My BIGGEST interview

My first interview for PA school at the University of Washington in Seattle was my big interview because it was the first one, and I was super excited to even get one. My interview next month at Northeastern University in Boston is my bigger interview. Again, excited I'm good enough to get an interview. My interview today at the University of Utah is my BIGGEST interview! They have such a great program, nationally ranked in the top 5 programs, and it's home! We were told today that they received 600+ applications, are interviewing 84, and accept 36, and that getting an interview made up the top 15% of all applicants. Wow.

So, my BIGGEST interview so far, isn't fantastic. Crap. The process is so different from Seattle, I'll just start with that. There we had one day, 3 group interviews, 2 written tests and and information session. I was totally drained at the end of the day. At this interview, it's two days, I have 4 personal interviews, 2 group interviews, a written test, and an information session. I'll give you a run down of day one:
8:00-8:30 Welcome/Writing Sample
Pretty simple. One page essay about ways you would improve the community as a PA.
8:30-9:15 Faculty Panel
They introduced themselves and took questions. Pretty standard so far.
9:45-10:10 Individual interview #1
Went okay. Questions here are harder than at Seattle, I think. The hardest question in this one was being asked about a patient that I dreaded coming in to clinic. Someone that made me cringe knowing I had to check them in. I couldn't think of one off the top of my head, so I thought of one that was close. Then they followed up that question with 2 others about what about me made me feel this way, etc. Because I didn't have a great example to begin with, I felt like the more they asked me to expand on that, the more I was digging my grave. The other questions I did okay on, I think.
12:15-2:15 TESTING
Okay. I went to the info session and the admissions director told us this would be a simple anatomy test with questions like how many chambers are there in the heart. Fantastic. I can do basic. I open up the 150 question multiple choice test and the first questions is "Transitional epithelium is the lining of what? A. bladder B. GI tract C. liver D. eye socket" Hello?! Was I supposed to study for this? I don't remember being told this was in depth! The doctor and PA I work with joked that it would be a portion of the boards taken at the end of the program to certify. "If you can pass 25% of what should already know, then we'll let you in." Yeah, I thought it was a joke, but apparently not! The heart question I do remember was a little more difficult than number of chambers: "What chamber of the heart receives the systemic blood from the superior vena cava?" I do know the answer to both the questions I listed here, but there were plenty that I didn't. Whew, was I glad when we were told they put a lot of weight into those test scores!
3:45-4:10 Individual interview #2
Went a little better than #1. Interviewers were a little more personable. Again most difficult question was talking about a patient conflict. I had a better example this time about a patient that borderline sexually harassed me. Not intentionally, but every time he came in he made me feel very uncomfortable. Also better question because they didn't follow it up with more questions. 'Give a girl a rope....' This one had a funny question, "If you were an animal what would you be?" I said a duck. My mom always told up growing to be a duck, because the water just rolls of the back. The feathers don't get ruffled, they don't get bugged. Don't let anything negative soak into your skin. Be tough. Let it roll off your back. Be a duck. So today, I was.
4:30-5:15 Student Panel
The current first year students introduced themselves and answered our questions. Informative.
5:15-7:15 Social
It was a fiesta! They made us a mexican dinner that was delicious. I was really hungry, so it was nice to have food! This is (informally) designated as "Introduce yourself to all the interviewers that you are not interviewing with so everyone knows your name (and hopefully votes for you) when the two days is over" social. It was pretty fun, but super noisy. We had 40 applicants, 20 students, and about 10 interviewers (not all of them) in one kitchen/lounge area and one classroom.

As I'm sure you noticed I had HUGE chunks of time when I wasn't doing anything. I got to know the other applicants pretty well. Made a few friends, and talked about our experiences interviewing today and at other schools. I didn't get home until about 7:45. Now I'm tired and going to sleep so hopefully my brain functions a little better tomorrow and I can show them what a shining star I am!