Hi Lizzie! My name is Christina, I’ve been following your page for a while and I really enjoy your posts. I’m in the process of applying to vet school here in the US, and I have an interview coming up tomorrow that I am getting increasingly anxious about. I was wondering if you had any last minute general interview advice you’d be willing to share? I would really appreciate it!
First of all, good luck! Trying to get into vet school is a terrifying but exciting time, and I hope everything goes well for you.
I didn't have to interview to apply for vet school, so if my followers have tips specific for that they might chime in, but this is what I'd say for interviews in general.
1) Be prepared. Know what interests you about the place, and have some specific things to mention. For my residency interviews, I looked for areas of research or even specific people I would be excited to work with, so I could show that I was actually invested in their school. The vet school you're applying for probably has some strengths their known for - pick one that excites you the most!
2) Be friendly and engaging. This is really hard when you're stressed out about an interview, but in general the people on the other side of the table are also having a rough day. If you can go in there and be polite but personable (laugh at their jokes, but not too hard, don't be afraid to loosen up and talk a little more like you normally would etc) then the panel will engage with you and have more fun, which makes you more memorable.
3) Have questions ready for the panel! I always panic and blank when it gets to the "do you have any questions for us" section, so I tend to plan ahead. I like to plan 4 or 5 questions, because most interviews will answer some of your questions straight off the bat. But also pick your questions wisely - stay away from simple admin that can make you look uninterested or focussed on the wrong things (eg: what are the fees? How much holiday time will I get?) And ask things instead that show interest (I'm really interested in pathology - can you tell me more about the student chapters and clubs where I can dig deeper into that?)
That's all I can think of at the moment, I hope this makes it to you in time and the interview goes well!
