Am I Doing Something Wrong?

[dr_of_rock]

So I have been blessed with 7 interviews and have received decisions from 4 so far: 3 wait lists and 1 rejection. I just interviewed at TUNCOM and have interviews at WVSOM and KCOM next week. I'm starting to worry that I will be wait listed everywhere. That seems to be what's happening. How do I get over the wait list hurdle? I feel like interviews go well, but could be wrong. What does a wait list usually mean? Is there any way to know if this is happening due to my application, or interview skills?

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[Dr.Jekyll75]

Ask for feedback from the schools .


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[iamdragonborn]

What Dr. Jekyll75 said. Most, if not all, of these schools want to see the people they interview get into a medical school, whether it's theirs or someone else's. Be honest with them and ask if they can provide some critical feedback of your interview.

 

[Goro]

Your interview skills are probably lacking.

Feedback will usually come after rejections, and after the cycle is over. The only things that might get you off of the wait list are an updated transcript of new and great grades, or a six figure donation check.

 

[miakip]

Is your application borderline and the determining factor is your interview?

 

[Marrowist]

I was thinking about this earlier today when I saw you were wait listed at ARCOM. Something is up with your interview. I guarantee. If you wanna chat more about specifics PM me, maybe I can help? I have acceptances at some of the schools you were rejected/wait listed and my app is very borderline, as they say.

 

[deleted244469]

Go watch Kevin Ahern's medical school interview lectures on YouTube. They are absolute gold and completely reshaped my views on how to be "proper" in an interview. I interviewed at ARCOM as well and was flat out rejected. After watching his videos , I essentially did everything he said NOT to do.

 

[dr_of_rock]

Is your application borderline and the determining factor is your interview?

Probably. I have a 3.4 3.48 503. Not a lot of EC's and a couple bad grades.

 

[Shotapp]

Probably. I have a 3.4 3.48 503. Not a lot of EC's and a couple bad grades.

That is not borderline

 

[dr_of_rock]

Your interview skills are probably lacking.

Feedback will usually come after rejections, and after the cycle is over. The only things that might get you off of the wait list are an updated transcript of new and great grades, or a six figure donation check.

So should I ask for feedback from the 1 school I got rejected from now or at the end of the cycle?

 

[Goro]

My perception is that the don't give feedback during the cycle. But I suppose that it can't hurt to ask...the worst that they'll do is say "no".

Ask to speak to the Admissions dean, not one of his/her flunkies.

So should I ask for feedback from the 1 school I got rejected from now or at the end of the cycle?

 

[BriannaRodriguez1992]

I asked for feedback from CCOM last cycle and I know they do not give it

 

[ortnakas]

So should I ask for feedback from the 1 school I got rejected from now or at the end of the cycle?

Might as well ask now-- worst they can say is no. Best case scenario is they give you feedback in time to help out this cycle.

One school gave me feedback early in the season that turned out to be super helpful, but that was a few years ago and policies may have changed.

 

[dr_of_rock]

Go watch Kevin Ahern's medical school interview lectures on YouTube. They are absolute gold and completely reshaped my views on how to be "proper" in an interview. I interviewed at ARCOM as well and was flat out rejected. After watching his videos , I essentially did everything he said NOT to do.

Thanks for this. I realized I'm not doing a lot of things he says to do.

 

[EnigmaticScale]

bummer

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Being brutally honest: Is there something wrong with your appearance? (either the way you dress or trying to be a snowflake with gauged ears, etc.). Are you normally socially awkward? Is your application incredibly boring? These are usually the factors preventing someone from getting accepted.

 

[EnigmaticScale]

Being brutally honest: Is there something wrong with your appearance? (either the way you dress or trying to be a snowflake with gauged ears, etc.). Are you normally socially awkward? Is your application incredibly boring? These are usually the factors preventing someone from getting accepted.

really?

 

[dr_of_rock]

Being brutally honest: Is there something wrong with your appearance? (either the way you dress or trying to be a snowflake with gauged ears, etc.). Are you normally socially awkward? Is your application incredibly boring? These are usually the factors preventing someone from getting accepted.

Well, I wear a black suit with a light purple shirt and darker purple tie. I'm an introvert but not socially awkward and I don't know if my application is boring. That's subjective.

 

[EnigmaticScale]

Well, I wear a black suit with a light purple shirt and darker purple tie. I'm an introvert but not socially awkward and I don't know if my application is boring. That's subjective.

that's the problem, wear a navy suit, white shirt or light blue.

the introversion bit,,,can't help you...im also an introvert

WISH i was extroverted, life would be better.

Also OP, what are your stats?

 

[dr_of_rock]

that's the problem, wear a navy suit, white shirt or light blue.

the introversion bit,,,can't help you...im also an introvert

WISH i was extroverted, life would be better.

