For those who have interviewed before...

[swtiepie711]

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... are there many interview questions around biology/biochemistry/etc? I would assume not, but in one of the other posts an applicant was asked to discuss the Citric Acid Cycle....

I would imagine it would stick more to what you've done, why you're interesting, do you know what you're getting into, do you have the drive/motivation to do this, etc. more so than details of old coursework?

From looking at the SDN Interview Feedback, I didn't see much asking about this, but I wonder how many detailed interview q's like this people have actually had to face?

 

[45408]

no, I was never asked anything like that

 

[CaramelDlite]

... are there many interview questions around biology/biochemistry/etc? I would assume not, but in one of the other posts an applicant was asked to discuss the Citric Acid Cycle....

I would imagine it would stick more to what you've done, why you're interesting, do you know what you're getting into, do you have the drive/motivation to do this, etc. more so than details of old coursework?

From looking at the SDN Interview Feedback, I didn't see much asking about this, but I wonder how many detailed interview q's like this people have actually had to face?

Glad someone asked this question. I'm an economics major and with all of the humanities and english classes required for graduation I only had time to take 3 biology classes, not even enough to apply to my own state schools (thank you, TMDSAS). When I saw that Citric Acid Cycle question that worried me. I've had to learn alot of my biology from MCAT books so I know I couldn't handle a question like that....

 

[airflare]

From both my experience and what I've read, it's extremely rare to have to answer questions specific to science. It's much more common for those types of questions to be asked during an MD/PhD interview. MD-only interviews tend to focus on your extracurriculars, motivation for becoming a doctor, outside interests, and so on.

At one school though, my interviewer noted that I took a class in the history of medicine, and asked me about Louis Pasteur.

No one asked me how a grignard reaction works.

 

[ChymeChancellor]

From both my experience and what I've read, it's extremely rare to have to answer questions specific to science. It's much more common for those types of questions to be asked during an MD/PhD interview. MD-only interviews tend to focus on your extracurriculars, motivation for becoming a doctor, outside interests, and so on.

At one school though, my interviewer noted that I took a class in the history of medicine, and asked me about Louis Pasteur.

No one asked me how a grignard reaction works.

They might ask about the structure of tryptophan or mabye isoleucine... 😴

 

[vtucci]

I was a non-science major and when I was interviewing I was asked a lot of ethics questions but not biochemistry ones. I did have to explain the science behind my clinical research experience but that was fair and should be expected if you list research on your AMCAS.

 

[MollyMalone]

I was a non-science major and when I was interviewing I was asked a lot of ethics questions but not biochemistry ones. I did have to explain the science behind my clinical research experience but that was fair and should be expected if you list research on your AMCAS.

Same here.

 

[Johnny_one_eye]

I have heard of people getting asked biology questions before, but they're usually extremely difficult ones and I'm not entirely sure if it's some sort of a test to see who will try to BS an answer rather than admit they don't know. One of the questions I remember was "What is the molecular mechanism of cancer?" I wasn't the one being interviewed though, it was a friend.

 

[rajad10]

"what is oxidative phosphorlyation" was asked before just to see if you would BS your answer

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

"what is oxidative phosphorlyation" was asked before just to see if you would BS your answer

It seems like if you do get a question, it will be about the Krebs Cycle in one form or the other.

 

[calvinhobbes]

It seems like if you do get a question, it will be about the Krebs Cycle in one form or the other.

I agree. I have actually heard of many applicants being asked about the Citric Acid Cycle.
All here, my friends: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle

 

[sscooterguy]

I interviewed 4 years ago at a decent number of places and never once was I asked any questions about specific science or anything like that. If it was science, we discussed bioethics and my beliefs, but never what's this random enzyme. Truthfully I would not have been prepared for it either. Personally I wouldn't worry about that stuff, just work on presenting yourself honestly, highlight your best qualities, and read up on current topics in major news (face transplants approved at cleveland clinic, ENT physician and stuff in new orleans, stem cell research, etc), make a standpoint, defend it, and at the same time respect and challenge other views. That will help you much more than studying the Krebs cycle.

sscooterguy

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

I agree. I have actually heard of many applicants being asked about the Citric Acid Cycle.
All here, my friends: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle

One day, we're all going to be able to access these dictionary-type websites using chips in our brains.

We'll ask people questions and if they pause, we'll say, "Hey, no no, you can't look it up!"

"I'm not!"

"You so did!"

"I was actually looking up the weight of an average watermelon."

"Really? What was it?"

"I don't know, you started talking again and interrupted me."

 

[heeseop]

One day, we're all going to be able to access these dictionary-type websites using chips in our brains.

We'll ask people questions and if they pause, we'll say, "Hey, no no, you can't look it up!"

