Are you?
- Going to interview at a Vet School, having no idea how to answer their questions?
- Experiencing anxiety, unsure how to make a great impression on the interviewing panel?
- Struggling to understand what matters in this interview, and how to pass it?
Don’t worry, you are not alone, and I have the answers you are looking for!
Simple yet effective book
I wanted to write an eBook you can finish in less than four hours, and at the same time get ready for your interview. Do not expect fancy pictures or info-graphics on the pages of this eBook. Secondary content is stripped to minimum. Pictures and other flashy things may grab your attention, but they won’t help you succeed in an interview.
They would actually take your attention away from the few crucial things that matter.
The eBook has 21,000 words (definitely something you can manage in four hours, but of course you can take longer to get through it, if you prefer so), and three principal sections:
- First one deals with seven principles of success in a vet school interview—things you simply need to know and do right if you want to secure your place in the study program.
- The second section is dedicated to conventional interview questions—a typical interview format, which is still common at many schools in the US, UK, Australia, and across Europe. You will learn how to answer the questions the interviewing panel members will ask you. You will understand the attitudes and opinions they seek in the answers of a great applicant.
- Third section discusses MMI interview format. Explaining real case studies from interviews conducted at American and Canadian universities, you will learn how to present your opinions correctly, and what the interviewers look for in your answers in this interview format.
Check the sample below to see how this eBook can help you (sample includes one question from conventional interview and one from MMI format):
Sample from the eBook
Q: In your opinion, what makes a great veterinarian nowadays?
Hint: Besides the obvious things (passion for their work, love for animals, excellent knowledge of veterinary medicine and the latest trends in the field), I suggest you to emphasize the importance of interpersonal skills and time management skills, something many veterinarians lack today, and something you cannot afford to lack, unless you want to end up a prisoner in your own veterinary practice (working non-stop).
Another thing you can mention is teamwork, and an excellent relationship with the veterinary technicians—you won’t move anywhere without them.
Last but not least, you can talk about ethical dilemmas. It is easy to make a fortune as a veterinarian, but good vets won’t do every operation or euthanize every animal, just because someone wants to pay for it. Feel free to add other ability or attitude to your definition of a great vet, and ensure the interviewers that you hope to become an excellent veterinarian one day.
Sample answers
First of all, they must love their job, and see it realistically—with both good and bad things that belong to it. They must have an excellent knowledge of their field and latest trends in veterinary medicine—there’s no place for mistakes when health of animals (and sometimes of humans) is at stake. And they should be able to plan their time properly, and have an excellent cooperation with their technicians. If they fail to do so, they can easily end up working 70 hours each week, or have people with sick animals waiting for days for an appointment. Neither of the two should happen…
I hope that my studies will help me to prepare for my career, and one day become an excellent vet—with all the characteristics I mentioned, and also with other characteristics I forgot to mention, or will understand later during my studies and veterinary practice.
I would say that nobody is perfect, and that we should always strive to improve. Be it our communication skills, the way we treat both animals and people while we have them in our practice, be it planning and organizing our schedule, and, of course, also our professional competence, and the way we approach ethical dilemmas.
What’s important for me, however, is to get feedback from my clients, friends, simply anyone, so I know what I should work on, and improve on. Just like with any other job, we cannot really reach perfection. But we should try to become the best vets we can be. Each veterinarian who pursues this ideal is, in my view, a great veterinarian.
MMI: A client comes to your practice with a severely obese dog. You warned them before about the nutrition of their pet, but apparently they didn’t listen and now the dog is even more obese than the last time. What will you do? What will you say to the client?
Hint: Your primary goal is to show the interviewers that you see the complexity of the problem, and can look at it from different angles. First of all, the dog should not suffer just because their owner feeds them trash every day, or gives them way too much food.
On the other hand, it may not be the owner’s fault—perhaps their kids or whoever feeds the dog, and, after all, they are the owner of the pet—and can, within the laws and animal welfare regulations, do whatever they want with it.
Another consideration is excellent customer service—something you should try to deliver, at least as long as you want your veterinary practice to thrive. Hence you cannot start shouting on the owner of the obese god, accusing them of slowly but surely killing their animal.
Perhaps the best thing is listing different arguments, some concerning the well-being of the dog, others the well-being of their owner and their bank account (it is not cheap to visit a veterinarian, and unless their dog loses weight they will frequent your practice), and so on.
Just trying your best to motivate them to change their attitude, for the sake of the dog and also for their sake. That’s the most you can, and should do from your position of a vet.
Sample answer
It is a tricky situation in my view. First of all, I will try to understand why they did not follow my suggestions. I will ask them about it. Maybe they didn’t understand me properly, and maybe they even did not have control of what their dog ate—which can happen in some households.
Or they may not understand the hazards obesity presents in animals, and all adverse effects for the dog. Hence I will try to patiently explain them all these things. I may start with the dog, explaining the complications and illnesses the obesity may cause, or is causing already.
Then I will move to the owner—surely they love their dog, and want to enjoy its company for more than six months, or a year… What’s more, having an obese dog can get expensive quickly, if the joints start to fail under the heavy load, and they need a replacement, or they need some other expensive surgery for their dog, or it takes expensive medication each week.
I will simply try to explain them all reasons why they should do whatever they can to help their dog lose weight. And I will make sure that they understand everything properly.
At the end of the day, however, that’s the most I can do, the most I can say them. They are the dog owner, they are responsible for their pet, and I cannot force them to change their habits. I can only try my best to convince them with logical arguments.
End of the sample
These are just two questions. You will find 30 in the eBook, from both conventional interview format (one interviews in front of a panel of people from the Vet School), and MMI format of interviewing (real questions from interviews conducted in US and Canada)
Plus the seven principles you need to understand before you can ace your interview at a Vet School.
Just that-nothing more. Because I do not want to make your life difficult.
Keep it simple, learn what you really need to know, and pass your interview.
Get the eBook now for $10 only. Click the checkout button below to proceed to the payment:
(After the payment you will be directed back to our website, to a protected page, to download your eBook. You will also receive a download link and instructions to your email, just to ensure that you will get the book without waiting, even if the redirect fails.)
60 days risk-free money back guarantee
As with all other products and services we sell here on InterviewPenguin, we offer you a 60 days risk free money back guarantee. If you don’t like the Vet School Interview Made Easy eBook for any reason, or no reason at all, just let me know within 60 days and I will give you a full refund.
Email me at matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com with your name and transaction details. No questions asked, just a full refund. There is nothing you can lose with your purchase.
Thank you for reading, and good luck in your vet school interview!
Matthew Chulaw,
Your personal interview coach
P.S. Send me a message if you have any questions. I try my best to answer all emails within eight hours (matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com). Thank you!
