advice on national health service corps scholarship application

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thanks so much neurobiology! you rock and have been very helpful. thanks for continuing to post helpful information here on this SDN thread. good luck with the process.......

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No problem! I really appreciate everyone that listed questions that they were asked - I'm glad to return the favor to those ahead of me.

Just FYI, they give you a folder of commonly asked questions (and answers) about the NHSC, a general sheet of info. about the NHSC and a CD (a video about the NHSC experience from providers' points of view).

Good luck and keep posting!

Mark
 
neuro-- i mean this in the most honst, sincere, and non-cheezy way. you demonstate a natural, complete, sincere interest in the well-being and preparation of others. That is rare in the pre-med world. It is this attribute, complimented by others (like attention to detail) that will make you a fine, fine physician someday. i wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors and thank you again.
 
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Thank you. Praise be to God!
 
Hey everyone,
I had my interview in New Orleans this morning. They asked verbatim the questions that are on this page, so definitely figure out how you would answer them. A few others they asked me were on making decisions, independent of other people, as well as when it went against someone's wishes. They also asked to discuss if I had ever been tempted to violate an ethical principle for a greater good. Broad questions! Don't be afraid to give them more than they ask for and take advantage of the time. They'll move you along when you need to.
Overall I enjoyed it. It only took about 40 minutes, which is the standard time. It was a lot more formal than I expected--they could not answer any questions, they couldn't clarify any of the questions (they would only repeat them), and there was no conversation, just a question then my answer. I understand they do this in order to be standardized (it is the government), but it still was a little discouraging! I hope they have some sort of bubble sheet they do afterwards with impressions of personality, skills, etc. because I could have just written them an essay. What's the point of a personal interview otherwise?
Now the waiting. Good luck everyone! Any other questions post or PM me.


:cool:
 
Thanks for the great info!

I interview next week, and will let you know if I remember any more or different questions.

To those who have been through it (panda, neuro, and others)- about how many questions were there?
Any good info on the pages/ CD they gave you?

Any feeling for what the interviewers were looking for? Could you tell when they took notes?

Panda, you said that you elaborated on answers- about how long for each response? 60 secs, 2 min? How long did you talk when they "moved you along?"

Thanks for the help everyone!

Also, I have heard that about 1100 candidates are interviewed for the 300-316 spots. But when I counted interview times, I counted 335 interviews. anyone else notice this? Do you think that there are separate lists? Or that the NHSC lies to make the interviews seem "more competetive?" Any thoughts?

Here's to hoping that we all get it and enjoy great careers with the underserved!

msl
 
MSL,

Relax!!!Just be yourself and you should get it. The people who interviewed for all I could tell were basically only transcribing or summarizing my thoughts. They give no feedback, except an occassional smile. They write during every response because it is the only way to record their data. My guess is that they probably have to give some sort of idea as to what they think of you on a separate piece of paper when it was all done.

And you only counted the number of times available in each city, but what you are forgetting is that there are multiple interviews going on at the same time. In my hotel, there were at least 4 sweets interviewing at the same time. So that should explain that part for you. Good luck and just have fun. Tell stories and experiences that are funny and lighthearted, because I am sure they get sick of the "I want to save the world" stories. And don't be afraid to be critical of yourself when evaluating your past experiences. It shows you learned from your mistakes.
 
I have an interview very soon for the scholarship. Thanks to all who have posted such valuable advice. I remember there were several quesions on the application regarding conflict. Also it seems they will ask these type of questions in the interview. Is the NHC big on compromise or what would be the best answer to resolve a conflict?
 
No guarantees that this is what they look for, but as far as the conflict thing goes, I think they want to hear an example in which you had to deal with something that might have been uncomfortable for you, and you were able to use leadership and teamwork to solve a problem. If that problem happens to be a conflict you had with someone, I definitely think they want to hear that you were successful in getting all parties involved to understand and agree upon a positive outcome. If the situation did not turn out to be a success, that's ok, as long as you tell how you learned from the situation etc.

If you read the NHSC website, you see lots of references to TEAMWORK, so incorporating examples in which you collaborated with others is a bonus from my perspective. Of course, if they ask any questions about your leadership and ability to work independently, definitely have some examples! :)

I think that answered your question... :p
 
THIS STUFF IS USEFUL as heck! Thanks to everyone for contributing to make this an indispensible, second to none resource in my quest for a NHSC scholarship.

