Confidence going into interview

[Naruhodo]

I'm wondering if anyone has tips for how to present yourself as confident but not cocky going into an interview?

A little back story: My first cycle I applied to 20 places and received a single interview to an MD/PhD program. I suspected it wasn't enough (it wasn't) but at least I felt good about the interview day. Unfortunately the dean let me know they'd offered their last MSTP spot to someone who interviewed two weekends before. I did get an email asking if I'd be interested in MD only, but in my foolish youth I said no thanks and enrolled in grad school instead.

My grad school lab was not ideal, but I did learn some good science and it helped me focus my interests in medicine. I'm in a better situation for my postdoc and with the support of folks from my new lab, I re-applied to medical school.

I don't have a ton of interviews, but one of the interviews I have is to my all-time dream school. I feel decently about my first interview this cycle, but I really want to put my best foot forward for this next interview. I wish I felt more certainty about getting in somewhere at this point and had more interviews under my belt, but what can you do? One piece of advice I've heard multiple times is to not sound over-rehearsed, so I'm also trying to walk that line between being well-prepared and sounding like you have a memorized script.

So yeah: how to come off as someone that knows their stuff and deserves to be there?

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[sullen-burger]

I'm wondering if anyone has tips for how to present yourself as confident but not cocky going into an interview?

A little back story: My first cycle I applied to 20 places and received a single interview to an MD/PhD program. I suspected it wasn't enough (it wasn't) but at least I felt good about the interview day. Unfortunately the dean let me know they'd offered their last MSTP spot to someone who interviewed two weekends before. I did get an email asking if I'd be interested in MD only, but in my foolish youth I said no thanks and enrolled in grad school instead.

My grad school lab was not ideal, but I did learn some good science and it helped me focus my interests in medicine. I'm in a better situation for my postdoc and with the support of folks from my new lab, I re-applied to medical school.

I don't have a ton of interviews, but one of the interviews I have is to my all-time dream school. I feel decently about my first interview this cycle, but I really want to put my best foot forward for this next interview. I wish I felt more certainty about getting in somewhere at this point and had more interviews under my belt, but what can you do? One piece of advice I've heard multiple times is to not sound over-rehearsed, so I'm also trying to walk that line between being well-prepared and sounding like you have a memorized script.

So yeah: how to come off as someone that knows their stuff and deserves to be there?

So you already had one II? And have more? Congratulations! Having at least 3 is virtually a guarantee of a spot, or so goes the saying. Point is. With multiple interviews, you should feel really good about yourself and your chances.

You've already had these questions asked already, but just to re iterate common questions:

---Why doc/why medicine (especially important for you since moving from primarily research)

---Why this school is best for you/Why you are best for this school (over other people, don't be too modest, now you're selling yourself)

---And know everything about yourself and your application, secondaries. PS, and research, including the approximate number of hours spent doing xyz, in case they ask.

Have thought out answers to at least those questions and you're golden.


No interview goes the way you plan it out in your head, so just stop thinking that you could ever really re-hearse a script or practice for an interview like it's a movie scene.

Ideally, you have a conversation, and you don't need me to tell you that a conversation is dynamic.

Good advice I once received was make sure you have a solid memory of the list of activities you've done, and if you're ever asked a question that's random or an ethical "what would you do", you have experiences to point to as your reasoning.

Obviously if your activity is research or shadowing then those apply to the "why doc" or "why this school" questions. But if it's a question like; " What's the bravest thing you've ever done?" Then it helps to have a short list of experiences to draw anecdotes from.


You deserve to be there for the interview by virtue of being chosen to interview. Your grades and ECs and exams are all good. They just want to know who you are as a person. Aaaand that you're not a psycho.

Are you a psycho?

If not. Then you'll be fine! Good luck!

 

[gamieg]

practice. with yourself, with a mirror, with a video camera, with other people (both those who know you well and those who don't). get feedback, be honest and genuine, and (like you mentioned) don't memorize.

have bullet points of rehearsed ideas in your head of what you'd like to say, but don't memorize the order or concoct a script; it doesn't work and can backfire.

smile.

and don't worry about being perfect. there's no such thing, and being genuine and authentic will get you much further. on that same note, be aware of your past shortcomings and own up to them because that's a great baseline for maturity measurement.

good luck

 

[Naruhodo]

Thank you both for your advice and well wishes. I just had a chat this morning with a premed advisor who also basically said not to count myself out at this point. (He did ask what schools exactly I had thought of as my safety schools. In case anyone else is tempted to fall into this trap: even when you work at a medical school that doesn't mean they will interview you.)

Funny thing is, the premed advisor was actually a college classmate who stayed on at the same institution for medical school and residency. Maybe that is why when I called up asking if they'd still be willing to coordinate a committee letter for me he said yes rather than just, "You graduated how long ago?!?" and hanging up like I'd envisioned in my head.