Top fellowship interview questions with answers pdf

Google Hangout– How to Prepare for Fellowship Interviews

Interviewing for External Fellowships

In addition to the general advice below, specific advice and interview reports are available from past Yale applicants for a variety of external fellowships, including the Carnegie, Churchill, Fulbright, Gates, Luce, Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Truman, and others. Many of these reports offer information not just about the format of interviews, who served on the interviewing panels, and what kind of questions were asked, but also about the application and competition processes as a whole.

Research: Learn about as many different fellowships as possible, and about the application/interview process.  It is fine to reach out to current fellows at organizations you are interested in.  Know that they are often involved in the applicant screening process, so make those contacts professional and meaningful (e.g. don’t ask questions you can easily find the answers to on their website).

Focus: Develop a list of fellowship programs that particularly interest you, either due to the organization’s focus, location, or the structure of the fellowship itself. Some programs limit students to 10 applications; we don’t, but that is not a bad target.  You will need to tailor and personalize each cover letter and application, so you need to narrow down to a number that is manageable.

What is the purpose of a fellowship interview? What’s your goal? Essentially, you want what they can give you: the fellowship, scholarship, opportunity for which youre applying… (Read more about what happens after applications are submitted and about campus interviews.) The purpose in preparing for the interview is to help you feel less nervous, so that you can breathe and think and be yourself. Beware of preparing or practicing too much, however—it is possible to overdo it. You dont want to psych yourself out or sound “”canned.””

Panel Interviews? A panel is harder to mirror than a single interviewer, but you can take your cue from the overall tone set by a group. You want to aim for the middle ground, rather than to mirror an individual. If the overall tone of the group is formal, be formal; if it’s more relaxed, try to relax a bit.

Strategy?An interview is a little like a game of chess, and some strategy can help. Think throughout the process about the points you might like to make, and watch for openings to make them.  Remember that

• these points should not be scripted (or at least must not sound scripted); and that
• you must listen carefully to the questions you are asked and answer those questions (not like a politician steering the answer to whatever point he wants to make, regardless of the actual question).

First Impressions?The good news is that you can get better at interviewing with practice, and that while you are probably most worried about what you will say the words may only be a relatively small part of the impression you make on an interviewer. While this does not mean that you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to say, this isn’t the only thing you should be thinking about ahead of time.

Types of fellowship interview questions

If you are invited to a fellowship interview, brush up your residency CV and make sure you know it backwards and forwards. Also be sure to do your due diligence and research the fellowship you’re interviewing at, since they may ask you questions related to either their fellowship or your resume and you want to be able to answer with confidence. The other types of questions you can expect are most likely familiar to you from your time preparing for your residency interview, but we’ll take a quick review of these firs

Some questions you can and should come prepped with for your interview might include:.

• Why did you choose this specialty?
• Are you interested in research activity?
• Why did you decide to become a doctor?
• What about yourself are you most proud of?
• Do you have any publications?
• Tell us about your clinical experience?
• Where do you see yourself after this fellowship?
• What do you like to do in your free time?
• Tell us about a mistake you made and how you handled it.
• What challenges do you think this institution may face in the future?
• What do you consider the critical aspects of patient communication?
• What can we expect from your in your first 90 days, if we were to hire you?
• Do you consider yourself a team player?
• What challenges do you expect working in this fellowship field?
• What have you done to improve your knowledge in the past year?
• What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
• What were the biggest challenges of your residency and how did you overcome them?
• How would your co-workers describe you?
• What do you like and dislike about this sub-specialty?
• What is a current issue in this specialty and how would you handle it?

The Ways to Prepare for a Fellowship Interview

It is always, always good to ask questions when given an opportunity in an interview. Asking thoughtful questions shows the interviewers that you spent time preparing for the interview and thinking about the fellowship. However, you don’t just want to ask any ol’ question. For instance, you don’t want to ask questions that you could easily find the answers to (i.e., online during your research – see Tip #1). Try to come up with careful, insightful questions while doing your research on the fellowship or organization. You might ask questions like: What, in your opinion, makes for a successful [insert fellowship name] fellow? Is there an aspect of the fellowship experience that fellows tend to find most challenging? Can you tell me more about the day-to-day experience of the fellowship? Can you tell me more about the culture of the fellowship? Will fellows have opportunities to interact with fellowship alumni? Is there anything else I can answer for you? Lastly, it’s safe to ask about the next steps of the selection process after the interview.