I wanted to throw out 2 more questions if anyone could help:

1)How much does the monthly stipend really come to per month after taxes? I heard a low number--something like below $800 of the $1100 after taxes..Anyone receiving please help!

2)Do you know what you can expect to make at your site BEFORE you choose, and is that match process competitive, or simply first come, first serve for securing a position? Again, heresay is you make 60K-100K at sites where you fulfill your obligation.

Thanks for helping my financial planning..I'll probably send a shot out to all the knowers on SDN when I look into buying a house later this summer.

THANX a TON AGAIN!! :laugh:
 
hi,

I had my interview today and the questions posted here were dead on. I am just going to add a couple that I got that were not listed.

What is attractive about medicine as a career?

What kind of people who be necessary to staff a primary care facility (something to that effect)?
 
I remembered another question:

What do you think are the reasons why certain areas in the United States are underserved? And what can be done to increase service in these areas.
 
I just interviewed and although I guess I'll find out how I did in August, my impression is that it went well. I can't remember the exact questions I was asked, but for those of you who haven't interviewed, definintely go over the questions that are in this threadl, as they were very appropriate.

As far as the interviewers, a man and a woman, I expected them to be robots from past posts, but I found them to be very nice, understanding of the stress associated with this interview, and helpful whenever possible. Either they or the woman who checked me in said that there were about 1100 interviews planned and around 375-400 possible scholarships.

After the interview they gave us a CD-ROM to view (I'll look view it at some point) and some FAQ's. If possible I will try to scan them and post them as a .pdf file when I get home next week.

Best of luck to all you that haven't interviewed (just don't steal my scholarship) ;)
 
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Originally posted by rosielo
I remembered another question:

What do you think are the reasons why certain areas in the United States are underserved? And what can be done to increase service in these areas.

yes I remember this question. I wasn't prepared at all for it and I choked. I said something like-uh-they are underserved because health care providers don't want to live there and uh-the way to fix that is give out more nhsc scholarships..

The other question I choked on was the ethical dillemma one, I just stared at the table for a long time until the administrator said, you can say 'no' if haven't faced a dillemma. I nervously laughed and said 'no'

Maybe this interview will show that I am more human and give me a better chance-hah, anyway, the administrators were very nice and friendly and I was glad to have the prep from this thread. My extra advice I would add is to have several replies to the questions listed in this thread, because they dig deep and ask similar questions morer than one time...

May the best ( i.e. the most committed to primary care in underserved areas) man or woman win....
 
:laugh: thanks to everyone who has contributed to this very important thread. i appreciate the information and will definitely post my interview experience once i complete it on june 7th!!!! thanks again everyone and good luck!!! :laugh:
 
Any NHSC scholars going to the conference in June? Looking forward to it. -Andrea
 
Anyone know when we will start to hear back this year of whether we were chosen for the scholarship? I read on last years forum that people started getting notified around August 15th, and all the way up to August 29th. Alternates got letters around the 1st of September, and the rest got theirs shortly after. Has anyone heard if the process is likely to be the same this year, or if there is a chance of email notification this year.

Whoever gets their letter first, please let the rest of us know.

Thx
 
Hi Bruin Love,
My interview is June 7th in LA at 10:30. What time is yours? If you are from LA, do you know if it will take a long time to get from LAX to the interview site? Thanks and good luck. Jenn
 
