Health Professional School Interview Workshop MSU Preprofessional Advising Team Janae Currington, M.Ed. Juan Flores, MSW Heidi Lang, M.A., L.P.C. Heidi Purdy, M.A.

Purpose of the Interview To get to know you beyond the numbers To assess your ability to interact with people To evaluate your maturity and motivation To set you apart from the rest To assess your fit with the program To answer your questions about the program Remember: YOU are interviewing the schools as well!

To get to know you beyond the numbers

To assess your ability to interact with people

To evaluate your maturity and motivation

To set you apart from the rest

To assess your fit with the program

To answer your questions about the program

Remember: YOU are interviewing the schools as well!

Interviewing Styles 1:1 Panel Blind Partial Blind Open Behavior-Based Multiple Mini Interview (U of Cincinnati Medical School & U of Michigan Dental School)

1:1

Panel

Blind

Partial Blind

Open

Behavior-Based

Multiple Mini Interview (U of Cincinnati Medical School & U of Michigan Dental School)

“ Typical” Interview Questions Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to be a _______? Why is our school a good fit for you? What are some concerns you have about this program? Name three strengths and three weaknesses.

Tell me about yourself.

Why do you want to be a _______?

Why is our school a good fit for you?

What are some concerns you have about this program?

Name three strengths and three weaknesses.

Healthcare Interview Questions What are some of the issues presently confronting the field? Choose any ethical topic (abortion, genetics, etc) and tell me what you think about it? What do you hope to gain from your education? What are some disadvantages to becoming a _________? If you had a patient addicted to narcotics what would you do? What about this profession does not agree with your personality?

What are some of the issues presently confronting the field?

Choose any ethical topic (abortion, genetics, etc) and tell me what you think about it?

What do you hope to gain from your education?

What are some disadvantages to becoming a _________?

If you had a patient addicted to narcotics what would you do?

What about this profession does not agree with your personality?

Specific Questions to Application Why this school, when you live in _____? You don’t have a significant science background, how do you think you’ll handle medical school? How did you become interested in culinary arts/food and wine? You have a busy life, what do you do to relax? You’ve done a lot of volunteering, can you explain a difficult situation you encountered while volunteering at _____ hospital? You were a restaurant manager, describe a particularly difficult customer encounter? Do you see a connection between restaurant management and being a physician? In your personal statement, you mentioned ________. Could you tell me more about that?

Why this school, when you live in _____?

You don’t have a significant science background, how do you think you’ll handle medical school?

How did you become interested in culinary arts/food and wine?

You have a busy life, what do you do to relax?

You’ve done a lot of volunteering, can you explain a difficult situation you encountered while volunteering at _____ hospital?

You were a restaurant manager, describe a particularly difficult customer encounter?

Do you see a connection between restaurant management and being a physician?

In your personal statement, you mentioned ________. Could you tell me more about that?

Non-Traditional Applicant Questions You’ve been out of school for awhile, why medicine now? How do you know? How do you know you won’t grow bored with medicine as you have with other jobs? What triggered the change of careers?

You’ve been out of school for awhile, why medicine now? How do you know?

How do you know you won’t grow bored with medicine as you have with other jobs?

What triggered the change of careers?

“ Random” Interview Questions If someone came in to the ER with ______ condition, what would be the first steps you would consider taking? What interests do you have outside of school? How do you handle disappointment? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? If you could invite three people to dinner, (living or dead) who would they be? If you don’t get in to your chosen field, what else would you do? What does integrity mean to you? What is the last non-academic book you read?

If someone came in to the ER with ______ condition, what would be the first steps you would consider taking?

What interests do you have outside of school?

How do you handle disappointment?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

If you could invite three people to dinner, (living or dead) who would they be?

If you don’t get in to your chosen field, what else would you do?

What does integrity mean to you?

What is the last non-academic book you read?

Behavior-Based Interview Questions Give an example of a situation in which you have developed and maintained a relationship with someone else in spite of a differing point of view. Tell me about a time when you set your sights too high, or too low. Tell me about a time when you were creative in solving a problem. Tell me about at time when you had to balance competing priorities and did so successfully. Describe a time in which you were forced to make an unpopular decision.

Give an example of a situation in which you have developed and maintained a relationship with someone else in spite of a differing point of view.

Tell me about a time when you set your sights too high, or too low.

Tell me about a time when you were creative in solving a problem.

Tell me about at time when you had to balance competing priorities and did so successfully.

Describe a time in which you were forced to make an unpopular decision.

Behavior-Based Interview Questions Give an example of a time when you were unable to complete a project on time. Describe a time when you may have been disappointed in your behavior. Tell me about a goal that you set that took a long time to achieve, or one that you are still working towards. Give an example of a time you anticipated potential problems and developed preventative measures. Tell me about a situation where you had to be persuasive and sell your ideas to someone else.

Give an example of a time when you were unable to complete a project on time.

Describe a time when you may have been disappointed in your behavior.

Tell me about a goal that you set that took a long time to achieve, or one that you are still working towards.

Give an example of a time you anticipated potential problems and developed preventative measures.

Tell me about a situation where you had to be persuasive and sell your ideas to someone else.

Topics to Know “Something” About Healthcare System (HMO, PPO, Single Payer, etc) Current events related to healthcare Government efforts/reforms of healthcare Euthanasia Abortion AIDS Stem cell transplants/research Universal Healthcare Current Healthcare Legislation Current Events

Healthcare System (HMO, PPO, Single Payer, etc)

Current events related to healthcare

Government efforts/reforms of healthcare

Euthanasia

Abortion

AIDS

Stem cell transplants/research

Universal Healthcare

Current Healthcare Legislation

Current Events

Your Evaluation Criteria Curriculum Facilities Student Body Interdisciplinary/Extracurricular Activities Financial Aid Support & Administrative Services

Curriculum

Facilities

Student Body

Interdisciplinary/Extracurricular Activities

Financial Aid

Support & Administrative Services

Their Evaluation Criteria Motivation Professionalism Knowledge of health care field Adaptability Maturity Communication skills Consistency Your interview begins when you drive on campus & ends when you drive off!!

