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At the end of my application season, I want to share something (really for future applicants) that I think was the greatest lesson I learned in gaining acceptances (and not more waitlists) to medical schools...with pretty decent anecdotal evidence.
Outside of a few Ivy's (I have a 32-34 MCAT: I know now that I was not as competitive as I originally thought- and THAT is a whole other lesson) I was fortunate enough to receive interviews from all 7 of the schools where I was complete. Additionally, just like many of you--and you'll just have to take my word--I am a perfectly likeable, non-awkward, mature but fun student and person. So: early on, during the fall, after a couple of good/great interviews turned into waitlists in a row, I was really kind of confused!
I'll get right to it:
You know how people give interview advice about standing out through purposefully being the most awesome version of yourself EVER, all day long at your interview? THAT IS NOT A JOKE. Although some of you will undoubtedly have such off the charts stats and EC's that you just need to be "relatively normal" to get an acceptance and 3/4 tuition scholarship, MOST OF YOU DON'T! INCLUDING MYSELF! You cannot just go, be "normal" and "nice" and "relaxed," be unconcerned with engaging others at all times, and put on a little more of a show during your actual interview. You have to be #^$&*%@ AWESOME. The whole time. And then, in the interview itself? You need to be DOUBLE &#*$&#^ AWESOME. This is not about being fake, I assume you are already a generally awesome person- this is about remembering to turn your awesome up to ELEVEN.
Wise people tell you these things all the time but you don't ACTUALLY do it (or do it to the extent you need to be doing it) (and I used to not do it, either):
Go hard ALL DAY LONG. Be exhausted when you fall asleep that night because you were firing on all cylinders non-stop.
Sit up really straight, or even better, lean a LITTLE bit forward in your chair because you are so interested and excited to have an interview for f'ing MEDICAL SCHOOL (THIS IS YOUR DREAM!)
Speak with confidence and PASSION- real, genuine passion. Let it show!
Look people in the eyes. #*$&%*@SMILE A LOT!
All of the other stuff- thoughtful answers, creative questions, etc.; this is FROSTING. The cake for most of us is in the intangibles.
And no, I am not saying you need to act exaggerated like a ridiculous cartoon character, I just mean you need to be seriously turned up and tuned in.
Although there is a chance that I happened to not be a good fit at the schools I interviewed at before I made the "switch," I can tell you that I am 100% accepted at all schools I interviewed at afterward. Hey, it's n=1, and I've taken statistics too. I get it- it is anecdotal. I think I even already mentioned that. I am just saying- this advice is worth thinking about. Because the thing that many of you don't realize (don't really viscerally understand), is that the people that are at your interview day can for the most part EASILY replace or mimic you statistically. Your MCAT, GPA, etc. just don't make you stand out that much.YOU HAVE TO STAND OUT BY BEING NOTICEABLY AWESOME AND EXCITED. I am repeating myself.
Ok, here is the best example I have of using this advice (which I didn't come up with or anything, I just began to employ others' wisdom):
At one of the schools that I have been accepted to this cycle, I continued to take advantage of two important opportunities. 1.) Before the day really started (and continuing throughout the day), I made the effort to be jovial and engaging with all of the other interviewees. I didn't want to be the center of attention, but I wanted to be an integral member of our interview day group. This is easy for me, because I really love talking to strangers. If you don't love talking to people (are you sure you want to be a doctor?)- you STILL need to do this. 2.) My interviewer was present in the meetings that occurred before our interview sessions. You know- the curriculum, the history of the school, the culture of the city, etc. It was a powerpoint presentation, like they all are, and the speaker would read a slide and then expand on it. While everyone at the massive conference table that we all have to sit at during every interview day sat with their back to the speaker and stared at the powerpoint slides, I (using my "EXTREME INTERVIEW DAY DYNAMIC INTEREST AND EXCITEMENT") made the simple effort to read the slide and then turn around to engage with the speaker during the non-reading portion of the speech. I had a pleasant look on my face. We made a lot of eye contact and I looked pumped to be there. Not a cartoon, but a little more excited than most of the other candidates. THESE TWO THINGS ESSENTIALLY PUNCHED MY TICKET INTO THIS PARTICULAR MEDICAL SCHOOL.
Do you know what my interviewer said to me when we sat down? That they had ALREADY decided that they liked me before our actual interview even started. That they had been tacitly watching me (all of us), ALL DAY (you ever notice that hang out areas are almost always INSIDE THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS) and that they already knew everything that they really wanted to know about me- and already knew I was A FIT (being a FIT is the name of the game). Because, gosh darnit, we all have 30+ MCATS, >3.5 GPA's, ER volunteering, and etc. But this stuff, the real person stuff--and physicians do real people stuff--is what sets you apart from your peers. That this FORMAL interview time was now more for chatting and clarifying any questions. (Unspoken) That I already had their vote and that they were going to advocate for me. Do you know what that means? What that really means? It means that I had--through making an effort to show EXTERNALLY my INTERNAL feelings (excitement, passion, gratitude, etc.)--completed the previous and often unrecognized "informal" interview (not just the formal face-to-face part) with great success. And I moved to the front of at least the majority of my peers through that recognition of the significance of the entire interview day.
Future applicants: I realize that your set of circumstances may not always be an exact repetition of my example story. However, in general, as a rule of thumb, I really think that my advice (WHICH, AGAIN, IS REALLY THE ADVICE OF MANY, MANY SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS THAT I SIMPLY MADE A POINT TO USE), is going to be helpful for you. I know that it has literally been a fundamental part of turning my dreams into a reality- and helping my application take the leap from "let's wait around and see who else interviews" to "WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THIS PERSON!!!!"
