right setting for you.

Questions I would ask the other staff during my shadowing:

1. Do they feel their contributions are valued?
2. Do they eat lunch together?
3. Do they ever have any team building or group functions?
4. How do they all work together?

At the end of your interview, the interviewer might ask if you have any questions, I would ask at least 2 questions. This kind of preparation will also help clear the air on anything you didn’t discuss.

Keep in mind that you got into, and made it through, your strict and fast paced program. Kudos to you!

Navigating the job interview process is the easy part! The questions you ask—not the salary or benefits offered—will be your best resource in deciding if you will really love this job. Think of it like this, with most of us spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime, it is essential to make sure you are going to be happy. The things that will lead to you loving your new job are the connections with your work, your teammates, and your patients, and a solid match between the goals of the business and the goals you have for yourself. If they don’t match, it’s probably best to keep looking.