How to Ace the Duke Interview?

[IHaveLab]

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I just got an interview at Duke and I'd really like to do well. Does anyone have any insight about what Duke interviewers want to know/like to hear?

E.g. I was told that Georgetown interviewers like to hear you talk about the 'human side' of medicine and that Dartmouth interviewers like to hear that you are well-rounded...that kind of stuff.

I know Duke is research-intensive, so should I focus on my research experience and how meaningful that's been to me?


Thanks a million!

PS. Before anyone starts giving me a lecture on the importance of being honest in interviews and not 'faking' a persona to try to get in, don't worry, I'm not trying to 'fake' my way in...I just want to know how to best present myself as a candidate.

 

[justskipee]

They were very interested in my research, and my amcas. Both interviewers had been given my file the previous day and had all these note on my applicaiton which dictated what they asked me. For duke I think they are really looking for a high level of intellectual curiosity. Definitely check out the admissions website, they have videos explaining what to expect from the interviews, alpha and beta.


http://dukemed.duke.edu/OnCamera/index.cfm

 

[bobito]

look at their website. They directly tell you what they are looking for.

I didn't have the same experience with my interviewers having lots of questions off my app. I think one hadn't read my app.

 

[SuzieQ3417]

I'm interviewing there on Dec. 15....I'm already getting nervous (and I've had five interviews already!). Were the interviews laid back, or was it pretty intense? Someone recently told me that they ask a lot of ethical questions, so I was wondering if you got that impression. Thanks for the info!

 

[bobito]

I'm interviewing there on Dec. 15....I'm already getting nervous (and I've had five interviews already!). Were the interviews laid back, or was it pretty intense? Someone recently told me that they ask a lot of ethical questions, so I was wondering if you got that impression. Thanks for the info!

Mine were laid back. One interview is about your experiences. One interview is about your "ethics". I didn't get asked alot of "ethical" questions. But I got asked alot about my high school years. One of my interviewers was a psychiatrist specializing in adolescents.

The experience I'm sure is different for everyone. I would be prepared to answer ethical questions and account for your experiences. Its highly unlikely that your interview will be confrontational, and you should go into the day looking to have an enjoyable experience.
I really liked Duke. Best of luck on the interviews.

 

[TommyGunn04]

As a current student who has a number of classmates who've done interviews for the admissions committee, I can assure you that there's no set of "typical questions" at Duke. Some people have a student interviewer while others don't. Some people get ethical questions while others don't. Some people feel like the whole "alpha" vs. "beta" interview thing is followed, while others complain that it's not. The bottom line is that there's no way to predict what you'll be asked because Duke leaves it up to the interviewers to decide what they want to ask, and there are a lot of different people who interview Some will have read your application with a fine-toothed comb and others will purposely not read any of it. Some may focus on research while others might ignore it. Overall though it seems that they're pretty laid back.

I'd encourage you to check out the interview feedback part of this website to learn a bit about what others have been asked in the past, but as I mentioned this is of limited utility. Otherwise all you can do is be yourself, be genuine, and make sure you know your application well, as anything there is fair game. There's no prototypical Duke interview. Good luck!

 

[nimotsu]

I think trying to present yourself optimally is a good idea, but people still pick up on fakeness and there is a degree of fakeness trying to please someone or tell them what they want to hear. But I would tell them that you found Durham's downtown to be absolutely breathtaking, that the campus traffic circles are groovy, and that you will sell your soul just like Coach K if you get into to the school

 

[Dr.Pdizzle]

Yea I'm always fond of just being myself, that usually works and I recommend it over tailoring yourself to another person's standards. That way, if you get rejected, you and the medical school weren't a right fit. If you're a square and the school is a circle, why force a square into a circle?

 

[dajimmers]

As a current student who has a number of classmates who've done interviews for the admissions committee, I can assure you that there's no set of "typical questions" at Duke. Some people have a student interviewer while others don't. Some people get ethical questions while others don't. Some people feel like the whole "alpha" vs. "beta" interview thing is followed, while others complain that it's not. The bottom line is that there's no way to predict what you'll be asked because Duke leaves it up to the interviewers to decide what they want to ask, and there are a lot of different people who interview Some will have read your application with a fine-toothed comb and others will purposely not read any of it. Some may focus on research while others might ignore it. Overall though it seems that they're pretty laid back.

I'd encourage you to check out the interview feedback part of this website to learn a bit about what others have been asked in the past, but as I mentioned this is of limited utility. Otherwise all you can do is be yourself, be genuine, and make sure you know your application well, as anything there is fair game. There's no prototypical Duke interview. Good luck!

I agree w/ what this guy said. Everyone in my interview group had different experiences and different comments. Mine were ethical/moral (not medethics, personal "what would you do" situational ethics), and then mostly about what I wanted in a med school. Only covered my AMCAS for about 5-10 minutes.

 

[Dookter]

My Duke interviews were totally laid back. Actually, the whole time I was there, I was completely relaxed. I absolutely loved Duke and thought the students were about as cool as they could get. There is definitely no reason to be worried about Duke's interview...relax and you'll have a great day there!