I got an Interview, Now What?

Congratulations! You have gotten an email saying that you were invited to interview for a position in the upcoming DVM class! First off, pat yourself on the back! Getting an interview is a BIG deal and is not something to be taken lightly. After you are done celebrating the news, it is time to start preparing for your big day…

Each school has a slightly different number of people they interview and the way they conduct interviews may vary. The root purpose of the interviews are to get to know the candidates better and determine if they are a good fit for the school’s DVM program. While the idea of having to sit down and interview with a bunch of qualified professionals may make you want to vomit, just know that they are not intentionally trying to make you nervous. They just want to learn more about you, and while it may seem silly, you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you.

Most interviews are conducted in a multiple mini interview or “MMI” format. This means that you will have multiple question prompts within your interview session and each question will be scored. You will typically have a few minutes to view the question and then you will be asked some (usually 3) follow-up questions about the prompt or scenario. Keep in mind that the scenario is trying to address some sort of problem-solving skill or assess your critical thinking abilities.

Interview format example UC Davis:

There are 10 scenarios each taking 10 minutes. The first three minutes you have to yourself. During this time, you are reading the prompt and thinking about your answers. After those three minutes are up you will be asked three questions about the scenario, and you must self-manage the remaining 7 minutes to make sure you get through the three questions.

Key Interview Points:

Dress professionally! You want to present yourself in a professional manner. There are a lot of people that want that spot you are interviewing for so try to look your best. As a side note, when you look your best you are more confident!

There are no “right” or “wrong” answers, so it is best to just answer in a way that expresses who you truly are and what you believe. The interviewer wants to get to know YOU through this process so try to relax and be true to yourself.

These interviews are timed so it is important to use your time wisely and make sure that you are able to get through all the questions that the interviewer wants to ask. Each prompt usually has three sub-questions, and you typically have the ability to go back to questions within the same prompt if you have extra time at the end. If you are stuck on something, it is best to move to the next question and come back to the other question if you have any remaining time.

Pull from past experience! A lot of the interviews will have ethical questions based on situations you may have seen or experienced in a clinic. Feel free to pull from your past experience, you will gain a little confidence knowing you have already been in that sort of situation!

Each question is assessed and scored differently so do not let one hiccup throw you off! Take a deep breath and start fresh each time.

Takeaway...

Each interview is different in its own way. Some interviews will be more conversational and will ask about personal experiences. Others will focus on premade scenarios and want your input. There are also some fun interviews that will ask you to work with a group for one part of the process, to assess teamwork capabilities. Just know that the interviewers are silently rooting for you, even if they don’t look like it on the outside. They remember what it was like to be in your shoes, and they want you to succeed. Take a deep breath and just go for it! You’ve got this! Even if the interview doesn’t go the way you would have liked and you get waitlisted or rejected, just know that it is still a huge accomplishment to make it to the interview process and you will eventually find a school that is the right fit for you!

If you are looking for personalized interview help click here