Haha yes I think being on time would probably be a good idea
I realize it's a long shot because it is so late, but my journey to this point has been strenuous and I'm trying to look at any step closer as a blessing and a chance... even if it's slim!
Any advice with how I should spend these next couple weeks preparing? I try to just talk to anyone who will listen about why I want to do this and why I know I can.. poor friends of mine haha. I just want to be comfortable on these topics. Has anyone been hit with questions they had NO idea how to answer?
I was fortunate to have a remarkable sister that has gone through some rigorous interviews at top schools and for top fellowships and scholarships. We practiced a bit each night.
Medical schools interviews break down in to a few categories it seems (I am sure someone has a better list than mine): why become a doctor (rather than a nurse, a PA, the Peace Corps, etc), why this school (and in particular why osteopathy), some variations on ethical questions, "tell me about yourself," and I think it always helps to ask them questions ("what are your primary concerns about me as a medical student?").
I took one question a night in between studying (I had a major test the day before my interview, so I sympathize). Though it was just one question, the phone call would last about 1 hour. She would write down what she liked most about my answer and give me that feed back. I found this was more helpful because once in the interview process, my pre-formed answer broke down. I found myself gravitating to what she liked, versus other people that helped for interviews at different schools that only told me what I did wrong.
I made sure that I had a good example for each that painted a picture. I was a medic in the Army, but no one really knows what that means (this is the origins of my name), so I would pick something remarkable and condense it to the most important parts. You only have a limited time for each idea, and you want to express a lot of ideas without harping on just one accomplishment. All of that takes practice or a silver tongue.
I had some moments that weren't perfect. I had one interviewer express doubt as to how I would handle time with my family in Columbus. Really, there was no good way to make her not worry about that, so I deflected it. I talked about how I felt parenthood could help as a doctor, strengthened my argument for OUCOM as my top pick because of the CORE program (I would do most of my CORE work in Columbus, closer to my family). I also had anticipated this and had a letter of recommendation from veteran that obtained his DO after having started a family. I left that portion of the interview confident that I had addressed her greatest concerns the best I could. You should prepare for that in case it comes up.
After having two weeks of doing one question a night, my sister and I moved on to two questions each evening. The phone call lasted about an hour still (5 minutes per question was my goal). By this point, I had solid feedback on what worked for her. I just worked on fitting it in to the various ways it could be asked, stuck in, etc. The final night, sitting in a motel in Athens, OH, we did our first and only full length practice. I will say that during the interviews that I brought up every topic we practiced, but not in a scripted manor. I had practiced each question in so many different ways that it was just conversational, and this fits OUCOM's interview to a T. You want to sound comfortable and have the person enjoy the process rather than leave the interview not knowing much more about you. (It might be a good time to mention that they will know more about you than you ever dreamed one could without being married to you)
Call the people at admissions and tell them you have heard about a CD they offer at the time of the interview. Ask them to send that to you rather than waiting until the day of the interview. If they can't, just ask someone else. If you really cannot get one, you can probably get lazy old me to send mine. I think this is a unique tool that is voiced by administrators, educators, and students from OUCOM. You get to hear what they think is important. I think this is useful because they have rich experiences that help them define what it is to be a doctor, to be at OU, and to choose osteopathy. It is probably 30-40 minutes long, but worth watching when you need a break from studying and the normal interview practice.
Again, my suggestion is to skip out on lunch a bit early. The best case scenario is that the person on your first interview has their door open and you get a little more time talking to them. After the three interviews are over (4 for some people), the groups of interviewers get together. They won't go until a decision is made. These people will be your advocates for getting accepted versus placed on a wait list. I think it can be productive to have this extra time. It is available to anyone showing the initiative to not wait until someone reminds you it is time to go upstairs, so use it!
Also, let us know if you got in! don't think I have ever written so much for the intraweb, and I would feel hollow in not knowing how it ended. It would be like the end of
The Sopranos.
