How to answer questions in interviews with more tact?

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[LRAccord624]

I also think that honesty is the best policy. The interviewers are trying to get a feel for who you are and whether or not they think you're a good fit for the program. They've already seen your numbers and if they weren't good enough, you wouldn't get an interview at all.

I have worried about sounding cliche as well, because you don't want all your answers to sound like rehearsed crap. So what I try to do is I talk about 'helping others and using direct knowledge' in the context of my own personal experiences. So not just, I want to help others and use direct knowledge, but, throughout my life I have had certain experiences that have taught me that I have such and such qualities/passions, and I think that I can employ those strengths best as a physician. (then describe experiences and qualities).

I don't know, just what I try to do. Who knows if it works yet

 

[bocciball]

Biggest mistake most people make interviewing is to try and shine themselves up. DO NOT mention your grades, honors accomplishments, etc unless ASKED. The interviewer will ask what you can bring to this school. Then say "leadership b/c I helped coordinate this as officer of this club.... compassion for lifelong learning b/c of this research accomplishment... etc. Be yourself they know you're going to be nervous and possibly slip up some words. If you don't know the answer to a question be honest. Tell them you don't know. Talking through your teeth and making things up w/o adequate background knowledge is bad!

Best advise I can give - don't stress it. Prepare and get a good night's sleep and breakfast before the interview.

Bring an umbrella if it rains, lol.

 

[jkmph]

There is such a thing as candid to a fault. You could definitely shoot yourself in the foot if you're not careful. I'd argue that the personality of the interviewer(s) matters more than anything.

As for sounding cliche, I wouldn't worry about it. At my [succesful, got in] interview a few weeks back, I prefaced what I knew was a cliche statement with "This is going to sound cliche but it's the truth...".

 

[123165]

I was extremely honest in my interviews, maybe a little too honest. At kcom I told them I registered for classed just to improve my app, that I had no real interest in the classes at all. I dropped them before deadline, so they are not even on a transcript, and had not indicated on AACOMAS that I would be retaking them.

The interviewer asked me a lot of questions about this, but I got in. He really seemed to like me.

I told LECOM-B that I didn't apply to MD schools because their retake policy and focus on GPA made me an uncompetitive applicant. Waitlisted there, but I really don't think the interview had anything to do with it, both interviewers seemed to really like me. They warned me about mentioning this at other interviews, but told me that they personally were not bothered by it, and respected the honesty. My group did not get to see a PBL session at LECOM-B, and I asked the dean if I could schedule a revisit to see a session. The guy seemed pissed. Today I got an e-mail from them saying I was being removed from the waitlist because I did not respond to my official waitlist notification and accept the spot. I never even got the letter.

I always tend to go with being honest to a fault, rather than sugar-coating and embellishing. I feel like it works well for me. 3/5 for interviews that I attended with two waitlists. I sincerely feel that the waitlists had little to do with the interview.

You have to have an appropriate personality to pull off extreme honesty, and the interviewers need to appreciate this level of honesty, or you can really shoot yourself in the foot. I think I am an exceptional in interviews because of my ability to quickly read people and adjust the flow of conversation accordingly.

 

[globalruns]

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[iatros]

watch CNN or youtube some of the old presidential debates and learn how to NOT actually answer the question.