How to prep for interviews?

[napoleondynamite]

I had my first interview today. Needless to say, I don't feel like it went very well at all. I consider myself to be a personable guy, am generally well-liked by people, and not a social ****** or anything. However, I don't think I do very well with these structured, canned-question interview. I know that we can all anticipate what questions we will be asked, and I was asked very predictable things about myself..but I don't think portrayed myself very well. I'm much better with spontaneous, relaxed conversation than interview-style conversation..does that resonate with anyone else out there? Or should I reconsider that maybe I AM a social ****.

Anyway, what have the rest of you learned about how to best prepare for interviews? I gotta change course somehow, or I may not match

I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!

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[treesap]

I'm a terrible interviewer too.

I get flustered getting pimped on ward rounds too. My mind goes blank, sometimes I freeze entirely and my mind is racing trying to say something intelligent. I'll say something ridiculous like cholecystitis instead of cholelithiasis and look like such a spaz when I have to explain myself. I turn bright red and stammer, then spend the rest of the day berating myself. Seriously, I am way harder on myself than anyone else.

I haven't interviewed yet, but am hoping to get my interview jitters out of the way in my first few test-runs. I'm hoping I'll be brilliant in the end.

Have you rehearsed answers to those questions you know you're going to be asked? Iserson has a list of common questions, I guess that will be a good place to start. It'll probably become more natural as you go.

BTW, what kind of predictable questions about yourself did they ask? Some of those really suck.

 

[07match]

I totally anticipate walking away from my first interviews feeling the social **** syndrome. My self-perception is really usually quite wrong, and obscenely harsh. I thought the interview that got me into medical school showcased some of my most awkward moments as a human...long silences while trying to forge bullsh*t on the spot. I drove away considering how I'd try to make money in europe as a wandering med-school reject.

My .02, try to not be so hard on yourself, and if you need to, take a several second silence to think over a question. It also could be that your interviewer sucked, and s/he felt rusty this early in the interview season as well.

 

[me454555]

1) Practice makes perfect - You can't get flustered if you don't get nervous. You won't get nervous if you KNOW the right answers. Practice your monologue for the commonly asked questions. What are you strenths/weaknesses? Why do you want to pursue field x/why do you want to go to school x? What are you looking for in a program? Using a mirror is another good idea. You'd be surprised how much you can learn about yourself just from watching yourself speak.

2) Act confident, make good eyecontact - Almost as important as what you say is how you say it. If you stutter, look down, or act scared, other people will pick up on it and it won't look good for you. When speaking to someone important, make sure to look at them right in the eyes as you speak. Make sure they know that they are the most important thing in the room right now. When speaking to multiple people, shift your focus from one to the other but make sure to make eye contact with each. Speak clearly and take a deep breath before starting. It will not only help you to relax but will give you a moment to compose your thoughts.

3) Eliminate the variables - If you've gotta find your way to an interview site, do a dry run the night before and leave extra time in the morning. If you start the day off right you'll be calmer and more collected throughout the interview. Don't wear anything you haven't tried on before, make sure everything is washed and looks good before you board the plane or get in the car.

4) Remember that you're a commodity too - Residency programs want you as much as you want them. You've been through 4 years of medical school and passed 1 or 2 liscesure steps. Residency programs need people like you otherwise they go under. Go in there with a little bit of confidence knowing that you have some worth in this world and that they are trying to sell you on their program b/c they want you. Its not just a one way street

 

[dc2md]

awesome tips

 

[napoleondynamite]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will have to force myself to practice answers out loud..even though I have been through them a hundred times in my head. I found out in my first interview, it's not the same thing! Anyway, appreciate the support and advice.

 

[JoBlo]

But what about specific questions to prep for?

There are the obvious ones, but is there a good source of typical questions to prep us for the interview questions that we haven't thought of?

jb

 

[familyfirst]

Dear all,

Here are some links with general and specific questions for interviews. I am not sure if it will cover all areas but at least enough to start:

http://www.rushu.rush.edu/studentlife/career/medint.html

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/6701.html

http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/current/fourthyear/?pgID=76

Good luck!

 

[familyfirst]

Dear all,

Here are some links with general and specific questions for interviews. I am not sure if it will cover all areas but at least enough to start:

http://www.rushu.rush.edu/studentlife/career/medint.html

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/6701.html

http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/current/fourthyear/?pgID=76

Good luck!

 

[njbmd]

There is a Student Doctor Network Podcast about interviewing for medschool that is applicable for residency interviews too. Go to the SDN Forum main page and scroll down to the bottom of the page. It is Podcast #2. Happy listening.

 

[rirriri]

yknow what i used to do....yeah i know it sounds a bit wanker-ish....but i'd sit down in a chair in front of a mirror....and ask myself questions.

not JUST to rehearse my answers, but also my body language. I have a bit of a rock and roll star demeanor normally, so i had to polish it up and get some gloss to my shine. It really helped though...especially to iron out my facial expressions and the way my posture looks after 10 minutes of sitting in a chair answering the same questions i just answered for another attending