Also OP, what are your stats?

They're listed above.

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

Did you feel like you did anything of in your interview ? Like constantly playing with your hands , stutter or just not answer a question completely ?


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[dwgrubbs1s]

Do you feel as if you blew any interviews? Or did you walk away from most of them feeling confident? Possibly could be a good run of bad luck, or your interview skills are down. Good luck at your other interviews.

 

[dr_of_rock]

Do you feel as if you blew any interviews? Or did you walk away from most of them feeling confident? Possibly could be a good run of bad luck, or your interview skills are down. Good luck at your other interviews.

I don't feel like I BLEW them. But then again, I don't really know what constitutes blowing an interview. I feel like I answer questions coherently. But I think I've been giving just the typical answers. I haven't been telling stories (if that makes sense). I think that's what I need to work on.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Well, I wear a black suit with a light purple shirt and darker purple tie. I'm an introvert but not socially awkward and I don't know if my application is boring. That's subjective.

I'd recommend blue or gray suit with your typical white shirt and solid pattern tie. Black is meant to be used for funerals.

What i mean by boring application is if you have something "special" in your application like a unique hobby or a unique type of volunteering experience.

 

[gamieg]

I think your interview attire is fine. great even, since it's memorable and not overly generic. please don't think that attire makes or breaks an interview (unless it's unprofessional).

the interviewing skills concern me more, especially if you feel like those interviews have gone well. it'd be helpful to seek out in-person interview prep and feedback. even if it's just for practice, hone your answers and speak out loud consistently. it helps. video tape yourself, talk in the mirror, practice smiling.

search interview advice here on sdn. there's a great thread titled something like "interview advice from someone who attended 20+ interviews."

 

[MakeLifeHappen13]

In my opinion the most important part of the interview are the first few moments after you walk through the door. That first impression sets the tone for the rest of the interview and the way they interpret your answers. Remember the primacy effect? Make sure you give them a firm hand shake, smile, and look them in the eyes. When you speak those first words, speak boldly and concisely and not like a nervous mouse. A bad first impression is hard to come back from.

 

[dr_of_rock]

Thanks for the advice and tips! I'm going to work on my answers to the big 3. They could be better for sure. I feel like my interviews don't go badly, but they aren't great either. Just kinda meh.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Go watch Kevin Ahern's medical school interview lectures on YouTube. They are absolute gold and completely reshaped my views on how to be "proper" in an interview. I interviewed at ARCOM as well and was flat out rejected. After watching his videos , I essentially did everything he said NOT to do.

"Do you repeat things you've said in your personal statement and essays? Yes. You assume the person you're interviewing with knows nothing about your application."

I'VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION ALL CYCLE... It threw me off at TUNCOM and RVU - CO.. They asked me so many questions that were already answered in my secondaries and PS and I tried not to tell them things I assumed they didn't already know and it made simple questions incredibly difficult to answer!

At the places I was accepted I either addressed the fact that I talked about them in my writing, and then reiterated them or just answered the questions again outright. UGH. I wish I would have seen this video 3 months ago lol.

I will share this with my pre-med homies, thank you @kovalchuk71 !

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

"Do you repeat things you've said in your personal statement and essays? Yes. You assume the person you're interviewing with knows nothing about your application."

I'VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION ALL CYCLE... It threw me off at TUNCOM and RVU - CO.. They asked me so many questions that were already answered in my secondaries and PS and I tried not to tell them things I assumed they didn't already know and it made simple questions incredibly difficult to answer!

At the places I was accepted I either addressed the fact that I talked about them in my writing, and then reiterated them or just answered the questions again outright. UGH. I wish I would have seen this video 3 months ago lol.

I will share this with my pre-med homies, thank you @kovalchuk71 !

I was asked a lot of questions off of my application. Depending on the school I would say it's a very good bet that you should know your application backwards and forward


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[NecrotizingFasciitis]

I was asked a lot of questions off of my application. Depending on the school I would say it's a very good bet that you should know your application backwards and forward


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Yeah definitely, they probably thought I didn't know my own app very well.. When in reality I was just trying to give them new information and assuming they knew everything in my essays. Oh well!

 

[Ho0v-man]

"Do you repeat things you've said in your personal statement and essays? Yes. You assume the person you're interviewing with knows nothing about your application."

I'VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION ALL CYCLE... It threw me off at TUNCOM and RVU - CO.. They asked me so many questions that were already answered in my secondaries and PS and I tried not to tell them things I assumed they didn't already know and it made simple questions incredibly difficult to answer!

At the places I was accepted I either addressed the fact that I talked about them in my writing, and then reiterated them or just answered the questions again outright. UGH. I wish I would have seen this video 3 months ago lol.

