How to answer "what do you bring to this instutition?" interview question?

[jilljack593]

As the title says, I have some interviews coming up and looking through the SDN interview feedback question- I've seen that this question comes up a lot, and quite honestly I have no idea how to answer it?

Are they looking for a brief summary of your life? Do they want to know what you like about the school, etc?

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks!!

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[gobigorgohome22]

If you cant answer that for a specific school, you should not have applied there. What do you like about that specific school??? Make sure its specific to the school!

 

[nemo123]

Honestly, I have really hated that question. My interviewers have asked variations of that question. They'll ask me how I would describe the interviewees on my interview day, and I'm just like "They're nice?" And in my head, I think "What do you expect me to say?" Then they'll follow up and ask me which of my personal qualities are more outstanding than the interviewees on my day. I just sit there, and I'm like ... I just met them 2 hours ago and talked with them for 15 minutes. How am I supposed to know that?! Do interviewers want me to regurgitate my app and what I wrote on my secondaries?

Some questions I've had at interviews just make me go ??? TWICE (not just once), I've been asked whether my research labs have liked me. What am I supposed to say to that? In my head, I'm like you guys have my research LORs (and I know they're good because I've seen them)... And then when I avoid answering the question, my interviewers always call me out on it and tell me that I haven't answered the question.

 

[cs24]

I also hated this question. I ended up BSing something about how much I enjoyed research and how I wanted to promote evidence-based medicine. Just take one of the strengths from your application and elaborate on it. Maybe you are a really good leader and have started a lot of clubs, or organized community service opportunities, maybe you have a lot of clinical experience as an EMT, phlebotomist, etc that you could use to help out your classmates when you learn some of these skills, etc.