[面试] Telephone Interview 全程实录 UIUC Bio [复制链接]

wx8348
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电梯直达

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发表于 2006-3-22 12:21:32 |只看该作者 |倒序浏览

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It is my fresh memory.  Niu rens please donot kid my answers to the questions. But it will be a rememberable experience for me. Here comes the stuff:hug:

Program in Physiological and Molecular Plant Biology (PMPB) at Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Two persons joined the telephone interview, me and the professor. Lasting around half an hour. Held on Mar 20 evening.

Mar 19th  Before the Interview :cool:
[Email]…..I will call around 9 pm your time; it may be that Dr. XXX will join me but this is not for sure. It is our intention to talk in quite general terms about your plans and interests. If you are interested, we can talk about UIUC and the program - or individual faculty and their interests, and we will certainly will want to know what technical and conceptual background you will bring with you……

Mar 20th Interview:call:
Me: Hello!
Prof: Hello, is that XXX? This is XXX.
Me: Good morning XXX. Sorry for the telephone connection just now:p.
Prof: It is ok. I would like to ask you a few questions.
Me: That’s good. Any questions about me will be welcome.
Prof: Why you choose Illinois?
Me: May I told a short story? I first got to know this university from NCAA Basketball Competition in 2005, when the team played very well, ranking the NO.1 seeded team. Though…
Prof: It lost again yesterday.
Me: Hehe. If it wins the most important match, that is all right. Let me continue. So in the last match last year, it lost to North Carolina, but the player’s professional spirit, fans ardent cheering…
Prof: Ha-ha.
Me: Yes, they impressed me. I also like the color of the supporting fans clothes, somewhat between red and orange. I become to love this university after that.
Prof: Ha-ha, anything academic of the univ. fascinates you?
Me::@ Yes, its sciences and engineering rank high. But the main reason that I applied for UIUC is that I found PMPB program, the one most suit my interest I have ever known so far. A perfect combination of physiology and molecular biology of the plant.
Prof: Yes.
Me: Any other questions?
Prof: Yes, have you made the 10 years plan.
Me: I think I have mentioned some in my PS. I want to be a scholar at the university level. For the first five years, I will pursue my Ph.D study.
Prof: ……… You can pursue in five years or less time.
Me: After that, I will conduct post-doc research at the lab in universities or institutes.  When I think I have gained sufficient experiences and practices, I may establish my lab and attempt to explore my own scientific world. Eventually, I hope to contribute to the whole human beings.
Prof: I think, after 10 years plant biology in China will develop to a critical period. Then, there will be much opportunity for you.
Me: Good, but the first thing is you can give me the opportunity to purse Ph.D. study in Illinois. Ha-ha
Prof: There are other universities where you can also pursue your Ph.D.:mad: So when will you complete your undergrad study?
Me: Before July.
Prof: So you can join us in this August?
Me: Yes.
Prof: This year some professors will recruit new graduate students, Hartman, a young scientist focusing on soybean rust, Dr. Portis, ……Dr. Moose, Dr. Huber…. And me..
Me: What about you?
Prof: I will enroll one. It depends on the funding whether I will recruit more.
Me: I should apologize :Ofor contacting so many faculty at a time, which considerably increase your difficulty to coordinate, I think.
Prof: Ha-ha. This happened every year.
Me: Because I did not expect professors in the program to be so easy-going and friendly. Most members I contacted, no matter whether they will recruit new members replied me. One of those is you XXX, I noticed you even replied my email at night and on weekend, which will move me forward.
Prof: Yes.
Me: If I am accepted and it is permitted, I still deem Prof. XXX my first choice. Simple reason is that he replied my query email most early and we keep in touch with each other for the longest time.
Prof: Let me explain you more about the program. In the first year, the program will support you when you most concentrate on course work and lab rotation. The program has funding. After that, in the second year, the students will be supported by their advisor…Third years, fourth years….
Me: a flexible and vigorous program, I think.
Prof: Yes, the students can finish their Ph.D. pursuance in 3 and a half year. For example, XXX and … in my lab will complete the Ph.D. this month, for 3 and a half year.
Me: Are they diligent and hard-working?
Prof: The work hard as me. [Coughing]:rolleyes:
Me: Be careful of your health;).
Prof: Yes, thank you.
Me: Any more questions?
Prof: If you work in XXX lab, you will work on protein biochemistry.
Me: Yes.
Prof: Have you heard about system biology:mad:?
Me: Yes, a broad term. To conduct the experiment in the systematic ways. For example, functional genomics. First, is to detect the function of each gene. Then, we can study the relation of different gene. Finally, to elucidate the how the organism work, combining the researches. I hope this answer can satisfy you.
Prof: Yes, have you conducted the plant transformation experiment:mad:?
Me: No. My undergrad thesis is not focusing on this, but I have practiced in the gene engineering class. To produce the competent cells then integrate the gene with the help of…
Prof: …. That is the bacteria, yeast. You have not conducted the plant transformation?
Me: I am sorry:O.
Prof: Not being sorry. I just want to clarify the difference. It is easy. I even can do that…
Me: thank you. May be I can learn if I come to Illinois.
Prof: I have finished my questions. Do you have any?
Me: Yes, I would like to know which process has the reviewing process reached now?
Prof………..
Me: Let move to other aspects. I like music, which I think have stated clearly in my resume, so how I can explore this interest:cool:?
Prof……(Go Where)… once a month… Chicago…
Me: Do you go often?
Prof: I am a ……I like …… I go to opera.
Me: I think we share some common in this area.
Prof: Yes
Me: so, that is all my questions.
Prof: Good bye.
Me: I look forward to my academic future in UIUC.
Prof: Haha
Me: Have a nice day, sir?:handshake
Prof: You, too.:handshake
Me: Bye.
Prof: Bye.
:kiss:

…… means the words I did not hear or remember clearly.

Hope the above help. Good luck to everyone!

[ 本帖最后由 wx8348 于 2006-3-22 13:44 编辑 ]