Advice from 20+ interviews

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Tots said:
Interesting. Thanks :thumbup: BTW I was only asked about healthcare reform once out of 19 interviews....:laugh:
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Twice out of 11 for me. I was happily surprised as I never look forward to talking about it :shrug:

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113 said:
I was hoping you would reveal the secret handshake that results in instant acceptance.

Slightly disappointed.
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You know that bit of skin where you always get paper cuts, between your index finger and thumb? Make sure those make contact haha so you go all the way in. Then firm grip. How's that?
 
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Thanks a LOT for the tips.

And now I'm off to study handshakes, in search of The Perfect Handshake.

So it seems like shy and reserved people are very, very, very disadvantaged. I've got to work on smiling more. And how I envy people who are witty and can crack a clever joke.

Sigh.
 
You're absolutely welcome!

Yeah that's one thing I've thought about. A lot of it depends on your personality. I've seen applicants who were social with other applicants, but all of a sudden tensed up and soaked their foreheads when waiting for their interviewers.

For those who are more shy or reserved, you can play the genuine/sincere card then, to your advantage. You can demonstrate that you offer a different way of connecting to others, perhaps by being a great listener, who is easy to talk with, not overly aggressive, and not Type A. If you're pretty shy, try to steer the conversation towards activities you loved doing, so your enthusiasm naturally shows through.

You can even plan a joke - when discussing my cultural background, I often inserted a short, non-offensive joke which got a quick laugh. Finally, I'd just say that quieter people should be aware of their volume.
 
Tots said:
Interesting. Thanks :thumbup: BTW I was only asked about healthcare reform once out of 19 interviews....:laugh:
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MedPR said:
Twice out of 11 for me. I was happily surprised as I never look forward to talking about it :shrug:

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I only ended up going to five interviews before I canceled the rest because one acceptance was all I needed, and I got three by the end of my five interviews, I was not asked even ONCE about ACA or healthcare reform. I was asked about how i would propose to entice more people into primary care fields.

Otherwise, it was a good synopsis of how to do a good interview. I agree, you cannot put too much emphasis on smiling at everyone you meet, and being the most positive person in the room. I am a career changing non-traditional, and have been in the position to interview people for careers, and it surprises me how many people come into an interview with a frown and a grumpy attitude. Instant rejection!

dsoz
 
Real talk... out of all those interviews which school did you choose?

Or if you don't want to out yourself... what qualities set certain schools apart, having seen over 20 to compare them to one another?

Ps- Cursive rocks.
 
I'm still waiting to hear back from the non-rolling schools to make a final decision. I definitely learned to value the whole "gut feeling" thing more as I interviewed, since some places seemed notably more depressing or fun than others.

Basically, all anatomy labs look the same and most hospitals honestly do too haha. I'll let second look help determine, but the grading system must be P/F, and I'd like an interesting city. Compressed basic science curriculum is great too.

And I updated my article from the feedback about others not getting the PPACA question. I guess it isn't as common. But it's one that you're screwed for if you haven't prepared, since you can't BS your way out of that! lelz

PS - you rock and so does flamboyant Mozart.
 
bluestreaks said:
You know that bit of skin where you always get paper cuts, between your index finger and thumb? Make sure those make contact haha so you go all the way in. Then firm grip. How's that?
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I believe you are referring to the web touch.

uqNZD.jpg
 
MedPR said:
Twice out of 11 for me. I was happily surprised as I never look forward to talking about it :shrug:

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Yeah, out of 11, only once for me.
 
bluestreaks said:
You know that bit of skin where you always get paper cuts, between your index finger and thumb? Make sure those make contact haha so you go all the way in. Then firm grip. How's that?
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don't press too hard with your thumb or it'll be uncomfortable for the receiving person. fora good standard to practice on, use a block of semi soft cheese. your hand should hold it firmly but if you dent it you're pressing too hard
 
Captain Sisko said:
don't press too hard with your thumb or it'll be uncomfortable for the receiving person. fora good standard to practice on, use a block of semi soft cheese. your hand should hold it firmly but if you dent it you're pressing too hard
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lolwut. If you're really worried about how you shake hands, I would say just practice with a friend.
 
bluestreaks-congrats with your many interviews!

