Are my ideas on how to approach interview questions good?

[Proudfather94]

Hello everyone, I have been researching how to answer interview questions and was wondering if I have the right idea or if I need to change my strategy a little bit.

So from what I've seen it's best to have a general idea on what you're stance is on things but it is a horrible idea to memorize a script. Basically you should know if you're going to be pro life or pro choice, for or against doctor assisted Si etc. I feel that one will not have enough time to completely come up with their stance from scratch but if you memorize what you are going to say it will be obvious that you did that and the interview becomes less personal.

Take a stance but don't go extreme. If you're looking at a spectrum between two extremes with 0 being one extreme and 10 being the other you do not want to be a 0,10, or 5. Pick one and look for reasons to be sympathetic to the other side. If you're pro life say something like "For the most part I am against abortions but I can see how some circumstances such as contraception failure or forced intercourse would cause someone to want to get one" or "I'm mostly for abortions but I can see how someone will have issues if someone is having intercourse with no contraception with the idea that they will have an abortion if they become pregnant".

I've heard questions regarding your biggest strengths and weaknesses comes up alot. I would guess that you would want to talk about how your biggest strength has helped you get to where you are by overcoming a struggle would be the best. If you just go "my biggest strength is that I'm smart which is why I got such good grades in college" that's going to look boring. That would be like a movie where batman punches the joker in the face within the first 5 minutes because he's so strong and the movies over after that. A good example I can think of would be "my greatest strength is my intelligence which really came in handy while I was in college. My grandparent passed away unexpectedly in the middle of the semester. Even though this tragedy happened I was able to do well in my classes despite studying significantly less than I usually do because I was grieving".

For ones greatest weakness I would guess to say something that's genuine but is something you are overcoming. If you say "I care too much" that's going to look like a cop out and make you look like you think you're perfect. A good example I can think of would be "My greatest weakness is that sometimes I am too overconfident and believe that I can handle more than I really can. This became evident in college when I thought I could handle taking a lot of the most difficult classes of my major in one semester and got poor grades. I have reflected upon this experience and take a better look at what I can realistically handle before I make major decisions."

Thanks for the input guys it's relieves a lot of stress when I can talk about how I'm going to approach something coming up and if I'm going about it the right way. If there is any advice you can give that would be great!

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[DoctorFate]

Concerning your first example, I wouldn't really focus on my views, but rather patient needs. "Despite any personal bias, I would towards helping my patients get the care they desire" would be a better idea.

 

[Dral]

Another way to answer the weaknesses question to make it "positive". The gist is to (not too obviously) pick something that is a weakness, but can be spun as a positive.

Example:
"What is one of your weaknesses?"

"I have a difficult time delegating responsibility, so I end up taking on more work to make sure everything is completed." (Read: I am diligent and willing to work hard to make sure responsibilities get done)

Opposed to:

"I have a tendency to procrastinate."

 

[Proudfather94]

Another way to answer the weaknesses question to make it "positive". The gist is to (not too obviously) pick something that is a weakness, but can be spun as a positive.

Example:
"What is one of your weaknesses?"

"I have a difficult time delegating responsibility, so I end up taking on more work to make sure everything is completed." (Read: I am diligent and willing to work hard to make sure responsibilities get done)

Opposed to:

"I have a tendency to procrastinate."

I'm just worried they'll take that as a cop out and that will negatively affect the interview. If the roles were reversed and someone gave me an answer like that I may think "this person is so full of themself that they complimented thereself when I asked for a weakness." Depending on how they acted during the rest of the interview.

 

[Proudfather94]

Concerning your first example, I wouldn't really focus on my views, but rather patient needs. "Despite any personal bias, I would towards helping my patients get the care they desire" would be a better idea.

Yeah I would definitely push that the patients medial needs come first but I think they also want to see that you're able to take a stand on issues that's rational.

 

[DoctorFate]

Yeah I would definitely push that the patients medial needs come first but I think they also want to see that you're able to take a stand on issues that's rational.

See, the thing is, why would you need to take a stand? I was assuming you would get a situational question such as "a patient comes to you seeking an abortion", not "What are your views on abortion?". The latter won't be asked (99% anyway), and likely would be considered inappropriate. However, if it is asked, then I would urge anyone to respond with "yes" regardless of their views as the majority of adcoms are left leaning and value patient autonomy.

 

[gyngyn]

Another way to answer the weaknesses question to make it "positive". The gist is to (not too obviously) pick something that is a weakness, but can be spun as a positive.

Example:
"What is one of your weaknesses?"

