
How to Answer “What Motivates You?” in a Job Interview
The dreaded "What motivates you?" question. The bane of so many job interviews. Don't let it ruin your dreams! Learn how to reply to the "What motivates you" interview question.
This guide will show you a sample physician assistant resume you can copy, adjust, and use. Learn how to write the best PA resume, complete with expert tips and great examples.
Another job application sent out to no response. If only you could order a CAT scan for your resume to find out exactly what’s causing it to malfunction…
Time to treat your resume to some collaborative care. Between our expert advice and your excellent communication skills, we can vaccinate your physician assistant resume against failure once and for all.
This guide will show you:
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.
Targeting other assistant jobs in healthcare? Check the guides below:
Benjamin Butler, PA-C
NCCPA-Certified Physician Assistant
benji.butler@gmail.com
(718) 555-4321
linkedin.com/in/benjibutler
Summary of Qualifications
Personable and professional NCCPA-certified physician assistant with 3+ years expertise in busy, mid-sized clinic. Licensed and registered physician assistant in New York State, awarded 2018 AAPA/PAEA Preceptor of the Year, and AAPA member. Seeking to leverage successful treatment and care of over 500 patients with traumatic injuries and orthopedic emergencies to become the next physician assistant at Booth Memorial Hospital.
Work Experience
Orthopedic Surgery Physician Assistant
January 2016–March 2019
Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievements
Oncology Physician Assistant
January 2015–January 2016
Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, NY
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievements
Education
MS in Physician Assistant Studies
Stony Brook School of Health Technology and Management
Physician Associate Program
Completion: 2019
Relevant Coursework: Contemporary Issues in Health Care Delivery, Clinical Pharmacology, Principles and Practices of Clinical Prevention and Population Health, Research Writing for Health Professionals.
BS in Health Sciences: Professional Development & Advanced Patient Care
Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY
Graduation: 2016
Relevant Coursework: Medical Terminology, Healthcare Ethics, Medical Laws and Ethics, Clinical Medicine, Nutrition Support, Quantitative Methods, Pharmacology.
Key Skills
Certifications
Awards
Memberships
Languages
That was our physician assistant resume sample. Feel free to use it as a guide for writing your own!
Now, here’s how to write a physician assistant resume using our tips and tailored pa resume examples:
Whether at a busy city hospital or the local specialty clinic, physicians, surgeons, and medical assistants have structure in place to be safe and efficient.
Same here—a great PA resume format keeps everything organized and readable.
Follow these formatting rules:
Pro Tip: PDFs are the way to go unless they conflict with the hospital’s or clinic’s Applicant Tracking System. Check the job listing to find out for sure.
A PA resume objective or summary is also called a resume profile. This introductory paragraph is 3 to 4 lines long and gives hospital hiring managers a quick look at your background, skills, work experience, and career goals.
Like the siren of an incoming ambulance, it has to grab the reader’s attention effectively.
Use the resume summary if you have more than 2 years of PA experience. This intro paragraph summarizes your medical skills and hospital experience. It includes a key physician assistant accomplishment with numbers to prove you’re the top candidate.
Use the resume objective when you have little experience as a physician assistant. The career objective states your healthcare vocational goals, and it also gives a numbered win to prove your medical and emergency skills.
Pro Tip: The physician assistant resume objective or summary goes on top, but save it for the end. It’s difficult to “sum up” a PA resume if you haven’t even written it yet!
Whether specializing in vascular surgery, dermatology, or neurosurgery, the work history section is important to get right.
So, here’s how to master physician assistant job descriptions in your pa resume:
Pro Tip: If you don’t have physician assistant experience, add any residency or classroom hours from during your studies. Skip the least relevant jobs you had, like working as a barista or computer programmer—irrelevant.
The education section on a physician assistant resume is crucial to get right, whether in general surgery or cardiothoracic surgery.
Keep these academic section rules in mind to get it right:
Pro Tip: Relevant coursework for physician assistant jobs include first those closest to your specialty (e.g., pathology, critical care medicine, general surgery). If you have room, add some secondary specialties, followed by general medicine classes.
Don’t let your PA resume be like an injection—in vein. Instead—show them your bedside manner is up to par by listing the best physician assistant resume skills:
However, don’t just copy-paste this list and throw your surgical gloves in the bin.
Do this instead:
Finally, appease the ATS.
Larger clinics and hospital systems use applicant tracking systems to manage the barrage of medical resumes they take in each day.
This HR software lets hiring staff scan your resume for physician assistants into their system, search for specific keywords, and delivers a score based on its match to the job ad.
No match, no job!
Pro Tip: Patients will love your friendliness, but keep the soft skills down to a minimum. Physicians and head doctors worry more about your hard skills and abilities.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, our free resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.
You now have the makings of a great physician assistant’s resume, with a compelling intro, relevant experience, impressive achievements, and awesome skills.
However, mind that all the other physician assistant applicants have those same resume sections. How to make your physician assistant resume sample call out for attention? Add extra resume sections as individual as you are.
Here are some great additions to a resume for physician assistant jobs:
Pro Tip: Medical certificates on your resume are super important, so don’t forget to give them their own section for prominence.
Always turn in a cover letter along with your resume. More than 50% of employers say physician assistant resumes themselves aren’t enough.
So whether it’s dermatology, urgent care, emergency medicine, or surgery, here’s how to write a cover letter for PA jobs they’ll love:
Also, we’ve got some great cover letter tips to help you along. Check them out!
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to follow up on your job application. Shooting off a quick email or making a brief call might just be what gets you hired.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
So, that’s it. You’ve now got a physician assistant resume that’s as healthy as they get!
Got any questions on how to write a resume physician assistant hospitals love? Not sure how to talk about medical skills or doctoral achievements? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!
This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.
The dreaded "What motivates you?" question. The bane of so many job interviews. Don't let it ruin your dreams! Learn how to reply to the "What motivates you" interview question.
Online jobs are all the rage now. Learn how to find remote jobs and work from home or the cafe. Over 80 examples, salaries & 15+ online job boards included!
You worked hard to make a bright future for you and your patients. Now it’s time for the payoff. But you’ll need to get hired first. Make it happen with this doctor resume sample.