Do you think my answer was enough? (at the interview)

[theflute]

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okey so the question was "why do you become a doctor?"
so i said (cant even remeber now oh god) blah blah and the main point was "to help people and contribute to the community"
and then they asked me "cant u already do that with ur pharmacy degree?"

i was like (oh god i didnt expect that question)
and i stumbled and I said "both are important jobs in a medical team but i want to take more of a medical point of view than pharmaceutical point of view" blha blah omg GOd it keeps repeating on my mind,
do you think my anwer was good enough?

the other questions went really well but this was like one of the first questions that igot! gosh

 

[coup de chance]

okey so the question was "why do you become a doctor?"
so i said (cant even remeber now oh god) blah blah and the main point was "to help people and contribute to the community"
and then they asked me "cant u already do that with ur pharmacy degree?"

i was like (oh god i didnt expect that question)
and i stumbled and I said "both are important jobs in a medical team but i want to take more of a medical point of view than pharmaceutical point of view" blha blah omg GOd it keeps repeating on my mind,
do you think my anwer was good enough?

the other questions went really well but this was like one of the first questions that igot! gosh

Firstly, don't panic. You win some and you LEARN some. You got the interview, so you did not lose... and this was only 1 question that you may have botched out of many that were asked.

Unfortunately you wrote so many blah blahs that it's pretty hard to judge how you did.

But NOW you know to expect such a question.

In fact, expect lots of questions along the theme of why do you want to do MEDICINE specifically (instead of something else in health care and other professions that have things in common with medicine).

Also expect questions on why school X for your medical studies.

You're not thoroughly prepared for your interview until...
- you find a list of common interview Qs (google online, lots of good lists) ... why medicine is a common question
- think of some answers (or bullet points to jog your memory in the interview)
- review your app... anything you wrote is fair game
- read up on the school(s) and know a few things that you like about it
- make a list of questions that YOU want to ask at the interview... time permitting
- prepare an interview binder of your work... resume, article reprints, copy of posters no larger than 11''x14'', flyer for your business, etc ... anything quick and easy to talk about if your interviewer asks about your accomplishments ... visual things are better suited for this purpose.
Everything should fit into one of those formal black folders that people tend to carry around on interviews.

Remember that you are selling YOURSELF in the app process. If you don't KNOW the product and aren't able to present a GREAT product, buyers will stay away.

Good luck

 

[Mithril]

I'm surprised people don't rehearse the answer to the very very basic question of why one actually wants to be a doctor before interviews.

 

[equios]

Some basic ones that will come up nearly 100% of the time:

* Why do you want to be a doctor/Why Medicine
* Why this school
* What would you do if you didn't get in/Couldn't do medicine
* Tell me about yourself

Be prepared to answer those at every interview, period. Those are THE stock questions for interviewing, and they will be presented in almost that exact open ended format.

 

[2050vlsb]

Firstly, don't panic. You win some and you LEARN some. You got the interview, so you did not lose... and this was only 1 question that you may have botched out of many that were asked.

Unfortunately you wrote so many blah blahs that it's pretty hard to judge how you did.

But NOW you know to expect such a question.

In fact, expect lots of questions along the theme of why do you want to do MEDICINE specifically (instead of something else in health care and other professions that have things in common with medicine).

Also expect questions on why school X for your medical studies.

You're not thoroughly prepared for your interview until...
- you find a list of common interview Qs (google online, lots of good lists) ... why medicine is a common question
- think of some answers (or bullet points to jog your memory in the interview)
- review your app... anything you wrote is fair game
- read up on the school(s) and know a few things that you like about it
- make a list of questions that YOU want to ask at the interview... time permitting
- prepare an interview binder of your work... resume, article reprints, copy of posters no larger than 11''x14'', flyer for your business, etc ... anything quick and easy to talk about if your interviewer asks about your accomplishments ... visual things are better suited for this purpose.
Everything should fit into one of those formal black folders that people tend to carry around on interviews.

Remember that you are selling YOURSELF in the app process. If you don't KNOW the product and aren't able to present a GREAT product, buyers will stay away.

Good luck

Thanks for the really excellent advice .. quick (and possibly stupid) question .. should we bring this with us to the interview in case an interviewer asks for follow up or to see something? Or is that unnecessary?

 

[Musclemass]

Thanks for the really excellent advice .. quick (and possibly stupid) question .. should we bring this with us to the interview in case an interviewer asks for follow up or to see something? Or is that unnecessary?

I disagree with the suggestion of having an interview binder stuffed with handouts, I think that's really bad advice.

The purpose of an interview is to get a sense of the person. Call it what you want, it's to subjectively assess personality, affability, how well the person can converse, etc. If in response to a question, you pop out an 8x10 four color brochure, I'm gonna think, WTF, can't this person express themself?