"I have a difficult time delegating responsibility, so I end up taking on more work to make sure everything is completed." (Read: I am diligent and willing to work hard to make sure responsibilities get done)

Opposed to:

"I have a tendency to procrastinate."

They run the risk of being seen as evasive, not frank or forthcoming.
It certainly makes me cringe and my committee members cite it as a minus.
It happens often enough, though.
I think they may have taught this in business schools...

 

[Proudfather94]

See, the thing is, why would you need to take a stand? I was assuming you would get a situational question such as "a patient comes to you seeking an abortion", not "What are your views on abortion?". The latter won't be asked (99% anyway), and likely would be considered inappropriate. However, if it is asked, then I would urge anyone to respond with "yes" regardless of their views as the majority of adcoms are left leaning and value patient autonomy.

Oh I see in that case with it asked like that I would state that the patient has the right to have the medical procedure done and that I would explain the risks and alternative options that they have available since that is a life altering decision.

 

[DoctorFate]

They run the risk of being seen as evasive, not frank or forthcoming.
It certainly makes me cringe and my committee members cite it as a minus.
It happens often enough, though.
I think they may have taught this in business schools...

Would the answer that person gave be good? I often said my weakness was something similar but without as positive a twist "I have had a difficult time delegating responsibility and tried to take on as much work as I could, which has sometimes led to poorer outcomes both for myself and the project I led" then explained what led me to change that and how I am still working on it.

 

[DoctorFate]

Oh I see in that case with it asked like that I would state that the patient has the right to have the medical procedure done and that I would explain the risks and alternative options that they have available since that is a life altering decision.

Yup! Sounds good! The only time I would say mentioning you're pro-life is OK is if you're saying something like the following "I would do my absolute best to support my patients' decision have give her medically accurate and compassionate advice, despite my personal views and biases"

 

[gyngyn]

Would the answer that person gave be good? I often said my weakness was something similar but without as positive a twist "I have had a difficult time delegating responsibility and tried to take on as much work as I could, which has sometimes led to poorer outcomes both for myself and the project I led" then explained what led me to change that and how I am still working on it.

This is a classic dodge that has become so over-used that everyone can see right through it.

 

[DoctorFate]

This is a classic dodge that has become so over-used that everyone can see right through it.

Huh. Good thing I found out now, because I wasn't even dodging. I had that problem in a club, took on as much work as I could while being very busy outside too, missed a deadline, talked to my committee members, and ultimately realized my folly and delegated responsibility. I believe I worded it as "I struggled to trust others with important responsibilities".

 

[Deltasidearm]

I'm just worried they'll take that as a cop out and that will negatively affect the interview. If the roles were reversed and someone gave me an answer like that I may think "this person is so full of themself that they complimented thereself when I asked for a weakness." Depending on how they acted during the rest of the interview.

Regarding the weakness stance--my take is to just be genuine about it and then try to demonstrate how you are aware of your weakness and working towards improving yourself. You should be self-reflective enough to know what your weaknesses are and you should definitely be working on ways to improve yourself (or if not then start now). Even if the weakness is "bad", I feel being candid and honest about it is a stronger response than being cliche. I focused on an actual weakness (a particular area of communication) that pre-med me was afraid of raising red flags with and it certainly didn't prevent me from getting multiple acceptances.

The interview is about finding out who you are. So be the real you--the person awesome enough to get that interview spot--and don't stress about it.

 

[KnightDoc]

Regarding the weakness stance--my take is to just be genuine about it and then try to demonstrate how you are aware of your weakness and working towards improving yourself. You should be self-reflective enough to know what your weaknesses are and you should definitely be working on ways to improve yourself (or if not then start now). Even if the weakness is "bad", I feel being candid and honest about it is a stronger response than being cliche. I focused on an actual weakness (a particular area of communication) that pre-med me was afraid of raising red flags with and it certainly didn't prevent me from getting multiple acceptances.

The interview is about finding out who you are. So be the real you--the person awesome enough to get that interview spot--and don't stress about it.

Yup. The trick is apparently finding the balance where you get to demonstrate self-reflection without outing yourself with something so negative that it is disqualifying, which, whether or not adcoms are willing to admit it, is seemingly something they are also looking for as they seek to thin the herd!

 

[gyngyn]

The trick is apparently finding the balance where you get to demonstrate self-reflection without outing yourself with something so negative that it is disqualifying, which, whether or not adcoms are willing to admit it, is seemingly something they are also looking for as they seek to thin the herd!

This is a self-reflection question.
If an applicant hasn't begun that process, then they may not be ready.
The real "weakness" is a lack of self reflection if they can't answer it thoughtfully.

 

[KnightDoc]

This is a self-reflection question.
If an applicant hasn't begun that process, then they may not be ready.

