Interview Strategies

Have you ever wondered how to prepare for professional school interviews? Professional schools are looking for maturity, ethical behavior, integrity, good judgment, problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, ability to handle stress, and ability to work well with others.

Interviews range in length and may ask you medically-related, academic, behavioural, or situational type questions. The type of interview will also vary depending on the school and could be:

Panel: may include faculty members, community members, residents, students and is meant to reduce individual bias in the selection of the candidate
Sequential (multiple mini interview): in a timed setting, candidates move from room to room with questions given to them at the door; may also mean multiple separate interviews throughout a single day
Group: assesses problem-solving skills; provides a sense of leadership potential; several candidates are interviewed simultaneously
Closed file: no information about the candidate is available
Open file: grades from MCAT are available

Interview strategies are important no matter what type of program you are applying for so you need to make sure you prepare yourself. Before the interview you should research the program and the school, review your profile and application, choose an appropriate outfit, and arrive at least 5-10 minutes early. Also make sure you understand why you are entering the profession, what that profession is all about, and why it differs from other professions in health care. During your interview, be aware of your non-verbal communication and body language as well as make sure you make eye contact with the interviewer. Also avoid the dreaded “um”, “you know”, and “like” when giving your answers. Your answers should exhibit confidence without being overly rehearsed.

To help you prepare for interviews, you may attend workshops offered by the Career Centre @ Western, participate in the Foundations for Career Development Certificate (for BHSc and KIN students), or use Interview Stream.

There a re some questions you may want to think about well before your interview on the companion handout below. Remember that within seconds of your first response the interviewer begins to form an opinion of you. Your answers need to be clear, concise, and interesting but, above all, be honest. Try to focus your answers and examples on your life experiences and goals. Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to predict what questions will be asked. Interviewers cannot expect you to prepare for every possible question, but they do expect you to be able to think and to give a considered response. Here are some questions for you to consider.

Many interview questions draw on your ability to tell a story by providing concrete examples from your experiences at school, employment, volunteering, travel, activities. To help organize your thoughts, you may want to use the STARS method. This is:

Situation (where you were)
Task (what you were facing)
Action (what you did)
Result (outcome achieved)
Summary (reminder of your skills, strengths, and lesson learned).

Interviews fail mainly due to inadequate preparation, not listening to the questions being asked, providing unnecessary information by rambling, and non-verbal behavior that gives warning signs to the interviewer(s).

You may close the interview with a statement that should be well practiced but not take more than 20 seconds. Thank the interviewer(s) for his/her time. Tell him/her how much you have enjoyed your visit and your willingness to submit any additional information if necessary. You may also indicate your desire to be a part of the program in the future. Write a thank you letter to all your interviewers. Try to distinguish yourself from others by addressing some personal issue about yourself or the interviewer that was discussed.

The most important thing is to make a good first impression and to leave with a positive memorable impression so you shine above all others!