How to Prepare for Postbac Program Interviews

Home » How to Prepare for Postbac Program Interviews

* Listen to this podcast episode with the players below, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

Highlight & Takeaways

Session 202

Are interviews for postbac premed programs similar to medical school interviews? Here’s what you need to know to prepare.

Your questions answered here are taken directly from the Nontrad Premed Forum. If you haven’t yet, please sign up for an account for free!

Check out our other podcasts on Meded Media.

[00:58] OldPreMeds Question of the Week:

“I have a few interviews with post-bacc programs around the country and am wondering how best to prepare. Does anyone have experience interviewing with formal, structured career changer post-bacc programs (Bryn Mawr, Goucher, Johns Hopkins, others)?

I’m wondering what to expect and specifically, what interview questions to prepare for. Should I be reviewing medical school interview questions or is the interview process different?”

[01:30] Postbac Interview vs. Medical School Interview

These career-changer programs are very structured. These very formal programs are going to want to make sure that you are prepared and ready for medical school. The questions they’re going to ask are going to be very similar to preparing for your medical school interview.

'The interview process for postbac programs is going to be very similar to the medical school interview.'Click To Tweet

They’re going to have a community of students so they’re going to want to see how you’re going to fit with the community. They’re going to ask behavioral questions. So prepare for your postbac interviews the same way that you prepare for your medical school interview.

[02:20] Make Sure You Understand

Understand your application obviously, including your strengths and weaknesses. Understand your motivations for wanting to be a physician.

If your goal for doing a postbac program to become a physician, they’re going to want to know why you want to be a physician. They want to make sure they’re training people who are going to go on and get into medical school. It doesn’t look good on their program if they take your money and you aren’t sure you want to be a doctor. This looks bad on them.

'They want to make sure you understand everything about being a physician just like medical schools are going to want to know.'Click To Tweet

You need to do shadowing and clinical experience. Some programs are going to require you to take an MCAT so you have to work on that too. Outside of that, the interview is going to be similar to a medical school interview.

[03:50] What the Interviews Are Like

The interviews should be very conversational. They should be a coffee shop conversation. You want to prepare like your medical school interview. Check out The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Interview for some strategies for your postbac interviews. You can either get it on Amazon or Kindle. You should be able to get it through your library system for free.

'The ultimate goal is not to sell yourself. It's to have that coffee shop conversation. Show them who you are as a person.'Click To Tweet

Don’t sell yourself. The goal is to show them who you are as a person. Show them you can connect with them that will show you can potentially connect with your classmates and future patients.

[05:00] The First Line of Defense

They are the first line of defense to a medical school interview. Hopefully, they have conversations with medical school admissions committees and understand what the medical schools are looking for.

'They're the first line of defense in making sure that the students are going to be able to not only get through the postbac program but also get into medical school.'Click To Tweet

[05:35] Other Resources

Check out our episodes about the medical school interview process on The Premed Years Podcast. We will also soon have a Spotify playlist so you can search for medical school interviews and see all of them in one playlist.

If you’re looking for some MCAT help, check out Blueprint MCAT (formerly Next Step Test Prep). They have the best full-length exams to prepare for the MCAT. Use the promo code MSHQ to save 10% off their full-lengths exams. If you’re looking to doing their one-on-one tutoring, use the promo code MSHQTOC.

Links:

Meded Media

Nontrad Premed Forum

The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Interview

The Premed Years Podcast

Need MCAT Prep? Save on tutoring, classes, and full-length practice tests by using promo code “MSHQ” for 10% off Next Step full-length practice tests or “MSHQTOC” for $50 off MCAT tutoring or the Next Step MCAT Course at Blueprint MCAT (formerly Next Step Test Prep)!

Share on: