Questions and Answers for PhD Interviews
Recommendation : 【Studying abroad entrance exam】 Interview
Overview
⑴ The must-win formula for the interview is to anticipate all questions and prepare special answers.
⑵ You should investigate the other person as much as possible and find the common.
⑶ Deep questions related to the SOP have been summarized separately from the below.
Question 1. Introduce yourself.
⑴ Hello! It’s nice to meet you! My name is ○○○. I’m from the South Korea. I’m looking forward the graduation of my master process in Seoul National University. At the same time, I have worked for a company. I have performed two major studies throughout two years and half. I like meeting with people. I like writing. And I like hiking for my health! I’m really happy to have the hiking activity tomorrow!
⑵ (Asians have a stereotype that they like cartoons, so I avoid this kind of answer.)
⑶ One of my job is to encourage people to be bold.
Question 1-1. How is it going?
As I have mentioned earlier, I am absorbed in writing. I recently revised my book on organic chemistry, and I covered it with honeybees and honeycomb. It reminds people of the benzene ring and the honeybee extinction.
Question 1-2. How is the South Korea like?
⑴ I think people seem to be sad. I presumed this is because of the high competition since childhood. Even if so, people are polite and doing well in their jobs. These are so good characteristics of the people in the country.
Question 1-3. What kind of writing have you been writing?
⑴ I have concentrated on scientific materials. Also, I am interested in social science, Economics, history, language, and culture.
⑵ I like writing many things because many complicated concepts can be easily arranged when I’m writing. I believe in that the enhanced memorization ability through writing is related to the brain science.
Question 1-4. Why should you share the knowledge?
⑴ I believe that I share the knowledge, the problems related to the private education will be solved. Big things start small. I believe my little efforts can change the world, eventually.
⑵ Also, scholars should share knowledge to the public to guide people into the future.
Question 2. Why did you apply for this department?
⑴ My research subject is the heterogeneity in biology. I think this challenging subject can be solved through THE SCHOOL, which values independent research and interdisciplinary cooperation.
⑵ Moreover, a lot of resources in biochemistry are helpful to study the cell-cell interaction, which is a key to understand the heterogeneity in biology.
Question 2-1. Why do you want to earn a PhD degree?
⑴ The world is in serious, serious troubles. Science and technology can provide us breakthroughs to solve many problems. I want to find and share the clues to solve many problems in the world through my Ph.D. process.
⑵ I’m happy when people seem to be happy. That’s my motivation on science.
Question 2-2. Why do you want to come to USA?
⑴ In USA, I am anticipating the meetings with excellent scholars. By collaborating with them, many things can be feasible.
Question 3. Why do you think THE SCHOOL is special?
⑴ THE SCHOOL is well known for the contribution for the COVID-19 vaccine. I think the spirit of THE SCHOOL to make the world a better place through specialized missions makes THE SCHOOL special.
Question 3-1. Why is THE SCHOOL No.1 to you?
⑴ I am a problem-oriented person. The world is in serious, serious trouble. I want to solve many global problems. And THE SCHOOL is well known for its contribution to many global problems. This is why I am strongly eager to get into the THE SCHOOL. Thus, I’d like to emphasize my potential right here, right now.
Question 4. What have you researched?
⑴ Two studies have been performed simultaneously for two years and half. The first study is the evaluation of the endosomal escape efficiency of lipid nanoparticles well known for the COVID-19 vaccination. Also, the second study is spatial transcripts based identification of molecular markers of drugs injected into the body.
Question 4-1. Is it okay to experiment a lot?
⑴ I actually have been trained for experiments and analytics at the same time. I believe in that in silico world cannot fully reflect the real world 100%. Thus, general ideas such as my hypothesis should be tested under specific experiments. This is why I am also taking experiments into consideration.
Question 4-2. Have you ever experienced failure?
⑴ Yes, of course. I failed more than 2,000 times when I tried to synthesize ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles. During that time, I could learn the passion, the patience and the collaboration. And eventually, I made it complete. Through this process, I realized that failure is the mother of success.
Question 4-3. Is it okay to change the subject?
⑴ I’m a little bit like problem-oriented person. If we define some problems and the problems are so important, I’m in. Why not?
⑵ I may be wrong. Even if so, knowing whether it is true or not would be one step closer to the truth.
Question 5. What is spatial transcriptomics (ST)?
⑴ Spatial transcriptomics can be defined as a trancriptomics with spatial information. It can be classified into spot-based spatial transcriptomics and FISH-based spatial transcriptomics.
Question 6. Why is spatial transcriptomics so special?
⑴ Actually, I have speculated this point a lot.
⑵ At first, spatial transcriptomics can be incorporated into various images including fluorescence images.
⑶ Second, spatial transcriptomics can identfy microbiome, blood flow activity, and dying cells which can be identified in single cell RNA sequencing.
⑷ Third, spatial transcriptomics can be utilized to investigate spatially close cell-cell interaction.
⑸ Lastly, spatial transcriptomics can discriminate spatially different clusters. This is a key to understand the spatial heterogeneity.
Question 7. What do you find interesting in papers recently?
⑴ “Our data level that distribution of the microbiota is not random,” read “Effect of the intratuminal microbiota and cellular heterogeneity in the journal Nature in November 2022.
⑵ The long-read sequencing was chosed as the Method of the Year in 2022 according to Nature Methods.
⑶ Idea : Discussion about the professor’s latest paper.
Question 7-1. Which disease are you most interested in?
⑴ It’s a solid tumor because I found it symmetrical. Moreover, it was interesting that the drug did not work well, there were fewer immune cells, and the apoptosis and necrosis were well formed.
Question 8. What do you do when you have difficulties in relationships?
⑴ First, I’ll increase the time for the conversation with others. Moreover, I’ll concentrate on the work-oriented conversations becuase many problems arise from private issues.
Question 8-1. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
⑴ I like to work because I believe in that I could experience my growth through the work. This became the impetus that make me doing well in wet-lab and dry-lab at the same time.
⑵ But, my weakness is also related to the overwork. Sometimes, I easily overwork. Due to this, recently, I got a cold.
Question 9. What will you be if you are admitted?
⑴ At first, I’ll be happy because THE SCHOOL is my best wanna-goes, my first priority.
⑵ Soon, I will become more busy because I’d like to prepare many courseworks to solve many problems right away.
Question 10. What class do you want to take the most at THE SCHOOL?
⑴ Social and Behavioral Science Principles for Biomedical Research
Question 11. Is there anything that the applicant can contribute to THE SCHOOL?
⑴ First, I can introduce to THE SCHOOL my knowledge of bioinformatics and NGS.
⑵ Second, I can introduce to THE SCHOOL Asian culture as an Asian.
⑶ Third, I can promote collaboration opportunities because I like conversation a lot.
Question 12. What do you want to do in the first year?
⑴ At first, I want to adapt myself to American life style. Second, I want to establish the ground for my big question. Because I’d like to succeed in my research by saving every single minute and every single second.
Question 13. What will you do after the graduation of the PhD?
⑴ One interesting idea came to my mind, recently. I want to write a book with special insights like “The Selfish Gene,” “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” and “Justice?” I think you will eventually win the Nobel Prize. But before that, why don’t you try to win the Pulitzer Prize by co-writing with me?
⑵ I would like to continue to study the heterogeneity in biology. I don’t think the subject will end soon.
Question 13-1. Where will you be in 10 years?
⑴ I think life is not composed of many opportunities. I’ll be directed at where the opportunities come from.
Question 14. What is the current trend of science?
⑴ I defined the innovative areas as 5. That said, environment, space, quantum mechanics, biotechnology, and IT. In the biology, the sequencing technology and bioinformatics have been impressive. And I think the more we know through these technologies, the more we can come across the various forms of heterogeneity in biology.
Question 15. Do you have any questions?
⑴ My theory is that the heterogeneity in biology can be explained by the Economics. I wonder your big question, your theory, or your hypothesis in your area of study.
⑵ I wonder what you think is the current trend in life science.
⑶ I wonder what kind of project I will participate in if I join your lab.
Question 15-1. Do you have any questions in relation to the PhD program?
⑴ I’m interested in the personalized and customizable courses provided by the Scripps Research. I’m curious that it is possible or not to hear other courses including neural science and molecular medicine even if the areas are different from mine.
Input : 2023.01.21 00:38