Goro’s guide to interviews

[Anomandaris]

I asked a very similar question toward the bottom of page 4 in this thread actually. Basically, yes, you'll come off as too desperate if you said something like that. If it really is your top choice, you should be able to provide them with an awesome and genuine response for "why this school?" kinda questions.

Oooh mea culpa. Sorry for not looking through the previous pages, really tired at the moment heh. Thanks for the info though!

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[Goro]

Location is a fine reason for an app. One should always be able to rattle off good and bad points about schools you've applied to and even more for schools you've interviewed at.

Dr. Goro, would it be appropriate to respond to that question by saying, "I've applied to X, Y, Z etc, but the thing I value the most is a school that's the right fit for me. And the things I really like about your program are A, B, C which is why I really would like to attend here"?

Could they ask why you applied to x y and z if they weren't a good fit ^^

 

[deleted718115]

Location is a fine reason for an app. One should always be able to rattle off good and bad points about schools you've applied to and even more for schools you've interviewed at.

How can I answer "why this school?" for a new school that hasn't graduated a class yet?

 

[mehc012]

How can I answer "why this school?" for a new school that hasn't graduated a class yet?

Excited to be a part of a program that's growing, expanding, etc. You love the location and the plans they have and want to help shape the atmosphere and give feedback on the curriculum. You want to contribute to building a new place for medical education.

 

[Goro]

This.

Excited to be a part of a program that's growing, expanding, etc. You love the location and the plans they have and want to help shape the atmosphere and give feedback on the curriculum. You want to contribute to building a new place for medical education.

 

[Xenith]

Hey guys I am so sorry if this is a repeat question, but should we send thank you emails or mail handwritten thank you cards?

 

[Goro]

It doesn't matter.

Hey guys I am so sorry if this is a repeat question, but should we send thank you emails or mail handwritten thank you cards?

 

[musicalfeet]

Question for @Goro , does needing to pee immediately before the interview equal a bad first impression? Combing through my last interview, and I remembered that after orientation (time was running close!) and the deans + financial aid officers were giving their presentation, I thought it would be rude to walk out and go use the bathroom. I didn't think the time would be so close to the actual interview, so right after the presentation, I sprang up to go use the bathroom. Ended up seeing my interviewer come in as I was looking for the bathroom, and asked if it was okay if she waited for me for a bit while I used the bathroom. I still shook her hand and was enthusiastic/happy to see her though..and apologized profusely afterwards.

In my defense, I had to go really really badly, and didn't think I could hold it through an hour-long interview, but I definitely feel bad making her wait 3-4 minutes for me while the other students were already leaving to go to their interviews.

And sorry if this is a stupid/crazy question.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Question for @Goro , does needing to pee immediately before the interview equal a bad first impression? Combing through my last interview, and I remembered that after orientation (time was running close!) and the deans + financial aid officers were giving their presentation, I thought it would be rude to walk out and go use the bathroom. I didn't think the time would be so close to the actual interview, so right after the presentation, I sprang up to go use the bathroom. Ended up seeing my interviewer come in as I was looking for the bathroom, and asked if it was okay if she waited for me for a bit while I used the bathroom. I still shook her hand and was enthusiastic/happy to see her though..and apologized profusely afterwards.

In my defense, I had to go really really badly, and didn't think I could hold it through an hour-long interview, but I definitely feel bad making her wait 3-4 minutes for me while the other students were already leaving to go to their interviews.

And sorry if this is a stupid/crazy question.

I'm not goro but I don't think they care..

 

[Catman21]

Gauss, this is completely irrelevant. Maybe you got post confused with the "schools looking for LGBT students thread"??

Your interviewers are going to be, for the most part, PhDs and/or MDs/DOs. Their gender is completely irrelevant. This is a professional setting and you act accordingly. You're not interviewing for a job...it's a career that starts at a professional school. The person you're talking to is not yet your peer.

And our Admissions Deans and staff aren't *****s, they have, at least at my school, placards or name tags for the interviewees. So if Jane comes in, and her tag says Jane, even though she started life as a John, I call her Jane.

I'm worried about you, Gauss. Have you taken the MCAT yet? Watch out for the VR section, especially reading comprehension and critical thinking.

Rowdy dick move there, chief. Granted his post was completely ******ed.

 

[Goro]

Xanax stat, please

Just don't pee in the interview room and you'll be OK.