This might seem like common sense, but – read the fellowship website again. Read up on what former fellows are doing now, on the mission and vision of the organization, on the history of the program. Find out who the “notable” fellowship alumni are and what they are doing now. Doing your homework on the program and former participants helps you be prepared to answer any questions about why you chose this particular fellowship. If you’re not sure where to start your research, try the fellowship website – read the “About Us/Who We Are,” “Vision,” and “History” sections. Make sure to also read the “Fellowship Experience” and “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” sections as well. You might also try a Google search of the fellowship name followed by a phrase like “press release,” just to get a sampling of the most recent news shared by the organization. If you know the city or state where the fellowship would take place, spend a little time reading up on recent events in that area. And of course, if you can, consider reaching out to fellowship alumni to ask for any advice they might have about preparing for the interview.

Practice – but don’t over-rehearse – your answers to the obvious questions, like: Can you tell me about yourself? Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? What’s your greatest weakness? What book or historical figure has influenced your life most? Can you tell us about a time that you had to work with a team and/or resolve conflict? Why do you want to be part of this fellowship? How will this fellowship contribute to your career goals? You want to be able to show that you’ve thought about the answers to these questions, but you also don’t want to regurgitate a scripted answer that you’ve repeated fifty times verbatim. Take advantage of mock interview resources available through your university, if applicable, or even ask your friends or your mom to help you practice. Ask them to give you feedback on your answers, as well as your body posture and whether you’re saying “umm” or playing with your hair too much.

FAQ.

How do you prepare for a fellowship interview?

The best way to prepare for any interview is to make good use of mock interviews to practice your interviewing skills and prepare your answers ahead of time. You can do this by reading sample answers like the ones in this blog! 2. What kind of questions are asked at fellowship interviews?

WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS ARE ASKED AT FELLOWSHIP INTERVIEWS?

Fellowship interviews will often ask the typical interview questions, which can include some different question types, such as: behavioral, personal and knowledge-based. 3. Are residency interviews and fellowship interviews different?

 ARE RESIDENCY INTERVIEWS AND FELLOWSHIP INTERVIEWS DIFFERENT?

Your fellowship interview will be remarkably similar to your residency interview, although questions asked during a fellowship interview may be more focused on the chosen specialty and more in-depth. 4. How do you answer tell me about yourself in a fellowship interview?

HOW DO YOU ANSWER TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF IN A FELLOWSHIP INTERVIEW?

What is really being asked by this question is: how will you fit with your program? Tell the most relevant parts of your story. Develop your answer beyond what is written on your CV. Tell your interviewer the essence of who you are and demonstrate that you possess the qualities they are looking for. 5. How do you answer what are your strengths and weaknesses in a fellowship interview?

HOW DO YOU ANSWER WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN A FELLOWSHIP INTERVIEW?

Use this question to demonstrate that you can see yourself clearly and insightfully. That you are aware of your strengths as well as your weaknesses and that your strengths lift you up and you can conquer your weaknesses. 6. What are good questions to ask during a fellowship interview?

WHAT ARE GOOD QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING A FELLOWSHIP INTERVIEW?

It’s a good idea to always ask your own questions too during an interview. Ask about the day-to-day work of a fellowship, about any research or teaching opportunities, and how you can best contribute to the fellowship. 7. How do I know if my fellowship interview went well?

How will you contribute to our fellowship program?

I have a particular passion for this specialty that I have kept since my undergraduate years. I have worked very hard to improve my skill and knowledge of this medical specialty throughout my residency as well. My contributions to this fellowship would be my passion for the field, my dedication and commitment to continuous improvement, and a special talent for bringing together different groups of people.

Why did you apply to this fellowship?

The values and goals of this fellowship align with my own personal beliefs and career goals. Based on the work done by this fellowship, I believe it is making important and positive contributions to the field. I think I can add my experience and perspective to help bring even more positive contributions to a field I am also passionate about. I also believe this fellowship will be an excellent fit for my future career goals and help to further develop my skillset in this specialty.