Getting Ready

I thought I'd do a post about how I'm getting ready for my interview...

I have gathered all of the correspondence between me and the school into one tidy folder, including: the interview letter, my essay, my cv (an academic version of a resume), the maps and directions they sent to help me navigate the campus, relevant email messages (with the names and phone numbers of students to call if I get lost), and the bio. of my interviewer so I can know a little about her and possibly ask her a question about her research. In that same folder is my hotel reservation information, airline confirmation information, and limo transportation reservation to get me from the airport to the school. In case you're wondering, a limo service was less expensive than cab service and, in this case, less expensive than shuttle services. It would have been cheaper to take the local train service, but it did not have a Sunday schedule.

On the airplane I will read over my essay and cv because I expect the interviewer to ask me about whatever I wrote, and because I participate in so many activities and have so many goals, I really do need to refresh my own memory...

I have also practiced answering common interview questions that I gathered from the internet.

One of the most important questions I anticipate is "WHY do you want do be a midwife?" It seems like a really simple and straight-forward question, but in actuality it is a very hard question for me. Not because I don't know why, but because there are so many reasons, and also because I have simply always wanted to be a midwife - it's a feeling, something that is very hard to put into words other to say the very cliche "it's my calling." I could easily say that it is my "purpose" as I was recently asked what is my purpose (for being on this planet) but I really don't think someone's "purpose" is directly tied to a specific career, so I hesitate to say that my purpose in life is to be a midwife. However, I would venture to say that if I were not serving women in one capacity or another, I would seriously have to consider whether my life's work was, in fact, aligned with my purpose. Does that make sense? I know I left you hanging without saying what my purpose is, but that's because I can not yet articulate it...

Anyway, back to the interview, I am wearing a black suit with my favorite soft pink blouse (pink looks good on me) and a bare face. I mention "bare face" because I usually "put on my best face" (meaning flawless makeup) for an interview, but lately when I look in the mirror, my "best face" is my "bare face," and that is a good thing...

I've been checking the weather in my arrival city, and the rest of my wardrobe is being selected accordingly.

NOW, up until this point, everything has been pretty neutral and relevant to everyone who may read my blog, but here is something that relates specifically to minority nursing applicants & those of the majority who care...

I have researched the school's mission statement on diversity. I have compared what they say they value to the programs/events/activities/ & statistics that would show that they really do have a solid commitment to diversity. I plan to ask about mentoring opportunities in my interview. I have also read the somewhat limited body of research available about minority students in nursing school to anticipate the difficulties I might experience (there are some issues that have been recorded by many minority nursing students, including the way they handled/survived/& succeeded despite these issues) and to see how the school has dealt with these issues in the past, if they recognize them at all.

I hope this helps all of you future applicants get it together!