5 Veterinarian School Interview Questions with Answer Examples
Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Fast FactsApplication Service
“Keep up the good work!”
“Add students in somewhere in the interview process so interviewees get the chance to ask questions.”
“I would like to receive a paper acceptance as well as an e-mail…Ive heard these are sent later but I havent seen one yet.”
“I think the materials sent out to applicants need to be presented better. I got an impression of disorganization from my interactions with the university and admissions office. I also got very curt responses when I made my call to schedule an interview. I know its stressful, but I always try to be nice on the phone, and even this short conversation make an impression when there is little to go on otherwise, :(.”
“Nothing! AUs admissions committee are wonderful!”
“The interview invite I received was not very official-looking. I would like to have seen more updates/contact.”
“More planned activities for students while waiting for interviews and tours.”
“Notifications of interview sent out sooner.”
“Be more organized about interview scheduling.”
“Ms. Kaye is a very nice and friendly woman. Shes extremely approachable, so feel free to e-mail her or call her with questions. It should never be a problem.”
“They asked about semesters with decreased work loads”
“Tell me about this experience (working as a vet assistant)”
“Tell us about your school, vet experiences, and research involvement.”
“Tell me about how you grew up.”
“They asked about my experiences and specifics regarding each one.”
“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”
“What are some financial problems veterinary medicine faces?”
“Tell us about yourself and what led you to veterinary medicine.”
“Why do you want to be a veterinarian?”
“Tell us about what you expect a veterinary medicine curriculum to be like.”
“Do you realize that class attendance at the veterinary school is mandatory?”
“What qualities made a good vet?”
“Do you know what a starting vet salary usually is?”
“Tell us a little about how you grew up.”
“What is a weakness of your application? A strength?”
“Is your husband still in Afghanistan?”
“What would you do if you caught a fellow classmate cheating on a test?”
“What qualities do you think make a good vet?”
“Why Auburn over your in-state school?”
“Where do you see yourself in ten years?”
“Tell me about yourself/what experiences do you have?”
“How do you feel about live animals being used in the program?”
“Discuss what led you to an interest in veterinary school.”
“What did you do at the clinics where you worked?”
“Tell us about yourself. (which led into why you want to be a veterinarian)”
“Where was I born/where am I from?”
“They asked me to describe my study habits.”
“What do you do to relax?”
“They asked me about some volunteer work I did”
“What are some issues facing veterinary medicine.”
“Tell us about your best friend. Elaborate.”
“Tell me about your chemistry background”
“What is your opinion on the ratio of male to female in veterinary school?”
“They asked about the location of one of my jobs (a haunt on a boat).”
“Was there a subject in undergrad that you didnt like/didnt do well in?”
“We often use live animals in labs, including terminal labs in which the animals are put under anesthesia so surgeries can be practiced and later euthanized. How do you feel about this?”
“What would you do if a client refused to pay for services rendered? BE HONEST, my honestly helped me nail the question (and thats from the interviewers mouths)”
“If someone brought in a healthy, family dog and wanted you to euthanize it, but did not want to adopt it out, would you euthanize it? Even if the owner was going to do it himself if you didnt?”
“What qualities make a good vet?”
“How do you feel about using live animals in the program?”
“Do you know where Auburn gets its animals from for surgical practice/research? (bought from a breeder)”
“How do you relax in your free time?”
“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”
“in 10 years if you get into vet school what will you be doing?”
“Why veterinary medicine and how did you get interested in it?”
“What are the strengths and weaknesses of your application? (they also kept emphasizing their rigorous curriculum)”
“How does criminology fit into veterinary medicine? (my minor is criminal justice)”
“They asked me to describe exotic animals (this came from a question I asked them about the lack of exotics in their curriculum)”
“In 10 years, what do you think youll be doing?”
Read what each person had to say about their experience with this school.
LizzyM, SDN Moderator and medical school admissions committee member, is the inventor of the LizzyM Score. The score allows you to see if you are a competitive applicant at a given school. If your LizzyM Score is far below or above the average, you may not be a good fit. If your score is far below, your application may be screened out due to numerical cutoffs. If it is far above, the school may assume they are your “safety” school and that you won’t attend if they offer an acceptance. This score should be used only as a guide to help you select schools and is not a guarantee of acceptance at any school. If you use this as your sole criteria to select medical schools to apply to, you don’t deserve to get in anyway.
