Prepping for Interview Questions

[thedogisgreen]

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I'm not seeing any current threads about this, so thought I'd start one about not what questions are asked, but how best to answer them in the different interview formats. (Though TT, I'm sure you will work some magic and find exactly what I'm talking about somewhere!)
I've been through the SDN interview page to get an idea of interview questions for specific schools and that has been really helpful. Since my upcoming interview is in Iowa where it is a closed file behavioral interview, the first question will probably be to tell them a bit about myself - where do I start? What's the most important thing to say? I shouldn't go into working full time at a small animal clinic, blah blah blah, they've heard it all before, I'm just the same as everyone else. But I also can't avoid talking about vet stuff completely, because that's what I'm there for. I don't know how long a mini-bio to give, and what to include, whether the most important or the most interesting things.
In the closed interview format, how much should I guide the conversation to go into the stuff on my resume, transcripts, etc that they can't see but are good things about me... or just choose situations that illustrate who I am as a person?
Any tips on not being super nervous and fidgety? I've gotten an idea of my answers to potential questions, but i don't want to practice them too much because I don't want anything to sound rehearsed.

 

[moosenanny]

This definitely isn't going to answer all of the questions you posed, but at least for how much to say in your opening statement, I'd definitely start with where you are from and what school you go to/went to and what you majored in. Then maybe highlight your main vet experience(s), but don't give it all away in the beginning! Say something like, "My primary veterinary experience has been working as a technician in a small animal hospital for x number of years; I'd be happy to share details about this experience throughout this interview and how this job confirmed for me that veterinary medicine is my passion." This way you allude to it without going through all of your potential stories and anecdotes before they've even really launched into their questions. I'd say keep it to a couple of minutes max, and if the overall interview time is short (i.e., 15-20 minutes), then 30 seconds would probably suffice.

ETA: the way I practiced was going through every single SDN question posted for each school in the interview tab, as well as tons I found doing google searches (sometimes having a list of 100 or so questions per school). Identical questions from my preparations came up in all three of my interviews last year, which made me feel super prepared and confident, like studying for an exam that directly paid off 😉 I rehearsed my answers out loud with a parent for hours to practice, and even took a few notes to review right before the interview of things I didn't want to leave out. The key is having rehearsed answers without sounding like a robot or that you're reciting something from memory!

 

[Willowhand]

In terms of general interview advice, I highly recommend practicing giving your answers aloud. It would be helpful if you could get someone to ask them so you have a real person giving you feedback, but even without someone listening it's good good practice. Especially if you're like me and have a hard time getting things translated from thoughts to words

For the dreaded "tell me about yourself" I suggest that you choose some general statement about yourself, and use that to lead into a brief intro to the characteristics that make you unique. I can't remember exactly what I said, but I started by talking about my curiosity, willingness to experiment, and independence, and how these characteristics influenced my growth and education. I spoke of my unorthodox --but very fitting-- education (being homeschooled, dropping out of start college at a young age), how I valued my pursuit of interests in multiple disciplines during undergrad (the arts and sciences, culminating in a senior thesis incorporating both), and led into a brief overview of why I wanted to be a vet and what I felt I could add to the profession. In terms of length, it was just a quick overview; I probably spoke for less than a minute, and basically gave them the information above, with a more detail, smooth transitioning, and cohesiveness.

Tips on how to relax:
1. Breathe. Seriously 😉
2. If possible, spend some time before your interview familiarizing yourself with the campus and getting to know current students.
3. Remember that the interviewers are not out to get you: they are out to get to know you. Be yourself!
4. Focus on something outside of your mind. Instead of worrying incessantly about whether you sound silly or if your nervousness shows, focus on the faces of your interviewers and pay attention to their behavior, posture, and words. Not only will this help you get out of your nervous mind, it will help you listen and interact positively with these people. Showing that you are attentive, interested in others, and generally socially competent can only help your cause.
5. Get to the interview on time!! Make sure you know your way there, leave a few minutes early, and arrive relaxed and happy.
6. Remember that whatever the outcome, you were one of a select group that got an interview at a vet school. How awesome is that?!

Good luck, I hope it (or they) goes well for you!

 

[bonaparte]

the first question will probably be to tell them a bit about myself - where do I start? What's the most important thing to say?

Here's an article I found to be very informative!

http://www.studentdoctor.net/2008/02/trick-question/

 

[bunnity]

I honestly didn't prepare much. I think a mock interview is a good idea so you get used to answering questions, but I don't think you need to STUDY for it. You should know the answers to all the questions already - you just need to relax and say them.

 

[NittanyKitty]

The "tell-me-a-bit-about-yourself" question is tricky (and I personally hate it), especially with a closed-file interview since you can't assume they know anything about you at all. I would personally not spend the entire time talking about vet stuff but incorporate a lot of who YOU are as a person - it's what they care about at this point. Remember, even if these interviewers don't know much about your vet experiences, those were parts of your application that were good enough to get you to the interview! That part's taken care of!

