Interview Portfolio?

[RubberDuckie7]

Can anyone tell me what consists of an interview portfolio and whether I should be bringing one? It's my first interview tomorrow at NJMS and I wasn't going to bring anything until I heard the word 'interview portfolio' on some treads. I heard NJMS has a very conversational interview, and it's only one hour with one interviewer (I think/hope). I have a few papers with my name on it, should i bring copies? Is that over doing it? Because who's going to really read it anyway right? But I'm afraid if they ask me to talk about it and ask "do you have a copy with you" and I don't...

Thanks

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[DrBowtie]

portfolio = nice leather folder with slots for pens, legal pad etc.

 

[deleted50541]

I keep copies of my CV and abstracts in my portfolio to give to interviewers.

 

[finch]

yeah, you just want to have something reasonably elegant looking to carry stuff in---more to carry stuff they give you (fin. aid brochures, etc) than to carry stuff you give them

 

[jebus]

You know, someone else brought up the idea of publications and whether or not you should give a copy to your interviewer. I was always told "Yes! Bring in the glossy reprint copies you ordered!" But someone (Law2Doc, if I recall) had a really good point: You don't want props, you don't want to attract attention to anything but yourself in an interview. Know the publications front to back, be able to talk about them - AND your contribution! But don't give a copy away. It made sense, the interview is supposed to be about you and your interest and readiness for a career in medicine. Besides, it's likely available on PubMed, anyway.
So, let's fashion a compromise. Bring a copy. Don't give it away willy-nilly but certainly talk about your work. If the interviewer asks for a copy then give it to him/her.

 

[RubberDuckie7]

You know, someone else brought up the idea of publications and whether or not you should give a copy to your interviewer. I was always told "Yes! Bring in the glossy reprint copies you ordered!" But someone (Law2Doc, if I recall) had a really good point: You don't want props, you don't want to attract attention to anything but yourself in an interview. Know the publications front to back, be able to talk about them - AND your contribution! But don't give a copy away. It made sense, the interview is supposed to be about you and your interest and readiness for a career in medicine. Besides, it's likely available on PubMed, anyway.
So, let's fashion a compromise. Bring a copy. Don't give it away willy-nilly but certainly talk about your work. If the interviewer asks for a copy then give it to him/her.

That's great advice! Thanks!

 

[Flopotomist]

I carried a small bag (like a laptop case) with my portfolio in it. In my portofolio, I carried my CV, copies of my primary and secondary, pens and paper, copies of publications (mostly for me to review - and to hand out ONLY if asked), a map of the campus preprinted from the internet so I wouldn't get lost.

In the bag itself, I carried a cloth to polish up the shoes last minute, breath mints, a book to read during down time, my wallet (so I wouldn't be sitting on it), my cell phone (turned to silent), chapstick, safety pins (old good luck charm just in case a button blows out on the suit), kleenex, throat lozenges, and a copy of the MSAR.

The MSAR actually came in handy at one interview when the interviewer asked me if I knew where my MCAT score fell on the bell curve. I pulled out my MSAR and showed him.

 

[DrBowtie]

I carried a small bag (like a laptop case) with my portfolio in it. In my portofolio, I carried my CV, pens and paper, copies of publications (mostly for me to review - and to hand out ONLY if asked), a map of the campus preprinted from the internet so I wouldn't get lost.

In the bag itself, I carried a cloth to polish up the shoes last minute, breath mints, a book to read during down time, my wallet (so I wouldn't be sitting on it), my cell phone (turned to silent), chapstick, safety pins (old good luck charm just in case a button blows out on the suit), kleenex, throat lozenges, and a copy of the MSAR.

The MSAR actually came in handy at one interview when the interviewer asked me if I knew where my MCAT score fell on the bell curve. I pulled out my MSAR and showed him.

HA...How'd that go over?

 

[Flopotomist]

HA...How'd that go over?

I got an acceptance 😉 It was a bit unusual, and I wouldn't recommend it, but the interviewer had mentioned never hearing of the MSAR (??) so I showed it to him, then he asked if it had the MCAT bell curve in it, and I flipped right to the page to show him.

 

[DrBowtie]

I must say referring to sources = normal
carrying your sources with you = abnormal

In the end it worked out so I guess I should get a larger backpack. 🙂

 

[Flopotomist]

I must say referring to sources = normal
carrying your sources with you = abnormal

In the end it worked out so I guess I should get a larger backpack. 🙂

I actually was only carrying my sources for my own reference so that I could study up BEFORE I went into the interview, and then just still had them with me.

 

[newguy357]

A portfolio is completely unnecessary for med. school interviews in my experience. You won't need to give your interviewers anything, so the only point of having one would be to carry their stuff around in...and to look pretentious (in my opinion). Portfolios are more common for "real job" interviews in the corporate world, etc. Although I have gotten corporate jobs carrying around a ratty college notebook and have never used a leather portfolio. Whatever, good luck.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

A portfolio is completely unnecessary for med. school interviews in my experience. You won't need to give your interviewers anything, so the only point of having one would be to carry their stuff around in...and to look pretentious (in my opinion). Portfolios are more common for "real job" interviews in the corporate world, etc. Although I have gotten corporate jobs carrying around a ratty college notebook and have never used a leather portfolio. Whatever, good luck.

i agree. if you already have one, you could bring it, but i wouldn't buy one. the school will give you a huge folder with all their info, and you can easily put whatever else you pick up during the day in that folder. since you don't have to give anything to your interviewers, why invest money in one?

 

[NehsNairb]

Out of all interviews I've been to, NJMS put forth the least effort. All other schools give you packets for various info(fin aid, match list, curriculum and clerkship info). NJMS gave nothing. I asked admissions office if they had packets that provided more info about the school and they gave me a one-page sheet with useless tidbits. Basically, all I'm saying is that you don't need to bring anything except the passport that they asked for. Once you get other interviews, it could be useful to bring an interview portfolio or folder so you can keep the stuff they give you. Maybe I'm just bitter at NJMS for waitlisting me, but they really didn't try to sell their school at all.

 

[deuist]

Unlike the rest of the people on this forum, I do believe that an interview portfolio is overdoing it. I've been to lots of interviews where someone would inevitably pull out a leather folder which housed the a legal for jotting down notes. Never once did I say, "Now he looks like a doctor." I managed just fine with carrying everything in an attache case and a paper Walmart folder. If that's not enough, every med school that I've ever been to has given us a plastic folder to haul all of their brochures around.