Totally understood. I was just trying to point out that the over use of classic dodges is not usually an indication of an inability to engage in self reflection. IMHO, it's a reflection of a natural instinct to avoid sabotaging a candidacy by oversharing, along the lines of @Goro's oft-cited example of a LOR indicating great improvement since the incident involving the undisclosed IA.

Believe me, I am intimately aware of all of my many weaknesses. The question is which ones are going to impress you with my level of self reflection, and which might cause you to move on to the next candidate?

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone, I have been researching how to answer interview questions and was wondering if I have the right idea or if I need to change my strategy a little bit.

So from what I've seen it's best to have a general idea on what you're stance is on things but it is a horrible idea to memorize a script. Basically you should know if you're going to be pro life or pro choice, for or against doctor assisted Si etc. I feel that one will not have enough time to completely come up with their stance from scratch but if you memorize what you are going to say it will be obvious that you did that and the interview becomes less personal.

Take a stance but don't go extreme. If you're looking at a spectrum between two extremes with 0 being one extreme and 10 being the other you do not want to be a 0,10, or 5. Pick one and look for reasons to be sympathetic to the other side. If you're pro life say something like "For the most part I am against abortions but I can see how some circumstances such as contraception failure or forced intercourse would cause someone to want to get one" or "I'm mostly for abortions but I can see how someone will have issues if someone is having intercourse with no contraception with the idea that they will have an abortion if they become pregnant".

I've heard questions regarding your biggest strengths and weaknesses comes up alot. I would guess that you would want to talk about how your biggest strength has helped you get to where you are by overcoming a struggle would be the best. If you just go "my biggest strength is that I'm smart which is why I got such good grades in college" that's going to look boring. That would be like a movie where batman punches the joker in the face within the first 5 minutes because he's so strong and the movies over after that. A good example I can think of would be "my greatest strength is my intelligence which really came in handy while I was in college. My grandparent passed away unexpectedly in the middle of the semester. Even though this tragedy happened I was able to do well in my classes despite studying significantly less than I usually do because I was grieving".

For ones greatest weakness I would guess to say something that's genuine but is something you are overcoming. If you say "I care too much" that's going to look like a cop out and make you look like you think you're perfect. A good example I can think of would be "My greatest weakness is that sometimes I am too overconfident and believe that I can handle more than I really can. This became evident in college when I thought I could handle taking a lot of the most difficult classes of my major in one semester and got poor grades. I have reflected upon this experience and take a better look at what I can realistically handle before I make major decisions."

Thanks for the input guys it's relieves a lot of stress when I can talk about how I'm going to approach something coming up and if I'm going about it the right way. If there is any advice you can give that would be great!

I suggest that you rethink your strategy.

Everything you've written is designed to give what you think an interviewer wants to hear, as opposed to being honest and thoughtful. In essence, all you done is set up a script to follow, and we're pretty good at picking up canned answers. You also are giving off a lack of introspection, which is a required trait for being a doctor.

You're also setting yourself up because you may not get a question on the things your "script" covers.

The bolded paragraph also telegraphs that you're not a good listener.

If you're asked "what's your greatest weakness?"...that's a simple question. Note that nowhere in the question are you asked what you're doing to overcome said weakness. Ditto for "what's your best asset?" That doesn't ask for an example.

Also, if you are asked a hypothetical, or about a controversial topic in Medicine, you are most likely not only going to be asked about those, but to explain why you chose that answer.

And this,...this is getting into instant reject territory:

A good example I can think of would be "my greatest strength is my intelligence which really came in handy while I was in college. My grandparent passed away unexpectedly in the middle of the semester. Even though this tragedy happened I was able to do well in my classes despite studying significantly less than I usually do because I was grieving".

There's a difference between being intelligent, and having good coping skills.

Read this:

• Goro's Guide to Interviews

 

[Goro]

Concerning your first example, I wouldn't really focus on my views, but rather patient needs. "Despite any personal bias, I would towards helping my patients get the care they desire" would be a better idea.

Oh Gawd, another instant reject... I'd expect this type of smarminess from a car salesperson, not an interviewee.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I would recommend becoming familiar with the moral philosophy of Kant and John Rawls (neokantian). You don’t have to actually read the critique of practical reason or a theory of justice. The cliff notes will do. I particularly think that Rawls’ framework in which every moral dilemma should be approached such that the “rulemaker”doesn’t know which side of the dilemma he or she will be on when setting the rules of engagements

Avoid teleological (ends justify the means) justifications of behavior at all costs.

