Does it matter who your interviewer is?

[remo]

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Can you determine anything about where you stand by which interviewer they assign you? If an associate Dean of Admissions is going to interview you versus a regular faculty member does this mean they have a higher interest in you? I would think that the higher-ups take the best applicants so they have the best shot at getting them to come to the school.

 

[jocg27]

don't try to outthink this, you won't and it's not worth it. It might be a pattern, it might not. Who cares? Do your best whoever interviews you. Don't read into who they are, don't even notice who they are, except for the obvious in case you'd like to contact them again for whatever reason. Whoever they are, they are interviewing you and you want them to think you're a solid applicant. Med school admissions are a mysterious think - it's not always obvious who has the clout and you, as an MS-0, have hopelessly little chance of figuring out the school's politics in a day.

If you're going to put in the extra effort to impress the dean of the medical college who interviews you, by necessity it means you're not putting in the same effort to make an impression on the "regular" professor who interviews you, or, for that matter, the secretary who tells you where to sit and put your coat in the morning. This reflects badly on you. Be on your A game for everyone during the day. Schmoozing with the deans and blowing off "regular" interviewers and, for that matter, the secretary makes you look like a tool and might (and probably should) cost you a spot.

 

[jocg27]

I know you didn't actually *say* you were going to put in more effort with some people or be nicer to some people.....but if you think certain people are more important then you will, whether you realize it or not.

Just don't worry about it.

 

[rajad10]

don't try to outthink this, you won't and it's not worth it. It might be a pattern, it might not. Who cares? Do your best whoever interviews you. Don't read into who they are, don't even notice who they are, except for the obvious in case you'd like to contact them again for whatever reason. Whoever they are, they are interviewing you and you want them to think you're a solid applicant. Med school admissions are a mysterious think - it's not always obvious who has the clout and you, as an MS-0, have hopelessly little chance of figuring out the school's politics in a day.

If you're going to put in the extra effort to impress the dean of the medical college who interviews you, by necessity it means you're not putting in the same effort to make an impression on the "regular" professor who interviews you, or, for that matter, the secretary who tells you where to sit and put your coat in the morning. This reflects badly on you. Be on your A game for everyone during the day. Schmoozing with the deans and blowing off "regular" interviewers and, for that matter, the secretary makes you look like a tool and might (and probably should) cost you a spot.

 

[remo]

I know you didn't actually *say* you were going to put in more effort with some people or be nicer to some people.....but if you think certain people are more important then you will, whether you realize it or not.

Just don't worry about it.

I don't know how you came up with me implying I would treat anyone differently. That is not part of my post at all. I am trying to determine their level of interest in me - this doesn't have anything to do with my level of interest in them.

I have been involved with interviewing at a business and I can tell you that the boss will interview the people they are most interested in.

 

[Haemulon]

I don't know how you came up with me implying I would treat anyone differently. That is not part of my post at all. I am trying to determine their level of interest in me - this doesn't have anything to do with my level of interest in them.

I have been involved with interviewing at a business and I can tell you that the boss will interview the people they are most interested in.

This will be usefull to know if any of us ever apply to work where that boss is.

 

[jocg27]

I just think it's not worth trying to guess about at all. If you're interviewed by a regular professor, you can spend the whole time thinking they're not interested in you, and for what? Maybe it's true and you're not likely to get in - will that change how you interview? Maybe it's false and they just said everyone does 15 interviews and split up the names alphabetically.

If you're interviewed by the dean, you can spend the whole time thinking you're already in and the interview is just a technicality, and for what? Maybe it's true and you're already nearly in - will that change how you interview? Maybe it's false and they drew names out of a hat, or common interests, or who knows.

Just imagine everyone's the dean.

And I do think it's related to treating people differently. My personal belief is that once you try to outguess how they are ranking you, it *will* change your level of interest in them and how you conduct yourself during your interview. If you think you're not likely to get in, due to the status of your interviewer or whatever, you won't try as hard. If you feel like it's a good sign the dean is interviewing you, you'll feel like you're on the radar, so to speak, and you will try harder. People always are on their best behavior when they think they're being observed by someone important.

It's entirely possible the dean interviews the best applicants. Maybe, I dunno. It still seems like it's shooting yourself in the foot to think too much about it though.

Maybe you can separate the two. I suppose it's possible to simultaneously try and figure out the ranked importance of your interviewers, and still treat everyone around you with the exact same equal level of utmost courtesy and respect, but personally I think it'd be pretty difficult and not really worth the effort.

If you are involved in interviewing for business, you might also realize that even though it's true the boss might interview the best candidates, a candidate who has decided before the interview that he's got the job because he's being interviewed by the boss is likely to be in trouble.

 

[Law2Doc]

Can you determine anything about where you stand by which interviewer they assign you? If an associate Dean of Admissions is going to interview you versus a regular faculty member does this mean they have a higher interest in you? I would think that the higher-ups take the best applicants so they have the best shot at getting them to come to the school.

It's probably just paranoid thinking rather than scientific observation, but it sure seemed like those people who got to meet with the deans/department chairmen/clinicians tended to get further in the process than those interviewed by the student interviewers and non-physician faculty. Not a hard and fast rule, though.

 

[mjc48]

at some, but not all places, they will try to match you up by interest. for instance, i've done a lot of research and i got interviewed by a pretty high ratio of pathologists and split time researchers.

interesting thread though, i hope someone has insider info since i was wondering the same thing while going through it

 

[RAD11]

Can you determine anything about where you stand by which interviewer they assign you? If an associate Dean of Admissions is going to interview you versus a regular faculty member does this mean they have a higher interest in you? I would think that the higher-ups take the best applicants so they have the best shot at getting them to come to the school.

I don't think it matters at all. Don't you get interviewed based on who's available that day?

 

[Law2Doc]

I don't think it matters at all. Don't you get interviewed based on who's available that day?

At most places, there is a pretty wide range of players doing interviews on any given day. At some places, every interviewee can see multiple interviewers distinct from those all the other interviewee sees. At other places, there is some overlap.