hi jennifer. i interview on the same day as you but at 3pm. lax is pretty close to the hotel, no more than 10-15 minutes by car and there shouldn't be too much traffic since you won't have to take to the freeway. good luck!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Anyone who interviewed in San Antonio notice how disorganized the situation was? I actually stayed in the hotel where the interviews were held. The night before, I asked the front desk where the interviews would be held so I would have plenty of time to get there. They told me they did not know, but to check the daily schedule in the hotel lobby early. I checked it at 7:00, but it was the same one as the day before. I checked again at 8:00, and same thing. At 10:00 (my interview was at 10:30), it still had not been changed. I asked the front desk again, and since it was not the same person as the night before, they didn't even know what the NHSC was. They assured me there was no NHSC in their hotel. Then I just started roaming the hotel and actually found a small conference room with a flyer posted that was for "IQ solutions". I then realized that this was the group that ran the website and emailed us about the interviews. I knocked, no one answered, and I went in to find it empty. On the tables were orientation flyers that had been laid out for the interviewers, and evidently that is where they had their orientation for the day. I went back to the desk, and the concierge directed me to another personal room on the 10th floor where IQ Solutions had an assistant. I went there, and they looked at me all puzzled as if I was supposed to have known they would be in a personal room on the 10th floor? I mean did you guys get any detailed info on your "logistics" link when you got emailed? I sure didn't. It just gave me the hotel name and address. It was a total fiasco, and I was so pissed off I called NHSC in Maryland and explained that I had not bought a suit, and flown 200 miles to get that sort of service. Suprisingly enough, they were nothing but apologetic and put me on a conference call where they proceded to call the hotel and fix the problem for those coming after me. So, this should be a lesson to all of you to arrive early, and look for IQ Solutions, not NHSC. I hope none of you have to experience this.
 
Wow! That really sucks! You have described one of my worst nightmares. Thanks for letting us know about the IQ solutions thing. I have my interview soon and was beginning to worry about the lack of info. I guess I will head over the night before and check things out. Thanks again and I hope things work out for you. Jenn
 
I had my interview Sat in LA. The interview site was easy to find ( I guess they have improved since San Antonio) and the interviewers could not have been nicer. I felt great after I left the interview, but then later as I remembered how I answered certain question, I started to get worried. I guess I will have to wait and see! Good luck to all of you, Jenn
 
glad to hear you think it went well, Jennifer V.

I interviewed over a month ago, and I haven't been worrying/obsessing about it nearly as much as I figured I would be. :)

Anyone else get contacted by a field consultant for NHSC? I am getting called by one tonight, and just wondered what that was about? Very nice idea though-- now I need to write down some of the questions I've been thinking about over the past couple months! :)

good luck y'all... are interviews over yet?

scott
 
horse--- i am interested to hear how it went with the field consultant.....

i interviewed june 4th in san francisco. it was really nice and i called the day before and had to do some sluething to aviod being lost.
this site helped a ton with preps for the interview but....i didn't get a few of the questions posted and i got a few that weren't here. They all follow along these lines of course, but some were curve balls.....how have i solved a problem with someone of another ethnic background? how has my past formed who i am today and how has it helped me solve conflicts? (i can't think of any others right now)

all in all, i feel it was a productive experience and time will tell. thanks again for all the help!
 
jhug,

glad to hear the interview experience was somewhat what you were expecting and somewhat fresh and new. i'd say that sums up my experience as well...nothing that completely threw me off but not all of it was what I was anticipating.

i got called by a field consultant for ohio, penn, and maybe a few other midwestern states last night. he basically wanted to answer any questions i had and kind of introduce himself as my "case manager." i thought it was kind of strange initially because i haven't gotten the scholarship, so there's no guarantee that i'm going to be needing a case manager! nevertheless, he was really nice and really down to earth and very helpful. i even asked him about the situation with Yosh (the signed statement about letting the NHSC place you) and while he wasn't aware of the statement and couldn't say for sure, he was firm on saying that as NHSC scholars we are given every opportunity to choose where we want to end up within a reasonable amount of time after we finish residency. He said if you still haven't found a job that fits the criteria after a certain amount of time, you can petition to have a few more months to look before NHSC ultimately comes into the scene and places you themselves. He said that has happened before but it is pretty rare. He said it was totally up to you where you chose to practice, and they pay for your flights for interviewing at the respective job locations, but other than that, it's your career and they want to let you have that autonomy... UNLESS you can't find a job within a certain amount of time.

all in all, it was great to talk to him because he was very direct and seemingly honest with me. he talked to me on my own level-- didn't feel as though he was too formal or business oriented. i still am unsure how i ended up getting contacted by him, but i will take it and run with it :)

maybe he can put a good word in for me to the scholarship people :p

scott
 
I had my interview this past wednesday in Atlanta. I think it went well. i was pretty calm in my interview and I was well-prepared for the questions they asked. my only stress is that I am still on the waitlist for one of my schools and that school is way more expensive than the one at which i currently hold an acceptance. i know the deadline to switch schools is July 1 and i don't know if i'll know by then...too bad we don't find out about the scholarships til august..i guess all we can do is hurry up and wait. :D
 
Does anyone know what happens if you're offered a NHSC scholarship, and then want to decline it for a year for personal reasons? Is it possible to re-apply the next year? Or, is it the case that once you decline, that's it???

