Applying EdP 2nd time ..my chances?

[Tarpley]

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I am reapplying EDP to a school I applied EDP to last year and got waitlisted.. although they haven't told me about an interview yet.. I think I will get one.. I am scared b/c I think last year this is what kept me from getting in b/c I think I bombed it..

So last year when I interviewed my stats were:
a 280 mcat, 3.75ish gpa and I was taking mcats again last august

This year when I interview: it sucks b/c after I took the mcat again...it went down (due to: maybe not taking it so seriously.. and didn't study as much..although may be due to my grandmother's stroke for which my mom had to leave the country to take care of her... which left me to stay at home, while still in college, and take care of my two younger brothers while my dad worked).
so: 2nd mcat = 260 and gpa now is 3.74.

If I get the EDP interview it is a CLOSED interview..so they know nothing about me. I hate these.. I have a hard time going from one topic to the next..SO this year do I talk about why my mcat went down and i'm reapplying (how do I bring it up?) I have read some posts that say not too say that I am a reapplicant.. because it is not positive... but then how would they know my commitment to the school (esp. if I applied EDP twice)?

Should I tell them my mcat .. why it went down (hardship etc..) OR only bring it up if they ask me??

Also: about interviewing... I looked at other posts of SDN but didn't reallly see anything that pertains to closed interview... last year my interviews were so short 15-20min each b/c they asked me the basic questions.. which i answered and then asked if I had any question... I asked them 2-3 questions and that was it.. it seemed like I was in there forever, then I come out and look at my watch and was like crap... that was only 15 minutes!!

My question is really how to start off a good interview: how to answer... "tell me about yourself"???
"and why should we accept you" ??
what do you want me to tell the admissions committee about you"

How do you guys answer these?

ALSO:
What kind of questions should I ask when they say, "do you have any question (for me).. b/c I always feel my questions sound so STUpid and dumb.. I would really appreciate what you guys ask your interviewer in this situation.. and how you get into conversion.. b/c last year my interview was not a conversation... (1st one was NOT; second one kind of but the sitting arragement was weird)..

Thanks SOOOOOOOOOO much!!

 

[Tarpley]

No one has answered to this post... which makes me feel like like my situation is probably worst than it is 🙁 ... I did find out that I have my interview NEXT week... that's good ... but I am freaking out on what is appropriate for me to discuss.. so... interview help is greatly appreciated!!

How should I go about the CLOSED interview and should I bring up that I am a reapplicant -- (they're gonna see it later.. so i need to right? esp.. since i applied EDP twice!! )and if so WHEN??

 

[Captain Fantastic]

how to answer... "tell me about yourself"???
"and why should we accept you" ??
what do you want me to tell the admissions committee about you"

How do you guys answer these?

Tell me about yourself?
Where did you grow up? What was your college major? You stayed home to take care of your brothers while you were in school. Et cetera. It's a chance to give them a mini-bio.

Why should we accept you?
Have you excelled in college? Have you explored the profession and know it is for you? What draws you to this school (curriculum, emphasis, etc.) and why is that a good match for you?

What do you want me to tell the admissions committee about you?
Are you motivated, mature, disciplined? Have you demonstrated you have what it takes to be successful? Have you explored medicine and know that it's what you want to do? Do you fit well with the mission of this school?

I mean, why do you want to go to medical school? What have you done to get there? That's what they want to know. If you can't answer these questions with some conviction you're not likely to persuade them. Be honest and sincere and engage the interviewer!

 

[Captain Fantastic]

SO this year do I talk about why my mcat went down and i'm reapplying (how do I bring it up?) I have read some posts that say not too say that I am a reapplicant.. because it is not positive... but then how would they know my commitment to the school (esp. if I applied EDP twice)?

Should I tell them my mcat .. why it went down (hardship etc..) OR only bring it up if they ask me??

Hard to say. Presumably, the interviewers don't want to know your numbers or reapplicant status -- otherwise it would be open file. They're looking to feel you out as an individual and not bias their opinions on the rest of your file. They also have your personal statement and secondary prompts to hopefully explain some situations when the committee reviews your app.

