Kreinb Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 Hey everyone!!! Reaching out to see if anyone wants to meet up before the big day. I'm from Tacoma area Kayla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNWPaWannabe Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Hey! I went through the September interview conference, and I would be happy to answer any questions you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kreinb Posted October 10, 2017 Author Share Posted October 10, 2017 Ya I would love some insight and any advice you have to offer! I'm so excited for the interview! Go ahead and text me if able Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNWPaWannabe Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 I think I'll just post my impressions here, because hopefully some fellow applicants will see it here. General Info You’ll be there all day. You have 3 interviews total. You’ll be in divided into groups of 18, and then further divided into rotating groups of 3. 3 of you will interview with 2 interviewers at a time. You’ll never have the same interviewers or the same applicants in the interview with you. The interviews are ~35-40 min long, with time for questions at the end. All the applicants are in suits. Every single one. All were dark in color, and everyone looked sharp as a tack. You will be alternating between interviews and info sessions with admissions and new grads. There’s also a group activity that involves a talent show, so work on your yodeling or whatever you think makes you unique. Haha, just kidding. Don’t stress about the activity, it’s fun. They provided coffee throughout the day, and pastries/fruit for breakfast and sandwiches/salad for lunch. Bits and Pieces 1) Do meet up ahead of time, if you can. About 10-12 of us met at the Starbucks in University Village ahead of time and got to know each other a little bit. It definitely helped the nerves on the morning of the interview conference to have a friendly face there. 2) Do arrive early. It's a long day, and you don't want to be late or hurrying. Everything happened very promptly. 3) Don't bring a lot of stuff. You won't need laptops, copies of things, etc. I had a folio that I think I used once. They provide a pen and paper, if you feel the need. If you do need to bring stuff (or you're staying in the hotel the night before) the conference room is almost always occupied, so your stuff is safe in there. Interview prep 1) DON'T OVERPREPARE. I can't stress enough how much it felt like they wanted to get to know you, and NOT hear how well you had rehearsed your canned answer. I bought that book about acing my PA interview, and used maybe 10% of it. I had prepared some questions, but when they asked, nerves and some voice inside my head gave an entirely different answer. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t a bad thing. Some of the questions were specific to my application and essay, and there’s no way to prepare for that. So spend time reflecting on why pa, why MEDEX, and why your path to PA is interesting. And do a practice interview with someone to work on effective communicating. 2) Know your intro and use it at every interview. The one question you'll answer in every single interview right at the beginning is "Tell us about yourself". I went first in my very first interview and I, following the lead given by the two interviewers, gave a very brief intro. The person after me gave an effective and impressive 2 minute "elevator speech" that left me dumbfounded at my lost opportunity. I then took advantage of that moment every interview afterwards. Don’t be like Joe. 3) Be ready to go, and keep your energy up. Don't be shy. It may seem like a long day (and it is) but in reality, each interview is less than 45 minutes long. Divide that by 3 applicants and that's 15 minutes per interview for you. If you don't use that time, your fellow applicants will. So make the most of your time. I think I answered maybe 8 questions total for the entire day. One other thing to consider: the final interview takes place at 3:15. The interviewers are exhausted, and you’re probably just warmed up. So hit the ground running, and make the most of your first two interviews. 4) Be genuine. Your polished answers sound just that; shiny and lacking in the imperfection that is human. I talked about confusing my own ethnicity as a child, I talked about my dog being stupid and loving her, I talked honestly about which patients were irritating. I made jokes. I used self-deprecating humor, talked about my kids, mentioned my age. . .all things I had been told NOT to do by interview books. But you know what? These things are who I am, so why shouldn’t I talk about it? Be honest with them about what you want and who you are, because if you don’t, it will show. Ok, that got kind of long. Hopefully it helps answer any questions, and calms your nerves a bit. If anyone has any questions, feel free to msg me. best of luck to all of you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortheonlyjulia Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 I can not agree with Joe more. Good luck to every one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBER2016 Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Has anyone mastered the “tell me about yourself”? All of my attempted answers sound like I’m writing a dating profile.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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