10 tips to ace your interview for medical, PA, PT, and other allied health programs
When it comes to your interview for graduate health programs, your preparation is vital to your success. You already met all the prerequisites, now this is the time for you to make a positive impression on the admission committee and set yourself apart from other applicants. Although interviews are stressful, with some preparation you can suppress the nerves and feel confident. While preparing, make sure you utilize the following ten tips:
Practice commonly asked questions
This is a must as a lot of questions are commonly repeated for different professions. For example, PA School always asks: “why do you want to be a PA”. This may sound like a straightforward question but answering this question improperly or unconfidently could turn off the admission committee from offering you a spot in the upcoming class. There are many resources online listing questions that were actually asked at prior interviews. Even if they don’t ask the questions you practiced, it will prepare you to answer a similar type or style of questions. While practicing, consider different types of questions that can be asked such as ethical, situational, and group activities. If you don’t know anyone you can practice these questions with, sign up for one of our mock interviews and we would love to help you crush your official interview!
Research the staff/faculty
Checking the program’s website for a list of faculty and staff is a great way to prepare for your interview. Some of the faculty/staff listed will likely be those that actually ask you interview questions, whether individually or in a group setting. They also will either at least contribute or even make the final decisions on who gets admitted. By knowing some information about the staff, you can stand out by making friendly conversation in the more casual portions of the interview. For example, you may notice that one of the faculty members went to the same undergrad as you which would spark natural conversation. This type of effort shows that you care to learn about those that may be teaching you in the future.
Research the school and program
Prior to your interview make sure you are familiar with the school and programs you are interviewing at. During your interview, you may be asked why you want to attend that program, preparing for this will serve you well and make you confident in your answer. Not only will doing this help you answer the why, but it will also help you decide which program to attend should you get multiple offers.
Arrive early
This may sound like an obvious piece of advice but it should be at the top of your priority list. I recommend arriving at least 30 minutes prior to your interview start time. There is nothing worse than adding to the stress of arriving just on time or even worse, late to an already stressful circumstance. You never know when traffic or other unforeseen events could delay your arrival to one of the most important days thus far of your career!
Ask questions
I recommend preparing at least three questions to ask the students, faculty, and staff while at your interview. These can be as simple as, “What made you choose this program?” Or “what do you like to do for fun in the area?”. Ask questions that are not readily available on the website and that weren’t already answered in the informational sessions. Remember as much as you are being interviewed, you also want to interview the school and make sure it’s a good fit for you!
6. Thank the interviewers after your interview
During your interview make sure you write down the names of the faculty, staff, and students that you interacted with. After your interview, it is good practice to thank those that you met to thank them for your time. In your email thank those that you met for their time and their hospitality and highlight 1-2 things that you took from your time interviewing that made you want to attend their program. Some options are to email the main program email and ask that your email is forwarded to those that you met. You can also attempt to look up individual emails of faculty and staff on the website or try to see if business cards are available to take during your interview time. Doing this simple gesture will make you stand out and really show your commitment to attending that particular program.
7. Dress for the occasion
Dressing your best for your interview is given. Although styles change from year to year, in general, you cannot overdress for your interview, but you can underdress. In general, I recommend a suit and tie for men and a suit jacket or business dress for women (Women will have more options). The key is not to be too flashy but make sure you look professional and are comfortable in what you are wearing.
8. Be yourself
Despite all the advice above you absolutely should be yourself. If you are uncomfortable with any of the above advice, don’t do it. It will be noticeable when you are doing something that doesn’t feel natural for you. Maybe it’s not your thing to start random conversations with strangers. Although I would advise against being shy at your interview, the point is don’t go to extremes to impress the interview committee. Start small by stretching outside of your comfort zone and gradually build up your confidence. If this is something you really struggle with, you may benefit from multiple mock interview sessions.
9. Learn from your mistakes
One thing to realize about interviews is that they are not the end of the world. It’s normal to not answer every question perfectly, especially at your first interview. If you had a poor interview, don’t be hard on yourself, instead work on the areas you felt like you were lacking and prepare for your next interview. Last thing to note: you likely didn’t do as poorly as you think (we usually are our toughest critics).
10. Have fun
Above all, have fun with the interview process. Yes, it’s stressful and can be expensive to travel to multiple schools, but at the same time consider the opposite. There are countless students that wish they were in your shoes to interview at the exact schools you were invited to. Try to change your perspective and view your interview as an opportunity to meet new people, do some traveling, and grow into the future healthcare provider that you were made to be!
Let us know if there is anyway we can help you prepare for your interview!