I would discuss my motiviations, maybe discuss the hardship and how it was overcome, discuss how I fit for the school, etc., but leave the numbers out of the conversation unless they bring them up. Then when the committee reviews your application the interviewer can say that you were mature, well spoken, displayed obvious knowledge of the profession, etc.

I'm guessing your commitment to the school is not a big deal to them. They're not really worried about filling the class and as an EDP candidate it's implied that you have a strong commitment to the school. It's more about fit.

Really, there are way too many unknowns to say with authority how you should approach the closed file interview, but that's how I would do it.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

BTW, did you talk with the school after your rejection last cycle and see what they thought you could do to improve? If so, and if you followed through with their suggestions, that is something you might mention.

Also, did you talk with them before you applied EDP again? It's a pretty gutsy move to try EDP again after a rejection last cycle. Just curious how that played out.

 

[RxnMan]

No one has answered to this post... which makes me feel like like my situation is probably worst than it is 🙁 ... I did find out that I have my interview NEXT week... that's good ... but I am freaking out on what is appropriate for me to discuss.. so... interview help is greatly appreciated!!

How should I go about the CLOSED interview and should I bring up that I am a reapplicant -- (they're gonna see it later.. so i need to right? esp.. since i applied EDP twice!! )and if so WHEN??

I didn't respond because you've have tons of questions and concerns, but no direction - it seemed like a nervous rant. Plus, and this is my garbage, I have little patience with long, grammar-poor posts.

What are you most worried about? Give me your top 3 items and we'll go from there.

With respect to interview skills, go look through the FAQ. I'm dead serious when I tell you that I did exactly what I describe there - I spent hours talking to myself in front of the mirror to get acclimated to answering difficult questions on the fly in a stressful environment. Things to talk about - yourself. This is your time to sell yourself, so just be positive and show your best side. You've spent a year polishing the application, now show them there's substance behind the shine. And if you want to know what NOT to talk about, then go over to the Resident forum and look for "What not to talk about in you interview" thread. It's a good read.

 

[Tarpley]

Thanks you guys! I really do appreciate this! Yes.. I agree it sometimes becomes a nervous rant, but I guess it is because I don't want to go through the whole reapplying again and sometimes it gets really overwhelming (not to mention my parents being on my back 24/7 about what I am doing with my life).

So to answer some questions:

I did talk to them after I didn't get in EDP the first time. The dean told me it was a pretty good file, but maybe I could get more clinical experience. Over time however, other ppl have added maybe I should take the MCATs again. I personally think it is because I bombed the interview the last time around.

I did not talk to them about applying EDP again and now seem to think maybe it was not a good choice.. but I did it because I really do want to go to this school. However it is too late to change that now.

Since I do have my interview next week, I know I have to nail it!

I guess my top 3 questions are for this CLOSED interview are:

1. My top question: Should I bring up that fact that I am reapplying and give them the history of I applied EDP last year, got put on the alternate list, and am applying this year again without them asking?

2. If I do mention that than when is the best time to do it? Should I then talk about how I am a better candidate then last year due to increased clincal experience?

3. This is a new thing, but had got into a research internship program which I was going to be doing for this year -- I even put it on my application... I am supposed to start the first weeks of September. However due to some personal reasons I don't think I will be able to go to that, and that is why I am now searching for other jobs/research.
So... when they ask me what I am doing this year, should I just stick with the research internship program (since technically it is still open and there is the possibility I might still go) OR say that I am applying to several research/clinical postions (I am reluctant to do this b/c it makes me seem so unprepared).

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[RxnMan]

Thanks you guys! I really do appreciate this! Yes.. I agree it sometimes becomes a nervous rant, but I guess it is because I don't want to go through the whole reapplying again and sometimes it gets really overwhelming (not to mention my parents being on my back 24/7 about what I am doing with my life)...

I went through the process three times - It hurt each time. I know how you feel.