"I'm not!"

"You so did!"

"I was actually looking up the weight of an average watermelon."

"Really? What was it?"

"I don't know, you started talking again and interrupted me."

lol, silly but i like it 😀

 

[QofQuimica]

... are there many interview questions around biology/biochemistry/etc? I would assume not, but in one of the other posts an applicant was asked to discuss the Citric Acid Cycle....

I would imagine it would stick more to what you've done, why you're interesting, do you know what you're getting into, do you have the drive/motivation to do this, etc. more so than details of old coursework?

From looking at the SDN Interview Feedback, I didn't see much asking about this, but I wonder how many detailed interview q's like this people have actually had to face?

I went on more interviews than I care to admit, and I was NEVER asked a question like this. I did get asked about my research frequently, but that's not surprising, because I discussed it extensively in my PS and activities sections. I would recommend that you do three things to prepare for interviews:

1) Be very familiar with your application. Re-read your AMCAS and secondary essays, because most schools have open interviews, and anything on that app is fair game.

2) Spend the time to read over the school's website, and TAKE NOTES. Write down the things that you think are plusses and minuses for that school. That way, when you get to your interview and you're asked why you want to attend there, you can rattle off your list of pluses. And when they ask you whether you have any questions, you can (nicely!) ask them to discuss some of the things that concern you. I can't emphasize enough, BTW, to make sure that your plusses are things that are school-specific.

3) Read the interview feedback for that school here on SDN. I would usually go back two or three years, depending on how many feedbacks were up. Take note especially of the questions that keep coming up over and over again; you are likely to get asked those questions too. Think about how you would answer the questions you see. Do a mock interview with your career center or a friend/parent who will be critical of you.

Your goal is to be informed about the school and let them know that you are interested in them. This requires some effort on your part. Best of luck to all of you applicants. 🙂

 

[calvinhobbes]

One day, we're all going to be able to access these dictionary-type websites using chips in our brains.

We'll ask people questions and if they pause, we'll say, "Hey, no no, you can't look it up!"

"I'm not!"

"You so did!"

"I was actually looking up the weight of an average watermelon."

"Really? What was it?"

"I don't know, you started talking again and interrupted me."

lol!!

 

[ChymeChancellor]

Please make sure you know the width (in angstroms) of Z DNA. It also would be highly recommended to know the number of base pairs in one turn of B DNA. And don't forget about the structure of proline or methionine... 😴

 

[Law2Doc]

... are there many interview questions around biology/biochemistry/etc? I would assume not, but in one of the other posts an applicant was asked to discuss the Citric Acid Cycle....

I would imagine it would stick more to what you've done, why you're interesting, do you know what you're getting into, do you have the drive/motivation to do this, etc. more so than details of old coursework?

From looking at the SDN Interview Feedback, I didn't see much asking about this, but I wonder how many detailed interview q's like this people have actually had to face?

Most of your interviewers will be clinicians -- they do not use or remember basic prereq sciences. I doubt a single one of the intervewers I had met with had looked at the Citric Acid Cycle in thirty years. Lots of them are not even sure why a lot of the specific prereqs are required in the first place. Some of them took undergrad science before a lot of your current science (eg. DNA/genome stuff) was even in the textbooks and so have no idea what you are being taught these days. They are far more likely to ask you about your research, your EC experience, about your knowledge of the current (and perhaps future) state and problems of healthcare, and a variety of ethical dilemmas that can come up in practice. Things that are important to medicine.
That being said, if you have on your application that you are researching something relating to the Citric Acid Cycle, you had better be able to be conversant on that topic.

 

[defrunner]

Also, from my experience with physicians, whenever they ask you something that you don't know the answer to, you should never say, "I don't know." You shouldn't BS either, but you should at least try to answer the question and qualify your answer with some sort of reasoning behind it. This way, it shows the physician that even if you don't know the answer, you're thinking through it and they can help guide you to the right answer.

 

[s.a.m.o.]

Also, from my experience with physicians, whenever they ask you something that you don't know the answer to, you should never say, "I don't know." You shouldn't BS either, but you should at least try to answer the question and qualify your answer with some sort of reasoning behind it. This way, it shows the physician that even if you don't know the answer, you're thinking through it and they can help guide you to the right answer.

What do you do if you honestly have no idea?

 

[yobynaes]

One day, we're all going to be able to access these dictionary-type websites using chips in our brains.

We'll ask people questions and if they pause, we'll say, "Hey, no no, you can't look it up!"

"I'm not!"

"You so did!"

"I was actually looking up the weight of an average watermelon."

"Really? What was it?"

"I don't know, you started talking again and interrupted me."

Then, someone introduced a virus to the websites and infected all the chips in our brain. there goes humanity!