Question for @Goro , does needing to pee immediately before the interview equal a bad first impression? Combing through my last interview, and I remembered that after orientation (time was running close!) and the deans + financial aid officers were giving their presentation, I thought it would be rude to walk out and go use the bathroom. I didn't think the time would be so close to the actual interview, so right after the presentation, I sprang up to go use the bathroom. Ended up seeing my interviewer come in as I was looking for the bathroom, and asked if it was okay if she waited for me for a bit while I used the bathroom. I still shook her hand and was enthusiastic/happy to see her though..and apologized profusely afterwards.

In my defense, I had to go really really badly, and didn't think I could hold it through an hour-long interview, but I definitely feel bad making her wait 3-4 minutes for me while the other students were already leaving to go to their interviews.

And sorry if this is a stupid/crazy question.

 

[allanMED15]

Just read this whole thread! Wow. Even though I don't have any interviews yet, this will definitely be referenced in the future.

 

[Spector1]

If an interviewer asked if you'd like to add anything else at the end of an interview, would it be inappropriate to directly tell them that they're your top choice/you'd matriculate on the spot if they accepted you? Or would this come off as really desperate lmao...

well you could tell them that you really enjoyed meeting with them and that you really understand the school much better as a result of talking to them

 

[Strigon]

To add to the advice in this thread, I'd suggest that if one has a ritual (meditation, reading, etc.) for high-stress situations, that they do said ritual prior to their interview. I have an pre-interview/presentation ritual where I (potentially a stupid idea) chug a Red Bull prior to the start of whatever I'm doing. Whether this is an example of the placebo effect or not, I've found that doing this ritual correlates with good performance.

Avoid alcohol for these rituals. Save that for the hotel/airport bar after your interview.

 

[TheCruelOne]

I know it's important to be able to know your primary application inside and out, however I'm wondering exactly what that entails. I can speak and explain all of my activities, however I'm wondering whether I should know the exact dates and hours for each activity.

 

[avgn]

I know it's important to be able to know your primary application inside and out, however I'm wondering exactly what that entails. I can speak and explain all of my activities, however I'm wondering whether I should know the exact dates and hours for each activity.

Lolol no that's not a necessary part of knowing your app. Know what you did, what you learned, why you enjoyed it, that's the important part. If you really need to refer to dates for some reason, this is why it's a good idea to have the primary printed out and brought with you.

 

[ImmunoLove]

Xanax stat, please

Just don't pee in the interview room and you'll be OK.

Hahahahaha I laughed so hard my dogs were startled! Well good morning!

 

[Anomandaris]

Lolol no that's not a necessary part of knowing your app. Know what you did, what you learned, why you enjoyed it, that's the important part. If you really need to refer to dates for some reason, this is why it's a good idea to have the primary printed out and brought with you.

Do people really print out their primary to bring along? I've never seen this done, but I'm heading to a closed file interview soon and was contemplating doing this...

 

[mehc012]

Do people really print out their primary to bring along? I've never seen this done, but I'm heading to a closed file interview soon and was contemplating doing this...

I haven't seen it and wouldn't advise it. For a closed file interview there is ABSOLUTELY no reason...If the interview were about minutiae of your primary they would at least READ your primary first.

As for normal interviews - can you not at least ballpark your activity dates? After all, you're the one who did them!

Interviews are for interacting with your interviewer, not perusing your own file. Don't bring your primary into an interview.

 

[Anomandaris]

I haven't seen it and wouldn't advise it. For a closed file interview there is ABSOLUTELY no reason...If the interview were about minutiae of your primary they would at least READ your primary first.

As for normal interviews - can you not at least ballpark your activity dates? After all, you're the one who did them!

Interviews are for interacting with your interviewer, not perusing your own file. Don't bring your primary into an interview.

Yeah it always seemed weird to me, but I've seen several people suggest it. Contemplated it against my better judgment. Thanks for clearing it up though!

 

[Goro]

Hyper neurotic or hyperacheivers do this.

Do NOT do this for any reason. Interviews are not for show and tell.

Do people really print out their primary to bring along? I've never seen this done, but I'm heading to a closed file interview soon and was contemplating doing this...

 

[avgn]

I haven't seen it and wouldn't advise it. For a closed file interview there is ABSOLUTELY no reason...If the interview were about minutiae of your primary they would at least READ your primary first.