I will share this with my pre-med homies, thank you @kovalchuk71 !

At one of interviews I was asked a question straight up from the secondary and I gave a similar answer just assuming they didn't read my app all too well. Their response was

"Yes, ho0v-man, I've read your application already. I'm looking for a little more than what I already know."

Aaaaaannnnd rejected!


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[NecrotizingFasciitis]

At one of interviews I was asked a question straight up from the secondary and I gave a similar answer just assuming they didn't read my app all too well. Their response was

"Yes, ho0v-man, I've read your application already. I'm looking for a little more than what I already know."

Aaaaaannnnd rejected!


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Well now I'm confused again.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Well now I'm confused again.

It's the one and only time that happened. The take away lesson is that the entire process is a crapshoot. Nothing matters. Life is horrible. Embrace death when it comes because everything's pointless.




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[Niwrad]

.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

At one of interviews I was asked a question straight up from the secondary and I gave a similar answer just assuming they didn't read my app all too well. Their response was

"Yes, ho0v-man, I've read your application already. I'm looking for a little more than what I already know."

Aaaaaannnnd rejected!


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This is so stupid, don't ask a question you already know the answer to. If you want more details then just come out and say that. Interviewers that do this just make me thing that it is really them who don't know what they are doing. It's one thing to test an interviewee's knowledge of their app and it's another to just be vague and ask a dumb question.

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

Well, I wear a black suit with a light purple shirt and darker purple tie. I'm an introvert but not socially awkward and I don't know if my application is boring. That's subjective.

Introvert as in how? Describe a bit. Like did you interact with the interviewees a decent amount? Can you carry a good conversation with people? IMO, with your stats (not bad, but no great either), it could be a mixture of those factors.

 

[dr_of_rock]

Introvert as in how? Describe a bit. Like did you interact with the interviewees a decent amount? Can you carry a good conversation with people? IMO, with your stats (not bad, but no great either), it could be a mixture of those factors.

Yeah I interact fine when I need to. I think i was giving the wrong type of answers is all. I wasn't telling stories, if that makes sense.

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

Yeah I interact fine when I need to. I think i was giving the wrong type of answers is all. I wasn't telling stories, if that makes sense.

Not necessarily stories, but do have quality answers for the interview questions. Harder said than done though, which is why practice is important. Interact fine when you need to? What does that entail? Casual interaction with people should be just as easy as cooking an egg (scrambled plz kthnxbai).

 

[Niwrad]

.

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

The appearance of a casual interaction isn't easy. The ones who make it look easy had plenty of practice. Just try talking to people who don't know you well or ask if there are people who are willing to do mock interviews with you.

Casual interaction should be easy, because it's just casual. I'm guessing people who have a hard time with casual interaction (not interview interaction with interviewers btw) are the ones who are introverted, shy, or can't speak the english language that well. That is what is though. Try getting out of your comfort zone a bit more. Obviously people who are extroverted have an easier time, but don't let your shyness stop you from being a personable person.
And practice with casual interaction? That's called being friendly lol.

 

[Niwrad]

.

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

it's sort of like the same problem with common sense. It seems easy, but you get practice in daily life which we don't really account for. This is very noticeable if you travel to other countries, especially non-Western countries and see the kinds of things other people seem to do that would fail common sense.

edit:
also when i meant by an appearance of a causal interaction was appearing to have such a conversation while interviewing. I believe the best interview experience is when you feel that it was a casual conversation, at least by appearance.

Oh, I see where you were getting at. I was talk strictly casual conversation, like with another interviewee or a random stranger. Yes, casual conversation with your interviewer is great to an extent. Just don't get too casual that you use filler phrases like "you know?" or "know what I mean?" too excessively.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Looks like you did something right at WVSOM @dr_of_rock congrats!!

 

[dr_of_rock]

Looks like you did something right at WVSOM @dr_of_rock congrats!!

Hey thanks! I changed up my answers and made sure to mention experiences with every answer that I could. So hopefully that made the difference. Thanks again!

 

[Marrowist]

I knew you would get an acceptance. Congrats @dr_of_rock

 

[dr_of_rock]

I knew you would get an acceptance. Congrats @dr_of_rock

Thanks!!

 

[Two Sides]

I got waitlisted at ARCOM as well. Was it my app, interview, or both?

 

[JB50]

This is so stupid, don't ask a question you already know the answer to. If you want more details then just come out and say that. Interviewers that do this just make me thing that it is really them who don't know what they are doing. It's one thing to test an interviewee's knowledge of their app and it's another to just be vague and ask a dumb question.

Not really. What if the secondary answer was vague and he wanted more details than a 500 character answer that was preemptively written?