Use this as a menu, not a test. If your first interview is sooner, start with the opening, a few STAR stories, program research, and technology.
Day 1: Clarify your narrative
Draft a 60–90 second Tell Me About Yourself response. Identify the facts, values, and experiences that recur across your application.
Day 2: Build five STAR stories
Prepare teamwork, feedback, challenge, safety, and leadership examples using STAR. Keep patient information private and your role accurate.
Day 3: Research one program deeply
Read official materials, then write two specific features that matter to you and three questions you still have. Practice Why This Program? without memorizing a sales pitch.
Day 4: Practice hard questions
Prepare concise responses for a setback, a growth area, a conflict, and a career-goals question. Use Academic Setbacks and Ethics and Conflict for frameworks.
Day 5: Do one mock interview
Ask for feedback on clarity, pacing, accuracy, and listening—not whether you “look confident.” Revise one behavior at a time.
Day 6: Prepare logistics and questions
Check the invitation, time zone, format, attire guidance, platform, and coordinator contact. Prepare questions and use the free debrief/tracker from Questions to Ask Programs.
Day 7: Rest and simplify
Review only your notes and key stories. Eat, sleep, and plan the morning. You are preparing for a conversation, not an oral board examination.
The day of the interview
Arrive early enough to settle in. Keep water and a brief note sheet nearby. If technology fails, notify the coordinator promptly and use your backup plan. Ask for clarification when needed and allow yourself a pause before a hard answer.