PREPARING FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL INTERVIEW

Dennis K. Flaherty, Ph.D.

Lamar University

2003

Author’s note

This document should not be considered an original work. Many of the questions, strategies, and suggestions are standard and can be found in numerous books or publications. Since the same questions or modifications of the same questions are found at numerous sites, no attempt has been made to supply appropriate references. Other material, questions, and problem solving exercises have been excerpted from internet web sites. When information sources contain unique material, the information source will be clearly referenced.

THE INVITATION TO INTERVIEW FOR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS¹

Interviews are generally offered only to the “top group” of applicants. However, the criteria used to determine the “top group” differs for each school. In planning for your interview, you will need to determine how you were selected. Some schools offer interviews to all candidates that meet a certain set of numeric criteria. Usually, these schools interview approximately 80% of the applicant pool and use the interview to determine whether the candidate is a good “fit” for their program.

Some schools evaluate the numeric criteria, recommendation letters, personal statements or essays to determine who would be the best candidate for their school. An interview is usually offered to less than 10% of the applicant pool and used only to confirm that they have made the correct decision.

SO, WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT AN INTERVIEW? ⁹

OK, you're revving up for the big interview. What important details do you need to know for the interview?

· All of the candidates being interviewed will have approximately the same grade point average, MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, and leadership positions in extracurricular organizations.

· Most interviewers will admit (and research supports) that they have largely made up their minds about a candidate within the first five minutes of meeting him or her. Once a negative judgment is made, it is almost impossible to change. If the initial impression is positive, it must be reinforced through verbal skills during the remainder of the interview.

· Over 50% of the time, the interviewer will not have access to your application and will know only your name and the college you attended.

· Success or failure in the interview will depend solely on your ability to convince the interviewer that you fit his/her perception of a typical student, and that you have unique abilities and experiences that differentiate you from other candidates.

WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT ?⁵

In order to make the best impression you can, you need to be prepared for the interview, know what you can expect, and know how to handle things that don't go quite as you had planned. Before you start to prepare for the interview, you should ascertain:

· How will the interview will be conducted? Each professional school handles the interviewing process differently. Some interview applicants in small groups, others use a single interview with a faculty member or administrator, while others schedule as many as five interviews per applicant.

· What type of interview will be used? Screening, behavioral, and stress interviews are three types used by professional schools. You should be prepared for all three interview types. To succeed in any interview you must first recognize which interview style is being used by the interviewer. An interviewer may use all three types during the course of the interview.

THE SCREENING INTERVIEW

Most schools screen applicants in a 1-2 hour interview process. Usually, there will be a tour of the facility, interviews with one or more faculty members, residents, or current students. The screening interview is usually structured and questions may be open ended or very specific. After an initial set of warn up questions, the interviewer may seek information in the following areas:

· Personal attributes

· Education

· Research experience

· Leadership

· Creativity

· Decisiveness

· Handling stress

· Experience in clinical and non-clinical setting

· Commitment to the profession

· Knowledge of health care issues

· Ethics

A list of questions commonly used in screening interviews is shown on pages 12-20. Applicants should prepare answers to each question.

The screening interviewer does not need to know whether you are the best fit for the institution, only whether you are not a match¹³. In short, they are looking for reasons to exclude, rather than include, you for admission to the professional school. They will focus on gaps in your application, academic records, or information that appears inconsistent.

Some tips for handling the screening interviews:

• Answer questions directly and succinctly.

• Highlight your accomplishments and qualifications.

• Do not volunteer information.

THE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW⁵

Behavioral interviews are based on the premise that the best indicator of future performance is past performance. Interviewers will try to elicit examples of past performance in multiple areas. These interviews are highly structured with a predetermined set of questions and a defined method for asking questions. Responses are usually scored and evaluated using a statistical method.

Tip off questions for a behavioral interview:

· “Give me an example of……”

· “Tell me about a time that you……”

Many behavioral questions try to get at how you responded to negative situations. You'll need to have examples of negative experiences ready, but try to choose negative experiences that had positive outcomes¹¹.

In the interview, your response needs to be specific and detailed. Ideally, you should briefly describe a situation, what specific action you took to have an effect on the situation, and the positive result or outcome. A response is usually framed in a three-step process, usually called an S-A-R, P-A-R, or S-T-A-R statement ¹¹:

1. situation (or task, problem), 2. action, 3. result/outcome.

During the behavioral interview, the interviewer identifies experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities that the institution has decided are desirable in a particular position. These attributes usually include:

• Critica