Advice for Duke Interview

[sportsnut]

hi

I have an interview at Duke on monday and I would love any advice people have from their interviews there. Just the details of the day, questions asked etc
Thanks!

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[FLsurferDPT]

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[Lizarde]

Ouch... that was a little harsh, but if that's your honest opinion then okay.

The interview wasn't hard... 1 30min w/ a faculty. I asked my person a lot of questions so I only had to talk for 15 min. Questions were pretty direct, nothing too tricky... why you want to be a PT, what you as an individual offer to the program, and a few questions about things you listed on your application - major, hobbies, jobs, etc.

As far as the online portion - that's mostly latter in the program I think and honestly I found that appealing. I found the building to be very nice.. yes there are commercial businesses on the other side on the first floor, but who wouldn't want to walk to a sandwich shop rather than an overpriced campus store. AND campus is right across the street, parking on campus is awful compared to the nice parking deck the PT school has. Events on campus are much better than my undergrad school (UNCG) and my spouse get some privileges (not sure of the details yet) to attend events/sports on campus.

Yes, tuition is a little steep. I live (own a home, married) in Raleigh, NC so I only applied to Duke and UNC (waitlisted), so location is more important than price to an extent. The state of NC has a $24,500 scholarship mosts residents get in exchange for working in certain settings for 3 years (not that limited though). With my husband working full time we won't need to borrow too much.

As for downtown Durham, it is one of the better in downtowns in NC. Lots to do actually and good restaurants. Much better than Raleigh. Although I admit there is a much more crime in Durham but just don't be stupid and you'll be fine.

 

[sportsnut]

thanks so much for your input. It is really helpful to hear the good and the bad. I am wondering what questions you asked in your interviews. I ask a few questions typically but not many

 

[Lizarde]

I asked about the residencies Duke offers and whether students are choosing to do them after graduating. Also, how they deal with having 65 students in a class (I really liked the answer btw). And I'm sure some others.

 

[Veritas Invicta]

Ask about the new teaching method that their adopting from the Duke-NUS (National University of Singapore) program and how it will affect you! I think Fall 2010 DPT students at Duke will be taught using this method.

Seriously, my interview was super relaxed and easy. Try to be enthusiastic about going to Duke. They will probably ask you why do you want to go to Duke, experiences that made you want to become a PT etc. Try to make an engaging conversation.

Its a long day, but you'll be well fed. Good luck, relax and have fun. Oh don't forget to look your best because your picture will be taken on that day.

 

[Lizarde]

There is an information session before the interview, so take a pen and paper and jot down some questions you have as they go through their presentation. Towards the end of my interview I actually pulled out my notebook to refer to the questions I wrote down during the info session.
The day went:

breakfast/ meet & great
info session
interview/ picture
lunch
campus tour
mock class (where they demonstrated the new teaching method)
financial aid info

So yes, a long day.

 

[trichic]

What is the new teaching method like? I went to an information session in July and there was no mention of a new teaching method.

 

[FLsurferDPT]

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[trichic]

"With the interview day they assigned us to groups and made us answer like 20 questions which were like from no where, no one seemed to know the answers. We did this on our own and then we did it with groups without knowing the answers."

What kind of questions did they ask? And were the responses to the questions part of their determination for acceptance?

 

[FLsurferDPT]

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[Lizarde]

basically more of their lectures will be online and you can't ask them questions in class like you would have been able to in a traditional lecture. I think they are doing it so that the professors don't have to teach as much even though you will be paying a lot of money as if they were. The method also puts a lot more emphasis on teams and relying on answering questions to a problem you don't have the answers to. With the interview day they assigned us to groups and made us answer like 20 questions which were like from no where, no one seemed to know the answers. We did this on our own and then we did it with groups without knowing the answers. I felt like doing it by myself I did better than with other people in which I succumbed to groupthink (i.e. others convincing me that their answer were right when I knew they weren't). They have not tested this method so I would be wary of attending that school. If I were to pay a lot of money for my education I would want teachers who give me individual attention, their actual presence, and a small class size. It doesn't seem like Duke does any of three.

One of the main reasons they demonstrated the new teaching style was because not everyone will like it. You are incorrect though that his method has not been tested. It has been used successfully in the medical school with resulting higher test scores. Furthermore, the questions on interview day were in fact out of the blue, but the actual application will be to review the material before class, then an individual and group assessment is given to measure what has been retained, then the instructor uses that information to focus the lecture/lab on what aspects were not as well understood. This makes perfect sense to me, as my time will not be wasted going over things I already know. I also prefer being held accountable for coming to class with some knowledge of what will be covered. I do not need someone to hold my hand and answer questions before I've put in some effort to figure it out myself first.