Kant’s Moral Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

John Rawls (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

 

[gyngyn]

I would recommend becoming familiar with the moral philosophy of Kant and John Rawls (neokantian). You don’t have to actually read the critique of practical reason or a theory of justice. The cliff notes will do. I particularly think that Rawls’ framework in which every moral dilemma should be approached such that the “rulemaker”doesn’t know which side of the dilemma he or she will be on when setting the rules of engagements

Avoid teleological justifications of behavior at all costs.

You do realize that this is entirely incomprehensible to almost every applicant...

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I forgot to add the Plato links at first. These make it more clear. Of course don’t go into an interview and say “Based on Kant’s critique, I think or would do xxxx.” Just try to have a framework to reference that can be applied to almost any moral situation and shape a more specific response.

I also thought that schools had an unwritten rule against asking about abortion, euthanasia etc. Maybe that has changed.

 

[DoctorFate]

Oh Gawd, another instant reject... I'd expect this type of smarminess from a car salesperson, not an interviewee.

I'm surprised to hear you say that. I had an interview with a medical school admissions director (approximately ranked 50). She gave me an ethical dilemma, and I answered. She told me she really noted down and loved how I began with "I would begin by evaluating my personal biases and ensuring that they do not affect the care I give my patient" and recommended I do that every time.

It's unfortunate that this process is so subjective. What one adcom considers excellent appears to be what another considers an "instant reject". Oh well.

 

[KnightDoc]

I'm surprised to hear you say that. I had an interview with a medical school admissions director (approximately ranked 50). She gave me an ethical dilemma, and I answered. She told me she really noted down and loved how I began with "I would begin by evaluating my personal biases and ensuring that they do not affect the care I give my patient" and recommended I do that every time.

It's unfortunate that this process is so subjective. What one adcom considers excellent appears to be what another considers an "instant reject". Oh well.

Then again, isn't this precisely why we all apply widely?

 

[DoctorFate]

Then again, isn't this precisely why we all apply widely?

haha, excellent point

 

[Dral]

They run the risk of being seen as evasive, not frank or forthcoming.
It certainly makes me cringe and my committee members cite it as a minus.
It happens often enough, though.
I think they may have taught this in business schools.

I assume that the person has really thought out their answer and shows introspection to me as long as they can explain it to me in a way that is genuine.

The example I gave above is actually true of me. I have huge issues with delegating work. I'm not sure why I do. It's the "You know what, I don't trust your work on this group project. I'll just do the whole thing." It's a true negative because it takes an unnecessary toll on me on a lot of work days. I KNOW I do certain things that others could surely be taking care of for me, but I can't get myself to ask/direct them to do it. I wish I could get over it and make things easier on myself. I take it as the opposite of someone who expects everything to be done for them.

Like if an answer is "I feel I don't bring enough treats in for the staff"...that's cringeworthy of course. But I feel it can be answered in a way that highlights a true negative but can also serve as a way to self promote (also something I'm awful at doing).

Could be different perceptions I guess.

Maybe that's why I didn't match first time around. ha.

During my residency interviews, I told an interviewer I wanted to end up in academics. She shoots back "That's what everybody says". I didn't say it, but I wanted to day "Didja look at my app???" (I have a PhD and a masters degree...I like education).

In retrospect, I probably didn't give a good answer that projected my genuine interest (spoiler, I work in academics and always have).

The new thing in derm world is for people to say they have an interest in peds derm. We all know people will say it and we can see through it. However, if someone truly feels that way, I want them to say they have that interest and genuinely (and concisely) convince me in their answer why it's so.

Anyway, good discussion. I'll be the first to admit that while I have thought about it a lot, I wasn't the best interviewee back in the day.

In the end, I feel the goal should be to demonstrate true introspection that is genuine with any answer to any question. This is a useful thread. I hope it keeps going since the interview is such a crucial part of the process and only gets more important as one advances along.

 

[DoctorFate]

I forgot to add the Plato links at first. These make it more clear. Of course don’t go into an interview and say “Based on Kant’s critique, I think or would do xxxx.” Just try to have a framework to reference that can be applied to almost any moral situation and shape a more specific response.

I also thought that schools had an unwritten rule against asking about abortion, euthanasia etc. Maybe that has changed.

This killed me.

You: "I would recommend Kant and John Rawls's teachings to answer ethical dilemma questions"
@gyngyn: "You do realize that this is entirely incomprehensible to almost every applicant."
You: "Oh yeah, you're right. I forgot to add Plato."

 

[Goro]

This killed me.

You: "I would recommend Kant and John Rawls's teachings to answer ethical dilemma questions"
@gyngyn: "You do realize that this is entirely incomprehensible to almost every applicant."
You: "Oh yeah, you're right. I forgot to add Plato."

