Contents

• Main Site
• Prospective Students
  • About the Health Professions Advising Office
  • FAQs for Prospective Students
  • International Students
  • Parents' Guide
  • Underrepresented Students
  • Visiting Purdue University
• Current Students
  • Applying to a Professional School
    • Professional File Service for letters of recommendation
    • Purdue's Application Guides PDFs
    • Preparing for Interviews
    • Asking for letters of recommendation
    • FAQ for Medical/Dental School Applicants
    • FAQ for all professional school applicants
    • Writing a Personal Statement
    • Aptitude Tests
  • Career Information
    • Information on Specific Careers and Educational Requirements
  • General Information
    • FAQs for Current Students
    • Information for International Students
    • Prehealth Student Organizations
    • Tips for Academic Success
    • Information for Underrepresented Students
• Faculty And Staff
  • General Information
  • Letters of Recommendation
    • FERPA Waivers
    • Purdue's Professional File Service
    • Timing of Letters
    • Tips for Writing Letters
  • Resources
• Links
  • Professional Organizations
  • Application Services
  • Health News Sites
  • Aptitude Tests

Professional School Interviews

Most professional schools require a personal interview. The interview helps them evaluate your preparation for their program as well as your social skills and your fit with that school.

Interviewers are typically faculty members, administrators, and students who may or may not be members of the admissions committee. Some schools have open files which means that the interviewer may have read your submitted materials. Others have closed files so the interviewer will not have read about you before your interview. Either way, you should be prepared to discuss materials from your application including work you have done, your extracurricular activities, interests, and hobbies. You should also be prepared to discuss current news events, issues in health care, and new scientific developments. 

Preparing for your interview

• In general, remember that you are always "on" during an interview day. You never know who is giving information to the admissions committee. The student leading your tour may, in fact, report to the admissions committee. The office staff will certainly report if you were rude.
• Dress appropriately. Suits and ties for men (or slacks and a sport coat); dresses, skirt/blouse, slacks/blouse, or suit for women. Be aware of anything that might distract them from your credentials such as strappy high-heeled sandals, piercings, tattoos, cleavage, etc. Above all, look neat. You may need to walk a lot so wear comfortable shoes.
• This is your chance to show how well you fit that institution. Do your homework: read everything you can about that institution and its programs and prepare questions for them. Make sure you can explain your activities and projects with enough detail to illustrate their relevance to your decision to pursue a health care career.
• Prepare for basic questions like, "Why do you want to be in this field?" or prompts such as, "Tell me about yourself." Also be ready to answer the ever-popular final question: "Do you have anything to add?" You should be ready to discuss news events, developments in health and science research, and even ethical questions.
• Ask well-thought-out questions that cannot be answered by even a quick browse through their Web site.
• Figure out the best way for you to relax during that day.
• Schedule a mock interview well in advance with CCO. Start at www.cco.purdue.edu and read the information in the job search manual on interviewing and watch the interviewing videos. Next log into CCO Express and watch the Career Spot video on interviewing and do the Perfect Interview. Then if you want to practice with someone at CCO you can schedule a mock interview.
• Check out interview feedback at www.studentdoctor.net.
• Your parents, or any other family members, cannot come with you that day. They can go to the campus with you, but they should not enter the professional school building/offices. You can show them around after you are accepted. (Yes, this really happens.)
• Above all, be yourself. These folks do a lot of interviews. They will know if you are giving the answers you think they want to hear.
• Review the AAMC 31 Questions Web site. Even if you aren't applying to medical school, it suggests some excellent questions to ask your interviewers at a professional school program.