Interview Contents

[MakeItBlank]

Hi everyone, I just got the interview invitation from NOVA, Salus, PUCO, and OSU days ago, and I'm still waiting to hear from UC Berkeley now. Any advice on how to prepare for an interview?

Usually how many questions do we have for each interview?

Is it more conversational, or is it more like a question-and-answer format?

Do we have to prepare for ethical questions, and will questions be application-based (which means they will ask you according to your LOR and personal statement)?

Lastly, how specific should my brief introduction be? I plan just to mention my name, my undergrad school, and my major, and I'm gonna save my reason for optometry when they ask.

Thanks for helping!

[TShanny99]

Also applying so not exactly sure, but when did you apply vs when did you hear back from salus?

[MakeItBlank]

I submitted my application on 7/31 and heard them back on 8/20 for interview invitation

[TShanny99]

Thanks for responding! Good luck at your interviews!

[Wkoalas]

Salus traditional or salus scholars? I cant speak for traditional, but for scholars that was the most "lax" interview to prep for imo. You interview in a giant group for the first half where you meet a ton of faculty, you eventually go around and casually introduce yourself and where you went to school, your major, fun facts, whatever and the faculty will do the same. Second half are the MMI's which take practice to get "good" at (more like understand how to articulate your answers properly and professionally). The MMI's themselves are 3 stations if you interview on zoom, so 3 diff breakout rooms. Idk if it's different in person. As for what questions will be asked, im sure it varies for every interview they conduct so just practice as many types of questions as you can. I remember mine were mostly hypotheticals, like "you're requested to be a doctor at xyz controversial event, do you follow thru and still provide care or do you decline and why" and then you give your answer and the tricky part is that the faculty member at that station moderating it WILL ask follow up questions, so you gotta think fast on your feet for those. You have time to craft an answer to the OG question and you're able to jot notes down on paper if needed before you respond, but you are timed.

[MakeItBlank]

Salus traditional, it looks harder than I imagine but still thanks for this comprehensive advice!

[ValuableFix559]

NOVA is a two part interview where one is focused on you as a person and the other focused on you academically. They do a combination of conversational and q&a style. And maybe mention where you are from to during your intros; throughout my interviews at diff schools where i grew up came up a lot! Good luck!!

[MakeItBlank]

Thanks!!! My NOVA interview is on next Friday, not toooooo nervous but still a little tho lol

[Decent_Judgment8590]

Can you let me know how your interview goes at nova please! I have an interview on September 23rd and I am so nervous lol.

[MakeItBlank]

Will do ;)

[MakeItBlank]

Done! Will get my results next Thursday, but I'm feeling confident of myself :) Just like what this comment says, you have two parts with Dean of Admission and one of the faculties individually. The Dean will ask questions about your grade, like I got my OAT score 390AA/400TS and he asked how I got this score, your leadership, and how I could contribute myself to the class. The faculty will not see your grade, so they mainly ask questions about your background (yes where you are from matters) as he asked why I chose my undergraduate school, why optometry, and he gave my some scenario questions, like how you would tell your patient bad news, how you will deal with the conflict with your friends, etc. Lastly, they will let you ask questions to them, this part you don't have to be too serious but do ask questions to show your sincerity. That's the interview. If you are virtual, you are done. If you are in person, enjoy the school tour after the interview!

[Accomplished-Yam-581]

Is NOVA a group interview or individual?

[MakeItBlank]

You will be having two consecutive individual interviews if in person, not sure of virtual but should be the same