Okay, so here is the scoop on the rest of my application and interview cycle, plus acceptance and making decisions.
So, last time I was telling you about my first interview request. It was so exciting, especially because it happened so fast after sending in that particular application. The next week I finished my application for Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and two days later heard from them, requesting me for an interview. Things were finally starting to look up, and for the first time in several months, I thought, "I am going to get into medical school!" That was how I reacted at first. Then I got very nervous and worried. I have never been good at interviewing. And now, my interview for VCOM was going to come before the one for Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. To be completely honest, VCOM was always WAY ahead of Kirksville on my list and I was hoping to have some practice with a school that mattered less to me first. Oh well, that was not about to happen. My VCOM interview was scheduled for a week and a half later, February 10.
I frantically started looking online for interview tips and suggestions. I contacted Health PAC at NCSU and set up an interview preparation meeting. And, best of all, my sister had a friend who has lots of experience with mock interviews and was very willing to take time out of her schedule to help me prepare.
The interview prep at school was great. I found out the main points I needed to get across in the interview, things I should and should not wear, they way I should sit ... all the practical stuff. However, I was hoping for more of a practice with actually interviewing - though I am sure at that time I was not ready.
I came home from that session and went through everything I learned and came up with how I thought I wanted to emphasis the important parts of the experiences I have had over the years. Then, I had a mock interview that Sunday before my real interview with my sisters friend. I went into that very nervous, but became more comfortable as she began asking questions. There were a few questions that completely caught me off guard (I had emailed her questions I found online and she had other medical school friends email her questions as well). After the "interview" we went through everything, the good and the bad, and the times when I had no answer. Then we came up with points from my life that I could use to answer those or similar questions AND how to determine what the interviewer was really trying to get out of the question he or she is asking.
I owe a lot to this mock interview!!!!
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So, February 10, 2009 8:00AM.
I arrive at VCOM nervous, but having surprisingly slept pretty well the night before. We had three interviews that morning, followed by a campus (really just building) tour, lunch, a tour of the town, and a financial aid session.
The first interview was the hardest, not because of the questions asked, but because I became extremely nervous upon walking in the room. I felt much better when he began asking me questions, and feel like I answered all but one of them pretty well. I was able to cover all of the topics that we decided was important for me to talk about in the interviews, but none in depth.
The second interview was up stairs on the third floor and I was suffering from allergies (at least that is my excuse) so by the time I made it to the third floor I was completely out of breath. It took until someone interupted us in the middle of the interview, for me to catch my breath. I think being out of breath made me sound more nervous than I actually was during this interview. This time, I tried really hard to discuss my senior project, creating an artifical esophagus (probably the most important point) but the interviewer had other ideas and I could not say what I wanted.
The third interview was definitely the best. This interviewer was very interested in my trip to Honduras, and the artificial esophagus. I was able to talk to her with great ease and feel like I said everything I needed and wanted to say.
After the interviews were over, the stress was over, and all of us interviewees were tired. The day finished out and I was definitely ready to go home, feeling good about the interviews for the most part, but trying not to get too excited. There were certain things I could remember the interviewers saying to me that made me realized this was definitely not a sure thing.
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TWO DAYS LATER, on February 12, I got the phone call they said they would only make if you were accepted, no conditions. However, I was at work and they did not say on the phone, you are accepted, they just said, please call us back. This was aweful, again I did not want to get ahead of myself there are other reasons why they might have called, but I did feel more confident. Friday morning, first thing, I called them back and was told I had been ACCEPTED!!!
WOW. This was a day I had dreamed about for many years, but the biggest day is still four years in the making.
I worked at the hospital that Friday afternoon and before I left just about everyone knew that I was going to medical school and they seemed to treat me differently and wanted me to get even more out of the experience ... to learn or see everything I can.
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As excited as I was, I wanted to wait the three weeks that I had to see if I would hear from other schools. I had visited VCOM, I knew I loved it. However, I had not visited all the other schools I applied to and thought I should give them a chance, too.
I called every school I had not heard from and asked the progress of my application. Most said it was on hold, waiting for further evaluation. UNC outright rejected me while I was on the phone with them. And, ECU said they would look at it again right away. I got an email an hour later asking me to come for an interview. So, I set one up. It was for after the time I would have to accept VCOM, but I thought the experience would be good to have and I could always take back my acceptance to VCOM if I really liked ECU that much better.
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The ECU interview was also before the Kirksville interview. However, two weeks before the Kirksville interview I received an email that said their class was already full. They would continue to interview for waitlist seats, but since I already had an acceptance, AND because I really didn't want to live completely in the middle of nowhere, I decided to relinquish my spot for an interview. My mom and I did still take the trip to Kansas City though.
As for my ECU interview: There were two. The first interview went great! The interviewer was very easy to talk to and seemed truly interested in my career choice and passions. However, the second interviewer hardly let me open my mouth. They were supposed to be 30 minute interviews, I was in his office for OVER one hour, and I spoke for only about 15 minutes of that time (not for lack of trying). He wanted to know that I had people skills, I think, but the way he asked the question, and the way he limited my answer, kept me from telling him what he wanted to know. Eventually, after I thought I had lost the interview, I said, "THAT is why I am a pharmacy tech, a volunteer EMT, and work at the hospital in the ER. That is why I went to Honduras and spent time with the patients there......."
Anyway, the remainder of that day was fun, and I liked the school, but I was just not impressed. I still had not heard from GWU, the only real competition (in my mind) to VCOM. And there were other schools I was looking forward to hearing from, including USC (University of South Carolina).
Since that time, I have received rejections from both, and while there are other schools I have not heard from, I no longer have any hesitations AT ALL about going to VCOM. Now, I just have to see if I can actually make it through medical school to the biggest day of my life, four years from now.
It is still all so Surreal!
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I am also in the process of applying to the Navy Health Professional Scholarship Program. I am hoping to get everything put together quickly so that I can go to Officer Development School this summer.
Until then, have a great summer!!!
The Navy pays for medical school and gives you a monthly stipened, in exchange for year-per-year service after graduation and residency. I have looked into this a lot and definitely think this is for me. I am really looking forward to it. I will post more about this as I get further into the process.
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I am starting a new blog in August "The Next Chapter..." for my musings on medical school and residency. I will do my best to keep this up to date with all of my FREE TIME while in school .... haha.
Until then, have a great summer!!!