Pre-Professional Health & Law Support Services

Pre-Interviews

Crucial Interview Pre-Information: What You Need to Know

Purpose

Understand professional school interviews.

Why Interviews?
- Applicant's perspective - the purpose of your interview is to:
  - Present yourself beyond your application.
  - Demonstrate professionalism, thinking and reasoning abilities, along with interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
  - Gain additional insight about the individual school and confirm if it is a good, overall fit for you.
- Professional School Admissions perspective - the purpose of interviewing you is to:
  - Determine your overall readiness, motivation and maturity for a lifetime of service in the profession.
  - Evaluate and assess your professionalism, thinking and reasoning abilities.
  - Evaluate and assess your interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
  - Assess your personal experiences in relation to your unique contributions to the future profession and entering class.
  - Promote their individual professional school program and institution.
How Important are Interviews?
- Your academic GPA and professional exam test scores are important factors. However, most admissions committees consider multiple factors in your professional school candidacy.
- The interview is just as important as all other factors (if selected to interview). Please plan accordingly if you have been selected to interview.
- Each individual professional school will consider multiple factors in the application process. Often these factors (A-Z order) may include your:
  - Interview Evaluation
  - Letters of Recommendation
  - Overall GPA & Science GPA (or other specific GPA’s they prefer to individually review)
  - Personal Statement / Additional Application Essays (if required)
  - Professional School Entrance Exam Scores (MCAT, DAT, GRE, PCAT, OAT, etc.)
  - Program-Specific Qualities they find valuable for their individual professional school
- For additional context regarding holistic admissions practices, please review the AAMC: Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students.
Typical Interviewer
- There can be a variety of interviewers a professional school might employ. The interview committee may include:
  - Professional school faculty.
  - Professional students in the program.
  - Alumni.
  - Current residents or members of the admissions office staff.
  - Community members or healthcare providers.
Typical Interviewer: Application Access
- Overall, don't overthink this - but please be aware of these general, professional school health care admissions practices.
- Often there are three types of designated access levels for an individual interviewer to your professional school application.
  - "Open / Informed" Interviewer - Interviewer has reviewed your application, depending on specific instructions provided by the admissions committee. They might ask specific follow-up questions regarding your application or background.
  - "Partially-Blind" Interviewer - Interviewer has access to only parts of your application, depending on specific instructions provided by the admissions committee. This might be your metrics (MCAT, grades) or personal information (essays, personal statement). When asked interview questions, assume that you must introduce yourself from scratch. Provide full context of your answer to the specific interview question(s) asked.
  - "Close / Blind" Interviewer - Interviewer has not looked over or had access to your application. When asked interview questions, assume that you must introduce yourself from scratch. Provide full context of your answer to the specific interview question(s) asked.
  - Tip: Statement to avoid at the interview “…as you know from my application, personal statement, etc." They might not have access to your application.

Interview Styles

A-Z national interview practices for health care programs.