As for normal interviews - can you not at least ballpark your activity dates? After all, you're the one who did them!

Interviews are for interacting with your interviewer, not perusing your own file. Don't bring your primary into an interview.

You're twisting our words. You print your primary so you can read it on paper to refresh your memory beforehand, not to stare at it during the interview. I bring a padfolio everywhere with me so putting a printed copy in there isn't a big deal. I haven't looked at it during my interviews, but it's nice to give it a quick read over the night before since I don't do any other interview prep at all.

 

[mehc012]

You're twisting our words. You print your primary so you can read it on paper to refresh your memory beforehand, not to stare at it during the interview. I bring a padfolio everywhere with me so putting a printed copy in there isn't a big deal. I haven't looked at it during my interviews, but it's nice to give it a quick read over the night before since I don't do any other interview prep at all.

If an activity is so minor in your mind that you can't recall when you did it (ballpark), you either have memory issues (in which case med school is probably not the best choice) or it was so meaningless to you that it has no business being on your app. This is doubly true if you already read through the app the night before.

That part - looking over things the night before - is not what was being talked about. I can see that being helpful if you want to remind yourself of what has already been said about the activity, etc. I would personally just use my computer, but if you aren't bringing your PC on your trip or really prefer to read on paper, it makes sense to put it on trees. I also like to read through the secondary to remind me what that specific school got from me (they all meld together in one giant rush of secondary panic!) Again, that's not what I was advising against above.

I'm not twisting your words, you just used words that implied something that even you apparently don't do/advise. The person already has a grasp of what they did, the meaning, and the ballpark timelines (things you refresh when glancing through it the night before). Your advice was to bring along the primary in case you need to 'refer to' exact dates...which very much paints a picture of whipping it out and cross-checking the dates when asked something.

 

[hollaatyogirl]

hi @Goro
how much importance do adcoms give to the feedback of medical student interviewers? Do they give more weight to faculty interviewer feedback?

 

[Spector1]

Do people really print out their primary to bring along? I've never seen this done, but I'm heading to a closed file interview soon and was contemplating doing this...

its just a few sheets of paper, I would do it to be safe

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I know it's important to be able to know your primary application inside and out, however I'm wondering exactly what that entails. I can speak and explain all of my activities, however I'm wondering whether I should know the exact dates and hours for each activity.

lol I doubt anyone cares if you can tell the precise number of hours..

 

[Goro]

My students tend to be harsher on the candidates, so the rest of the Adcom members have to pull them back into reality sometimes.

hi @Goro
how much importance do adcoms give to the feedback of medical student interviewers? Do they give more weight to faculty interviewer feedback?

 

[hollaatyogirl]

My students tend to be harsher on the candidates, so the rest of the Adcom members have to pull them back into reality sometimes.

reassuring to hear... I felt a lot better about the faculty interviews than the mstudent interviews

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I always feel much more relaxed with students!

 

[Lawpy]

My students tend to be harsher on the candidates, so the rest of the Adcom members have to pull them back into reality sometimes.

Oh the joys of being a student interviewer

 

[ImmunoLove]

My students tend to be harsher on the candidates, so the rest of the Adcom members have to pull them back into reality sometimes.

Shocking.

[sarcasm]

 

[musicalfeet]

@Goro Sorry for another potentially ridiculous/neurotic question...(feel free to shove Xanax down my throat through the screen)

I was recently thinking about one of my interviews, and they raised a question about a fundraising concert I performed/put together to give in-need students tuition for music. Obviously, the concert was promoted and many people who helped were affiliated with a music academy. Now, my mom also owns a school, and the interviewer noticed that and asked if the school that supported me is the same school as my mom's. I was a bit thrown by the question so I hesitated for about 3-4 seconds, before stating that while they were different schools, my mom owning a school obviously helped the concert turnout + money eventually raised because of the wide reaching audience she has as well (so...my success is obviously attributed to her also), but I didn't want to be affiliated with her school because I'm stubborn and wanted to feel like I made this concert happen on my own without nepotism.

My worries stem mostly from the 3-4 second hesitation before providing that answer. My paranoia makes me think my interviewer may not totally buy it or perhaps it was a negative answer. Also not sure if they just checked my application or go on Google, they'd see that the supervisor/assistant for the concert is obviously not my mom..I feel that my hesitation may give them a reason to think I'm not being genuine -___-"

My question being: was my hesitation in answering this question a dealbreaker?

