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Most of the questions I was asked about were about my goals (what I wanted to get out of an internship, what I want to specialize in, my fields of interest, etc). I was also asked about my research experience and other unique experience on my CV. Some of the interviewers asked me about my strengths/weaknesses. I was only given a case once and it was pretty straightforward - they gave me the signalment and presenting complaint and asked me what diagnostic tests I would perform, what questions I would ask while taking a history, etc.
Bumping this. I got invited for an interview for a SA rotating internship at an academic institution yesterday and I'm excited, but also pretty nervous. Anyone care to give further insight into the types of questions that are typically asked during an internship interview? Any help is much appreciated.
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Congrats on an interview! I interviewed via phone with N.C. state last year for internship. It was very low key, more a conversation than a strict interview. We talked a lot about my specific interests and how those services worked, my outside of vet med interests and things to do in Raleigh.
My current academic internship just ranks their top ~30 without interviewing and sends an email.
Remember you made the grade cut, so it’s more about fit- are your goals aligned with an academic place? Do you like/treat students, techs and house officers well? Are you a serial killer?
Sorry I don’t have any specific tips!
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Thanks! That was all really helpful. Glad to know I don't have to expect a very stressful, in-depth interview.
Is this a pretty typical interview question for an internship or associate job?
Most interviews for internships are very low key. In my experience, they are not really interviews, they're more like a conversation. Common questions include what your interests are, what your long term plan is, what you're looking for in an internship, what your specific interests in vet med are (surgery, hematology, internal medicine, etc), interests outside of work, among others. It is common to be asked about specifics on your CV such as research experience or an interesting externship for example.
Remember these are also your chance to ask additional questions on their program! You want to know as much as possible about it to make sure it would be a good fit for you. Make sure to avoid asking questions where the answer is in the program description! However, you can ask for more information on a specific section of the program description - for example: "I saw/read in the program description that there are X surgeons in the practice. What is the role of interns while on the surgery rotation?"
Overall, these interviews are designed for committees to know you a little better. Be mindful about your responses as you don't want to give them any "red flags". For example, you don't want to say that you absolutely hate doing ER when >50% of that internship is on day/night ER. In fact, you should never make a similar comment such as this in any context during an interview...
It's highly variable between programs. I'd say most rotating internship programs only offer interviews to candidates they are considering ranking. There are so many candidates that it is not feasible to interview everyone. Read the program description carefully as it usually says something about the interview policy. Some programs don't interview at all.
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