I just wanted to share my Interview experience at Nova southeastern. Not to just prospective students but for Nova as well. I never thought an interview could end up so unpleasant. Before I could partake in the interview process, I was made to sign a waiver, which basically stated I would not disclose any information about the interview and dress appropriately. I have been on several interviews for optometry and have never been asked to waive my rights; what are they hiding?
The group of interviewees, including me, was separated from family and friends to speak with the dean. He asked us interview like questions and went over the curriculum. During this time frame, he asked all of us the same questions, why optometry? For a dean to ask me this question and then state afterwards that it has nothing to do with my social and natural science degree, then you are quite mistaken. Science is Science, and I hate to break it to you, but Optometry is a science.
Anyway, I was shocked that he singled two of us out of the group, due to the fact that we were married, to ask if we were going to have children. To me and hopefully everyone else, this is an inappropriate question to ask at an interview. What are looking for in your applicants Nova? Will we be able to handle such a hard course load with a baby attached to our hip? Shortly after that wonderful question, the dean went over the curriculum and warned us several times that it is an extremely hard curriculum and that you will have no life. All you do is study day in and day out. Great, I would expect that for a doctorate program, wouldnt you?
I asked the dean what the pass rates were for the national board. Instead of answering the question, he went on a tangent about the student doctor network; he asked us if we read the sdn and then not to believe anything you read on there. And he was genuinely upset. I felt that he was personally accusing me of reading the forum on their bad reputation of pass rates. Why didnt you just answer the question, dean? That was another red flag for the day. So, dean, Is this forum also a lie? Do I have any reason to make this up?
When we went on the tour of the school with the students, I was informed that the students has plenty of time to party on the weekends and were not in class all day like the dean told us. Interesting. I noticed when we first arrived at the Terry building (optometry building), it was absolutely gorgeous. Huge marble façade and beautiful landscaping. Inside the building, a totally different story. On our tour, I couldnt believe how dirty the inside of the building was; coffee spilt down the wall, finger prints or dirt smudges on the wall, dirty floors and even trash on the floor. The building looked as though it was inundated with students. Keep in mind, you take all your beginning classes with all the other professional schools (dental, pharmacy ect).
The class room halls, cafeteria, and classrooms were filthy. I dont think I saw one janitor all day. Not to mention, the bathrooms were disgusting. A rest station off the highway was cleaner than these bathrooms. I wont share the details of the toilet rooms, but I am sure you could imagine the possibilities.
My favorite part of the tour was when the student told us about the color coded tiled floor. Apparently the color of your scrubs matches the color of the tiles on the floor that direct you to your classroom if you get lost. Ok, if you cant manage to get to your class successfully without following the colored floor then you need to go back to kindergarten. Seriously, how old are we?
Anyway, I wish I could say it ended here, but it didnt. My interview that was scheduled earlier in the evening got pushed back to almost 8 at night. I was so tired, hungry and disappointed at this point, but still decided to stick through it until the end. I had already made up my mind that this school was not the best choice for me.
I was greeted by a young female professor at Nova for my interview; I could tell she had it in for me the way she looked at me and introduced herself compared to the other applicants. Anyway, we get to the room for the interview, and I am to be interviewed by two female professors. I dont think I could put this any other way .I felt like I was getting gang banged by good cop-bad cop. I wish I would have stood up for myself in the interview but I was so scared, tired, and hungry (keep in mind that it is 8 at night and been there for almost 7 hours). I was shocked that the bad cop asked why I didnt want to be a physician like my father. And then she proceeded to say that I probably am applying for optometry because I couldnt pass my MCAT. Funny, if you knew a thing about me, I never took the MCAT. I hate the bad reputation that goes with being a child of a physician.
On my last question, the good cop asked me a scenario type question about what do you tell a patient when they can no longer drive due to their vision loss. I gave her an example of what happened when my grandmother could no longer drive. The good cop had the nerve to ask me if she was still alive. I was so angry at that point that my eyes started to tear up and I told her no. Why do you need to know this information? She passed last year from stomach cancer are you happy now? Nova .Clean up your act please! I saw nothing but red flags that day. I hope you can take some criticism and fix your school. I am sure other people may have had a pleasant experience in the interview process but on my behalf, it was terrible. At least be consistent. I just wanted people to know what happened to me. Enough said.
