twinklystar_hp Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 hey all.. so i have my first ever grad school interview tomorrow over the phone...and i'm kinda nervous... tips? reason i'm nervous is, this place i applied to, i do not have extensive undergrad experience in that field...i've just touched upon the subject...but when i read the description of the prof, it sounded really interesting and cool..though the description was quiet broad...now i intend to go and find some articles... but i guess yea, my point is, the only thing i know abt my interest is that i have a very broad interest in the prof's area of research..i do not knwo the specifics of wht's going on in the topic as of now, becuz this is a topic i'd just come upon a few weeks back, and just seemed pretty cool to me and something i'd like to explore further and do my grad studies in... but yeah i'm quiet nervous...i don't even have research experience in this particular area..though i do have clinical research exxperience in a psych field..i haven't had any published research.... but i have written a few research proposals for courses in uni...i havent taken any indepedent study/research undergrad course either... tips?? the interview's tomorrow..so need some asap tips.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 ...but when i read the description of the prof, it sounded really interesting and cool..though the description was quiet broad...now i intend to go and find some articles... but i guess yea, my point is, the only thing i know abt my interest is that i have a very broad interest in the prof's area of research..i do not knwo the specifics of wht's going on in the topic as of now, becuz this is a topic i'd just come upon a few weeks back, and just seemed pretty cool to me and something i'd like to explore further and do my grad studies in...Be honest and try to get this point across. It's not about how much experience you have, but how passionate you are about grad studies in that field, imo. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinklystar_hp Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 i mean, what do i say when asked how long my interest has been in this? becuz the true answer is: i was first considering med school...but now i realise i REALLY need to work on my app..and grad schoool right now seems the ideal option for me.. i do want to be involved in my very own research...to study further.. and as for this particular topic, i've always subtly had an interest in this topic..and since last 2-3 years a lot.. (vision is the topic btw) ...i feel if there is a grad program i'd like to be involved in, it wud be this... and that's pretty much my interest... but on the other hand i havent done anything specific that SHOWS i have had an interest in this topic.. so i am not sure wht to say... do i say my interest has just SPARKED all of a sudden..becuz in a way that too is tru - i always had a kind of interest, but it was more of in my unconscious mind until i actually CAME upon this topic through grad program research..and when i came upon this topic, i was like - WOW..why didnt i think of this BEFORE?? btw, r supervisors ok with u wanting to do grad studies in that field to enhance ur med school apps?? and then, this is a topic that is very diff than my undergrad; but i also know if i committ to this, i will try my best to bridge the gap... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinklystar_hp Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Be honest and try to get this point across. It's not about how much experience you have, but how passionate you are about grad studies in that field, imo. Good luck! thanks! yeah, i gues it's all abt being honest, and sure this is wht i wanna do..my only prob is i sometimes have a hard time in putting words to my thoughts... i don't have my statement of interest set up now though..still working on it.. would i need it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 it doesn't matter if you have no experience in the field, or much research experience at all for that matter... they are taking people from undergrad - they know at most they will have a thesis and maybe a summer or two... there's no expectation that you continue in the specific field you have done your minimal research in... they just want to know that you are interested in research in general, and that you are interested in/excited by their field of research... and they want to know that you are responsible, hard-working, and smart with respect to the med school deal, while i think most researchers do realize that a lot of students do a masters as a stepping stone to medicine, i personally wouldn't mention this... all it tells them is that you are doing the masters to pad your resume, and they would more than likely prefer someone who is actually considering going into research... and if you are going to mention it, i would word it in a way such as "I am interested in medicine, but I thought it was important to explore my interest in the field of research before making a decision regarding what I want to do in the future" in terms of what you are doing to say about his/her research... well, all you have said is that out of nowhere you realized you are interested in vision research... you should be able to explain WHY it interests you so much - what about it, what about her research area specifically, etc. overall though, just be confident and personable good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinklystar_hp Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 ok..i am going into a MAJOR panick mode! HOW CUD I DO THIS? i made a SPELLING ERROR IN THE CV that i emailed... my laptop had crashed, and i had to make a whole new cv (as i cudnt even find it in emails)... and i made a TYPO! on my CV! i mean... *shakes head* i cann NOT believe this..and i realise that - NOW! NOW! the night before! i was busy in my volutneer place rest of the week! and just now dunno thought of checking which cv (i have diff versions) i