SUNY interview help!

niss11 said:

hey - couple q's:

1) i heard that some schools make you write an essay on the spot and was wondering if anyone that was interviewed for SUNY had to do this?

2) i know they ask q's on current events, but do i need to brush on any other topics (perhaps science/medical related)?

i didnt set up my interview yet - but i got the letter from them about setting it up and im already so nervous.. just thought id share that with everyone!

thanks!

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SUNY did not have me write an essay, SCCO & UCBSO do FYI (those are the other two places I interviewed)

the other girl that interviewed with me told me that she was asked insurance questions and asked to compare it to US medical insurance (she was from canada)

good luck =)

hey well congrats on getting an interview!

i def had an essay. so did most of my classmates. but it's pretty easy - 20 minutes of writing something broad like what are the possibilities of the future of optometry or something like that. the interview itself is tough but reasonable. dr johnston asks tough questions but he jokes around too and most of us think of him as our father-figure within the school. that man is amazing - he drives 2 hours ONE WAY to get to our school every day. and then there are usually 2 other faculty members in the room too. i was asked pretty typical questions and then i had one political question on the upcoming elections. it's presented more conversationally than anything else i think. but most importantly smile and relax. i think they mostly want to see how you handle pressure because that's a huge part of being a doctor every day. good luck!

good luck w/ your interview! let us know how it goes

Hey guys, I had my interview with suny back this summer, because i am doing early decision. Well, I felt it was kinda different, I had only met with Dr. Johnston, and no other faculty members. I did write an essay, but it was just used for him to have a topic to start the conversation. And the interview wasn't that bad, about half hour, something about my personal life outside the school, like your habits, and some particular events that brought you to optometry. just like an normal conversation, but by the way, suny does consider your knowledge about optometry, like your experiences on shadowing ODs. So, good luck!
One quick question, whose who apply to suny with rolling admission: does suny tell you whether or not that you are accepted by suny at the end of interview?

I had my interview back in summer as well...early decision as well..only Dr. J. He is amazing. Honestly for me it didn't even feel like an interview but more like a general fun conversation. Did write an 20 min essay.
Got accepted.

I have one question, is SUNY your first choice? Y?

Hey nis11,
Don't worry. When it was my turn, I kept telling the Dr. who told me abt SUNY that I don't feel ready at all. I haven't done anything for the interview. He kept telling me just relax and be confident. Be prepared to explain y something if anything is not good in your application eg specific mark etc. I never had to answer any hard question that you will see in some of the other posts. But that doesn't mean that you won't either.

What are your stats like?

niss11 said:

my gpa is about a 3.89 and i scored an A.A of 370 on my oats. but ive spent the last year really focusing on my courses and i have no idea whats new in the optometry field. is there any major research going on that i should know about or perhaps some new technology etc.?
also, i dont have an area of optometry that i find particularly interesting and which i want to specialize in... i figured id figure it out as i learn more in grad school...if i say that im not sure what field within optometry i want to focus on does that look bad?
ahhhh.... my interview is in less than 24 hours!!!!

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i think it depends on the wording of ur answers..half the battle is trying to convey ur thoughts and opinions in a socially acceptable manner..if you say i dont know what i wanna do, its gonna look bad compared to..i understand there are many fields in optometry, unfortunately i haven't had a lot of experience with anything besides primary eye care. however, i look forward to expanding my horizons at your institution because i know that your school is top notch in <fill in the blank>..so on and so forth.

aoa.org is a good place to read up on stuff..they only give u blurbs, but that was sufficient for me. also, if u can, call up a doctor u kept in touch with if u can, and ask them for some help, i'm sure theyll be more than willing to

good luck on ur interview..in all ur nervousness..dont forget to smile and be urself =)

O Gr8!
That's good to know..potential class mate!