bigguy
04-16-2005, 12:02 PM
HELLO,
I HAD MY INTERVIEW IN DECEMBER, AND AM STARTING IN SEPTEMBER. I'M SURE OTHER STUDENTS WILL HAVE ADVICE TO ADD TO THIS POST, BUT HERE'S MY OUTLINE OF WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERVIEW.
THE INTERVIEWERS ARE NICE, AND THEY ARE THERE AS MUCH TO SELL THE SCHOOL AND THE PROGRAM, AS TO ELIMINATE POTENTIAL MISFITS.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT SABA IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A TRADITIONAL MEDICAL PROGRAM IN THE U.S. OR CANADA. IF YOU APPLIED TO OTHER SCHOOLS AND DIDN'T GET ACCEPTED, THAT'S FINE, AS LONG AS YOU YOU WEREN'T REJECTED BECAUSE OF A CRIMINAL PAST.
I ONLY APPLIED TO SABA, AND DID NOT APPLY TO U.S. SCHOOLS BECAUSE MY PREREQS. WHERE TOO OLD. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO REPEAT THE BASIC SCIENCE COURSES AND I WASN'T WILLING TO DO THAT. SABA'S SYSTEM IS BUILT AROUND THE NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT.
DON'T SWEAT THE INTERVIEW, IT'S REALLY EASY AND LOW KEY. YOU'LL BE ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH 2 OR 3 PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE ALL REALLY NICE.
YOU WON'T NEED TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCIENCES, SO NO NEED TO REVIEW COURSE MATERIAL. THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT:
-ANYTHING YOU WROTE ON YOUR APPLICATION OR THAT APPEARED ON YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS OR TRANSCRIPTS. THEY WILL TAKE MOST OF THEIR QUESTIONS FROM WHAT YOU SUBMITTED.
-YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROGRAM (BASIC SCIENCES FOLLOWED BY STEP 1, FOLLOWED BY CLINICALS, FOLLOWED BY STEP 2, FOLLOWED BY THE RESIDENCY MATCH). REVIEW THE CURRICULUM ON THE WEBSITE, AS WELL AS THE CLINICAL LOCATIONS. SHOW THEM THAT YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO DO YOUR CLINICALS (IDEALLY,...YOU WON'T ALWAYS GET THEM).
-A CONCRETE PLAN FOR HOW YOU INTEND TO PAY FOR THE PROGRAM. REMEMBER, THIS ISN'T A STATE FUNDED SCHOOL, IT'S A BUSINESS. EVEN IF IT'S "NONPROFIT," GETTING PAID IS PARAMOUNT.
-YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE ISLAND. THE SCHOOL HAS A FAIRLY HIGH ATTRITION RATE IN THE FIRST AND SECOND SEMESTER DUE IN LARGE PART TO STUDENTS WHO AREN'T MENTALLY PREPARED FOR LIFE ON A BACKWARD ISLAND. MAKE THEM AWARE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO WITH REGARD TO LIFE ON SABA. IT'S A VERY SIMPLE, NON-COMMERCIAL ISLAND THAT DOES WITHOUT MANY OF THE CONVENIENCES AND SERVICES THAT WE'RE USED TO. BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR INTEREST IN SABA AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL; FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR INTEREST IN SCUBA, OR HIKING, OR CARIBBEAN FAUNA AND FLORA.
-BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHY YOU'RE CHOOSING SABA (EXCELLENT USMLE PASS RATES, GOOD VARIETY OF CLINICAL LOCATIONS, GOOD SUCCESS IN GETTING COMPETITIVE RESIDENCIES, CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK APPROVAL). AVOID BRINGING UP OTHER CARIB SCHOOLS OR COMPARISONS. THEY PROBABLY WON'T BRING THEM UP EITHER BECAUSE THEY ARE SELLING SABA, NOT SGU, AUC, ROSS, OR ST. MATTS.