 

[ImmunoLove]

@Goro Sorry for another potentially ridiculous/neurotic question...(feel free to shove Xanax down my throat through the screen)

I was recently thinking about one of my interviews, and they raised a question about a fundraising concert I performed/put together to give in-need students tuition for music. Obviously, the concert was promoted and many people who helped were affiliated with a music academy. Now, my mom also owns a school, and the interviewer noticed that and asked if the school that supported me is the same school as my mom's. I was a bit thrown by the question so I hesitated for about 3-4 seconds, before stating that while they were different schools, my mom owning a school obviously helped the concert turnout + money eventually raised because of the wide reaching audience she has as well (so...my success is obviously attributed to her also), but I didn't want to be affiliated with her school because I'm stubborn and wanted to feel like I made this concert happen on my own without nepotism.

My worries stem mostly from the 3-4 second hesitation before providing that answer. My paranoia makes me think my interviewer may not totally buy it or perhaps it was a negative answer. Also not sure if they just checked my application or go on Google, they'd see that the supervisor/assistant for the concert is obviously not my mom..I feel that my hesitation may give them a reason to think I'm not being genuine -___-"

My question being: was my hesitation in answering this question a dealbreaker?

Obviously not Goro, but my two cents: Unless there was a really long pause and you turned beet red, started fidgeting and sweating profusely, I almost don't think such a short interval would necessarily cause one to doubt the veracity of your answer. Usually, the other symptoms of lying come into play and inform the interviewer whether or not there is something to worry about...But that's just me...

 

[Glazedonutlove]

@Goro Sorry for another potentially ridiculous/neurotic question...(feel free to shove Xanax down my throat through the screen)

I was recently thinking about one of my interviews, and they raised a question about a fundraising concert I performed/put together to give in-need students tuition for music. Obviously, the concert was promoted and many people who helped were affiliated with a music academy. Now, my mom also owns a school, and the interviewer noticed that and asked if the school that supported me is the same school as my mom's. I was a bit thrown by the question so I hesitated for about 3-4 seconds, before stating that while they were different schools, my mom owning a school obviously helped the concert turnout + money eventually raised because of the wide reaching audience she has as well (so...my success is obviously attributed to her also), but I didn't want to be affiliated with her school because I'm stubborn and wanted to feel like I made this concert happen on my own without nepotism.

My worries stem mostly from the 3-4 second hesitation before providing that answer. My paranoia makes me think my interviewer may not totally buy it or perhaps it was a negative answer. Also not sure if they just checked my application or go on Google, they'd see that the supervisor/assistant for the concert is obviously not my mom..I feel that my hesitation may give them a reason to think I'm not being genuine -___-"

My question being: was my hesitation in answering this question a dealbreaker?

Deep breathes, try yoga

 

[musicalfeet]

Deep breathes, try yoga

I'm like a teenaged girl obsessively analyzing every text my crush has sent me

 

[avgn]

I'm like a teenaged girl obsessively analyzing every text my crush has sent me

Except you've already moved to the analyzing behavior stage, which has a pretty bad prognosis..

 

[Spector1]

Is there any tips for doing a "working lunch" interview? I think I have pretty decent table manners but I always get anxious that they are judging me on how I eat.

 

[musicalfeet]

Except you've already moved to the analyzing behavior stage, which has a pretty bad prognosis..

Hey! Maybe the fact he picked up my pencil when I dropped it and gave it to me actually meant something!! Our fingers touched, must have been on purpose right?

 

[ImmunoLove]

Is there any tips for doing a "working lunch" interview? I think I have pretty decent table manners but I always get anxious that they are judging me on how I eat.

I think it's safe to say you're judged on everything (though it is taken within context). I do lunch interviews all the time, and notice how thoughtful someone is. Just be yourself, try to sit up straight, and don't worry about it.

 

[Goro]

Just be yourself!

Is there any tips for doing a "working lunch" interview? I think I have pretty decent table manners but I always get anxious that they are judging me on how I eat.

Feet, without being there, it's really hard to judge, but consider this: you were asked a very simple yes or no question, and your answer was: (count with me here)

One one thousand
Two one thousand
Three one thousand
Four one thousand

"No".

How do you think that sounded??????

Let it go and on to the next one!!!!!

