As interview season is approaching (and some schools already in full swing) I thought I would give my two cents when it comes to preparing for the interview. I have been very involved in the interview process at UF CVM. At UF there is a student on the panel during the interview, along side two other interviewers (DVMs or faculty generally). I have been a part of this panel multiple time and will be on the panel at the upcoming interviews (February 13th and 20th). I am not going to give any specific questions or UF tips, just general things I feel can help with any vet school interviews. So below I have 10 tips for the big vet school interview!
- BE YOURSELF! You have made it to the interview, we want to get to know you as a person. Don’t put on a front or say things “you think we want to hear”. We can tell.
- DO NOT BE SCRIPTED! I get it, we all do it, look up 54837624 interviews questions the night before and plan out answers and to an extent this is okay. Be familiar with general ideas or topics you may be asked about, just do not come in sounding like a robot. It makes for a very boring interview and will hurt you more than help you.
- SET YOURSELF APART! What makes you different from the crowd? Everyone of you “loves animals”, “enjoys the sciences”, has good grades, has the volunteer/experience hours… what makes you different? Don’t be afraid to talk about areas outside of veterinary medicine! I talked about my music background for probably half of my interview! Be unique and don’t be afraid to show your unique aspects off.
- PICK A SIDE AND STICK TO IT! You will most likely be asked some sort of ethical question or something where you have to pick a stance and explain why you decided your answer. Do not change your views. In veterinary medicine you have to make quick decisions and run with it, be able to back up those decisions and trust your decisions. There is no right or wrong answer for these. We just want to see that you can stick to your guns and backup yourself up.
- EDUCATE YOURSELF! I’m not saying to go out and read every veterinary journal on the shelf right now, but be familiar with the hot topics occurring in our field at the moment. We do not expect you to know all the details of everything. Just have a general idea what is occurring and why it is currently impacting our field. If they ask you something you do not know, do not be afraid to say “I don’t know”. It is super awkward when you start to answer a question you know nothing about.
- MAKE EYE CONTACT! Be sure to make eye contact with your interviewers.
It shows us you are engaged in the conversation. Also do not stare at just one person. Make eye contact with everyone throughout the interview. - WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING! We do expect you to dress professionally but do you need a brand new suit for the interview? No. Wear something that is not super uncomfortable and business casual/professional. Ladies that means no high heels if you can not walk well in them and men if that coat jacket is super hot or itchy or stiff, don’t wear it. We can tell if you are uncomfortable the whole time. You end up just adjusting and fidgeting the whole interview and never seem to settle in. Try your clothing on the day before and look in the mirror. Would you hire yourself for a job? If the answer is no in any setting then you may want to pick out something different.
- TAKE YOUR TIME! We understand your nerves are going a million miles a minute but take a moment to think about the questions. A few seconds will seem like an million years when everyone is staring at you but believe me those few seconds to think will make a huge difference in your answer.
- DO YOUR RESEARCH! Look up the basics of the school. What their curriculum is like, how their clinics are run, special programs they have to offer. As an interviewer it makes us question why you are there when you have no idea about the program you just applied for. Come prepared with any questions you have about the program. There will be plenty of opportunity to get these questions answered (at least at UF there is)
- RELAX! Again you were invited to the interview for a reason! The school is interested in you and wants to know who you are. Be confident, take a deep breath and rock those interviews!!
Life of a Veterinarian 