THE KEY TO HAVING A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW IS YOUR ABILITY TO TALK. AN IMG WILL SPEND THEIR CAREERS TRYING TO SELL THEMSELVES INTO CLINICAL SPOTS, RESIDENCY SPOTS, AND ATTENDING SPOTS. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF (WITHOUT SAYING "UM" AND "LIKE" EVERY OTHER WORD) AND SELL YOURSELF ON THREE MAIN POINTS: YOUR QUALIFICATION TO ATTEND SABA (WHICH IS A PRETTY LOW STANDARD OF 3.0ish AND BASIC SCIENCE COURSES); YOUR PLAN FOR ATTENDING, DOING CLINICALS, AND GETTING RESIDENCY; AND YOUR CONCRETE PLAN FOR PAYING FOR THIS 3.3 YEAR PROGRAM. IF YOU CAN SELL THEM ON THOSE THREE POINTS, YOU'RE IN.
IF GETTING INFORMATION FROM YOU OVER THE PHONE IS LIKE PULLING TEETH, YOU WON'T GET IN. LET THEM DIRECT THE CONVERSATION, BUT DON'T BE OVERLY FORMAL. SPEAK IN NORMAL, CORRECT, BUT NOT UPTIGHT GRAMMAR. THEY WANT ACHIEVERS AND GO-GETTERS IN THIS PROGRAM. IT TAKES MOTIVATION TO DO THE IMG THING AND SUCCEED AFTERWARD. IF YOU'RE QUALIFICATIONS ARE BORDERLINE, OR YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS AREN'T GREAT, MAKE UP FOR IT WITH YOUR ENTHUSIASM ABOUT THE SCHOOL, THE ISLAND, AND THE OPPORTUNITY THEY COULD PROVIDE FOR YOU.
HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVE, DON'T INTRODUCE NEGATIVES (OR SMOOTH OVER THEM IF THEY BRING THEM UP), BE UPBEAT, HAVE SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK THEM. IF YOU'RE NOT EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THEM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT YOU EITHER.
THANK THEM A FEW TIMES THROUGHOUT THE INTERVIEW (THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING MY INTENT LETTER SO CLOSELY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU).
RELAX, IT'S EASY, AND THEY'LL DO MOST OF THE TALKING ANYWAY.
BIGGUY
I HAD MY INTERVIEW IN DECEMBER, AND AM STARTING IN SEPTEMBER. I'M SURE OTHER STUDENTS WILL HAVE ADVICE TO ADD TO THIS POST, BUT HERE'S MY OUTLINE OF WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERVIEW.
THE INTERVIEWERS ARE NICE, AND THEY ARE THERE AS MUCH TO SELL THE SCHOOL AND THE PROGRAM, AS TO ELIMINATE POTENTIAL MISFITS.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT SABA IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A TRADITIONAL MEDICAL PROGRAM IN THE U.S. OR CANADA. IF YOU APPLIED TO OTHER SCHOOLS AND DIDN'T GET ACCEPTED, THAT'S FINE, AS LONG AS YOU YOU WEREN'T REJECTED BECAUSE OF A CRIMINAL PAST.
I ONLY APPLIED TO SABA, AND DID NOT APPLY TO U.S. SCHOOLS BECAUSE MY PREREQS. WHERE TOO OLD. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO REPEAT THE BASIC SCIENCE COURSES AND I WASN'T WILLING TO DO THAT. SABA'S SYSTEM IS BUILT AROUND THE NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT.
DON'T SWEAT THE INTERVIEW, IT'S REALLY EASY AND LOW KEY. YOU'LL BE ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH 2 OR 3 PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE ALL REALLY NICE.
YOU WON'T NEED TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCIENCES, SO NO NEED TO REVIEW COURSE MATERIAL. THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT:
-ANYTHING YOU WROTE ON YOUR APPLICATION OR THAT APPEARED ON YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS OR TRANSCRIPTS. THEY WILL TAKE MOST OF THEIR QUESTIONS FROM WHAT YOU SUBMITTED.
-YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROGRAM (BASIC SCIENCES FOLLOWED BY STEP 1, FOLLOWED BY CLINICALS, FOLLOWED BY STEP 2, FOLLOWED BY THE RESIDENCY MATCH). REVIEW THE CURRICULUM ON THE WEBSITE, AS WELL AS THE CLINICAL LOCATIONS. SHOW THEM THAT YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO DO YOUR CLINICALS (IDEALLY,...YOU WON'T ALWAYS GET THEM).
