Good Questions to ask during Interviews

[Sch81]

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What kind of questions do you plan on asking during your interviews? Are you going to ask students different questions than the faculty? What kind of essential information do you think you should leave an interview with?

A couple I plan on asking:

What kind of financial management help does the school provide?

Is there any kind of cutting edge research going on right now?

How involved is the school in helping with job opportunities after graduation?

How does your clinic system work?

How advanced are the facilities?


Obviously there are a million others, anybody have any good questions?

 

[Montserrat]

Stuff that I would ask, in addition to stuff you mentioned.

clinical requirements for graduation ?

depending on when you start clinic, number of chairs available to students compared to number of students ?

average #/pass rate on Boards part I and part II?

when students take part I ?

specialization percentage (if that matters to you) ?

community service options built into curriculum ?

option for externships abroad ?

 

[squeegeediver]

My general rule is that I don't ask questions just to ask questions. I try to ask questions that can serve as a springboard into a conversation about the school and show that I am genuinely interested in the school's unique character.

I try to avoid questions that can be answered with a standard reply. If the answer to a question might be found on a website, or if it's a simple statistic, I won't ask it -- unless I think that I can start a discussion off of the answer.

So, for instance, I won't ask about the percentage of graduates who specialize. The answer is a simple statistic that can (probably) be found on a website somewhere, and I don't think that I could turn that into a conversation about the school itself. Such a question would be the equivalent of "So, how about this weather we've been having?"

I might ask about a school's patient pool. I could get a stock reply to that, but I could always turn that into an engaging discussion about, for instance, how to learn a good chairside manner when you come from a very different background than your patients.

So, to answer the OP's question: I ask questions that I know can turn into good conversations. A good question for me may be a terrible question for another person, and vice versa.

Good luck with everything!

 

[PennPB]

Pretty good advice, but a little green. Your interviewers aren't idiots either. If you're driving conversation for the sake of patting the school on the back and staying neutral, that's not going to give them a positive impression either. Questions of substance generally are more revealing of the school, the faculty, and of you.

So, for instance, I won't ask about the percentage of graduates who specialize. The answer is a simple statistic that can (probably) be found on a website somewhere, and I don't think that I could turn that into a conversation about the school itself.

This right here, is largely false. Those that choose to place stats on their website are skewed to their favor. It was surprising to see what certain schools considered specialization.

 

[Sch81]

My general rule is that I don't ask questions just to ask questions. I try to ask questions that can serve as a springboard into a conversation about the school and show that I am genuinely interested in the school's unique character.

Oh most definitely, I meant along the lines of as potential applicants, what are the things you want to know about a school that deserve mention at an interview. Obviously you should be having meaningful conversations, but you can be prepared with questions that spark that kind of dialogue when necessary.....I sure hope all my statements parlay into philosophical and super interesting discourse, but I doubt it'll go down like that.

Which leads to the logical question, anybody have things they think can spark that kind of stuff? Witty lead-in lines, etc.?

 

[PennPB]

I sure hope all my statements parlay into philosophical and super interesting discourse, but I doubt it'll go down like that.

Which leads to the logical question, anybody have things they think can spark that kind of stuff? Witty lead-in lines, etc.?

...? It's an interview, not a date.

 

[Sch81]

...? It's an interview, not a date.

It's a goddamn date to me, and I'm getting lucky at the end of it

 

[lzbthcox]

It's a goddamn date to me, and I'm getting lucky at the end of it

LMAO