• Advising
• Academic Policies
• Disabilities & ADA Accommodations
• Scholarships
• Office Guide

Questions for HSAC Interviews

Our meeting should take only an hour and a half and will include a 20-25 minute interview session where we will ask the student to speak about their interest in medicine, experiences and preparation. Following this we will ask the student to step out for a minute or two while we talk about their responses, strengths and weaknesses. Once the student returns to the meeting, we will provide feedback, emphasize strengths, discuss weaknesses and strategies for improvement, and answer any questions that the student may have.

Once everyone is gathered, we ask the student to step out so that we can discuss the file, information and strategy for the interview. Here is when we may discuss clear weaknesses or worries, things we feel we must touch on during the interview.

Questions

Stress that the student should answer the questions as if we have not read their statement or know anything about their file. Some interviews are cold or blind, and those that aren't may be put off by statements like, "as you saw in my statement.

Stress speaking from example, tell stories about your path drawing from academic and practical experiences.

Some common questions:

So why do you want to come to our (insert program here) school? This is a bit different than why do you want to be a doctor and should make the student realize they should know something about the school they are applying to as well as themselves.

How has attending a small public liberal arts college enhanced your preparation for the health sciences?

How has participating in: sports, student government, clubs, etc., helped you to realize that medicine is the career path for you. Connections to make: teamwork, business end of medicine, leadership, life long learning, problems solving, that you like people, curious, etc….

Describe three strengths you feel you will bring to this field of medicine.

Describe a time when you failed and how it made you feel?

Tell us about your weaknesses and what you are doing to address them?

Tell us about your practical experiences in health care?

Describe a health problem you feel exists on campus and what you would do as a student leader to help with that problem?

Describe one major health problem that our society faces and what you think should be done about it?

Explain your thoughts on abortion, euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, antibiotic abuse/misuse, stem cell research, 60 year old women having babies, obesity, type II diabetes, diet supplements for weight control or body building, HMOs, insurance issues, malpractice suits, the sky is really the limit and students should be thinking about these kinds of issues.

A new favorite from Randy Larsen:

You are giving a dinner party and can invite any three people from your past or anywhere throughout history. Who would you invite and why?

Ask them about a current event issue, they should be up on things that are happening in the world.

These questions just get the ball rolling. Usually many questions bloom from the answers that the students provide.

Important to ask this one to everyone: What will you do if you don't get in? Reapply is the answer we like to hear. When a student says they will join a circus or become a math teacher it really makes us wonder about how badly they want to pursue this area of study.

Once you feel you have exhausted the student and committee. Invite the student to step out, discuss their answers and one person should try to pull together everyone's comments into a short review/reflection for the student when they come back. Tell them positive things first and reiterate them. They tend to only hear criticism and shut down with that. After that the floor is open for discussion of strengths, improvements, etc.

If the interview goes poorly, someone should hang around and defuse the student. Expect tears - even from the guys. If an interview goes well, students often want to sit and bask a bit.