With your offers, definitely consider second look. It'll give you a good chance to see the classmates that you'll be interacting with for the next few years. Good luck!
 
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nBeeDee said:
lolwut. If you're really worried about how you shake hands, I would say just practice with a friend.
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true but one cannot eat their friend after practicing. well, i suppose one could. but cheese is far more palatable.
 
Great post. As someone who just finished the process, these are all great tips. Thanks for doing this.

Only word of caution, I was accepted at a school who participates in MMI. Related to this point:


bluestreaks said:
MULTIPLE MINI INTERVIEWS (MMI)

1. These are often designed so that there is not a clear correct answer, obviously. I highly recommend that before you commit to an opinion, you tell your interview that you want to explore both sides of the coin first. Then come up with your answer. More important than having an answer is being able to identify why these are such tricky situations and why both sides have merit. This will impress them more than an instant opinion.
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The school articulated in their pre-MMI primer that they wanted you to pick a side and defend it for a minute or two (then often the interviewer would be the contrarian) and you would then explore the other side of the coin.

Essentially this school wanted to you be firm in your defense of your original POV then only after doing that, explore the other POV.

Now this certainly may not be the case at all schools who participate in MMI.

Word of advice: ASK before you interview. At my MMI the Dean of Admissions knew that this would be a new experience for most, and was perfectly willing to answer questions. But he made it clear the school was looking for you to take a strong opinion on a controversial issue and back it up. This is often difficult, but I found MMIs to be the most fun of all my interviews.



Thanks again Bluestreaks!
 
^^^ Good points.

I updated the MMI section with a little more, including with what chicago510 brought up. Thanks for that! And congrats on the acceptance :)
 
One last bit of advice: You might smile, present yourself well, be engaging, etc... and still have a $h!tty interview, especially if you're a marginal applicant and it's open file. That happens, that's OK, and life goes on.

At one fancy-schmancy school, after flipping casually through my app the interviewer basically started with "Hmmm...so, I see you've got an [pause] uneven [pause] academic record." I handled the situation as well as possible (this was interview #15, so I'd had practice), but the fact is we spent what felt like an eternity on grades, to the detriment time I could've used playing up my positives. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say his evaluation of me wasn't overly glowing. At another school, the interviewer basically started with "God, you're awesome! Can you tell more about just how awesome you are?" As you might imagine, I was accepted shortly thereafter. Them's the breaks.

Regardless, let it go, hit the reset button, and move on to your next interview that day (or week or month) ready to smile, present, and engage.
 
TwinsFan said:
Stats and a review of reasons you felt your app was strong vs. any feedback your interviewers gave you on why your app was strong. Also a decent list of ECs or other key parts of your app.

Congrats on the interviews/acceptances BTW!
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This. I think most people will want to know how to get 20 interviews in the top 20. Strong candidates may have an easier time in open file interwiews.
 
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How on earth did you afford to go on all of these interviews?
 
Awesome and informative post, thanks so much for this. Should also help with people who have interviews left to go this cycle.
 
if you need help with handshakes, then you should go back to the sandbox.
 
This is awesome! I would totally want this stickied, if the mods would do it.
 
plumhill said:
This is awesome! I would totally want this stickied, if the mods would do it.
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Hey I'd like that! haha

For those who have been asking... Ok, so I did the standard clinical and research experiences, as most of you probably have. But I also had internships in several non-related fields (before I knew I was premed), several music performances/competitions, unique abroad volunteering experience, wrote for a magazine, had lots of athletic and quirky hobbies, and had a significant leadership position on campus. But I realize that luck is always a big factor, to be honest.

Somebody asked how i afforded it - I slept in airports, only used public transportation, always got student hosts, and it was still too costly. But I hope at least I gained some knowledge others could benefit from!
 
