Applying to health graduate school is a long and nuanced process that can feel overwhelming. UO Pre-health advisors are available to support you through the process.

UO Pre-Health Advising provides support to current students and UO Alumni up to 3 years after graduation. If you are a pre-health alumni and no longer have access to navigate for scheduling, please call our front desk at 541-346-9200 to schedule an appointment or email us with any general questions.

Services include, 1 hour practice Interview in a traditional interview format or Multiple Mini Interview format, 1 hour grad essay reviews which can include a review of personal statement, secondary or supplemental essays, and your resume/experiences descriptions. 30-minute appointments are available for any general questions you may have about the application process including the centralized application portal, minimum requirements for programs, timeline, etc..

Personal statements are an important part of your application. Your personal statement is your first opportunity to show admission committees your motivation to pursue the profession of choice and demonstrate your aptitude for the field through thoughtful reflection of past to present experiences.

Here are some tips for writing your personal statement:

• Start the brainstorming phase early. It can take 1-3 months or roughly 3-4 drafts to finalize your personal statement. You will want to ensure you give yourself time to write multiple drafts and get feedback from more than one person.
• Consider giving your personal statement a “theme” to tie your experiences together.
• Consider writing using the “Show, don’t tell” technique. This allows the reader to experience the story through actions, senses, and other vivid details.
• Your personal statement should NOT be a summary of all your experiences. Focus on a few key experiences that highlight your skills and qualities.
• Steer away from cliche’s such as: “I want to pursue medicine because I want to help people.” or “I’ve always wanted to be a ____”.

Questions to think about to get you started on your personal statement: Strong personal statements begin with reflection. Lay the groundwork for your statement by asking yourself good questions.

• Why do you want to become a ________?
• We hope you want to pursue this profession at least in part because you want to help people. For your personal statement, think about how you would describe why you want to help people through this profession in particular.
• What interests, concerns, or values drive you in your studies, work, and career choice?
• Think back to volunteering, shadowing, study abroad, research, work, and course experiences. What has been defining or particularly impactful for you? Are there moments that stay with you? What have you learned about yourself and your future profession through these experiences? How did you change after them?
• What do you want admissions committees to know about you as a person, a student, and a future colleague? What makes you a good fit for the profession and the profession a good fit for you?
• What makes you unique from other applicants?

We do want to take notice that sensitive topics can make for great stories in personal statement writing. Please contact pre-health advising to discuss concerns about including these sensitive topics in your personal statement.

Resources:

• UO Pre-Health Advising Personal Statement Workshop
• UO Career Center: Work with a career coach on your personal statement, mock interviews, resume/CV, and any career related questions. UOCC serves students up to 1 year after graduation.
• UO TAEC: Connect with a peer writing tutor for feedback on your personal statement, supplemental essays and activity descriptions. UO TAEC only serves current students.
• Guide to Medical School Personal Statement, By Ryan Gray
• Purdue Owl

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Interviews are an important part of the application process for Medical, Dental, Veterinary, Physican Assistant and other health graduate programs. Interviews are opportunities for admissions committees to meet you and learn more about you. Schools conduct interviews to help them make admissions decisions. This is also your opportunity to learn more about the school, its faculty, and its students.

During the COVID years, health graduate programs conducted remote interviews. Post COVID, many health graduate programs continue to conduct remote interviews. However, there may be some instances where you will be asked to visit the school to do the interview.

Most interviews will include an orientation on the program, provide an overview of financial aid, and the opportunity to talk to current students. You will also receive information about the format and length of the interview leading up to the day of the interview.

Read the information below to learn more about the various interview formats, and tips on how to best prepare for your interview.

Interview Format - There are various interview formats for health graduate school. Some schools may use just one format while others may have a full day or multiple days where you have interviews in various formats. Some health graduate programs are more known to stick with the traditional interview format such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, and Nursing. Below is a list of different interview formats.

