New(ish) post from Reports from the Pharm - Interview Selection

The UCSF Admissions blog doesn't have a regular schedule when it comes to updates, but when it is updated, there tends to be a lot of useful information. I just hopped on over there a few minutes ago and was happy to see a new post was put up on the 10th. This one was themed all around selecting candidates for interviews.

In fact, a lot of it is about clearing up rumors that are being spread that are just plain false.  I'm fairly certain that I've read some of these over on thestudentdoctor.net forums.  [Quick Note:  I'm not saying those forums are bad.  They most certainly are not.  But it is most definitely, in fact, a forum of people who are just spreading what they know, whether it is correct or not.  That's something that everyone should remember.  If you don't get information from the source, always double check when possible!  With that said, those forums are generally very helpful, and I expect to spend more time there in the future, to seek out all kinds of information.]

The answers clearing up rumors are more certainly helpful.  You read it, understand it, and move on.  However the most thought provoking question and response was:

“As for people with the interviews, I would start reading the interview feedback section and re-read it a few times. I'd also read the last year and the one before that (threads.) You want to have a general idea of the process, so that there aren't any surprises - remember, fortune favors the prepared mind.”

Eeeks! Be careful. There’s a fine line between being prepared and being rehearsed. Everyone has a different experience and being so overly prepared may mask the authenticity that we look for during the interview. Just saying…

I'm not even close to getting an interview, since I haven't even applied yet.  But it's good to know things like this three or four... or even ten... steps ahead of time.  I can let it simmer in the back of my mind.  I'll need to make sure I don't cross the line between being prepared with being rehearsed.

I've heard/read many times that the interview is an essential part of the selection process, it is important to not go in unprepared, and that it's important to do practice interviews so you don't screw up.  Those two points very well can lead to coming off as rehearsed if done to an extreme.

Is the answer to simply treat it like the kind of speech/presentation where you write only the bullet points on your flashcards but let the answers come out naturally and not word for word?  Possibly.

Something else for me to think about is that how will writing a blog about the whole process of getting into pharm school affect things. Will blogging take me to a point where it influences my answers during the interview to come off as rehearsed.  I can't say.

That's something I can tackle in the future.  It's not something I'll have to concern myself with for months yet.  If not more than a couple years.  But now it's lit up, and I can drop it off in the corner of my mind where I'll remember to pick it up again later.