Tales From the Hertz Interview
I talked about heat transport in making the perfect filet mignon. Pink in the middle, but seared with a beautiful crust on the outside. You have to use high, intense heat in the beginning to lock in the color and flavor (Maillard reaction), then reduce heat to gently cook the center of the meat further from the heat source. If you want more even diffusion, you can sear on the stovetop and transfer to a convection oven.
I talked about my senior design project at UCLA where we attempted to reduce cell death in polymer scaffolds by seeding cells in a gradient to better control oxygen consumption and diffusion. Our team was limited to 1 or 2-dimensional modeling in COMSOL because of mathematical complexity. To match computational and experimental paradigms, we fabricated polymer discs that fit exactly in the wells of a 48-well plate. Like stacking pancakes of different chocolate chip densities, we stacked discs with different cell densities to crudely control cell distribution.
This sounds cliched, but interestingly it is also one of the rarest outcomes for any academic doctor. Everyone says they want to do it because they think the admissions committees want to hear it. They may be right. Lots of us say this because we truly want to do it. But the actual number of MDs and MD/PhDs who successfully attain synergy between three very demanding and sometimes conflicting endeavors is small – based on my anecdotal experiences with faculty over the years.
This year I was fortunate enough to be invited to interview for the Hertz Fellowship. In this post, I’d like to outline the resources I utilized in preparation for the interview as well as suggestions and advice that I have for fellow applicants, now that I have been through the process.
In addition to practicing some of questions I had read in the above write-ups, I also had the opportunity to practice interviewing with two professors who had been involved in the process. One of these professors (chemistry) was awarded the fellowship and the other (computer science) was a two time finalist. If it’s possible to meet with or talk to a former interviewee, finalist, or awardee, I would definitely recommend it. I have outlined the professors’ advice below.
After reading through many online resources, I sort of arrived at the conclusion that there was not really one sure-fire way to prepare for the interview. I mostly focused on brushing up on Probability and Statistics, Calculus, and some basic Physics. Only the Probability would really prove useful in my interview.
This was probably the most enjoyable portion of the interview, as it was clear that I had asked about subjects that my interviewer felt very strongly about. His responses were all interesting and enlightening. We ended talking for about 20 minutes about these topics and the interview seemed far less formal at this point.
1. How does ethanol-based hand sanitizer work, and would it be preferred over hand washing (soap and water)? Would this work the same way with bacteria instead of viruses? 2. If you have 20 balls (10 black, 10 white) and two urns, how could you place the balls into the urns so as to maximize your chance of drawing a black ball?
Tips from a Hertz Fellow (not me)
Thanks to Christian for the tips!
I benefited a lot from online academic blogs for fellowship advice, and wanted to return the favor, especially since I have a bit of a different perspective to how to do well in the Hertz fellowship. I wrote up this post right after my second round interview and I have queued it up to be published after I find out the results of the fellowship.
Right now, I just finished my second interview and feel pretty rekt. The decision will fundamentally come down to whether they think my research vision will compensate for my lack of technical chops. I’ll update this post with the result, but right now, I have no idea whether I got the fellowship or not.
FAQ
What kind of questions do they ask in a fellowship interview?
- Tell me about yourself (professionally speaking).
- Why are you interested in our institution?
- What do you think sets us apart from other institutions?
- What attributes do you believe are necessary to be a leader in today’s changing healthcare landscape and why?
How do you win a Hertz fellowship?
You need to have demonstrated creativity in your field by suggesting a new solution, approach, or technique that people go “wow, why didn’t I think of that before?” Simply following instructions to perform other’s research is not enough.
How do you prepare for a fellowship interview?
- Expect more than 1 interviewer. …
- Dress Accordingly. …
- Preparation is essential. …
- Re-read Your Application (repeatedly). …
- Keep Up on Current Events. …
- Give Short Answers. …
- Body Language and Speech are Key. …
- Be Yourself.
How long is a fellowship interview?
Many applicants feel that their interview is over before it has even begun, as most interviews are scheduled for 15-20 minutes.
