Interview at VCOM-Auburn

[Worrywart41]

Hey guys. So I landed an interview at VCOM-Auburn. This is my first ever interview (med school or job for that matter). I'm very nervous and I do not know how to prepare for it. People who have gone through them before just tell me to be myself and know my application. I'm looking for a little more guidance than that. Is it an hour and a half of grilling me with questions? What questions should I be ready for? I honestly do not know the first thing about interviews. If anyone could shed some light on Interviews (especially with VCOM and Auburn) it would be much appreciated!!!

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[Cath Up]

I have not heard of a 90 minute med school interview, but perhaps they exist. Can't speak to VCOM Auburn but sounds like you have 0 interview experience. A few general tips:

-practice answering common questions alone, in front of a mirror
-record yourself (video) and think about your responses from the perspective of an adcom
-practice speaking with strangers
-practice with those who know you best
-always ask for honest feedback
-do NOT come up with scripted answers, but instead have a body of experiences that you can speak about coherently
-keep in mind that the interview is largely about your POTENTIAL and what you plan/want to do with your career, not solely your accomplishments to date (i.e., have some idea of where you want to go with your career)
-I like the STAR approach to question responses (look it up)
-constantly remind yourself that the best interviews are conversations. Try to interact with your mock interviewers and real interviewers.

I am sure others will have additional/better advice!

 

[Worrywart41]

I have not heard of a 90 minute med school interview, but perhaps they exist. Can't speak to VCOM Auburn but sounds like you have 0 interview experience. A few general tips:

-practice answering common questions alone, in front of a mirror
-record yourself (video) and think about your responses from the perspective of an adcom
-practice speaking with strangers
-practice with those who know you best
-always ask for honest feedback
-do NOT come up with scripted answers, but instead have a body of experiences that you can speak about coherently
-keep in mind that the interview is largely about your POTENTIAL and what you plan/want to do with your career, not solely your accomplishments to date (i.e., have some idea of where you want to go with your career)
-I like the STAR approach to question responses (look it up)
-constantly remind yourself that the best interviews are conversations. Try to interact with your mock interviewers and real interviewers.

I am sure others will have additional/better advice!

Thank you so much! You're right. I have zero interview experience. It is supposed to be three one on one interviews for thirty minutes each! I'm a little stressed if you cannot already tell

 

[Azete]

I did very minimal preparation for all of my interviews. Really, they just want to get to know you and see how to present yourself. It's not necessarily about the words that come out of your mouth, but rather how they come out.

Know about the school you're interviewing at; show that you've done some research about their history/curriculum. Outside of that, just relax and be yourself. Ask the interviewer questions about how they like working at the school, and overall try to turn the process into a casual conversation.

A useful exercise is to ask yourself "If I met myself at a bar/airport, would I like that person?" -- that's really all there is to it.

 

[Mr. Saigon]

I have not heard of a 90 minute med school interview, but perhaps they exist. Can't speak to VCOM Auburn but sounds like you have 0 interview experience. A few general tips:

-practice answering common questions alone, in front of a mirror
-record yourself (video) and think about your responses from the perspective of an adcom
-practice speaking with strangers
-practice with those who know you best
-always ask for honest feedback
-do NOT come up with scripted answers, but instead have a body of experiences that you can speak about coherently
-keep in mind that the interview is largely about your POTENTIAL and what you plan/want to do with your career, not solely your accomplishments to date (i.e., have some idea of where you want to go with your career)
-I like the STAR approach to question responses (look it up)
-constantly remind yourself that the best interviews are conversations. Try to interact with your mock interviewers and real interviewers.

I am sure others will have additional/better advice!

Agree with all of this.

I would add body language and delivey to this list. I attended an MMI where I could see a kid leaning back in his chair with his leg perched up on the other- don't do this. He took being comfortable to new level. And I second recording yourself, making sure you're not showering your responses with "um"s and "you know"s. Lastly, grab a friend and try to simulate the environment- best of luck!

 

[stickgirl390]

I attended the VCOM-A interview. It was very relaxing and not stressful (to me). Three one on ones that lasted about 30min each. They do have pre-determined questions for you, but for two of my interviews the conversation naturally flowed and we never got to those questions. You're interviewed by one "science" faculty member, one clinician, and one "academic" faculty member. The questions I did get asked outright we're very generic "tell me about a time you worked in a group to solve a problem" etc. I'd suggest doing some practice interviews before you go!

 

[TheWolfOfMainStreet]

3 30-minute interviews? That's surely the longest interview in all of the medical school world?