Interview Styles 101 - Overview
- Professional health programs use a variety of different types of interview styles.
- Regardless of your interview format, most individual professional schools typically have a brief check-in, welcome and overview of the day's agenda to make you more comfortable of what to expect that day.
- We encourage all candidates that receive an interview invitation to review (in advance) any basic written instructions or details provided by the admissions team in your interview invitation.
- Interviews may include or be a combination of any/all the types listed below.
Behavioral Interview
- Interviewers ask behavior-based questions to determine how you have managed certain situations in the past to project if you can handle and perform well in future situations as a healthcare provider.
- Consider using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) method anytime you provide an example to help answer behavior-based questions.
- Use diverse and honest examples from your past experiences to help them know you understand you are in tune with your future experiences.
- The questions may initially catch you off guard. However, answer honestly and thoughtfully to demonstrate that you are well-developed and ready for professional school.
- Strategies: Utilize OSU Pre-professional STAR worksheets to aid in your overall written self-reflection before advancing to mock interviews.
Group Interview
- A group interview (often 3-7 candidates) reviews candidates at the same time and gives each candidate a chance to respond to the same question, in rotational turns.
- Tips:
  - Wait patiently for your turn.
  - Do not interrupt or criticize other candidates.
  - Actively listen to what others have to say. Briefly refer to a candidate's previous answer to quickly discuss additional, new thoughts or ideas for the same question (if appropriate).
  - Be memorable and respectful.
  - Assume that you and all candidates in your interview group will also be admitted as your future colleagues.
Individual Interview
- Meet one-on-one with your interviewer.
- The full interview process may consist of only one individual interview or might be several individual interviews throughout the day.
Informal Interview
- This may feel as a casual conversation regarding questions asked by your interviewer(s).
- It might include some follow-up questions throughout the interview format.
- Stay focused, be professional and be yourself.
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
- MMIs are designed to measure communication skills, verbal / non-verbal skills and gauge an applicant's potential to successfully interact with future patients and colleagues. Formats can vary nationally and per institution from the adaptation of the MMI model from McMaster University: MMI.
- Series of short structured interview stations that candidates rotate through various scenarios (visualize "speed dating" for interviewing).
- Typically you have 6-10 stations and engage 5-8 minutes at each, individual station.
- Stations vary and might be:
  - Hypothetical scenarios involving interactions with an actor (live standardized patient).
  - Essay writing.
  - Standard interview: written/video prompt or oral conversation.
  - Teamwork situation: candidates must work together to complete a task.
  - Ethical or equity scenarios involving questions regarding social or policy implications.
  - "Rest" station to catch your breath and relax.
- Additional MMI information:
  - AAMC: What it’s like to Participate in MMIs
  - U.S. News: What To Expect During a Medical School MMI
Panel Interview
- This interview format often includes several interviewers (often 2-4) at once.
- Usually the panel has a variety of diverse interviewers who participate, such as: faculty, staff, current students, community members, healthcare providers, etc. who will take turns asking you questions.
Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) / Casper Test / AAMC PREview / Snapshot
- Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) are a type of psychological test which present the test-taker with realistic, hypothetical scenarios and may ask the individual what they would do in the dilemma / situation and why they would do it.
- The test tends to determine behavioral tendencies, assessing how an individual will behave in a certain situation, and knowledge instruction, which evaluates the effectiveness of possible responses.
- There is little you can do to prepare for this format; other than be a strong communicator, be flexible and able to think on your feet.
- If your professional school indicates on their official admissions website and/or application instructions to complete a type of Situational Judgement Test (SJT) such as Casper, AAMC PREview or Snapshot please utilize our resources below:
  - The Casper Test is a specific type of Situational Judgement Test (SJT) used by some healthcare professional schools.
  - AAMC PREview is a specific type of Situational Judgement Test (SJT) exam used by some medical schools.
  - Snapshot is a one-way video interview designed to probe your communication skills and motivation for the profession.
Stress Interview
- A stress interview might feel as if you are being put under a magnifying glass. The intention is to see how you function under a stressful, pressured situation.
- They may ask you questions that might make you uncomfortable to observe how you behave and communicate (verbally and non-verbally).
- It might contain questions about sensitive topics or personal questions to go more into your personal thought process.
- Overall, the interviewer is most interested in how you thoughtfully respond in a stressful situation.
Duet Assessment (Medical Schools Only)
- Duet is a value-alignment assessment to compare what you value in a program with what a professional medical school has to offer.
- Overall, Duet measures your personal preferences and values.
- Thus, there are no inherently right or wrong responses when completing a Duet assessment, if required by a professional medical school.
- Visualize this assessment in the same way you would approach the "Why us? question" in any medical school interview or secondary essay.
- Strategies: thoughtfully pre-research your professional medical schools using ourOSU pre-medicine "Research and Select Professional Schools" website resources and tools.

Association Interview Resources

A-Z national articles of health care interview practices.

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