Week 11 Interviewing

1. Week 11Interviewing Kent L. BarrusPre-professional Advisor

2. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation • Keep up on current health care topics! • STAT (Short, Topical, and Timely) • http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/aamcstat/aamcnews.htm • Washington Headlines • http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/washhigh/start.htm • Next Generation • http://www.nextgenmd.org/ • MedScape • http://www.medscape.com • ADA CURRENT TOPICS • http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/index.asp • Dental Health Foundation • http://www.dentalhealthfoundation.org/

3. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation What percentage of an applicant’s overall evaluation does the interview constitute?

4. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Why do schools interview? • Intellectual Curiosity • How you approach the unknown • How do you organize your thoughts • What is your preferred learning style • Do you have the desire for continuous learning • Social Awareness and Cultural Competency • Exposure to people with different interests, religion, culture, economics, gender, age, ethnicity, language, education, and race. • What value do you place on these differences • Can you modify your behavior to show respect for differences.

5. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Why do schools interview? • Communication and Interpersonal Skills • What is your perception of yourself • What is your response when others have misunderstood you • What are your experiences with teamwork • How do you handle criticism • Maturity • What have you done to explore a health career • What disappointments have you experienced in your life • What accomplishments are you most proud of • What is your definition of a leader

6. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Types of Interviews • Open • Interviews has reviewed your application and personal statement. • Interviewer will often refer to information in the application. • Semi-Open • Interview has read your personal statement but nothing else. • Interviewer will often seek answers to questions not found in your personal statement. • Closed • Interview has never seen your application materials. • Interview will ask more open ended questions. • Don’t be annoyed that questions may be answered in your application.

7. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Types of Interviews • Group • More than one interviewer and/or interviewee. • Designed to see how well you play with others.

8. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Halo Effect • Most schools conduct closed or semi-open interviews to avoid the halo effect.

9. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Preparing for an interview • Practice your responses to questions. • List five important things you want to make sure the interview knows about you. • List five powerful questions you want to ask during the interview. • Describe three ways you can contribute to your class. • What are your three most significant leadership qualities? • List of anticipated questions. • List of toughest questions you could be asked. • Review potential interview questions. • Learn all you can about specific schools. • Mock Interview.

10. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Common Interview Questions • Personal Questions • Tell me about yourself. • What do you do for fun. • Why have you decided to pursue medicine as a career? • When did you decide that you wanted to be a doctor? • Do you have any family members who are physicians? • What is your greatest strength/weakness? Success/failure? • If you don’t get into professional school, what will you do? • What did you like about college? • What is your favorite book? What are you reading now?

11. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Common Interview Questions • Where do you see yourself in ten years? • Where have you applied? Why do you want to go here? • What leadership roles have you assumed? • What clinical experience have you had? • Ethical • What are your views on abortion? • Do you have an opinion on fetal-tissue research? • How would you feel about treating a patient with HIV? • Do you agree with physician assisted suicide? • How do you feel about treating uninsured patients?

12. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Common Interview Questions • Hypothetical Situation • You are treating a terminally ill patient who is being kept alive by life support. You feel that he should be taken off the machines. What do you do? • A pregnant teenager comes to you to discuss her options. She hasn’t told her parents about her pregnancy. What do you do?

13. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Common Interview Questions • Health Care Issues • What’s the biggest problem facing medicine today? • What do you think the role of the government should be in health care? • Do you think health care is a right or a privilege? • Have you been following the health-care debate? Where do you stand? • How do you feel about socialized medicine? • Do you know what an HMO is? a PPO?

14. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Questions that should not be asked. • Marital status • Planning children • Age • Sexual Orientation • What if you are asked one of these questions? • Don’t get angry. • Politely answer or refuse to answer. • Your best bet is to just answer the question and move on.

15. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Any Questions? • Don’t forget to have some good questions to ask.

16. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Managing the Interview Day • Before the Interview • Get plenty of sleep. • Arrive early! • Don’t bring a family member or friend to the interview. • Review you application and personal statement. • Be polite to EVERYONE at the office. • Treat every interaction as if it is a part of the interview.

17. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Managing the Interview Day • During the Interview • Use peoples names. • Shake hands. • Maintain eye contact. • Don’t fidget, cross arms, etc. • Don’t touch anything on the interviewer’s desk. • Don’t speak too quickly. • Smile. • Avoid being arrogant and dogmatic. • Don’t be antagonistic, even if the interview is. • Don’t make up answers to questions you don’t know.

18. Bio 311 - Professional School Preparation Managing the Interview Day • After the Interview • Shake hands and say good-bye. • Write your interviewer a ‘professional’ thank you note. • Don’t grovel.