The group of interviewees, including me, was separated from family and friends to speak with the dean. He asked us interview like questions and went over the curriculum. During this time frame, he asked all of us the same questions, why optometry? For a dean to ask me this question and then state afterwards that it has nothing to do with my social and natural science degree, then you are quite mistaken. Science is Science, and I hate to break it to you, but Optometry is a science.
Anyway, I was shocked that he singled two of us out of the group, due to the fact that we were married, to ask if we were going to have children. To me and hopefully everyone else, this is an inappropriate question to ask at an interview. What are looking for in your applicants Nova? Will we be able to handle such a hard course load with a baby attached to our hip? Shortly after that wonderful question, the dean went over the curriculum and warned us several times that it is an extremely hard curriculum and that you will have no life. All you do is study day in and day out. Great, I would expect that for a doctorate program, wouldnt you?
I asked the dean what the pass rates were for the national board. Instead of answering the question, he went on a tangent about the student doctor network; he asked us if we read the sdn and then not to believe anything you read on there. And he was genuinely upset. I felt that he was personally accusing me of reading the forum on their bad reputation of pass rates. Why didnt you just answer the question, dean? That was another red flag for the day. So, dean, Is this forum also a lie? Do I have any reason to make this up?
When we went on the tour of the school with the students, I was informed that the students has plenty of time to party on the weekends and were not in class all day like the dean told us. Interesting. I noticed when we first arrived at the Terry building (optometry building), it was absolutely gorgeous. Huge marble façade and beautiful landscaping. Inside the building, a totally different story. On our tour, I couldnt believe how dirty the inside of the building was; coffee spilt down the wall, finger prints or dirt smudges on the wall, dirty floors and even trash on the floor. The building looked as though it was inundated with students. Keep in mind, you take all your beginning classes with all the other professional schools (dental, pharmacy ect).
The class room halls, cafeteria, and classrooms were filthy. I dont think I saw one janitor all day. Not to mention, the bathrooms were disgusting. A rest station off the highway was cleaner than these bathrooms. I wont share the details of the toilet rooms, but I am sure you could imagine the possibilities.
My favorite part of the tour was when the student told us about the color coded tiled floor. Apparently the color of your scrubs matches the color of the tiles on the floor that direct you to your classroom if you get lost. Ok, if you cant manage to get to your class successfully without following the colored floor then you need to go back to kindergarten. Seriously, how old are we?
Anyway, I wish I could say it ended here, but it didnt. My interview that was scheduled earlier in the evening got pushed back to almost 8 at night. I was so tired, hungry and disappointed at this point, but still decided to stick through it until the end. I had already made up my mind that this school was not the best choice for me.
I was greeted by a young female professor at Nova for my interview; I could tell she had it in for me the way she looked at me and introduced herself compared to the other applicants. Anyway, we get to the room for the interview, and I am to be interviewed by two female professors. I dont think I could put this any other way .I felt like I was getting gang banged by good cop-bad cop. I wish I would have stood up for myself in the interview but I was so scared, tired, and hungry (keep in mind that it is 8 at night and been there for almost 7 hours). I was shocked that the bad cop asked why I didnt want to be a physician like my father. And then she proceeded to say that I probably am applying for optometry because I couldnt pass my MCAT. Funny, if you knew a thing about me, I never took the MCAT. I hate the bad reputation that goes with being a child of a physician.
On my last question, the good cop asked me a scenario type question about what do you tell a patient when they can no longer drive due to their vision loss. I gave her an example of what happened when my grandmother could no longer drive. The good cop had the nerve to ask me if she was still alive. I was so angry at that point that my eyes started to tear up and I told her no. Why do you need to know this information? She passed last year from stomach cancer are you happy now? Nova .Clean up your act please! I saw nothing but red flags that day. I hope you can take some criticism and fix your school. I am sure other people may have had a pleasant experience in the interview process but on my behalf, it was terrible. At least be consistent. I just wanted people to know what happened to me. Enough said.
Maybe that's why they implemented the waiver?
