SHE GOT INTO PA SCHOOL — after putting in the work to prepare for the interview

Duration: 5:35 1036 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The video transcript highlights the importance of preparing concrete, structured responses for medical school interviews, particularly when addressing potential academic weaknesses. The speaker emphasizes that while practicing with familiar people can reduce nervousness, candidates must still rehearse specific steps to handle questions from strangers who do not know them well. A key example provided is the discussion about the most difficult college class, which serves as a common interview question regarding academic struggles. The narrator explains that difficulty is subjective and depends on individual learning styles, using their own experience with freshman-year biology as a case study where adjusting to a new lecture style and balancing time management as a student athlete presented significant challenges. To overcome these initial hurdles, the candidate adopted a proactive approach rather than reacting passively to difficulties. They shifted from relying solely on digital flashcards like Quizlet to more active learning methods such as visiting professors during office hours, writing notes by hand in the library, and drawing diagrams on dry-erase boards to better grasp underlying concepts. This strategy not only helped them succeed in that specific course but also established a pattern for future academic challenges. The speaker argues that interviewers often ask about past struggles to gauge how a candidate handles adversity, so having a prepared story that details the specific problem, the immediate actions taken to fix it, and a plan for preventing recurrence is essential. Furthermore, the transcript advises candidates to be ready to discuss any grade or withdrawal on their transcript by framing them as learning opportunities rather than failures. Instead of simply stating they did not like a class or felt unsupported, a strong response would explain exactly what steps were taken to improve, such as seeking out upperclassmen for study advice or adapting successful methods from peers who performed better. The goal is to demonstrate resilience and a growth mindset, showing that the candidate can identify gaps in their knowledge or support systems and immediately implement solutions. This preparation ensures that even if an interviewer probes deeper into a specific "C" grade or withdrawal, the applicant can confidently articulate how they turned a negative situation into a positive outcome. Ultimately, the video concludes that successful interviewees should have well-thought-out answers ready for all six basic types of questions, including those about academic struggles. By anticipating these inquiries and practicing how to categorize them, candidates can answer on the surface level before diving into their prepared narratives. The speaker reassures viewers that having a specific plan in place allows them to remain calm and confident during the interview, knowing they can handle any question thrown their way. This thorough preparation transforms potential stumbling blocks into opportunities to showcase determination, adaptability, and a commitment to academic excellence, which are critical traits for future physicians.

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Was this helpful? Do you feel like this was valuable? >> I do. Yes. Cuz like even at work, like her giving me an interview was something that wasn't really nerve-racking because I've known her for 4 years and and so it's different having somebody that doesn't know me doing an interview. >> Yeah. And I mean even with people that you do know, I want you to practice those like concrete steps. Uh but yeah, overall I'd say very good. Just get more confident with those concrete steps. >> Okay. Perfect. >> Um can you tell me about the most difficult college class you've ever taken? >> Um I think difficulty is depending on who you are and depending on the course that you're taking. In my personal experience, the most difficult one I took was probably freshman year understanding how I learn in college and how college worked. I would say it was probably biology one. Having taken biology in high school, I had a brief understanding, but taking it in college was just different. The lecture style was different, having to adapt to having new lecture style and having to learn a little bit differently. And also being a freshman in college and having all this time on my hands that I didn't have in high school was a big adjustment for me as well, being a student athlete and balancing all of my time management and things like that with my new skill like with my new school and having biology and all the information that they gave me was a a big adjustment, but I did adjust and I had the ability to go to office hours and do things like that with my professors, so I do think that was a difficult difficult class, but I did get the opportunity to do things and overcome it. >> Okay. How exactly did you overcome it? >> I started by going to office hours. I off I also changed the way that I study. I was studying strictly with Quizlet. And I ended up going to the library a lot more and writing things out. Writing helps me learn a little bit better. I used the dry erase board. I drew out the diagrams and started to understand the concepts and not just the words that were presenting to me. So, understanding the concepts and how they all function together was something that really helped me. >> Just give me a few seconds just so I type down some notes. Just a sec. Uh just uh so, why don't we just uh why don't we start with just the individual ones cuz we just did those and there's them. >> So, the the last few here. Where's the individual? Okay. Do you see this on the screen? >> Yes. >> Okay. Most difficult course you've ever taken. So, have you ever heard me talk about this, the six basic types of questions? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, I want you to have, unless you already do, I want you to have a well-thought-out prepared response for every one of these six. And then when you're practicing questions, I want you to just try to figure out which one it's most similar to. Answer the question kind of on the surface and then just go into your prepared response. >> Okay. >> If in the moment you think of something better, that's great. You know, that's totally fine. But at least this way you know that you can answer any type of question and you have a really good answer already. >> All right. >> So, for this, most difficult course you've ever taken, this is going to go to academic struggles, right? >> Mhm. >> That basic type of question which you had an answer for. Right? It was biology one. I was adjusting to college. Uh it was different. So, when I ask a follow-on, it's because I want to know more. Usually in your interview, you won't have this. This is something that I wanted you to, uh, to talk about just organically already. >> Okay. >> Right? And the C in the capstone, they might pick a specific course. Why'd you get a C here? Why'd you get a C here? Why'd you withdraw this one? You know, so be prepared to talk about any of them. >> Okay. >> But, I want specifics, right? >> Mhm. >> So, this was okay. This I didn't like. So, having not had the class before, I did struggle. I went to office hours, but the prepare but the professor didn't help me much. >> [snorts] >> I wouldn't have said that. >> Okay. >> You know, I'd say the professor did this, this, and this. I implemented it, but I still felt like I wasn't really getting the support I needed or I I didn't feel like I was doing as well as I had the potential to do. Uh, and then I started doing this, and this helped. >> Okay. >> In future courses, you know, I did something else, and it it worked. Uh, and the third element is in PA school, if I ever have any sort of struggles, I'm going to be very proactive, not reactive, and I'm going to get help immediately. Which is why I asked you this. >> Okay. Yes. >> So, any academic struggles questions, which I'd be very shocked if you didn't get, uh, because it's important, and you do have a few little hiccups in your transcript, so I would certainly be prepared for this. Uh, these are the three elements I wanted, right? When specifically was it? What was difficult, and how did you overcome it? And exactly what you will do if you encounter the same thing in school. >> Okay. >> Okay. Those three elements have to be in that one question. And I mean, this was good. You know, talk to upperclassmen, and talk to other people, see how they're studying, adapt their methods if they're doing better than I am. That that's fine. You know, that that's good. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, those three elements.