This was all written out of love- I wish you all the very best!
Outside of a few Ivy's (I have a 32-34 MCAT: I know now that I was not as competitive as I originally thought- and THAT is a whole other lesson) I was fortunate enough to receive interviews from all 7 of the schools where I was complete. Additionally, just like many of you--and you'll just have to take my word--I am a perfectly likeable, non-awkward, mature but fun student and person. So: early on, during the fall, after a couple of good/great interviews turned into waitlists in a row, I was really kind of confused!
I'll get right to it:
You know how people give interview advice about standing out through purposefully being the most awesome version of yourself EVER, all day long at your interview? THAT IS NOT A JOKE. Although some of you will undoubtedly have such off the charts stats and EC's that you just need to be "relatively normal" to get an acceptance and 3/4 tuition scholarship, MOST OF YOU DON'T! INCLUDING MYSELF! You cannot just go, be "normal" and "nice" and "relaxed," be unconcerned with engaging others at all times, and put on a little more of a show during your actual interview. You have to be #^$&*%@ AWESOME. The whole time. And then, in the interview itself? You need to be DOUBLE &#*$&#^ AWESOME. This is not about being fake, I assume you are already a generally awesome person- this is about remembering to turn your awesome up to ELEVEN.
Wise people tell you these things all the time but you don't ACTUALLY do it (or do it to the extent you need to be doing it) (and I used to not do it, either):
Go hard ALL DAY LONG. Be exhausted when you fall asleep that night because you were firing on all cylinders non-stop.
Sit up really straight, or even better, lean a LITTLE bit forward in your chair because you are so interested and excited to have an interview for f'ing MEDICAL SCHOOL (THIS IS YOUR DREAM!)
Speak with confidence and PASSION- real, genuine passion. Let it show!
Look people in the eyes. #*$&%*@SMILE A LOT!
All of the other stuff- thoughtful answers, creative questions, etc.; this is FROSTING. The cake for most of us is in the intangibles.
And no, I am not saying you need to act exaggerated like a ridiculous cartoon character, I just mean you need to be seriously turned up and tuned in.
Although there is a chance that I happened to not be a good fit at the schools I interviewed at before I made the "switch," I can tell you that I am 100% accepted at all schools I interviewed at afterward. Hey, it's n=1, and I've taken statistics too. I get it- it is anecdotal. I think I even already mentioned that. I am just saying- this advice is worth thinking about. Because the thing that many of you don't realize (don't really viscerally understand), is that the people that are at your interview day can for the most part EASILY replace or mimic you statistically. Your MCAT, GPA, etc. just don't make you stand out that much.YOU HAVE TO STAND OUT BY BEING NOTICEABLY AWESOME AND EXCITED. I am repeating myself.
Ok, here is the best example I have of using this advice (which I didn't come up with or anything, I just began to employ others' wisdom):
At one of the schools that I have been accepted to this cycle, I continued to take advantage of two important opportunities. 1.) Before the day really started (and continuing throughout the day), I made the effort to be jovial and engaging with all of the other interviewees. I didn't want to be the center of attention, but I wanted to be an integral member of our interview day group. This is easy for me, because I really love talking to strangers. If you don't love talking to people (are you sure you want to be a doctor?)- you STILL need to do this. 2.) My interviewer was present in the meetings that occurred before our interview sessions. You know- the curriculum, the history of the school, the culture of the city, etc. It was a powerpoint presentation, like they all are, and the speaker would read a slide and then expand on it. While everyone at the massive conference table that we all have to sit at during every interview day sat with their back to the speaker and stared at the powerpoint slides, I (using my "EXTREME INTERVIEW DAY DYNAMIC INTEREST AND EXCITEMENT") made the simple effort to read the slide and then turn around to engage with the speaker during the non-reading portion of the speech. I had a pleasant look on my face. We made a lot of eye contact and I looked pumped to be there. Not a cartoon, but a little more excited than most of the other candidates. THESE TWO THINGS ESSENTIALLY PUNCHED MY TICKET INTO THIS PARTICULAR MEDICAL SCHOOL.
Do you know what my interviewer said to me when we sat down? That they had ALREADY decided that they liked me before our actual interview even started. That they had been tacitly watching me (all of us), ALL DAY (you ever notice that hang out areas are almost always INSIDE THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS) and that they already knew everything that they really wanted to know about me- and already knew I was A FIT (being a FIT is the name of the game). Because, gosh darnit, we all have 30+ MCATS, >3.5 GPA's, ER volunteering, and etc. But this stuff, the real person stuff--and physicians do real people stuff--is what sets you apart from your peers. That this FORMAL interview time was now more for chatting and clarifying any questions. (Unspoken) That I already had their vote and that they were going to advocate for me. Do you know what that means? What that really means? It means that I had--through making an effort to show EXTERNALLY my INTERNAL feelings (excitement, passion, gratitude, etc.)--completed the previous and often unrecognized "informal" interview (not just the formal face-to-face part) with great success. And I moved to the front of at least the majority of my peers through that recognition of the significance of the entire interview day.
Future applicants: I realize that your set of circumstances may not always be an exact repetition of my example story. However, in general, as a rule of thumb, I really think that my advice (WHICH, AGAIN, IS REALLY THE ADVICE OF MANY, MANY SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS THAT I SIMPLY MADE A POINT TO USE), is going to be helpful for you. I know that it has literally been a fundamental part of turning my dreams into a reality- and helping my application take the leap from "let's wait around and see who else interviews" to "WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THIS PERSON!!!!"
This was all written out of love- I wish you all the very best!
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