Any advice/thoughts would be welcome, especially from anyone else who has ever been in this situation. I'd really appreciate comments!
 
Of all those who got interviewed, does anyone really know what the hec this contact from a "field consultant" is all about? I never got one, and actually am curious. I tried calling NHSC to ask but I hung up after the 4th person transfered me to God knows where next!! That place is a madhouse to call if you haven't already tried for one reason or another!!
 
i thought i'd bring this back up with the interviews starting up again. These are questions from last year but i imagine that they are pretty similar. Good luck to everyone interviewing!!!
 
IQ Solutions has been contracted by HHS to conduct the adminstration of the scholarship award. It is typical government contracting- poor results and underperforming. I have several major issues with IQ Solutions. The deadline to be eligible to apply for a scholarship is so early that many people who are interested in applying to the NHSC are excluded because they have not yet been accepted to a medical school (like me! :smuggrin: ). Yes, that is my motive for writing this post. It is also unsatisfactory that an applicant does not learn if they have been awarded a scholarship until late August or even September- in many cases classes have already begun. Affordability is often a major factor in a person's decision of where to attend medical school. The late award decision forces an applicant to consider affordability in their choice of where to attend school. This may override many other important quality of life issues. It should not take four months to select 300-400 applicants. Perhaps IQ Solutions is awarded based on some percentage of tuition cost savings. The government contract manager should renegotiate this contract to incentivize it with awards for early notification and applicant satisfication. After all, for many people this is their first contact with NHSC and HHS. The late notification transfers the risk of lost good will from IQ Solutions to the government.
Another gripe, the people who answer the phone are unable to provide any information beyond the Frequently Asked Questions script. They are useless and dealing with them is frustrating. Remove their positions and award a few more scholarships (I suspect IQ Solutions has money it must commit to certain hiring practices in order to maintain its contract and that is why they continue to operate an ineffective help desk). For those of you who had pleasant experiences, do not confuse nice and polite with necessary and competent. They did not offer a single bit of information not already available online.
Finally, the scholarship money is not IQ Solutions it is the government's. Does anyone else have a problem with this arrangement? How does the NHSC justify delegating it's authority to select its future representatives? In my opinion the award is not transparent (usually a good government practice). I would like to know how the personality inventory is scored and who gets screened out based upon their answers.
Fellow NHSC applicants, awardees, and rejects- I eagerly await your response. :D
 
I'll give a shot at answering some of your questions...i don't speak for the NHSC, these are just my ideas so take it for what it's worth:)

It should not take four months to select 300-400 applicants.
for the NHSC this is almost a 200K decision per scholar, times that by 200-300 and they are throwing around $60,000,000!!! you better believe they are going to take the time to pick someone they feel will come through with the commitment.
I would like to know how the personality inventory is scored and who gets screened out based upon their answers.
That is why i think they don't let us know how they score things...otherwise people might "say what nhsc wants to hear", get the scholarhip, and in 4 years be in a situation they don't want to be in. If you get the scholarship and then decide later you don't want it...think of all that $$ that was wasted 1-on you and 2-on rejecting someone that would have fulfilled their commitment!
It is also unsatisfactory that an applicant does not learn if they have been awarded a scholarship until late August or even September- in many cases classes have already begun.
The tough thing with the time is that they interview into june/july (?- i don't remember) then they have to look at ALL the interviews and pick from there...if you want to know earlier, you'll have to apply earlier to be able to interview earlier...then you run into your complaint that the application is due to early! you have to have a balance and for me the time thing wasn't an issue... my FA dept. sent loan $$ back and i havn't had a bill since. as for the financial planning, i've always believed that you go to the best school you get into...regardless of costs (there is plenty of loan money for future physicians:))
what kind of questions did you have for the phone people? although not overwhelmingly informative, i (personally) felt they could direct me where i needed to go to find stuff out. (and most of what you really need to know is on-line)
 
Good info jhug.