-A CONCRETE PLAN FOR HOW YOU INTEND TO PAY FOR THE PROGRAM. REMEMBER, THIS ISN'T A STATE FUNDED SCHOOL, IT'S A BUSINESS. EVEN IF IT'S "NONPROFIT," GETTING PAID IS PARAMOUNT.
-YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE ISLAND. THE SCHOOL HAS A FAIRLY HIGH ATTRITION RATE IN THE FIRST AND SECOND SEMESTER DUE IN LARGE PART TO STUDENTS WHO AREN'T MENTALLY PREPARED FOR LIFE ON A BACKWARD ISLAND. MAKE THEM AWARE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO WITH REGARD TO LIFE ON SABA. IT'S A VERY SIMPLE, NON-COMMERCIAL ISLAND THAT DOES WITHOUT MANY OF THE CONVENIENCES AND SERVICES THAT WE'RE USED TO. BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR INTEREST IN SABA AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL; FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR INTEREST IN SCUBA, OR HIKING, OR CARIBBEAN FAUNA AND FLORA.
-BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHY YOU'RE CHOOSING SABA (EXCELLENT USMLE PASS RATES, GOOD VARIETY OF CLINICAL LOCATIONS, GOOD SUCCESS IN GETTING COMPETITIVE RESIDENCIES, CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK APPROVAL). AVOID BRINGING UP OTHER CARIB SCHOOLS OR COMPARISONS. THEY PROBABLY WON'T BRING THEM UP EITHER BECAUSE THEY ARE SELLING SABA, NOT SGU, AUC, ROSS, OR ST. MATTS.
THE KEY TO HAVING A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW IS YOUR ABILITY TO TALK. AN IMG WILL SPEND THEIR CAREERS TRYING TO SELL THEMSELVES INTO CLINICAL SPOTS, RESIDENCY SPOTS, AND ATTENDING SPOTS. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF (WITHOUT SAYING "UM" AND "LIKE" EVERY OTHER WORD) AND SELL YOURSELF ON THREE MAIN POINTS: YOUR QUALIFICATION TO ATTEND SABA (WHICH IS A PRETTY LOW STANDARD OF 3.0ish AND BASIC SCIENCE COURSES); YOUR PLAN FOR ATTENDING, DOING CLINICALS, AND GETTING RESIDENCY; AND YOUR CONCRETE PLAN FOR PAYING FOR THIS 3.3 YEAR PROGRAM. IF YOU CAN SELL THEM ON THOSE THREE POINTS, YOU'RE IN.
IF GETTING INFORMATION FROM YOU OVER THE PHONE IS LIKE PULLING TEETH, YOU WON'T GET IN. LET THEM DIRECT THE CONVERSATION, BUT DON'T BE OVERLY FORMAL. SPEAK IN NORMAL, CORRECT, BUT NOT UPTIGHT GRAMMAR. THEY WANT ACHIEVERS AND GO-GETTERS IN THIS PROGRAM. IT TAKES MOTIVATION TO DO THE IMG THING AND SUCCEED AFTERWARD. IF YOU'RE QUALIFICATIONS ARE BORDERLINE, OR YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS AREN'T GREAT, MAKE UP FOR IT WITH YOUR ENTHUSIASM ABOUT THE SCHOOL, THE ISLAND, AND THE OPPORTUNITY THEY COULD PROVIDE FOR YOU.
HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVE, DON'T INTRODUCE NEGATIVES (OR SMOOTH OVER THEM IF THEY BRING THEM UP), BE UPBEAT, HAVE SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK THEM. IF YOU'RE NOT EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THEM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT YOU EITHER.
THANK THEM A FEW TIMES THROUGHOUT THE INTERVIEW (THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING MY INTENT LETTER SO CLOSELY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU).
RELAX, IT'S EASY, AND THEY'LL DO MOST OF THE TALKING ANYWAY.
BIGGUY