Motivation

Professionalism

Knowledge of health care field

Adaptability

Maturity

Communication skills

Consistency

Your interview begins when you drive on campus & ends when you drive off!!

Proper Interview Attire Men Suit and tie Dress shoes Conservative colors Well-groomed Minimal or no cologne Women Suit (skirt or pants) Pantyhose/stockings Button-down shirt Conservative dress shoes (not open-toed) Appropriate Makeup/ Jewelry Minimal or no cologne/perfume Professional bag/coat

Men

Suit and tie

Dress shoes

Conservative colors

Well-groomed

Minimal or no cologne

Women

Suit (skirt or pants)

Pantyhose/stockings

Button-down shirt

Conservative dress shoes (not open-toed)

Appropriate Makeup/ Jewelry

Minimal or no cologne/perfume

Professional bag/coat

Reminders Ask questions Re-read your personal statement and supplemental application Make eye contact Turn your cell phone off Take a minute to think about about your answer Answer the question that was asked Be honest and upfront about your knowledge (or lack of knowledge) Be yourself Be on time, if not early Write thank-you notes

Ask questions

Re-read your personal statement and supplemental application

Make eye contact

Turn your cell phone off

Take a minute to think about about your answer

Answer the question that was asked

Be honest and upfront about your knowledge (or lack of knowledge)

Be yourself

Be on time, if not early

Write thank-you notes

Preparing for the Interview Have “real” conversations with others List your strengths & weaknesses on paper. Get familiar with the school Prepare a list of questions that are not blatantly obvious on the website

Have “real” conversations with others

List your strengths & weaknesses on paper.

Get familiar with the school

Prepare a list of questions that are not blatantly obvious on the website

Day of Interview Eat breakfast Plan extra time to get to the school, have a campus map to be sure you get to the correct building Aspects of the Day typically include: Actual Interview Financial Aid information Campus Tour by current students

Eat breakfast

Plan extra time to get to the school, have a campus map to be sure you get to the correct building

Aspects of the Day typically include:

Actual Interview

Financial Aid information

Campus Tour by current students

Day of Interview – MI Medical School Specifics MSU COM – Typically NO interview, opportunity to come visit & attend financial aid presentation – GO if invited! MSU CHM *2 interviews – 30 minutes each *1:1 with faculty member & med student *Partial blind – Have access to personal statement, AMCAS experiences, and secondary essays but NO numbers.

MSU COM – Typically NO interview, opportunity to come visit & attend financial aid presentation – GO if invited!

MSU CHM

*2 interviews – 30 minutes each

*1:1 with faculty member & med student

*Partial blind – Have access to personal statement, AMCAS experiences, and secondary essays but NO numbers.

Day of Interview – MI Medical School Specifics - continued U of M *3 interviews – 30 minutes each *1:1 with faculty members and med students *Open – have access to entire file WSU *1interview – 30-60 minutes each *1:1 with admission committee member, may also have med student participate *Open – have access to entire file

U of M

*3 interviews – 30 minutes each

*1:1 with faculty members and med students

*Open – have access to entire file

WSU

*1interview – 30-60 minutes each

*1:1 with admission committee member, may also have med student participate

*Open – have access to entire file

Day of Interview – MI Dental School Specifics U of M *Multiple Mini Interviews – 5 minutes at each of 10 stations *Blind – no prior info available to interviewer U of Detroit Mercy *1 interview – 60 minutes *1:1 – notified in advance who interviewer will be *Open – have access to entire file

U of M

*Multiple Mini Interviews – 5 minutes at each of 10 stations

*Blind – no prior info available to interviewer

U of Detroit Mercy

*1 interview – 60 minutes

*1:1 – notified in advance who interviewer will be

*Open – have access to entire file

Interview Tips for the Future Budgeting, start saving now Clothes, travel expenses Schedule enough travel time Be aware you might be missing classes to attend interviews, communicate with professors Take advantage of orientation programs at schools

Budgeting, start saving now

Clothes, travel expenses

Schedule enough travel time

Be aware you might be missing classes to attend interviews, communicate with professors

Take advantage of orientation programs at schools

Other Considerations Letter Writers – Keep them updated on your progress --- they WANT to know! Oct 15 th – earliest acceptance date for MD schools May 15 th – last date to hold multiple acceptances Deposits – typically refundable but check deadline dates

Letter Writers – Keep them updated on your progress --- they WANT to know!

Oct 15 th – earliest acceptance date for MD schools

May 15 th – last date to hold multiple acceptances

Deposits – typically refundable but check deadline dates

Questions? Seek us out! CNS Preprofessional Advisors Janae Currington, M.A., [email_address] Juan Flores, MSW, [email_address] Heidi Purdy, M.A., [email_address] Lyman Briggs Preprofessional Advisor Heidi Lang, M.A., L.P.C., [email_address] Compliments to Candice Eisenhauer, University of Illinois –Chicago, for sharing the framework for this presentation at CAAHP Conference, April 2009.

CNS Preprofessional Advisors

Janae Currington, M.A., [email_address]

Juan Flores, MSW, [email_address]

Heidi Purdy, M.A., [email_address]

Lyman Briggs Preprofessional Advisor

Heidi Lang, M.A., L.P.C., [email_address]

Compliments to Candice Eisenhauer, University of Illinois –Chicago, for sharing the framework for this presentation at CAAHP Conference, April 2009.