I have my interview on June 15th and was wondering if any of those who have already interviewed could comment in regards to the questions they were asked. Were they similar to the questions asked from the previous year's posts? Were there any questions in particular that stood out to you as being "suprising" or ones that you may not have been prepared for? Any additional imput/advice would be appreciated.
 
No 2004 interview advice out there?
 
A panel of three interviewers will ask you questions in rapid sequence, often repeating the same question worded slightly differently (looking for inconsisitencies in your answer). Sometimes your answers to thought-provoking questions will be deliberately constrained e.g. "in two words...". While one interviewer is asking the question, another will be observing your behaviour. There will be some set-up "good-guy, bad-guy" questions. Some of the questions will use a bracket technique. One interviewer will try to direct you take a position you may not be comfortable with then the other will challenge you on it. They will show no emotion during the interview nor feign any interest in your background or personal history. This will encourage you to reveal more about yourself in your answers to their questions. The order of questions and the speed of the interview is designed to keep you off balance and defensive which will provoke you to offer more truthful answers. Just pretty straight-forward interrogation techniques. Have fun. :laugh:
It could be worse, if CACI or Titan Corp were conducting the interview instead of IQ Solutions they might hood you with a sand-bag, strip you naked, and force you into a dog-pile with the other applicants.
 
gravy4thebrain said:
A panel of three interviewers will ask you questions in rapid sequence, often repeating the same question worded slightly differently (looking for inconsisitencies in your answer). Sometimes your answers to thought-provoking questions will be deliberately constrained e.g. "in two words...". While one interviewer is asking the question, another will be observing your behaviour. There will be some set-up "good-guy, bad-guy" questions. Some of the questions will use a bracket technique. One interviewer will try to direct you take a position you may not be comfortable with then the other will challenge you on it. They will show no emotion during the interview nor feign any interest in your background or personal history. This will encourage you to reveal more about yourself in your answers to their questions. The order of questions and the speed of the interview is designed to keep you off balance and defensive which will provoke you to offer more truthful answers. Just pretty straight-forward interrogation techniques. Have fun. :laugh:
It could be worse, if CACI or Titan Corp were conducting the interview instead of IQ Solutions they might hood you with a sand-bag, strip you naked, and force you into a dog-pile with the other applicants.


Thanks for the helpful information gravy4thebrain!!!! :D For those of you looking for more help, try doing a search on SDN and you will find plenty too look over in preparation for your NHSC interview. Good luck everyone! :luck:
 
jmanwaring said:
Good info jhug.

I have my interview on June 15th and was wondering if any of those who have already interviewed could comment in regards to the questions they were asked. Were they similar to the questions asked from the previous year's posts? Were there any questions in particular that stood out to you as being "suprising" or ones that you may not have been prepared for? Any additional imput/advice would be appreciated.

I'm not interviewing for the NHSC schalorship, but I'm curious as to why people would respond to your request for information. What I mean is, I don't know why anyone would tell you about their interview.

You are basically asking for the questions before you are asked them at the interview. This would be an unfair advantage for you over other applicants that don't know the answers beforehand. It seems like you want to know what the questions are so you can give the interviewers the answers they want to hear.

Just listen to the questions and answer truthfully. Is that so difficult?
 
i had no idea there are such gunners among dentists....
there's a great attitude for any health care related field...why help each other out???
 
I guarantee you that the interviewer's know that there is somewhat of a learning curve when it comes to these interviews. If they are going to ask the same questions they have to know that they will be common knowledge for those who want to really prepare themselves. I think the important part of the interview is the personality of the applicants and the individual experiences. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear so I wouldn't worry that just because someone knew what the questions were going to be beforehand that it will miraculously make them the NHSC poster boy.
 
VJWDO,

You are very right in your response. The interviewers would likely be able to tell "who you really are" because you can't change "who you are". Thanks for the great response.
 
jhug said:
i had no idea there are such gunners among dentists....
there's a great attitude for any health care related field...why help each other out???

JHUG,

Keep in mind that I haven't applied for the NHSC scholarship. I'm trying to figure out the ethical reasoning behind people's requests on this thread.

