This document summarizes an interview workshop for health professional school applicants. It outlines the common purposes and styles of interviews, provides examples of typical and healthcare-specific questions, and gives advice on preparing for and having a successful interview. Specific details are provided about interview formats and processes for medical and dental schools in Michigan. The workshop aims to help applicants understand what to expect and how to make the best impression during their interviews.

1. Health Professional School
Interview Workshop
MSU Preprofessional Advising Team
Janae Currington, M.Ed.
Mo Gerhardt, M.S.
Claire Gonyo, M.S.
Heidi Purdy, M.A.

2. 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!

3. Interviewing Styles
 1:1
 Panel
 Multiple Mini Interview (MSU College of Human Medicine,
MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, CMU College of Medicine & U of
Michigan Dental School)
 Behavior-Based
 Blind
 Partial Blind
 Open

4. “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.

5. 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?

6. 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 pharmacy 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 an occupational therapist?
 In your personal statement, you mentioned ________. Could you
tell me more about that?

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

8. “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?

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

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

13. 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!!

14. Proper Interview Attire
People who wear men’s clothes
 Suit and tie
 Dress shoes
 Conservative colors
 Well-groomed
 Minimal or no cologne
People who wear women’s clothes
 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

15. 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 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Day of Interview – MI Medical School
Specifics
 MSU COM
*Welcome to MSUCOM
*MMI Interview – 6 domains (stations) 10
minutes each
*1:1 verbal station– 10 minutes

19. Day of Interview – MI Medical School
Specifics - continued
 MSU CHM
*1:1 with a med student – 30 minutes
*Multiple Mini Interviews – 8 minutes at each of
8 stations
*Partial blind – Have access to personal
statement, AMCAS experiences, and secondary
essays but NO numbers.

20. Day of Interview – MI Medical School
Specifics - continued
 OU – William Beaumont
*2 interviews – 25-30 minutes each
*1:1 with faculty/staff member & a physician
*Partial blind – Have access to personal
statement, AMCAS experiences, and
secondary essays but NO numbers.

21. Day of Interview – MI Medical School
Specifics - continued
 U of M
*24 Hours in Blue
*6 MMI – 1 hour total
*2 long form interviews – 30 minutes each
*1:1 with faculty members and med students
*Open – have access to entire file

22. Day of Interview – MI Medical School
Specifics - continued
 WSU
*1interview – 30-60 minutes each
*1:1 with admission committee member, may
also have med student participate
*Open – have access to entire file

23. Day of Interview – MI Medical School
Specifics - continued
 CMU -
*Multiple Mini Interviews – 8-10 stations
10 minutes each, one station is an
expanded 30 minute interview
*Blind – Have NO access to personal
statement, AMCAS experiences, secondary
essays or numbers.

24. Day of Interview – MI Medical School
Specifics - continued
 WMU-
*Day and a half
*2 Interviews – 14 minutes each, with a 1 minute
rest in between
*1:1 Interview with faculty member
*Open – have access to entire file

25. 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

26. 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

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

28. Questions? Seek us out!
CNS Preprofessional Advisors
 Janae Currington, M.Ed., curringt@msu.edu
 Mo Gerhardt, M.S., gerhard4@msu.edu
 Claire Gonyo, M.S., gonyocla@msu.edu
 Heidi Purdy, M.A., purdyh@msu.edu
Compliments to Candice Eisenhauer, University of Illinois –Chicago, for sharing
the framework for this presentation at CAAHP Conference, April 2009.