sent - confirm i sent right one. the typo was in my profile summary section: recent universities graduate.. instead of university i can not believe i just did that! the most important cv, and i messed it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osteon Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 DO NOT tell the supervisor that you're only doing grad school for your med school application. That's a one way ticket to Rejectionland. However, you CAN say that your final goal is medicine; just be sure to emphasize that you want a career in research as well. Be prepared to answer questions like "why do you need grad school to get where you want to be?" and again, because you want to enhance your med app is NOT the answer they want to hear. Also, contrary to what thatonekid and mattg said, for a lot of supervisors, experience and preparedness is the most important thing they're looking for. Think of it this way: there's a ton of people passionate about med, but you're not getting in unless you're qualified. Same goes for grad school. Therefore, find a way to relate the experiences that you have had to the field you want to go into. Ex. Science lab work, work, certain coursework - tell them why you're prepared to begin a research degree in that field. Don't get me wrong, the passion ABSOLUTELY has to be there, but you definitely have to show that you're qualified as well. Lastly, make sure you read-up on the professors recent work. Know what the main findings were, ask questions about it like what the next step is, and what research opportunities will be open for you. Also go in with a good understanding of the program you're applying to. They want to know that you know what you're getting yourself into! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinklystar_hp Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 it doesn't matter if you have no experience in the field, or much research experience at all for that matter... they are taking people from undergrad - they know at most they will have a thesis and maybe a summer or two... there's no expectation that you continue in the specific field you have done your minimal research in... they just want to know that you are interested in research in general, and that you are interested in/excited by their field of research... and they want to know that you are responsible, hard-working, and smart with respect to the med school deal, while i think most researchers do realize that a lot of students do a masters as a stepping stone to medicine, i personally wouldn't mention this... all it tells them is that you are doing the masters to pad your resume, and they would more than likely prefer someone who is actually considering going into research... and if you are going to mention it, i would word it in a way such as "I am interested in medicine, but I thought it was important to explore my interest in the field of research before making a decision regarding what I want to do in the future"in terms of what you are doing to say about his/her research... well, all you have said is that out of nowhere you realized you are interested in vision research... you should be able to explain WHY it interests you so much - what about it, what about her research area specifically, etc. overall though, just be confident and personable good luck heyy! thanks for the feedback... what u mentioned in the bold part, that pretty much does sum up wht i meant to say... i am interested in medicine...but i also have a LOT of interest in research overall...and i have decided the grad route to explore this field further. infact i don't even know if i am going to pursue med after completing masters - perhaps i'd be too happy in the research field.. i'm workign right now on a template as to why i am interested in the field.. thanks for the replies guys.. really appreciate all the tips and encouragement:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinklystar_hp Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 lots of homework for tonite... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tonin Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Some tips for grad interview: - you should appear keen and passionate about research. You can do this by looking into the supervisor's area of interest and try to be specific about the areas you find most interesting. - do not mention anything about using this opportunity to boost a med school application. It's not the time to show all your cards.. - For a grad interview, the best thing you can say is that you are interested in pursuing a career as a researcher or academic in the field and this grad degree is a stepping stone towards your future career. - Since your interview is by phone, make some notes about some interesting articles you've read by the supervisor or anything else you don't want to forget mentioning. Here are some questions to anticipate: - what's your motivation for applying to the grad program? (interest in particular research field) - How do your interests align with the supervisor's? - why do you want to work with this supervisor? - which other schools/ supervisor's have you considered? (you should say that you have looked into others, to show that you are serious about grad school and that you are competitive enough to seek other offers. However, you can say that this supervisor is your first choice). - what can you bring to the lab that other students can't? (think of personal qualities like working well under stress and helping others or something like that). Overall, be friendly even if you're nervous but make sure that you appear to have a genuine interest or passion for research (even if you have not developed this as of yet!) Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osteon Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 ...and if you are going to mention it, i would word it in a way such as "I am interested in medicine, but I thought it was important to explore my interest in the field of research before making a decision regarding what I want to do in the future"... Definitely not a good idea. A prospective supervisor does not want to hear that you're not totally sure what you want to do. Why would they offer you a position if you're not sure you'll even like it? It would be a waste of their time. For the vast majority of people, a grad degree is not an alternative to medicine; it is the only thing they want to do and a necessary degree that they need to earn in order to get to where they want to be. You should make it seem as such to the supervisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinklystar_hp Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 how come nobody commented on that silly spelling error i made ? haha..i love the various yes and no views abt whether to let them know abt med or not.. its a bit confusing as well ofcourse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tonin Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Definitely not a good idea. A prospective supervisor does not want to hear that you're not totally sure what you want to do. Why would they offer you a position if you're not sure you'll even like it? It would be a waste of their time. For the vast majority of people, a grad degree is not an alternative to medicine; it is the only thing they want to do and a necessary degree that they need to earn in order to get to where they want to be. You should make it seem as such to the supervisor. I agree with Osteon. Since you are applying for a grad program, you need to demonstrate that you want to do research as a career. Especially since you said that you do not have the most relevant research experience. A keen interest and good job experience or school work can make up for that. However, if you indicate that you are not sure about your interests, why should the supervisor take a chance on you? Why should they spend their time training you in research? The point is that you want to give a mature and professional impression. Your interest in medicine is fine as long as you make sure to emphasize your interest in research above all at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tonin Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Don't worry about the spelling error! The supervisor probably won't notice or won't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 i dunno... i think that if you can genuinely convey an interest in research, it's not the worst thing to say you have an interest in the medical field... you can do research as an MD as well... and masters supervisors don't expect all of their students to go on to do a PhD with them... as long as it doesn't come across as a resume-padder, and you do genuinely want to do research, and are specifically interested in their field, i think they'd be satisfied... that's just my opinion though, i guess it depends on the supervisor as well... i guess just not mentioning med school at all is overall the safest way to go though lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 how come nobody commented on that silly spelling error i made ? Because it's not a big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 i mean, what do i say when asked how long my interest has been in this? becuz the true answer is: i was first considering med school...but now i realise i REALLY need to work on my app..and grad schoool right now seems the ideal option for me.. i do want to be involved in my very own research...to study further.. and as for this particular topic, i've always subtly had an interest in this topic..and since last 2-3 years a lot.. (vision is the topic btw) ...i feel if there is a grad program i'd like to be involved in, it wud be this... and that's pretty much my interest... but on the other hand i havent done anything specific that SHOWS i have had an interest in this topic.. so i am not sure wht to say... do i say my interest has just SPARKED all of a sudden..becuz in a way that too is tru - i always had a kind of interest, but it was more of in my unconscious mind until i actually CAME upon this topic through grad program research..and when i came upon this topic, i was like - WOW..why didnt i think of this BEFORE?? btw, r supervisors ok with u wanting to do grad studies in that field to enhance ur med school apps?? and then, this is a topic that is very diff than my undergrad; but i also know if i committ to this, i will try my best to bridge the gap... that is probably the worst thing you could ever possibly say to a research supervisor, especially one in basic sciences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearfuzz Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 I talked about medicine a bunch during my grad interview (full panel style) and it worked out pretty good, but that was because I related everything to a specific FRCPC program and such just to showcase you know what you're getting yourself into. But this program was public health related and so was pretty relevant. If it is wet lab type research I wouldn't spend too much time on the whole med school thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
affyuser Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 In terms of telling prospective graduate supervisors about using the grad degree as a stepping stone to med school, I think a lot depends on the supervisor's background. Sure, some basic science lab heads (with a PhD) do have a bias against this. On the other hand, I have heard of more clinically oriented lab heads (especially those with an MD or a MD/PHD) being very supportive of their grad student's med school plans since they have gone through the whole Med + research route themselves. In general though, I think this isn't something to say in your first interview, unless specifically asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerena Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 How did the interview go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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