6. Phone Interview = A phone interview is a very cost effective way to screen candidates. These can last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. You should prepare for it like an open book exam. It is recommended that you have in front of you your resume, the job description, a list of references, some prepared answers to challenging questions and perhaps something about the company. The vast majority of communication is non-verbal. Because they can’t see your body language, it is critically important to have positive and polished answers with energetic tone and inflection. Make sure that you have a reliable phone connection and they are you are in a quiet and secluded area. The worst thing that can happen is if the call gets dropped or they are unable to hear you clearly.
2. Panel Interview = This is a meeting with several interviewers at once. The panel usually includes a variety of faculty in different medical areas and in clinical medicine as well as basic research. A veterinary student is often a member of the interview committee. In this formate, the questions really depend on what the committee is looking to find out about the applicants. In order to do well you need to prepare well and anticipate the questions each member of the committee might have.
**As a note, I did not personally go through any interviews during my admissions process because the schools I applied to either didnt offer interviews or I turned their interview offers down. However, through my experiences at GVSU, the information I learned in the professional and graduate school course, and my own personal research I feel as if I have a good handle on the interview process. The information on this page is a great place to start and I highly encourage you to speak with and utilize your advisor, career services, and any other university resources to help prepare you for this important component of the application process. Good luck!!!
7. Behavioral-Based Interviews = The theory behind Critical Behavioral Interviewing (CBI) is that past performance in a similar situation is the best predictor of future performance. CBI probes much deeper than traditional interviewing techniques. You should prepare by thinking of specific examples that demonstrate your competence in core behaviors such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, creativity, flexibility and organizational skills. You will want to tell your story and structure it by stating your answers in terms of the situation, the task, what action you took, and what was the result or outcome.
3. Compile a list of questions that could potentially be asked at each of the interviews. Many of the schools make old interview questions available or have example questions, so that is a great place to start practicing. Practice, practice, practice!!! I would suggest taking each of the example questions, answer them to the best of your ability, have someone professional look over them and then practice saying them allowed. A lot of schools offer interview workshops or individual sessions where you will be in a mock interview setting similar to what you might see in a real veterinary admissions interview. A really great tool is to have them videotape you answering questions so that you can see any behavioral habits that you need to fix.
Applications are evaluated based on academic record and experience. Four GPAs will be calculated: an overall GPA combining all college-level coursework completed at every institution attended; a science GPA which will include science core and elective courses; a GPA combining organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics; and a trend GPA over the most recent 60 credits completed. Plus and minus grades are rounded to the full letter grade (an A- is calculated as an A, a B+ as a B, etc.).
Altus Suite is a standardized, multi-part online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. Altus Suite will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. In implementing Altus Suite, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
The minimum acceptable grade for required courses is a C-minus. If a course is repeated for a higher grade, both grades will factor into our overall grade point average (GPA) calculations. All coursework completed at any college or university will be used to calculate the applicant’s cumulative GPA. This includes dual enrollment credits earned in high school.
In order to take Altus Suite, you will be responsible for securing access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and audio capabilities and a reliable internet connection with an internet speed of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of at least 2 Mbps. You will require the following for both account creation and completing Altus Suite:
A variety of college-level prerequisite courses must be completed before enrolling in the DVM program. These courses include biology, chemistry, physics, and humanities courses. Relevant AP (Advanced Placement) or IB (International Baccalaureate) credits reflected on a college transcript will be accepted in fulfillment of prerequisites. Prerequisite courses must be completed by June 15, prior to entry into the DVM program in the fall.
FAQ
Is Auburn vet school hard to get into?
- Why do you want to be a veterinarian? …
- Why do you think you would be a good veterinarian? …
- Why are you interested in our program? …
- How do you plan to overcome challenges you’ll face in this field? …
- Do you recognize ethical issues you might face going forward?
What questions should I ask during my vet school interview?
- Carefully read any information given to you about the interview. …
- Do not over prepare! …
- Focus your extra reading on topics that interest you. …
- Don’t panic over maths questions. …
- Arrive early and remember the whole day is the interview. …
- Push the conversation in the direction that you want it to go.
How do you pass a vet school interview?
What makes you a good candidate for vet school?