 

[Med Ed]

Another way to answer the weaknesses question to make it "positive". The gist is to (not too obviously) pick something that is a weakness, but can be spun as a positive.

Example:
"What is one of your weaknesses?"

"I have a difficult time delegating responsibility, so I end up taking on more work to make sure everything is completed." (Read: I am diligent and willing to work hard to make sure responsibilities get done)

The problem with this gambit is that difficulty delegating does not read as diligence and hard work. It reads as poor leadership skills.

 

[Goro]

The problem with this gambit is that difficulty delegating does not read as diligence and hard work. It reads as poor leadership skills.

Or control issues

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

This killed me.

You: "I would recommend Kant and John Rawls's teachings to answer ethical dilemma questions"
@gyngyn: "You do realize that this is entirely incomprehensible to almost every applicant."
You: "Oh yeah, you're right. I forgot to add Plato."

LOL my bad. Stanford’s philosophy dictionary is called “Plato”

 

[Dral]

Oof, wish I never responded to this thread to begin with. lol.

*trying hard to not take it personally and remember this is hopefully helping people*

 

[Proudfather94]

Oof, wish I never responded to this thread to begin with. lol.

*trying hard to not take it personally and remember this is hopefully helping people*

Sorry my threads made you feel that way. I'm just trying to become more educated about the interview process and see what I need to work on. Last cycle I got 0 interviews and this cycle I already have 3 so it's exciting and terrifying at the same time because I like to be as prepared as possible for things.

You guys here on sdn have helped me tremendously and I thank you all for it!

 

[Dral]

Sorry my threads made you feel that way. I'm just trying to become more educated about the interview process and see what I need to work on. Last cycle I got 0 interviews and this cycle I already have 3 so it's exciting and terrifying at the same time because I like to be as prepared as possible for things.

You guys here on sdn have helped me tremendously and I thank you all for it!

No worries. It's not anyone's fault. I guess just don't pay much attention to my advice on this topic since my examples may apparently not be taken that favorably by an interviewer. I guess I would answer the question of a weakness as "Interviewing skills" lol. I guess nobody is perfect and we all will keep trying to improve where appropriate.

 

[Proudfather94]

No worries. It's not anyone's fault. I guess just don't pay much attention to my advice on this topic since my examples may in the end not be taken that favorable by an interviewer. I guess I would answer the question of a weakness as "Interviewing skills" lol. I guess nobody is perfect and we all will keep trying to improve where appropriate.

Differing views on things like this is really useful. It shows how one approach is not definitively the best and gives alot to think about.

 

[LadyDustyBlue]

You do realize that this is entirely incomprehensible to almost every applicant...

I second that most people won’t choose to read philosophical materials about how to approach ethical situations. And philosophical lingo is not as intuitive for most, off the bat.

I forgot to add the Plato links at first. These make it more clear. Of course don’t go into an interview and say “Based on Kant’s critique, I think or would do xxxx.” Just try to have a framework to reference that can be applied to almost any moral situation and shape a more specific response.

I also thought that schools had an unwritten rule against asking about abortion, euthanasia etc. Maybe that has changed.

The universe has a sense of humor with this sequence of responses. I can’t. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

 

[LadyDustyBlue]

I'm surprised to hear you say that. I had an interview with a medical school admissions director (approximately ranked 50). She gave me an ethical dilemma, and I answered. She told me she really noted down and loved how I began with "I would begin by evaluating my personal biases and ensuring that they do not affect the care I give my patient" and recommended I do that every time.

It's unfortunate that this process is so subjective. What one adcom considers excellent appears to be what another considers an "instant reject". Oh well.

I’ve had experience theatre and sat down with people who’ve done casting & directing. Casting a stage-play is similar to an interview, you have to think beyond what people are giving you in that short moment you’re with them & thinking about why they chose the monologue or song choice, much like an answer to a hypothetical ethical dilemma.

Casting directors and interviewers have their own biases too, but if you want “the part”, remember they’ve seen and heard a lot of the same songs/monologues/answers. I couldn’t cast someone solely dependent on that one answer - no matter if I thought it was rational enough or not, but I’m looking for someone who can fit with the rest of the cast (in this case, it’s “x medical school”) too. You just never know.

Note to OP —

that the more you try to predict & script yourself, the worst off you become. Doctors, like actors have to learn how to act “in the moment” or improvise with what’s in front of them. I’d suggest practice thinking on your feet when asked something candidly, and don’t just assume you know the most appropriate response as you size up your adcoms/interviewers.