...I guess my top 3 questions are for this CLOSED interview are:

1. My top question: Should I bring up that fact that I am reapplying and give them the history of I applied EDP last year, got put on the alternate list, and am applying this year again without them asking?...

NO. My state school had closed interviews and when I first applied, I did not know that they are intended to put you, me, and the 4.0/43 from Haaavard on the same playing field. I volunteered this information at the outset, and it hurt me. Closed interviews are to your advantage because the ADCOMs WANT to know about you, the person, and that is separate from the numbers. You are not deceiving them if you don't tell them you're a re-app, you're not being dishonest. The closed-interview format is intended to help people like you.

Let your interviewer guide the discussion - let them ask the questions, you control your end of things with your responses - always be positive, always link or back up your response with something in your file. The result is that in response any question they ask, they only get more evidence of how good of an applicant you are.

If they ask about re-app, then answer. But use it as an opportunity to say that this is just more evidence that you want to be here. Similarly, in your shoes I would tell me interviewer that I want to be a doc, and I want to be a doc from this school. Period, end of story.

...2. If I do mention that than when is the best time to do it? Should I then talk about how I am a better candidate then last year due to increased clincal experience?...

Covered this in answer to #1.

...3. This is a new thing, but had got into a research internship program which I was going to be doing for this year -- I even put it on my application... I am supposed to start the first weeks of September. However due to some personal reasons I don't think I will be able to go to that, and that is why I am now searching for other jobs/research.
So... when they ask me what I am doing this year, should I just stick with the research internship program (since technically it is still open and there is the possibility I might still go) OR say that I am applying to several research/clinical postions (I am reluctant to do this b/c it makes me seem so unprepared)...

That's unfortunate.

If the interviewer asks, tell them the truth - when you filled out the AMCAS application, you were going to do this program and everything was fine. But this event happened and now you're looking for ways to get the same type of experience, but in a way that will accommodate you (and whatever this personal situation entails). Don't elaborate further, don't say you have interviews, just state the facts.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tarpley]

Thanks so much RxnMan! It is amazing that you are a medical student and still take the time to provide insight and support. I really appreciate it and it is definitely inspiring that you went through this process yourself three times. I think it just goes to show that just because you didn't get in your first time around doesn't make you any less of a doctor or person!

I definitely agree with your answers and I know a lot of why this interview is difficult is because it is a closed interview. But, like you said, if I keep everything postive, honest, and make it an engaging conversation with things I back up from my experiences I should hopefully be ok. I think I need to stop thinking negatively (about my mcat score, not having any definite plans for this year, and being a reapplicant) and concentrate really on the postive and make the negative be postive as well.

Thanks again so much for your help!! I'm definitely going to use it and.. yay..I know what I'll be doing this week: I get to sit in front of the mirror and talk to myself!!! 🙂

 

[smp017]

I was wondering...what kind of school is UC Davis? What do you guys think med school will think of it.

 

[artaxerxes]

So in closed interviews focus on your strength and don't mention weaknesses?

 

[RxnMan]

...Thanks again so much for your help!! I'm definitely going to use it and.. yay..I know what I'll be doing this week: I get to sit in front of the mirror and talk to myself!!! 🙂

The whole point is to get comfortable answering questions in a stressful environment. It will look funny and feel embarrassing, but that is what your interviewer will see. Correct your body language to show that you're interested, but not nervous, or worse, closed off (arms over chest, etc).

You need to get comfortable with the questions they'll ask - I found an old MSAR that had a bunch of example questions in it. I went through those a bunch of times. I also went read (just once, not in-depth) the U Washington bioethics webpage (link in the faq) and that will help you with your ethical questions. One of my interviews was all ethical questions, and reading through that material saved me.

May you not need luck.

 

[RxnMan]

So in closed interviews focus on your strength and don't mention weaknesses?

Why would you? What do you have to lose? Why do you think they chose to conduct closed interviews?

Think about it.

Note I'm not saying hide anything if an interviewer asks, and I definitely not saying lie. But if you are asked, then state the facts, and move on.