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bluestreaks said:
Hey I'd like that! haha

For those who have been asking... Ok, so I did the standard clinical and research experiences, as most of you probably have. But I also had internships in several non-related fields (before I knew I was premed), several music performances/competitions, unique abroad volunteering experience, wrote for a magazine, had lots of athletic and quirky hobbies, and had a significant leadership position on campus. But I realize that luck is always a big factor, to be honest.

Somebody asked how i afforded it - I slept in airports, only used public transportation, always got student hosts, and it was still too costly. But I hope at least I gained some knowledge others could benefit from!
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i bet you have some real interesting stories.
 
how can one afford so many interviews?! :eek:
 
cinamin said:
i bet you have some real interesting stories.
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haha yeah... I was once offered a place to stay for the night by an adcom member during my interview
 
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I also interviewed at 20+ schools. Let me know if anyone would like some additional advice.
 
Damn. Wish you had written this earlier. Lots of good advice in there!

+1.

Only 5 interviews, and I definitely feel strongly that although I don't think I particularly "bombed" my interview (ie not having an answer, stuttering, frowning, getting frustrated), I still got waitlisted at 4 and waiting to hear back from the 5th. Definitely has a lot to do with what the committee is looking for because either a) interviewer liked me or b) he didn't.
 
syoung said:
Damn. Wish you had written this earlier. Lots of good advice in there!

+1.

Only 5 interviews, and I definitely feel strongly that although I don't think I particularly "bombed" my interview (ie not having an answer, stuttering, frowning, getting frustrated), I still got waitlisted at 4 and waiting to hear back from the 5th. Definitely has a lot to do with what the committee is looking for because either a) interviewer liked me or b) he didn't.
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can you give me some feedback about your UCI and jefferson interviews? i interviewed at both and am waiting for results.

at uci, my student interview was great, and my faculty interviewer said he really liked my app and would put in a good word for me (he is part of the committee). at jefferson, the student interview was again great, but i had a tough faculty interview. i was asked a lot about healthcare/ethics, but i tried my best and we were smiling/laughing throughout and i was able to remark on everything he said.

i'm really worried about jefferson, but i feel pretty good about uci.
 
Regarding #4, under "Common Interview Questions," I strongly agree with you about being honest and keeping it "real."

I was once asked to explain a specific grade that I received in college (an isolated C in some random geography course). I was a nontraditional applicant, so I replied, "That must have been at least ten years ago! Honestly, I don't remember exactly what happened in that class. Once you turn 30, the memory of these things starts to fail a bit. Sometimes college seems like a distant blur to me! But looking back at that time, I do recall that I was focusing exclusively on social sciences and humanities. I think I took that geography course simply because I had often heard it described as 'rocks for jocks.' I probably expected it to be easy, but obviously that turned out not to be the case for me! I think I found the material kind of dry, and so I probably just did the bare minimum in order to pass the course and satisfy the undergrad breadth requirements for my BA. But years later, after getting out into the world, really working with people, and serving disadvantaged populations, I realized how important a good foundation in science is. It is essential in order to practice good medicine and to provide comprehensive care for the diverse biopsychosocial aspects of real human beings. Once I had this epiphany, from that point forward, I always excelled in my post-bac science classes. My life and professional experiences had shown me why the basic sciences are so important. That gave me the spark and motivation to succeed in science classes, because I knew it was necessary to achieve my dream of caring for entire communities as a family doctor."

I got accepted... so I guess it must have made sense!
 
Bump from the grave, in case this helps anybody this cycle. Good luck! :)
 
This is incredibly helpful. Thanks!
 
Incredibly write-up, couldn't have done it better myself. Touches upon a lot of questions I tend to ask of my interviewees as well, wouldn't be surprised if you had been one of them haha.
 
Definitely emailing to my pre med friends. Thanks!
 
bluestreaks said:
haha yeah... I was once offered a place to stay for the night by an adcom member during my interview
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That's awesome! I got a ride back to the airport from one the other day :D and got a very honest and informative perspective on the school. To all: adcoms are people who genuinely enjoy getting to know applicants and talking about their school. They are an amazing resource and, once again, very nice and friendly humans :p
 
I don't know who you are....but I think I love you

(thank you, this is amazing)
 
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