There may be not enough time to figure that out. Just trust that you know yourself well when the time comes. Don’t be what people want you to be, because no doctor is perfect for the job - everyone learns how to be better, and you can’t fake humility in the moment.

And it’s also ok if you fudge it up… that’s why you don’t put your eggs in one basket & apply, apply, apply.

 

[DD214]

Definitely go in with a script. DO NOT deviate from it in any way

 

[Dral]

Differing views on things like this is really useful. It shows how one approach is not definitively the best and gives alot to think about.

True. We as both interviewers and interviewees have different perceptions of things when they are said. What can be a positive to one person can be neutral or even negative to another.

 

[PhD_to_DO]

Hello everyone, I have been researching how to answer interview questions and was wondering if I have the right idea or if I need to change my strategy a little bit.

So from what I've seen it's best to have a general idea on what you're stance is on things but it is a horrible idea to memorize a script. Basically you should know if you're going to be pro life or pro choice, for or against doctor assisted Si etc. I feel that one will not have enough time to completely come up with their stance from scratch but if you memorize what you are going to say it will be obvious that you did that and the interview becomes less personal.

Take a stance but don't go extreme. If you're looking at a spectrum between two extremes with 0 being one extreme and 10 being the other you do not want to be a 0,10, or 5. Pick one and look for reasons to be sympathetic to the other side. If you're pro life say something like "For the most part I am against abortions but I can see how some circumstances such as contraception failure or forced intercourse would cause someone to want to get one" or "I'm mostly for abortions but I can see how someone will have issues if someone is having intercourse with no contraception with the idea that they will have an abortion if they become pregnant".

I've heard questions regarding your biggest strengths and weaknesses comes up alot. I would guess that you would want to talk about how your biggest strength has helped you get to where you are by overcoming a struggle would be the best. If you just go "my biggest strength is that I'm smart which is why I got such good grades in college" that's going to look boring. That would be like a movie where batman punches the joker in the face within the first 5 minutes because he's so strong and the movies over after that. A good example I can think of would be "my greatest strength is my intelligence which really came in handy while I was in college. My grandparent passed away unexpectedly in the middle of the semester. Even though this tragedy happened I was able to do well in my classes despite studying significantly less than I usually do because I was grieving".

For ones greatest weakness I would guess to say something that's genuine but is something you are overcoming. If you say "I care too much" that's going to look like a cop out and make you look like you think you're perfect. A good example I can think of would be "My greatest weakness is that sometimes I am too overconfident and believe that I can handle more than I really can. This became evident in college when I thought I could handle taking a lot of the most difficult classes of my major in one semester and got poor grades. I have reflected upon this experience and take a better look at what I can realistically handle before I make major decisions."

Thanks for the input guys it's relieves a lot of stress when I can talk about how I'm going to approach something coming up and if I'm going about it the right way. If there is any advice you can give that would be great!

I don't have a lot to add beyond try to just be yourself. You don't want to sound scripted nor do you want to sound as if you haven't given any thought to some of the things that may be asked. Of you. When I was interviewing last cycle, I was scared because it feels like your life, or at least parts of it, may be an open book that's out there for the world to judge (and I guess in some sense, it is), still its better to just be you. When I got the question about. my biggest weakness and what I did to handle it, it represented a chance to show my humanity and personal growth. Just speak from the heart, don't sound cliched, and more than anything, enjoy the process. In the end, I actually really enjoyed the process and realized that as much s the schools were interviewing me, I had the opportunity to interview them to ensure a good fit. Hope things work out well for you.

 

[LadyDustyBlue]

Definitely go in with a script. DO NOT deviate from it in any way

We miss you, Michael. 😅

Nah, but I could’ve easily just posted: “If you haven’t learned in adulthood that you can’t please everybody, then I don’t know what to tell you” & left it at that. But I think that the theatre example was way easier to digest than suggesting pre-meds to read Kant…

It’s SDN and most of us aren’t in a lecture hall, but we might be on our lunch break, at work, or home (because some of us do work or eating Thai food in our pajamas. LOL. Yeah, you just never know.

OP, take a walk & remember the right job will find you, as long as you’re idk… being you.

Besides, a lot of things about medicine can be inappropriate to some people… like flatulence. 😂

I don't have a lot to add beyond try to just be yourself. You don't want to sound scripted nor do you want to sound as if you haven't given any thought to some of the things that may be asked. Of you. When I was interviewing last cycle, I was scared because it feels like your life, or at least parts of it, may be an open book that's out there for the world to judge (and I guess in some sense, it is), still its better to just be you. When I got the question about. my biggest weakness and what I did to handle it, it represented a chance to show my humanity and personal growth. Just speak from the heart, don't sound cliched, and more than anything, enjoy the process. In the end, I actually really enjoyed the process and realized that as much s the schools were interviewing me, I had the opportunity to interview them to ensure a good fit. Hope things work out well for you.