I would include my major, where I went to school, a sentence about your main vet experiences (SA, LA, zoo, tech, shadowing?), your career goal/focus, your family and/or pets, hobbies, and favorite book/movie/etc. And depending on the body language and tone of the interviewers, I'd personally close with something funny or goofy. In one of mine I said that neutrophils are my favorite type of cell, and in the other I explained why out of the four biological macromolecules I saw myself as a protein. They laughed for both, I was able to relax, and the interviews went fine - acceptances at both.

But don't stress about this single question so much that you have a canned response. This answer isn't likely going to make or break your entry to that school. Have a few key points you want to say, go over it once or twice, and then relax. Don't make it sound like you've memorized what you're going to say - it's a conversation, not a planned performance.

As for the other stuff, have a handful of stories that you can use to fit those icky behavioral questions (a time you used teamwork? A time you had difficulty with xyz? A time you had a conflict?) I found having only two or three stories could be twisted or molded to fit any of those scenarios. Have those examples down pat, take a moment to collect your thoughts and how to frame a response with that story, and those questions should give you no problem.

Also, always have two or three concrete reasons of why you chose to apply to that school. It's bound to come up. In addition, two or three reasons why they should pick you over another applicant. That is also often asked. Have your opinions about euthanasia, financial problems, cosmetic surgery, etc. straight in your head, and be prepared to discuss and defend them. No matter what they say to you in the follow-up questions, do not change your mind from your initial statement! They want to hear your logic, opinion, and defense, not how good you are at changing your response to what you think they want to hear. Lastly, I would definitely have at least one well-thought-out question that you can ask them at the end about their program - it shows you are prepared, curious, and have a real investment in understanding how their school works.

Other than that, breathe, relax, don't rush, and remember that this is just a talk that you're having. You've made it this far, and you deserve to be there. You'll be fine!

 

[katryn]

For the tell us about yourself portion, I picked three points each 2-4 words long that pointed out why I was there, and what I was bringing to the table. It limited the details, and they acted as little hooks to get my interviewers to ask me about things I already new I could answer solidly.

 

[skittles12]

I must have just gotten lucky and didn't get the "tell us about yourself" question. My first question was why should we take someone who's only had 3 years of undergrad? I also got several questions based on information in my personal statement. The question I remember most was to explain laminitis in a way you would to a client. (My favorite question ever, btw.)
I was really nervous leading up to it, and even cried a couple of hours beforehand because I felt like so much was riding on the interview. I know it's hard, but try not to stress out too much. I actually enjoyed it--it was like a conversation more than an interrogation!

 

[racccjlm]

Just a tip someone gave me - when you can, include things that you didn't have in your application. Like on the "tell us about yourself question" - that's a chance to add in tidbits that you couldn't fit in your personal statement. I talked about history and music (obviously not solely - but I mentioned it), and that helped me hit it off with some people on the committee. Obviously every committee will be different, but don't be afraid to bring in aspects of your life that don't relate to vet med.

Finals for me are done December 16th. After that, if anyone wants to PM me about interviews, feel free!

 

[Nechochwen]

I definitely agree with getting to the school early. By a twist of circumstances, I was at the school a few hours before my interview. Usually I would have thought that would have allowed me more time to stress, but it actually let me settle in, relax and watch people go to their interview and then come back to say it wasn't that bad.

Maybe not hours, 😉, but a little time to get used to the unfamiliar environment is nice.

When they ask you if you have any questions, having something specific about the school is nice because it shows that you've done your research and are serious.

 

[johanelmander45]

Hi

You can find this info by using search box in the top of website with some keywords related before posting questions.

If you want to get more materials that related to this topic, you can visit: Behavioral interview questions

Best regards.

 

[lareinesoleil]

Tips on how to relax:
1. Breathe. Seriously 😉
2. If possible, spend some time before your interview familiarizing yourself with the campus and getting to know current students.
3. Remember that the interviewers are not out to get you: they are out to get to know you. Be yourself!
4. Focus on something outside of your mind. Instead of worrying incessantly about whether you sound silly or if your nervousness shows, focus on the faces of your interviewers and pay attention to their behavior, posture, and words. Not only will this help you get out of your nervous mind, it will help you listen and interact positively with these people. Showing that you are attentive, interested in others, and generally socially competent can only help your cause.
5. Get to the interview on time!! Make sure you know your way there, leave a few minutes early, and arrive relaxed and happy.
6. Remember that whatever the outcome, you were one of a select group that got an interview at a vet school. How awesome is that?!

Those are all great.

7. PRACTICE. If you've practiced, you won't be as fidgety. Even if they don't use a single question that you practiced on, just the practice of sitting still is worthwhile. On my first run-through, the person practicing with me told me I was way too fidgety and wiggly. I worked on that and sat relatively calmly in the interview.

My interview, like many of the others, was actually very conversational and relaxing. The stressful part of it for me all came from within my own head because I knew how much was riding on it. But I tried to put that aside for 30 min and just be myself.

TIP: bring comfortable shoes! I didn't and spent the entire day, including a tour, in heels. Blurgh.

 

[twelvetigers]

I think the OP nailed it, lol. What was it, two acceptances?

Boo for the weird 'use the search' troll that brought this thread back and fooled you!

 

[lareinesoleil]

Haha I'm ******ed!!!