70 Questions To Ask A Physician Assistant When Shadowing (2026 Guide)

Quick Answer

The best questions to ask a physician assistant when shadowing cover seven areas: their daily responsibilities, education and career path, patient interaction, teamwork with physicians and nurses, professional challenges, job satisfaction, and career growth. Start with “What does a typical day look like for you?” and “Why did you choose the PA profession?”, save your questions for breaks between patients, and never ask about a patient’s case in front of them.

Key Takeaways

• Shadowing shows PA programs that you understand the role. Hour requirements vary by program: some set no number, many recommend 20 to 80 hours, and about 40 hours is a common benchmark.
• The PA profession is growing fast. The BLS projects 21% job growth from 2025 to 2035, with median pay of $135,880 a year.
• You do not need to ask all 70 questions. Pick 8 to 10 that matter most to you and ask them during downtime.
• Respect patient privacy at all times. Do not ask about cases in front of patients or write down identifying details.
• Log every shadowing session right away, including the date, PA’s name, specialty, and hours. Shadowing is recorded separately from patient care experience in CASPA.

Shadowing a PA, or physician assistant, is one of the most valuable experiences for anyone considering a healthcare career. It gives you a firsthand look at the daily work and challenges PAs face. Asking the right questions during your shadowing experience deepens your understanding and helps you decide whether this career path is right for you. Below are 70 key questions to ask a physician assistant when shadowing, organized by category so you can cover every part of the profession. You may also see the title “physician associate,” which the American Academy of Physician Associates adopted in 2021 and which some states and programs now use.

Why Shadowing A PA Matters In 2026

Demand for PAs keeps rising. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, physician assistants earned a median of $135,880 in May 2025, held about 168,900 jobs, and are projected to see 21% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 11,500 openings each year. The profession passed a milestone at the end of 2025, when the NCCPA’s 2025 Statistical Profile of Board Certified PAs counted 201,038 board certified PAs in the United States.

That growth makes admission competitive. There are now 335 accredited PA programs, and 13,195 students matriculated in the 2024–25 CASPA cycle with an average GPA of 3.68. PAEA data show that matriculants with prior patient contact reported a median of 3,200 hours of patient care experience. Shadowing is how you prove to admissions committees, and to yourself, that you know what a PA really does. It also gives you specific stories for your personal statement and interviews.

How To Prepare Before You Shadow

• Research the specialty. Learn the basics of the clinic’s field so your questions go beyond what a quick search could answer.
• Complete any paperwork. Many clinics and hospitals require a confidentiality agreement, immunization records, or a short privacy training before you can observe.
• Dress professionally. Wear business casual and closed-toe shoes unless you are told to wear scrubs.
• Arrive early and put your phone away. Stay engaged, and take notes on paper only when no patient information is involved.
• Choose your questions in advance. Bring a short list of 8 to 10, and treat the conversation much like an informational interview.
• Time your questions. Ask between patients, at lunch, or at the end of the day, not during an exam or procedure.

10 Best Questions If You Are Short On Time

If you only get a few minutes with the PA, start with these ten picks from the full list below.

• What does a typical day look like for you?
• What made you choose the PA profession over medical school or nursing?
• How much of your day goes to charting and paperwork?
• What is your relationship with your supervising or collaborating physician?
• What specialty did you choose, and why?
• What are the biggest challenges in your job?
• How do you balance work and personal life?
• What do you enjoy most about working as a PA?
• What advice would you give someone choosing a PA school?
• What are the growth opportunities for PAs?

Questions About Daily Responsibilities

Understanding the daily tasks of a PA gives you a clear picture of what the job involves. These questions help you learn about their routine, patient load, and responsibilities.

1. What does a typical day look like for you?
2. How do you prioritize tasks on a busy day?
3. What types of patients do you see most often?
4. How much of your day goes to charting and paperwork?
5. What procedures do you perform most often?
6. How is your schedule set, and how much control do you have over it?
7. How do you prepare for patient visits?
8. What is the most challenging part of your day?
9. How do you stay organized throughout the day?
10. What role do you play in patient education?

What to listen for: Notice how much time goes to seeing patients compared with documentation, and how many patients the PA sees in a day. This tells you what the pace of the job really feels like.

Questions About Career Path And Education

Learning how a PA got to where they are can guide your own journey. These questions help you understand the steps and choices ahead. If you are still comparing healthcare careers, it also helps to look at other options, such as the physical therapy career path.

11. What was your educational path to becoming a PA?
12. How did you choose your PA program?
13. What advice would you give someone choosing a PA school?
14. How did you prepare for the PA school application process?
15. What made you choose the PA profession over medical school or nursing?
16. How important were clinical rotations during PA school?
17. What specialty did you choose, and why?
18. How did you land your first PA job?
19. What is the most valuable lesson you learned in PA school?
20. How do you keep up with continuing education and recertification?

What to listen for: Pay attention to what kind of patient care experience the PA had before school and what they would do differently. Their answers can save you time and money on your own application.

Questions About Patient Interaction

Patient interaction is at the heart of a PA’s job. These questions help you understand how PAs communicate with patients and the skills that takes.