Your app has all the background info needed. Unless the interviewer has a particular interest in something you have done, it's presumptuous for you to think that supplying more written information is appropriate. Most of the time when a question about one of your activities is asked, it's to see how well you understand and can explain it, not because anyone needs to know more than they already do.

Edit
I agree with having resume copies, especially where the interviews are closed file. But let it be requested, don't volunteer it.

 

[willen101383]

Thanks for the really excellent advice .. quick (and possibly stupid) question .. should we bring this with us to the interview in case an interviewer asks for follow up or to see something? Or is that unnecessary?

When I was interviewing I coincidentally had a few resume copies (tailored toward my work rather than school, since I am sort of non trad) in my leather bound binder. I had no intention of ever even pulling these out, but my interviewer noticed them. Since my career was in the allied health field (clinical lab medicine and bloodbanking) it worked out nicely when she noticed my resume in there.


I sort of think its actually a good practice...especially if your work is in a related field. It gives your interviewer a more detailed glance into your work life as opposed to school life,and for us non trad types work most likely was a huge part of your life before med school.

 

[coup de chance]

Thanks for the really excellent advice .. quick (and possibly stupid) question .. should we bring this with us to the interview in case an interviewer asks for follow up or to see something? Or is that unnecessary?

Yes, I think you should. I did and I know several successful applicants who did the same... that's not to say that you have to by any means -- do whatever you feel most comfortable.

Just carry a few things in your formal black folder (it's the p/leather folder most ppl take to interviews anyway to hold their legal pad and a pen). If you don't go over the space limit within that folder that is left over after a legal pad and pen... the whole folder usually only about 1 cm thick or less), you'll look pretty polished.

BTW, ppl use the legal pad and pen for jotting down your questions for the school and any important info you got during the interview... just a quick memory jogger. Sometimes your interviewer might give you some gold nugget that you would be a fool not to follow up on, so it's good to be prepared

I would definitely put enough copies of your nicely formatted resume (limit to 1 sheet of paper only, use the back if you did a lot) -- 1 copy for each interviewer + 1 extra -- so probably 4-5 copies, just in case.

Not all interviewers will have access to everything in your app. And some of them didn't have time to read what they had access to. Some schools are closed file, some schools are pers statemt only, etc. So if you put in the concise and pretty resume, you can only impress.

So go ahead and pull your resume out of your black folder and just lay it out on your side of the table. If your interviewer gives it curious looks, then find an appropriate segway in your chat to mention that you brought along your resume that may be better formatted than the one AMCAS auto-generates in case the interviewer is interested. So not everyone may be interested in your resume, and that's fine. But at least you have it if they care.

Besides, the resume is kind of like your party favor for your sale event (you're selling why they should accept you)... and everybody likes party favors 😀

I disagree with the suggestion of having an interview binder stuffed with handouts, I think that's really bad advice.

The purpose of an interview is to get a sense of the person. Call it what you want, it's to subjectively assess personality, affability, how well the person can converse, etc. If in response to a question, you pop out an 8x10 four color brochure, I'm gonna think, WTF, can't this person express themself?

Your app has all the background info needed. Unless the interviewer has a particular interest in something you have done, it's presumptuous for you to think that supplying more written information is appropriate. Most of the time when a question about one of your activities is asked, it's to see how well you understand and can explain it, not because anyone needs to know more than they already do.

Agree. 😎 No one should just pop out an 8x10 four color brochure in lieu of talking. But you're trying to SELL yourself -- so visuals can be a powerful aid. Just don't be an annoying infomercial.

Applicants should gauge how receptive the interviewer is to them in their chat up to that point... If everything has gone pretty well, and you preferably you've made them laugh a few times -- visuals will probably be an asset if appropriate for the interviewers' questions.

 

[orthomyxo]

But you're trying to SELL yourself -- so visuals can be a powerful aid. Just don't be an annoying infomercial.

BILLY MAYS HERE with the PERFECT MED SCHOOL APPLICANT

 

[coup de chance]

BILLY MAYS HERE with the PERFECT MED SCHOOL APPLICANT

 

[theflute]

thanks for the advice, everyone.
wel im glad i could help others too by putting up a (quick and possibly stupid)question.

I will think upon ur advice coup - it is such nice one !
like you say I will always have to be prepared for those open ended questions (and possibly the most difficult ones for me- is this just me?)
Anyway, I hope I have shown myself enough to schools (the sincere person who has wanted to study medicine for a long time and worked for it ) even though I cant deny that i still have some regrets regarding my preparation and etc.

Again, thank you and I will think and ask u more 😀 if thats okey