Interview Order???

[ZekeMD]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I just received and inerview invite from UPitt which is one of my top choice schools. My concern is that my interview is scheduled for 11/24 which would make it my first interview. Would it be better to interview at a school that is not my top choice first?

 

[ZekeMD]

whoops....inerview=interview

 

[rgporter]

Maybe, but what is important is that you're able to be yourself and answer the questions. Can't change the order but maybe you can have your boss or someone give you a mock interview. The questions can be found on the interview feedback sight, and I have heard this is very helpfull.

 

[quideam]

ZekeMD,

I just interviewed at Pitt last week, so I can safely tell you not to worry too much. I've had a bunch of interviews previously, and although it does help to have some experience talking about yourself, Pitt's interview isn't that intense. I do caution you to remember, however, that the two interviews are an hour each - so there is a lot of time for you to talk. My interviewers asked me a lot of questions - about my medical experiences, motivation for medicine, ec's, etc., etc. But everyone was very friendly, and one of the girls at my inteview day said it was her 1st interview... so you won't be alone.

Definetly try to do a mock interview with a boss, teacher, friend... anyone 🙂. Good luck and PM me if you have any questions...

- Quid

 

[ZekeMD]

Thanks Quid,

your encouragement is much appreciated.

 

[musiclink213]

sometimes the premed advisor, or whoever is in charge of the pre-meds give mock interviews with a committee that consists of the advisor, the chairs of the bio, chem, and physics dept., and an outside physician. we have to go through these mock interviews before they write us an LOR, but ask your advisor, he might be able to give u a mock interview, and he'd know most of the types of questions asked.

 

[Grumpy Bear]

I actually think it would be nice to be fresh for an important interview. I know I'm getting a little fatigued, and beyond that it's sometimes hard to remember during a 45 minute interview whether some important point was covered already in that interview, or if i just remember discussing it in an interview a couple of days beforehand. sigh 🙂 i need to sleep more!! Anyway, congrats on the invite... I'm sure it'll go well!

 

[chilla]

Is the interview feedback site on SDN or does each medical school has its own feedback site?

 

[exmike]

Honestly, I definitely felt more comfortable in my later interviews. Ironically I got into my first school, but listed at two following that. There is some good about your top choice being your first. Your answers wont sound as contrived because you wont have recited t hem 50 times, and your nervousness may even come off as sincere interest. Just do some mocks and you'll be OK.

One thing to consider is that Pitt is NOT rolling, so it might not hurt for you to push your interview back if you want to go others first to prime for pitt.

 

[Adapt]

Originally posted by ZekeMD
Would it be better to interview at a school that is not my top choice first?

I second what exmike said. I was really nervous and tense at my first interview but at my 8th interview, which happened to be one of my top choices, it was a breeze. Ironically, I did get into the school where I first interviewed at.

I did have mock interviews before but they didn't help much. By your last interview, you would have answered the same questions so much, they don't seem as practiced and memorized. It really became a breeze for me, and I actually enjoy interviewing now whereas before I hated it.

I would schedule your top choice later than other ones to have a little practice first. The problem is now it is getting a little later in the cycle so you wouldn't want to schedule it too late.

 

[Bones2008]

Originally posted by chilla
Is the interview feedback site on SDN or does each medical school has its own feedback site?

It's on SDN. If you go to the main page click on "Medical School Interview Feedback" or whatever it says.

 

[Outer Space]

Originally posted by Slickness

I did have mock interviews before but they didn't help much. By your last interview, you would have answered the same questions so much, they don't seem as practiced and memorized. It really became a breeze for me, and I actually enjoy interviewing now whereas before I hated it.

I agree that after several interviews you have pretty much all the answers to all the questions, but what became more difficult for me is smiling - at one interview I realized that if I smiled one more time, my lips would stretch into the most grotesquely fake snarl that would probably be seared into the interviewer's memory for the rest of his life. Ugh.

 

[dramaqueen]

well i guess everyone's experiences are different
cuz mine was the opposite

my first interview
yes i was very very nervous
but i think in some ways it helped me think faster on my feet, etc

i purposefully planned it as my first to get practice
since i wasnt too interested in attending
and scheduled the schools i liked better later on
thinking more practice was helpful

as u go to more and more interviews
u get really blah about the whole interview process
at least for me
yes as u do more and more, u lose all feeling of nervousness
but in some ways that was bad for me
cuz that kinda meant that i didnt care as much
looking back, i think i was too laid back for my later interviews

u get so sick of spewing the same answers over and over again
it may sound like it flows better, since u r not nervous
but in my opinion, it just seems like you're spewing out memorized answers

and truly, i just stopped giving a **** after like my 3rd interview

of course, i hope that your attitude doesn't become like mine
🙁

in any case, practice helps with nervousness
and since pitt is not rolling, i guess it wouldn't matter as much to have it later on

but don't get into the mode that i fell into

it's not that i didn't care cuz i thought i was such a great candidate and would get in no matter what
i was just so sick of the interviewing process, making small talk with fellow interviewees, asking med students all these questions....
it really becomes more of a chore
that in the end, i stopped being social during interviews, and just was getting really bored with the process

ok i guess u get my point
so ill stop babbling
😀

oh yea, i was accepted at the first school i interviewed at
and i've been out of college for a few years
so i didnt even do the mock interviews that premed office offers

so it didnt matter that it was my first interview