21. How do you build rapport with patients?
22. What is the hardest part of communicating with patients?
23. How do you handle difficult patients?
24. How do you explain complex medical terms to patients?
25. How do you approach patient education?
26. What do you do to help patients follow their treatment plans?
27. How do you protect patient confidentiality day to day?
28. How do you manage patient expectations?
29. What is your role in discussing diagnoses with patients?
30. How do you support patients who are upset or emotional?

What to listen for: Watch how the PA adjusts their language and tone for each patient. Ask yourself whether you would enjoy this much direct contact with people every day.

Questions About Collaboration With Healthcare Teams

Collaboration is essential in healthcare. These questions help you understand how PAs work with physicians, nurses, and other professionals.

31. How do you collaborate with other healthcare professionals?
32. What is your relationship with your supervising or collaborating physician?
33. How do you handle disagreements with doctors?
34. How often do you consult with other specialists?
35. How do you coordinate care with nurses?
36. What role do you play in multidisciplinary teams?
37. How do you manage teamwork in a fast-paced environment?
38. How do you communicate with other team members during emergencies?
39. What are the biggest challenges in team collaboration?
40. How do you ensure continuity of care in your team?

What to listen for: PAs work alongside other healthcare professionals, and the level of independence varies by state, specialty, and employer. Listen for how decisions are shared and how much autonomy this PA has.

Questions About Professional Challenges

Every career has challenges, and working as a PA is no exception. These questions give you insight into the obstacles PAs face and how they handle them.

41. What are the biggest challenges in your job?
42. How do you handle stress in your role?
43. What is the most challenging case you’ve managed?
44. How do you stay updated with medical advancements?
45. How do you balance work and personal life?
46. What is the most frustrating part of your job?
47. How do you deal with burnout?
48. What do you do when faced with ethical dilemmas?
49. How do you manage patient dissatisfaction?
50. What do you do when you don’t know the answer to a patient’s question?

What to listen for: Honest answers about stress, workload, and burnout are some of the most useful things you will hear. They show you the hard parts of the career before you commit years of training to it.

Questions About Job Satisfaction And Fulfillment

Understanding job satisfaction helps you judge whether this career would be fulfilling for you. These questions reveal the rewarding side of PA work.

51. What do you enjoy most about working as a PA?
52. What motivates you to keep working in this field?
53. How do you find fulfillment in your job?
54. What are the most rewarding parts of your job?
55. How do you handle days when things don’t go as planned?
56. What makes a good day at work for you?
57. How do you maintain a positive attitude?
58. What do you love most about working with patients?
59. How do you feel your work impacts the community?
60. How do you measure your success as a PA?

What to listen for: Compare what motivates the PA with what motivates you. If their best days sound like days you would enjoy, that is a strong sign the career fits.

Questions About Career Growth And Opportunities

Career growth matters for long-term satisfaction. One advantage of the PA profession is flexibility: the NCCPA reports that 52.7% of PAs have changed specialties at least once, and the most common practice areas are surgical subspecialties (18.3%), family medicine and general practice (15.9%), and emergency medicine (10.4%). These questions help you understand the opportunities for advancement.

61. What are the growth opportunities for PAs?
62. How do you advance in your career as a PA?
63. What additional certifications are valuable for PAs?
64. How do you stay competitive in the job market?
65. Which specialties are most in demand for PAs right now?
66. How can a PA increase their earning potential?
67. What is your experience with leadership roles?
68. How do you plan for long-term career development?
69. What opportunities exist for PAs in non-clinical roles?
70. How do you network within the PA community?

What to listen for: Ask how the PA’s role has changed over the years and where they see it going. Their answers can help you sketch your own career development plan.

Questions To Avoid While Shadowing

• Anything about a patient while the patient is present. Save clinical questions for a private moment.
• Questions that reveal a patient’s identity. Do not ask for or write down names or other identifying details.
• Blunt salary questions. Instead of asking what the PA earns, ask how pay varies by specialty or setting.
• Requests for personal medical advice. You are there to observe, not to be treated.
• Criticism of other providers or professions. Keep comparisons respectful and curious.

What To Do After Shadowing

1. Log your hours the same day. Record the date, the PA’s name and contact details, the specialty, the setting, and the number of hours. You will need these for your CASPA application.
2. Write down what you learned. Note two or three moments that stood out, without any patient details. These become material for your personal statement.
3. Send a thank-you note within 24 hours. A short, specific message keeps the door open for more shadowing or a future recommendation letter.
4. Shadow in more than one specialty. Seeing primary care, surgery, and emergency medicine, for example, gives you a fuller view of the profession.
5. Start preparing for interviews. What you observe will help you answer common healthcare interview questions with real examples.

Conclusion

Shadowing a physician assistant is a unique chance to see the profession up close. Asking thoughtful questions deepens your understanding and helps you make an informed decision about your future. By covering the job from daily responsibilities to career growth, preparing in advance, and logging your hours carefully, you will leave with a clear sense of what it means to be a PA and stronger material for your PA school application.

FAQs