^ This.

Every interview might not be the best, but the more you do it, the more you won’t think about it (hopefully). I like that @PhD_to_DO mentioned that they enjoyed it because it helped them understand that when ut comes down to it - you also have to make a choice to choose them.

Goes both ways. You’ll spend a long time somewhere where you’ll hopefully feel at home.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Before every big exam in college (including MCAT), I would blast music on the way to lecture hall (exam site). Carried it over to interviews during a previous cycle and likely will this time too (although it’s less impactful without having to walk to the interview/testing site imo)

 

[Proudfather94]

So would you guys just recommend to bullet point responses to the most common interview questions and then just freestyle the rest of it when they are asked? Should I also do a ton of research on each medical school to see what they offer in case they ask me why I want to go to their medical school? Honestly I looked each school up when I was doing my secondary's because most of them asked why I wanted to apply there but honestly I applied to about 30 schools so what each school offers kind of runs together.

 

[KnightDoc]

So would you guys just recommend to bullet point responses to the most common interview questions and then just freestyle the rest of it when they are asked? Should I also do a ton of research on each medical school to see what they offer in case they ask me why I want to go to their medical school? Honestly I looked each school up when I was doing my secondary's because most of them asked why I wanted to apply there but honestly I applied to about 30 schools so what each school offers kind of runs together.

Yes, you should be able to give articulate, detailed answers as to why you want to go to each school, if asked, and you almost certainly will be! Sure, all of the schools start to look alike after a while, but this isn't 30 secondaries, all within days of each other. You will have far fewer than 30 interviews, and far more time to prepare for each one. Use it.

Also, no, you should not plan on referring to any written material during your interview, bullet points or otherwise. Would you do that in person? It will be noticeable, and it will be a terrible look.

 

[Goro]

True. We as both interviewers and interviewees have different perceptions of things when they are said. What can be a positive to one person can be neutral or even negative to another.

This happens! I've seen interview scores where Dr X gave the candidate a 10, and Dr Z gave a 1. I immediately think "Did they interview the same person???"

 

[Goro]

So would you guys just recommend to bullet point responses to the most common interview questions and then just freestyle the rest of it when they are asked?

You're still trying to stick to a script. Life doesn't work that way. Just answer the questions!

Should I also do a ton of research on each medical school to see what they offer in case they ask me why I want to go to their medical school?

You're SUPPOSED to do that!

Honestly I looked each school up when I was doing my secondary's because most of them asked why I wanted to apply there but honestly I applied to about 30 schools so what each school offers kind of runs together.

If you can't even parse out one or two bits of info one what makes a given school unique (and demonstrate that you've done your homework), I can just imagine how you will be trashed in the Adcom meetings.

Honestly, PF94, I'm beginning to wonder if you're trying to engage in self-sabotage.

 

[Proudfather94]

You're still trying to stick to a script. Life doesn't work that way. Just answer the questions!

You're SUPPOSED to do that!

If you can't even parse out one or two bits of info one what makes a given school unique (and demonstrate that you've done your homework), I can just imagine how you will be trashed in the Adcom meetings.

Honestly, PF94, I'm beginning to wonder if you're trying to engage in self-sabotage.

Honestly I just don't want to go to the interviews and then feel like it was expected of me to do something that I didn't do. I feel that this is the last obstacle in my way to achieving the goal that I have spent almost 10 years trying to do, so I'm stressing out.

I understand that I need to answer the questions in a non scripted way and that I should stop trying to think of the perfect answer to each question I could possibly be asked. I'll spend a bit of time looking up what each school is offering that I'm interested in so that I'll have an answer to why us.

Between having the most important interviews of my life so far that will affect my child and I for the rest of our lives and other stressful time sensitive things going on right now it's hard to not freak out.

 

[DoctorFate]

Honestly I just don't want to go to the interviews and then feel like it was expected of me to do something that I didn't do. I feel that this is the last obstacle in my way to achieving the goal that I have spent almost 10 years trying to do, so I'm stressing out.

I understand that I need to answer the questions in a non scripted way and that I should stop trying to think of the perfect answer to each question I could possibly be asked. I'll spend a bit of time looking up what each school is offering that I'm interested in so that I'll have an answer to why us.

Between having the most important interviews of my life so far that will affect my child and I for the rest of our lives and other stressful time sensitive things going on right now it's hard to not freak out.

