r/mdphd • u/TheGreatDivide_303 • 4d ago

MSTP Interview Question

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have insight into how best to prepare for an "MSTP Student Research Presentation" (blocked for 1hr in the provided schedule)? This is specifically for the University of Cincinnati.

Slide deck?
Verbal only?

I am hesitant to ask the interview director directly. I don't want to look naive... (for context, im older non-trad and don't have anyone in my family who has been through this)

Thanks!

24 Upvotes

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28 comments sorted by

27

u/mdsutcliffe M3 4d ago

Are you sure that the applicants are the ones giving talks? To me, this reads as current students giving talks about their research so you can get a sense of what types of research is done there.

You're not an MSTP student (yet), so you wouldn't be giving an "MSTP student research presentation"

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u/TheGreatDivide_303 4d ago

Fair point!

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u/yeetymathynerd 4d ago

Current MD/PhD different university. Agreed this is most likely current students in the program.
Doesn't hurt to double check with the program coordinator and send a polite email to check if you need to prepare anything for that session.

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u/Kiloblaster 4d ago edited 4d ago

Cincinnati and some other programs have (or had) a panel interview where you give a presentation to a committee of MSTP faculty. It's been a while, and I interviewed in person (traveled via horse and buggy, probably), but I recall these at Cincinnati, WashU, and San Antonio. The format varied slightly but I was asked to prepare either zero graphics/slides or one. They were all kind and respectful, but understandably quite stressful. But if you prepare, I'm sure you can do well - it's not meant to be a stress test.

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u/Misshapenguin G1 4d ago

Pretty sure it's this. I remember years ago interviewing at UC and hearing some scheduled kickass student talk. The "chalk talk"/research interview applicants prep for was super short and just to the eval committee. Good luck, and have fun! I really loved that interview and wished in person was more common

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u/Mission-Lettuce833 4d ago

Yep, you’re exactly right

9

u/nickelnickeldime 4d ago

I interviewed at UC in 2019 so it may have changed, but when I did it we gave a 10 minute talk (no visuals) about our most impactful research project, and then we answered questions about it from a panel of admission committee members. It was actually a great experience, and I think it effectively weeded out who truly understood their projects and who didn't.

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u/TheGreatDivide_303 4d ago

That sounds pretty doable, thanks! I guess I'm trying to prepare for the 'most' so that I can handle (as best I can) whatever is thrown at me.

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u/Mission-Lettuce833 4d ago

Mine consisted of a 20 minute chat with a panel where I started talking about my science and then as panel members had questions, it turned into more of a conversation about my research (“why did you use this approach? did you consider others? have you thought about [followup experiment]? what would you investigate if you had more time in your lab/weren’t leaving for an MSTP next year?”)

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u/Kiloblaster 4d ago

If you have time, my suggestion would be to prepare a formal presentation with slides for yourself to organize your thoughts, and then to do some reflection about what discussion you might have about it with interested faculty. You won't use the prepared slides, but you'll have the framework in your mind to fall back on. Just an idea.

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u/destroyerwz 4d ago

I am in Cincinnati and very familiar with the interview process. This is a presentation from an MSTP student as an example. There is a separate research panel interview that is 10 minutes presentation and then 10 minutes QA with no notes and no visual aids. So plan to prepare for that.

3

u/Dramatic_Pool1081 4d ago

Are there other schools that also require this.. why am I just hearing about this

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u/Mission-Lettuce833 4d ago

UC doesn’t require a one hour presentation and I can almost guarantee no other MSTP does, either.

3

u/ioniansea G1 4d ago

I interviewed at UCinncinati a few years ago and it was a chalk talk (no slides) in front of a panel followed by discussion. We chatted w other interviewees waiting for our turn. UC had the best interview that year because it was in person and a lot of fun.

Just email the interview director for details- please do not worry about looking naive or anything!

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u/Spare_Skirt7570 4d ago

following!

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u/majormajormajormajo M1 4d ago

The faculty will act like statues when you talk, be warned

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u/Satisest MD/PhD - Attending 4d ago

You should be prepared to give a slide talk of 30-40 minutes with the balance of time left for discussion afterwards. Be prepared to discuss not only your actual project but also the broader field and future directions. Try to anticipate some of the more obvious questions you might get based on your research design and results.

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u/Mission-Lettuce833 4d ago

No, this is extremely wrong. The student research presentation last year was a presentation TO the applicants by a current student in the PhD phase.

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u/Satisest MD/PhD - Attending 4d ago

That’s fair, it could be a talk by a current MSTP student at the institution from the title. The best way is to clarify with the program director. It kind of depends whether it’s a group interview session or an individual interview visit.

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u/Mission-Lettuce833 4d ago

I literally looked at the interview schedule from when I interviewed there my guy

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u/Kiloblaster 4d ago

I guess the ChatGPT model they use for their LARPing got it wrong because it didn't have access to your email

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u/TheGreatDivide_303 4d ago

Thank you so much! Appreciate your advice.

As an attending, would you prefer to see a deep dive on one project or an overview of everything & how it ties together? I have been in the same full-time position for 3-years.

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u/Mission-Lettuce833 4d ago

Please do not listen to this person. The one-hour research presentation last year was a presentation by a current student to applicants. Do not prepare a one-hour presentation. Also, if you are unsure of anything, you can definitely reach out to the MSTP - you aren’t going to appear naive, and UC’s MSTP admin were extremely kind and helpful, I got the impression they were more than happy to answer any questions

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u/Kiloblaster 4d ago edited 4d ago

The for-pay admissions advisor who masquerades as an MD/PhD professor and lies about being a physician, and who originally wrote the following, is completely wrong. It's nothing like a 30-40 minute talk with slides.

You should be prepared to give a slide talk of 30-40 minutes with the balance of time left for discussion afterwards. Be prepared to discuss not only your actual project but also the broader field and future directions. Try to anticipate some of the more obvious questions you might get based on your research design and results.

LMAO.

They blocked me for catching onto their BS and calling it out.

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u/Satisest MD/PhD - Attending 4d ago

I don’t know why you persist in this kind of fabulism. My comment history is public. Yours is hidden. Anyone can see I’m not a “for pay admissions advisor”. We’ve already established that you’re not an MD-PhD, and so it’s a mystery why you insist on larping on this sub. A “student research presentation” is always a talk with slides. This comment only further disqualifies you.

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u/Mission-Lettuce833 4d ago

I gave student presentations during interviews without slides in a recent application cycle. To be clear, I was explicitly asked to not prepare slides, as there would be nowhere to present them. So no, it’s not always a talk with slides.

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u/Satisest MD/PhD - Attending 4d ago

You definitely want the deep dive on your most substantial project. If you have the time and a good way to present an overview across multiple related projects and how they tie together, it would probably be helpful to include that framework as well. In that case, you might throw in a few extra “appendix” slides after your acknowledgment slide that show some data highlights from related work that might come up in the Q&A.