As part of the application process for our MPAS Physician Associate Studies course, eligible candidates are required to attend an online interview. The interview is an opportunity for you to discuss your application in more detail, including why you are interested in becoming a physician associate.

We operate a gathered field approach, meaning candidates are considered alongside others applying for the same course. This allows us to assess the overall strength of the applicant pool. As a result, interviews for our MPAS Physician Associate Studies course will start at the end of January.

Interview outcomes will usually only be confirmed once all interviews have taken place, which is likely to be by the end of March. However, some candidates may be notified of the outcome of their interview earlier where appropriate.

Application and interview invitation

Once you have submitted your application via UCAS, it will be reviewed by our Admissions Team, who will consider your overall academic performance alongside your personal statement and reference. If your application meets our initial selection criteria, you will receive an email inviting you to book a date and time for your online interview. Your interview will take place via Microsoft Teams with a member of academic staff from the University of Reading’s School of Pharmacy.

Interview format

The interview is expected to last for approximately 30 minutes and will consist of two parts.

Part 1: Showing a form of photo ID to the camera to confirm your identity

Please have a form of photo ID ready to show to the camera at the start of your interview. This could be a passport, driving licence photocard (full or provisional), or an alternative form of photo ID issued by a trusted authority.

Part 2: Interview questions

The interview will include three types of questions: 

  • General questions designed to explore your motivations for applying to our MPAS Physician Associate Studies course, your understanding of the role of a physician associate, and the experiences that influenced your decision.
  • Questions about your experiences in a range of settings and how these demonstrate the personal attributes needed to work in healthcare. Please be prepared to provide examples of how you have responded to different situations, such as working as part of a team, taking on a leadership role, or demonstrating professional skills such as empathy and effective communication.
  • Situational judgement questions that present educational or health care scenarios and ask you to explain how you would respond.

Further information about the interview

  • For safeguarding and quality assurance purposes, all interviews will be recorded and retained until 31 August 2027 or for 90 days, whichever is shorter. These will be held securely and can only be accessed by departmental and school staff undertaking interviews for our MPAS Physician Associate Studies course. The recording will not be shared for any purposes other than safeguarding and quality assurance unless required by law. Please note that candidates are not permitted to make their own recordings of their interview.
  • You can ask your interviewer to repeat or clarify a question if needed. You can also ask for a question to be displayed on screen as text. These requests will not affect your performance score, and you will not be penalised for making them.
  • You may have a chaperone present in the room during your interview, such as a parent or guardian, teacher, or another family member. However, your chaperone must not discuss answers to questions with you or otherwise participate in or interfere with the interview. They must also not have applied to study MPAS Physician Associate Studies at the University of Reading in the current academic year.
  • The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is not permitted during the interview. All responses must be your own, based on your personal knowledge and experiences. Using AI to generate, formulate or communicate answers during your interview may result in the interview being discontinued and your application rejected.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in our admissions and interview processes. If you would like to request any specific requirements or adjustments around accessibility for your interview, please email mpasadmissions@reading.ac.uk. Please rest assured that requesting reasonable adjustments or having specific requirements will not affect the outcome of the interview, or our decision on whether you are offered a place on the course. 

When you can expect to receive the outcome of your interview

As we operate a gathered field approach, the interview outcomes will usually only be confirmed once all interviews have taken place, and this is likely to be by the end of March. However, some candidates may be notified of the outcome of their interview earlier where appropriate.

Questions?

If you have any questions about your interview, please email mpasadmissions@reading.ac.uk.

Additional guidance

To help you to prepare for your interview, you are welcome to access our free online course, Stress-Free University Interviews: Confidence-Building Tips and Success Strategies. This course is designed to help you recognise your strengths, build confidence, and practise useful interview techniques.