@Goro

I was recently thinking about one of my interviews, and they raised a question about a fundraising concert I performed/put together to give in-need students tuition for music. at while they were different schools, my mom owning a school obviously helped the concert
. for the c -___-"

My question being: was my hesitation in answering this question a dealbreaker?

 

[Easonred57]

Just be yourself!





Feet, without being there, it's really hard to judge, but consider this: you were asked a very simple yes or no question, and your answer was: (count with me here)

One one thousand
Two one thousand
Three one thousand
Four one thousand

"No".

How do you think that sounded??????

Let it go and on to the next one!!!!!

You are in rare form lately.

 

[wasteofspace323]

Don’t do show and tell. I don’t want you pulling out a binder with your resume or portfolio. Let your application speak for you.

-The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty

 

[Goro]

I don't know all of the other schools do, but at most of them that don't do MMI (like at my school, where we do group interviews) we have everything we need to know about you.

There is no need to show off your app, that's for sure. Things are either open file or closed.

View attachment 197245
-The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty

 

[wasteofspace323]

I don't know all of the other schools do, but at most of them that don't do MMI (like at my school, where we do group interviews) we have everything we need to know about you.

There is no need to show off your app, that's for sure. Things are either open file or closed.

I was mostly just being flippant, but in context this wasn't referring to MMIs.

 

[Krabbeman]

@Goro I was curious, if I recently got accepted into my top choice, is it impolite/rude to cancel upcoming interviews that I already scheduled from schools I am less interested in?

 

[Affiche]

@Goro I was curious, if I recently got accepted into my top choice, is it impolite/rude to cancel upcoming interviews that I already scheduled from schools I am less interested in?

No, just thank them for the offer and let them know asap so they can schedule other interviews. All my schools were really nice about it and wished me success.

 

[Krabbeman]

No, I believe canceling is acceptable. It gives them the chance to interview other applicants that are more likely to attend their school. They can and will offer your interview slot to another applicant if you give them enough notice.

Thank you very much for the input @TheMadScientist_AZ

 

[Goro]

Not at all. It makes the job for the Admissions deans all the easier.

And congrats!!!

@Goro I was curious, if I recently got accepted into my top choice, is it impolite/rude to cancel upcoming interviews that I already scheduled from schools I am less interested in?

 

[ThrowAway999]

Recently, I was in an interview and I mentioned I used to practice magic. The interviewer asked me if I could perform a trick for him during the interview, but I said I didn't have any props available. He said in my future interviews I should bring, for example, a deck of cards in my pocket just in case the interviewer wants to see me perform a trick. Do you think it's a good idea to bring a deck of cards for future interviews for situations like this?

My main concern is that I haven't practiced the "cooler, more difficult" illusions for a long time now. I can perform simple tricks, but I feel as though they might not be that impressive, and my interviewer might feel a bit disappointed and I could end up hurting myself if I don't execute the trick perfectly (because the tricks that I am confidently capable of performing right now might be too easy to see through, especially if I make even a minor mistake). I have another interview coming up, and because of my current lack of practice, I feel as though it's more appropriate to play it safe, not bring any props, and if magic is mentioned, describe my experiences and possibly a quick explanation of an illusion if the interviewer asks for something like that. What do you think?

 

[NotaCop]

Recently, I was in an interview and I mentioned I used to practice magic. The interviewer asked me if I could perform a trick for him during the interview, but I said I didn't have any props available. He said in my future interviews I should bring, for example, a deck of cards in my pocket just in case the interviewer wants to see me perform a trick. Do you think it's a good idea to bring a deck of cards for future interviews for situations like this?

My main concern is that I haven't practiced the "cooler, more difficult" illusions for a long time now. I can perform simple tricks, but I feel as though they might not be that impressive, and my interviewer might feel a bit disappointed and I could end up hurting myself if I don't execute the trick perfectly (because the tricks that I am confidently capable of performing right now might be too easy to see through, especially if I make even a minor mistake). I have another interview coming up, and because of my current lack of practice, I feel as though it's more appropriate to play it safe, not bring any props, and if magic is mentioned, describe my experiences and possibly a quick explanation of an illusion if the interviewer asks for something like that. What do you think?

Play it safe, don't bring a deck. If it comes up again act like its the first time and pull an "ah I never thought to bring one, bummer!" then just describe the experiences you've had.

A card trick is not going to get you into medical school. Being awkward and fumbling around trying to do one could leave a bad taste in somebody's mouth though