I know what you are trying to do, and I don't like it.

If you read my post, I was wondering why people want to know the answers before they are asked them. In school that's called cheating. I'm suprised to learn that a DO student such as yourself encourages cheating...... Why do things yourself, when you can just cheat and get an unfair advantage???

I had no idea there are such gunners among DO students....
 
If you read my post, I was wondering why people want to know the answers before they are asked them. In school that's called cheating. I'm suprised to learn that a DO student such as yourself encourages cheating...... Why do things yourself, when you can just cheat and get an unfair advantage??
So what is the answer to-- why do you want to be a doctor/dentist? Is there a uniform correct....fill in B answer??? Why do you want to work with the underserved...what is the bubble-sheet response? A: more $$ to be made, B: i saw "doc hollywood" and want to be micheal J fox, C: i want school to be paid for, D: all of the above, E: none of the above....

you're totally right, knowing all the right answers in school is cheating...the kisser is there is NO RIGHT/WRONG ANSWER when it comes to your goals and what you want/believe.
Like it was said by vwjdo, you can't put up a smoke-screen or... "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear so I wouldn't worry that just because someone knew what the questions were going to be beforehand that it will miraculously make them the NHSC poster boy."
the ethical reasoning behind why this post exists...at least in my opinion...is that if i can help someone out i will. you'll notice in my earlier posts, i gave questions that others had (i believe) inadvertantly forgotten to add into their list....hardly a gunner don't you think???
 
Like I siad before, I don't have any experience with the NHSC, so you would know more than me about the process. I was just a little upset that I was labled a gunner. The reasoning behind my original questoins was not to imply "don't help anyone, if it can advance your own cause". I was just wondering why people would give others an "un-fair" advantage. But now I know that those type of responses do not give the interview an unfair advantage. So I commend you on helping others.
 
Omahahahaha said:
Like I siad before, I don't have any experience with the NHSC, so you would know more than me about the process. I was just a little upset that I was labled a gunner. The reasoning behind my original questoins was not to imply "don't help anyone, if it can advance your own cause". I was just wondering why people would give others an "un-fair" advantage. But now I know that those type of responses do not give the interview an unfair advantage. So I commend you on helping others.


To all those who have posted previously on this topic. thank you for helping others out there. :)
 
hey is anyone interviewing in philly?

and good luck to everyone else- it's good to know we all encourage each other! :D
 
:D Hello everyone out there. I just interviewed yesterday in San Francisco, actually Burlingame, CA. It was an amazing experience and they were oh so helpful with everything! If anyone needs any help or additional information, please feel free to send me a private message and I will do my best to get back to you ASAP! Good luck to everyone else who is going to interview for the NHSC!!!! :luck:
 
For all those who have interviewed, such as myself, congratulations and best of luck to you in the selection process! The NHSC is amazing and so is the opportunity to serve in a medically underserved community!!!! :luck:
 
I called the NHSC this morning to get the low down on what's going on, and I was told that the notifications would be going out today through the end of Aug. Hope this info helps. Good Luck!
 
Congrats guys on making it this far. I promise to start posting some experiences about my NHSC scholarship to this point pretty soon. Just check back on my website below, and please feel free to leave comments. I will always write back publicly.

Matt
 
I just called today to confirm what MDMiracle posted and am now confused. The first person I talked to was a general operator and he said that they had already started mailing out letters and that they were in the middle of the cycle. When asked as to how the letters were mailed out, he claimed he didn't know and connected me to the office that deals with scholarships. When that person answered I again asked when the letters would go out and he gave me a generic answer of "anytime between july 15 and sept 30". When told that the general operator was announcing that letters were already going out, he got defensive and wanted to know who all had heard that. I told him that someone else said they heard the same thing a couple of days ago and he continued to assure me that the information was "totally false". So once again the NHSC is keeping us on our toes!!!!
Sorry!!!
 
i would be impressed (suprised) if they already had the letters going out...
also, don't put too much weight (either for the good or bad) on what they tell you when you call. For the most part, the operators don't know the details of what is going on with the scholarship...they can give you an idea of how things work and where to look to find stuff out...but as for knowing how many get it, when you'll be notified, etc... i don't know if they'll be all that helpful
 
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