Informational Meeting with Asst. Director of MSTP Program

[jtothehizo]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Through some emails, I was able to get an informational meeting with the Asst. Director of a MSTP program. I would appreciate any pointers to making the most out of this meeting (or at least not voiding any chance of admittance to the college's program ).

 

[JHopRevisit]

It depends on where you are in the process.

For example, if you are applying in the upcoming cycle, you have about 6 mnths. before you head out for interviews. That's just enough time to sneak in a good bloc of productive summer research or get in some clinical work (shadowing, volunteering, etc.). If the director's willing to look over your app or a resume, ask him/her to comment on strengths/weaknesses. If you don't have enough time for that, ask a generic "what do you look for in a candidate?" question and then try to narrow in on some specifics to see if your app matches up. You still have some time to act on the responses, as in my experience its much more important to have all of your "experiences" lined up for the interview rather than the primary or secondary apps, which are more a numbers game.

Secondly, I would test-drive your responses to "Why MD-PhD?" Tell him/her why you're going the physician-scientist route, and since this is not a formal interview, ask for some feedback, whether (s)he thinks you're doing it for the right reasons. This question is one of the most important parts of the interview process, and feeling confident in your answer is a big advantage. Plus it'll make sure you've thought about it early and often (you'll probably go through a few variations on a theme as you discuss it at each interview), and it might help you get a jump-start on your PS.

Don't worry too much about evaluating their school, you have no basis of comparison without going out on more interviews and there'll be plenty of time for that once you're admitted. If the director wants to talk up their school let them go for it and throw in a few enthusiastic comments, but I don't think you'll get too much out of it.

Hope this helps.

 

[nystargate]

Nice advice Jhop. I had a quick question for the op, I was wondering if this school is one of your top choices or if you are interested in getting feedback on the strengths/weaknesses of your resume.

 

[GliaGirl]

If you REALLY want to go to a school, don't meet up with them ahead of time. I did that and ended up getting burned, because during the actual interview a few months later we had nothing to talk about after already having met. My charm is very fleeting in nature, apparently. It can be VERY useful, and it helped me figure out where I wanted to apply and helped assure me that I was a pretty good applicant. But if you have your heart set on a place, meeting with them in advance can really only hurt you in my experience.

Then again I was very honest in our meeting, and did say that I was applying elsewhere and that the school was not top on my list at the moment. If you do meet with them, and you want to go there, make sure they know that... or something.

 

[jtothehizo]

If you REALLY want to go to a school, don't meet up with them ahead of time. I did that and ended up getting burned, because during the actual interview a few months later we had nothing to talk about after already having met. My charm is very fleeting in nature, apparently. It can be VERY useful, and it helped me figure out where I wanted to apply and helped assure me that I was a pretty good applicant. But if you have your heart set on a place, meeting with them in advance can really only hurt you in my experience.

Then again I was very honest in our meeting, and did say that I was applying elsewhere and that the school was not top on my list at the moment. If you do meet with them, and you want to go there, make sure they know that... or something.

I had the same doubt. But the meeting with the asst. director was fairly quick. It was more about what I wanted to learn rather than her asking me questions. I also spoke with an MD/PHD student there and another staff member. Both were open about the process and helped me hone my reasons for applying. I'm not sure if the meeting helped at all, but I don't believe it hurt either. The school I went to happens to be my top choice as of now.

 

[Red Leader]

I had the same doubt. But the meeting with the asst. director was fairly quick. It was more about what I wanted to learn rather than her asking me questions. I also spoke with an MD/PHD student there and another staff member. Both were open about the process and helped me hone my reasons for applying. I'm not sure if the meeting helped at all, but I don't believe it hurt either. The school I went to happens to be my top choice as of now.

Hey just wondering how your meeting went and what questions you happened to ask in the end.

I would like to arrange a meeting like this too and I'd appreciate any help, thanks 🙂