Hey guys,
With all the energy going around these threads right now, I thought as much as having all this data will help, having some tips for applying, interviews, and that kinda thing in general we've picked up on the way would help out future students as well, especially with MD/PhD specific things.
PreInterview/Travel
Here are my tips for the moment- hope to see some additons!
With all the energy going around these threads right now, I thought as much as having all this data will help, having some tips for applying, interviews, and that kinda thing in general we've picked up on the way would help out future students as well, especially with MD/PhD specific things.
PreInterview/Travel
- Buy your suit well in advance. Tailoring, finding a good fit, and other alterations take time!
- For MD/PhD make sure you're ready for 2 days of suit-some interviews want that- I had just one suit, but 2 dress shirt/tie combos. Also having a good set of business casual clothes is useful as some schools want less formal attire.
- Find this bag on amazon- I got mine for 20$ (
DALIX
39" Business Garment Bag Cover for Suits and Dresses Clothing Foldable w Pockets)
- it's been a lifesaver. Airlines will generally treat it as a personal item and you can then still have your backpack. My laptop/padfolio also fit in here nicely. Also has held up well throughout - Roller board bags seem to work well, but I've done very well with a large backpack (duffel bag with backpack straps). Airlines don't notice it as much, and I've yet to have them check it where it could be lost yet
- Drink lots of water! Headaches are super common with bad sleep and intense days. Also a small travel bottle of ibuprofen is a lifesaver.
- Bring snacks! You never know when you'll be able to eat on the interviews. You're usually well fed, but long gaps can leave you hungry (or hangry)
- Staying with hosts is great and can save money, but also consider it may be somewhat more stressful. I would choose a host to help defer costs, but in terms of meeting with a current student interviews give you more than enough chances to do that
- I didn't do this but I've heard it works well- get a credit card with airline rewards beforehand. I've heard of some pretty impressive rewards racked up through this travel
- Buy a portable phone charger- a lifesaver for calling rides, finding your way if you're using your phone a lot
- Bring cash- I usually try to have a broken 20 (10, 5, 5 ones) for paying for things that don't accept cards (i.e. buses, vending machines)
- To prepare for interviews with faculty (when given ahead of time) I generally would get a good sense of a faculty by reading their bio. Good things to look for include questions you can ask them that are insightful on each project, commonalities (same undergrad, grad school as your undergrad), hometown, and for how their research relates to yours as this is what you'll be asked about by them (i.e. if they work on project A of your projects A and B, be prepared for lots of questions about A)
- Have a good idea of faculty you could see yourself with at that university- 3 is good. This question is fairly frequent
- Have several lengths of your research talk- I have a 30 second, a 2 minute, and a 5 minute version (ish, still keep it conversational). Some people will not be willing to listen through some long winded thing
- Be ready for a grilling interview, don't let it phase you. I've had several institutions have a faculty or two grill you for a while, then after you "pass" their test they lighten up a lot
- Thank you notes- write them as you go home. Short, 3 line things with a personal touch
Here are my tips for the moment- hope to see some additons!
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