book

[112258]

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I'm sure this has been posted before, but I couldn't find it easily. Are there any good books about the interview process, maybe with sample questions, tips, information about the field, etc.....that any of you could recommend to me? Pleeease 😀 I can't find the book I was going to use from my healthcare systems class, so now I'm in a frenzy to find one.


Also my interview is in a week and a half, so the sooner the better 😉

 

[Stolenspatulas]

i purchased ''The Medical School Interview: Secrets and a System for Success'' by Jeremiah Fleenor for ~12 bucks on amazon.

it was a COMPLETE WASTE of money.

after a few interviews you'll get into a rhythm and maybe have to prepare 1-2 hrs max for a given interview.

all i do is go over my amcas, go over that school's secondary, look at some recent interview feedback on SDN, look through the school's website and photobookpropaganda (if you got one in the mail). think of a few questions that you may want to ask people on tours etc... and as you tour, think of things that would express your interest in the school.

i feel i act about 90% of my real self in an interview. the ~10% of not being my normal self is filled by trying to sell myself (which you HAVE to do, ESPECIALLY for a closed-file interview... by sell yourself i mean mention all the cool ECs you've done, integrate them in answers) and coming up with questions to show interest (i would only ask questions if im sincerely interested.... but its an itnerview no-no NOT to ask questions....). the key is to make the questions appear non-scripted. i love it when i atually do have a question to ask that just happens to tie into the last topic of conversation. then it doesnt seem forced.

make sure you know your research well. make sure you know small things like the school's mission or their overarching philosophy.

 

[Dr Durden]

You do know about SDN's interview feedback don't you? People post questions they've been asked, talk about the day's schedule, and even offer advice on travel.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Prep materials:
SDN Feedback
Mock Interviews
Understanding Health Policy
Health Care Meltdown
UWash Bioethics Module
Read over your PS and secondary essays
Current events
Other books listed on the House of God Samuel Shem thread (HoG, Mount Misery, On Call, etc)

Don't buy the "how to have a successful interview" books cuz they will just turn you into a cookie cutter applicant. Prepare with real materials and form your own opinions and be your own confident self. Relax too.

 

[112258]

i purchased ''The Medical School Interview: Secrets and a System for Success'' by Jeremiah Fleenor for ~12 bucks on amazon.

it was a COMPLETE WASTE of money.

after a few interviews you'll get into a rhythm and maybe have to prepare 1-2 hrs max for a given interview.

all i do is go over my amcas, go over that school's secondary, look at some recent interview feedback on SDN, look through the school's website and photobookpropaganda (if you got one in the mail). think of a few questions that you may want to ask people on tours etc... and as you tour, think of things that would express your interest in the school.

i feel i act about 90% of my real self in an interview. the ~10% of not being my normal self is filled by trying to sell myself (which you HAVE to do, ESPECIALLY for a closed-file interview... by sell yourself i mean mention all the cool ECs you've done, integrate them in answers) and coming up with questions to show interest (i would only ask questions if im sincerely interested.... but its an itnerview no-no NOT to ask questions....). the key is to make the questions appear non-scripted. i love it when i atually do have a question to ask that just happens to tie into the last topic of conversation. then it doesnt seem forced.

make sure you know your research well. make sure you know small things like the school's mission or their overarching philosophy.

hahahah that's so funny, i went onto amazon, typed in a search, came up with that book. I looked at it, and was like "this looks like it could be a big waste, maybe I'll ask people on SDN" and then you quoted that book!!

 

[112258]

You do know about SDN's interview feedback don't you? People post questions they've been asked, talk about the day's schedule, and even offer advice on travel.

I know, I know but the school I have an interview with is a new school this year, so no feedback really (its a D.O. school and I'm posting this on MD thread, I know shame on me). I just wanted an overall book with overall tips and lots of general information to make me less nervous.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

hahahah that's so funny, i went onto amazon, typed in a search, came up with that book. I looked at it, and was like "this looks like it could be a big waste, maybe I'll ask people on SDN" and then you quoted that book!!

yea, haha.

well... i figured ive worked so hard to get the interview... and since its so damn important...whats 12 bucks for a few-hour read that could be helpful? i mean you spend like 100 bucks for an orgo book you know...

 

[Dr.Detroit]

There's a chapter on interviewing in the annual Pfizer Medical School Manual that's worth a look. I got a free copy of this book from the career advising office of my alma mater.

 

[mshheaddoc]

I've found alot of good information on interviews just here on the forum looking up what each school has asked as well as interview feedback.

Otherwise, general interview tips in any book would help. But make sure you know the background of school and have questions to ask about the school.

 

[TPROrgoTutor]

The way I always did it is the night before the interview while sitting all lonely in my hotel I would read over the school's information. Not the number of beds in xx hospital etc, or the number of patients seen each year, or research grants, but the school's mission statement, the kinds of physicians it turns out, curricullum, etc... That lets you be prepared for the interviews.

For the interview itself you have no idea what you will be asked. I had a couple "standard" interviews with "why medicine, why xxx school, why not engineering, how can you prove you are altruistic" etc... with some ethical problems thrown in. Other interviews we went back and forth asking eachother questions, rotating every 2 questions (paid off to be somewhat knowledgable about the school here).

What you will likely always be asked:
- Why med?
- Why this school?
- What do you do to destress?
- What do your parents do?
- What is the biggest problem in healthcare?
- How do you have fun?
- Are you competitive?
- What is your greatest strength?
- "" "" weakness?
- Where do you see yourself in xx years?
- Have you chosen a specialty?
- Do you work well with others? How can you prove it?
- What leadership experience do you have?
- During said leadership experience did you ever have to make a dificult decision regarding other leaders?
- Med school is long and hard, why do you want to do it?
- A couple ethical and practice questions...an example of mine to see if I believed in patient centered care was "If a post-op patient came back with complications arising from a deviation of your post-op orders, how would you handle the situation?"

-Be prepared to answer these basic questions, be prepared to do so in an unrehearsed, fresh manner, read over SDN interview feedback, and be prepared to answer completely off the wall questions. Be friendly, be professional (eye contact, sit up straight with perhaps a slight forward, interested lean, do not play with your hands, bite your nails etc, shake hands with a firm grip and a smile thanking them for meeting with you), and really try to learn as much about the school as possible.

 

[deuist]

Read this post from the SDN wiki. It has some sample questions.