Night before the interview!

[RoyalFB]

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I have my first interview ever tomorrow! I was wondering what others have done to prepare. So far I have been studying my primary/secondary applications, the history of the school, osteopathic websites, SDN, etc... I haven't studied individual questions because I want to be myself during the interview and not sound rehearsed. Does anybody have any suggestions? I feel pretty well prepared, so maybe I should just go to a movie so I don't stress too much.....

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I never studied anything. I didn't put any bull**** in my essay or secondary applications, and I went in with the intention of answering all questions honestly. That includes not being afraid to say "I don't know" if asked a tough question.

Maybe look over the interview feedback to know what to expect, but other than that, I prefer just to wing it, rather than trying to guess what they're going to ask, and then figure out the answer that they want to hear.

 

[FinchHead]

Looking at the questions they ask is good. Don't write your answer out, but think of a few points you can talk about.

 

[Saregamapadanis]

I have my first interview ever tomorrow! I was wondering what others have done to prepare. So far I have been studying my primary/secondary applications, the history of the school, osteopathic websites, SDN, etc... I haven't studied individual questions because I want to be myself during the interview and not sound rehearsed. Does anybody have any suggestions? I feel pretty well prepared, so maybe I should just go to a movie so I don't stress too much.....

don't go to a movie. Just relax , simply sit down and relax. don't do anything. Sleep early, wake up early tomorrow. Good luck.

 

[Tachymeter]

As my own interviews approach I've become very glad that I was completely honest on my applications. Sure I don't have that good of EC's, but I feel like my essays did a good job of explaining my reasoning for becoming a doctor. My view at this point is, they wouldn't have granted me an interview unless they like the person that I am presenting before them. After all they could have rejected my application for the lack of EC's and been done with it.

 

[t-funk]

Personally, I vote for the movie or any other activity to keep your mind off of the interview. I usually reviewed questions in the morning for my first few interviews and then stopped after my third interview bc it was just too redundant. I do think reviewing the questions helped for me bc I get really nervous so I already knew, many times, what I wanted to say. Since I do get nervous, I'm pretty sure it never sounded rehearsed or as if I was 'smooth-talking'.

 

[DiverDoc]

don't go to a movie. Just relax , simply sit down and relax. don't do anything. Sleep early, wake up early tomorrow. Good luck.

I completely agree. At my first interview I had answers to common questions written out and memorized. It sounded rehearsed. My first interview performance was borderline sub par. For my next one, I was relaxed and had the mindset of 'will this institution fit me' instead of crapping my pants with nerves. Needless to say, because I was relaxed I rocked this interview. So relax and I think youll have similar results.

 

[theserbatron]

i always went over my essays and such before I went to bed, and jotted down some things i thought i wanted to be sure to emphasize about myself prior to the interviews. after about 30 minutes of that, you can't do much more, IMO...

before calling it a night, get all your stuff ready - clothes, shoes, etc, and arrange it out so that if you sleep in a bit you'll be ready to go! set your alarm and that's it.

try to make the morning as normal as possible for you. i love starting out my day w a cup of coffee, so i gave myself extra time to grab a cup before heading over to the school. whatever your normal mornings are like, the more you can hold to that the better off you'll be.

i always chatted it up w the other candidates too, i think it psychologically gets you in the frame of mind to be thinking about yourself, why you want to study, and their conversations might spark interesting stories or events in your own life that you can share w the committee. good luck!

 

[RoyalFB]

Thanks to everyone for your advice! I'm very excited about this one, and that's the most important thing I want to convey tomorrow. 🙂

 

[paramediclizard]

Have questions for them. It helps to create conversation and shows that you are interested in how the program with fit your needs.