Honestly, do what works for you. Personally, rather than create a bullet point list, I just designated certain topics I know I will use to respond to certain questions and not the rest of the conversation. For example: "What is your greatest weakness". I have "overcommitment" planned as a response, but I don't have an explanation planned, I usually just say it in the moment.

The only response I actually advise you to script (and I'm sure many will disagree, to each their own) is "tell me about yourself". Even then don't script it to the word, but rather just a full outline of all the ideas you intend to discuss.

 

[deleted1080380]

I don't think you should try to pre-write, in any form, any answer. This is just me but I tried doing that and just ended up with broken speech as I vaguely grasped at straws while trying to remember what I wrote.

The only thing you should be studying or 'writing' about in interview preparation are school-specific points IMO.

As for all other questions, there was a nice list of dozens of questions (including those out of left field) that I developed a short phrase for so I knew what to talk about but not what to say. I gave them to 3 friends and my mom and practiced 4 times, 45-1 hour sessions, every question. My answers were never the same but you have to strike a balance between preparing yourself and straight-up rehearsing. Maybe 5 hours of interview preparation in total for the 'general interview' and 1-2 hours honing down school specific points. I feel like anymore preparation and the interview would have felt more like I was a crime suspect responding to an interrogation.

Also IDK, but I'd rather come off as true and honest rather than censoring myself in case my interviewer will instant reject me because I said I lacked confidence when I was in the beginning of college or smt along those lines.

 

[Goro]

Honestly I just don't want to go to the interviews and then feel like it was expected of me to do something that I didn't do. I feel that this is the last obstacle in my way to achieving the goal that I have spent almost 10 years trying to do, so I'm stressing out.

I understand that I need to answer the questions in a non scripted way and that I should stop trying to think of the perfect answer to each question I could possibly be asked. I'll spend a bit of time looking up what each school is offering that I'm interested in so that I'll have an answer to why us.

Between having the most important interviews of my life so far that will affect my child and I for the rest of our lives and other stressful time sensitive things going on right now it's hard to not freak out.

Do I have to reach through your screen and smack some sense into you?

You're going to have plenty of other interviews in your life:
Residency...jobs

As for obstacles,
All four years of med school
3-5+ years of residency

 

[oldman]

Hello everyone, I have been researching how to answer interview questions and was wondering if I have the right idea or if I need to change my strategy a little bit.

So from what I've seen it's best to have a general idea on what you're stance is on things but it is a horrible idea to memorize a script. Basically you should know if you're going to be pro life or pro choice, for or against doctor assisted Si etc. I feel that one will not have enough time to completely come up with their stance from scratch but if you memorize what you are going to say it will be obvious that you did that and the interview becomes less personal.

Take a stance but don't go extreme. If you're looking at a spectrum between two extremes with 0 being one extreme and 10 being the other you do not want to be a 0,10, or 5. Pick one and look for reasons to be sympathetic to the other side. If you're pro life say something like "For the most part I am against abortions but I can see how some circumstances such as contraception failure or forced intercourse would cause someone to want to get one" or "I'm mostly for abortions but I can see how someone will have issues if someone is having intercourse with no contraception with the idea that they will have an abortion if they become pregnant".

I've heard questions regarding your biggest strengths and weaknesses comes up alot. I would guess that you would want to talk about how your biggest strength has helped you get to where you are by overcoming a struggle would be the best. If you just go "my biggest strength is that I'm smart which is why I got such good grades in college" that's going to look boring. That would be like a movie where batman punches the joker in the face within the first 5 minutes because he's so strong and the movies over after that. A good example I can think of would be "my greatest strength is my intelligence which really came in handy while I was in college. My grandparent passed away unexpectedly in the middle of the semester. Even though this tragedy happened I was able to do well in my classes despite studying significantly less than I usually do because I was grieving".

For ones greatest weakness I would guess to say something that's genuine but is something you are overcoming. If you say "I care too much" that's going to look like a cop out and make you look like you think you're perfect. A good example I can think of would be "My greatest weakness is that sometimes I am too overconfident and believe that I can handle more than I really can. This became evident in college when I thought I could handle taking a lot of the most difficult classes of my major in one semester and got poor grades. I have reflected upon this experience and take a better look at what I can realistically handle before I make major decisions."

Thanks for the input guys it's relieves a lot of stress when I can talk about how I'm going to approach something coming up and if I'm going about it the right way. If there is any advice you can give that would be great!

One challenge is it is hard to predict the questions that come your way and a completely canned response can sound false. If you have more than 1 interview scheduled, make sure to pick for interview dates the programs you are less interested in to do first as a break in period. This is more true for residency where there are usually more sites that will interview.