One-on-one Interview – Some medical schools conduct 1:1 interviews in which an interviewer – who may be a member of the admissions committee, faculty member, local clinician, or current student– meets with you individually to further explore the information presented in your application, such as your experiences, personal statement, research, education, etc. This can also be an opportunity for you to gather information about the culture of the school, if there is time provided for you to ask questions of the interviewer.

Group Interview – Group interviews consist of multiple applicants participating in one interview at the same time. Group interviews may be used to assess your interpersonal competencies because many medical schools include small group learning and inter-professional health care team training in their curricula, so these competencies are important to determine possible fit in the school's learning environment. Your interview group may be presented with a task or problem to solve and given a predetermined amount of time to find a solution. This is also an opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and to become acquainted with potential future classmates.

Panel Interview – Panel interviews consist of multiple interviewers interviewing a single applicant at one time. Panel interviews allow multiple individuals to get to know an applicant simultaneously and allow interviewers to ask individual follow-up questions.

Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) – Multiple Mini Interviews, which typically consists of 6 to 10 interview stations with different interviewers who each focus on a different question or scenario. The questions can be situation questions, ethical questions, and character development questions. Students may also be presented with acting scenarios. Interviewees are given approximately five minutes at each station to answer the question or solve the problem before rotating to the next station, although the amount of time may differ by school. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has great information about the MMI. Please follow the link to learn more about MMI.

Prior to the Interview:

• Take the time to research the school. Do a deep dive into the curriculum, program mission, faculty, and student opportunities for patient care and/or research. Learn about the city/state the school is located in and think about what attracts you to this location. Why will that school be a good fit for you?
• Re-read all your application materials. Refresh your memory so you are ready to talk meaningfully about any of the activities/experiences referenced in your application.
• Take a look at some sample interview questions (see resource list below). Schools will ask you questions related to the profession's core competencies. Consider researching your profession's core competencies to learn more on the different areas you will be assessed.
• Read magazines and newspapers to be informed about current issues in the health field. Be ready to discuss ethical or hypothetical situations.
• Come prepared with questions about the program.
• Test the professional attire you plan to wear for the day of the interview.
• Schedule a mock interview with UO Pre-Health Advising!

Day of the Interview:

• Interview days can be long and somewhat hectic. Plan ahead to make your experience as smooth as possible.
• If remote interviewing: Be sure to conduct your interview from a quiet, clean, well-lit space, with good internet access.
• Wear professional attire.
• Have water, a snack, a notebook and a pen nearby.
• During the orientation sessions, take notes on program information or responses to your questions. Write down additional questions you would like to ask your interviewer.

During the interview:

• Greet everyone in the room individually. Wait to be asked to be seated before you sit down.
• Try to provide specific examples from your own experience. Examples show the interviewer how you know something, what your experiences are, and how you have changed.
• Think, and if necessary, pause before answering questions, especially if they catch you off guard.
• If questions have multiple parts, make sure you answer them all. Use your notepad to jot down notes if necessary.
• Think of each question as an opportunity to share a little more about yourself with your interviewer(s).
• Ask your own questions!

After the Interview:

• Thank you emails may not be accepted by programs, but you are welcome to send thank you emails to your interviewer and/or the admissions office.
• If waitlisted, we highly recommend you send letters of intent to the program.

Resources:

• Pre-Health Advising Interview Overview Workshop
• Guide to the Medical School Interview, by Ryan Gray
• UO Career Center BIG Interview Online Interviewing System
• Medical School Interview Questions
• Physical Therapy Interview Questions
• BeMo Academic Consulting Physician Associate Interview Questions
• Physician Assistant Interview Guide, Savannah Perry PA-C
• Veterinary Medicine Interview Questions
• BeMo Academic Consulting Multiple Mini Interview Questions (MMI)
• Shemmassian Consulting Multiple Mini Interview Questions (MMI)
• UW Ethics in Medicine

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