how to tell if interview went well

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LostLost

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How do you tell? Because I felt good coming out of the interview, but there are a few things I wouldn't mention or would have say something different if given a chance to start all over again. But anyway how do you know how it went well?
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At some schools I interviewed at, the interviewers are basically your advocate. You can pretty much tell at the end if they're sincere and are willing to put their name on the line for you.
 
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You can tell it went well if you are accepted. Duh 😉
 
I understand Lost, I said the same thing for my interview (shouldn't have said certain things). But I have heard from other posts that the interviewer might have said something like "See you here next year" and the applicant was put on a waitlist or just plain rejected. And there were some applicants who felt that they would never get in based on the interview and were accepted. I guess you will find out for sure if you are accepted or not.

Good luck👍
 
DaiCa86 said:
At some schools I interviewed at, the interviewers are basically your advocate. You can pretty much tell at the end if they're sincere and are willing to put their name on the line for you.
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Absolutely agreed. This was how I knew my interviews went well, when the interviewers told me that they were going to highly recommend me/fight for me in front of the committee. All of my interviewers have said that to me except for Duke, which said absolutely nothing (probably a bad thing).
 
The only interview I've had that I can say unequivocally went well was one where the interviewer told me that I reminded him of himself (that can't be bad:luck:). Other than that one, I haven't tried to read too much into how my interviews went, because I couldn't care less as long as I get accepted!
 
At the two schools where I recently interviewed (and later received acceptances), the interviewers stated that they would recommend me to the committee, and one of them even said something along the lines of "I could see you as a student here." So I guess something like that would be a good sign that all is well. 🙂
 
I allways ignore the "see you next year" and "hope you choose us" style comments. There is no way of telling if they tell that to everyone or not. It could just be their way of wrapping up the interview.
 
my interview at Wisconsin went very well. Said I'd get in, will write a great recommendation, etc.

Alternate Listed.
 
There is no way to tell how an interview really went. They could be friendly and interested, but you can't read in to it too much. On the flip side, you can't read into a quiet, serious interviewer either.
 
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GloryField said:
my interview at Wisconsin went very well. Said I'd get in, will write a great recommendation, etc.

Alternate Listed.
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Was this a student interviewer or faculty/adcom? I've noticed that student interviewers tend to say that but tend to not hold much weight, unfortunately.
 
mezmerized7 said:
ut I have heard from other posts that the interviewer might have said something like "See you here next year" and the applicant was put on a waitlist or just plain rejected.
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I got waitlisted 2 years in a row with just that. At my school, there are 30 people on the admissions committee and every single on of them has to rank your file 1-5 (lowest is best). If you get a low average, you get in. If not, you get differed for review and ranked against the other applicants.

Having a good advocate is better than having a guy that hates you.. But, he can't get you in by himself.

Good luck.
 
TRN1983 said:
Was this a student interviewer or faculty/adcom? I've noticed that student interviewers tend to say that but tend to not hold much weight, unfortunately.
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faculty
 
Thx. (BTW, if you saw the "^wtf" post, that was pointing to a post that was deleted.)
 
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Poo Tee Weet?
 
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i don't know if you can really tell if an interview went well. my interview that i thought went kind of badly resulted in an acceptance three weeks from my interview. so you can't really tell. if you felt like it went bad, they could just be 'testing' you
 
No way to tell. My first interview was going so well that by the end of it I actually thought to myself "There is no way that I'm not getting in to this school." Then boom, haha, waitlist.

Two weeks ago, left an interview feeling terribly about it. Thought about every little thing I said "wrong" or what I left out. Left thinking I made a big mistake as I really liked the school.. then I got accepted.

No way to tell.
 
My interviewers have told me that I interview very well and that I was mature and humble. They really stressed how humble I was and said that many of the people that interview sound to arrogant and are really full of themselves.

Just be a real person and make sure that you explain not only what you did but why you did it, what you learned and the impact it had on you.

Maybe all interviewers tell the person they are interviewing that they did well...but almost all of the people that have interviewed me have said something to that effect.
 
The thing I think sometimes is - arent these interviews somewhat of a two way street? I mean, there are many factors that influence an applicants decision of where to go, but why would an adcom member say things that could give the school a reputation of being misleading. When I hear comments about very positive and encouraging statements made by interviewers - and then a waitlist or rejection - I just think it makes the school look immature.

Here is my message to adcoms: I've come this far - I've taken the MCAT, done the pre-reqs, gotten the letters, and so on and so forth. I've flown 2000 miles and I'm wearing a nice suit. You've thought enough to invite me here to potentially become a medical student at your school. I've prepared and I'm taking this seriously, but I dont need a f***ing "atta boy". Please, when the interview is over, just end it with a handshake, a simple statement like - Its been a pleasure meeting with you - and a best of luck. No matter what the outcome is, that makes me respect a school and feel content with their decision.
 
I don't know. I feel like I read the interviewer pretty well. They probably do BS many applicants, but they do often say nice, sincere things about you as an applicant. So far, I've been accepted at the two places I felt were my best interviews.
 
The interview probably wants a well if he has a house with no public water available.

I'm editing the title to this thread to say "Went well" because the error distracts from the intent.
 
If you've had a few interviews it becomes easier to tell which were your good ones and which were your bad ones, but ultimately it's pretty difficult to tell for certain. I came out of my first interview thinking I did a good job, not the best but good. The following interviews I felt like I blew out of the water and they made me realize how much my first one sucked haha. At the end of the day, you can never tell for certain how someone else perceives you.
 
LostLost said:
How do you tell? Because I felt good coming out of the interview, but there are a few things I wouldn't mention or would have say something different if given a chance to start all over again. But anyway how do you know how it went well?
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You get an acceptance letter...

😀
 
I had two interviews and none of them ask me why I want to become a doctor, I tried to include it in the conversation but .... i thought it was weird. what do you do in that case?
 
LostLost said:
How do you tell? Because I felt good coming out of the interview, but there are a few things I wouldn't mention or would have say something different if given a chance to start all over again. But anyway how do you know how it went well?
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If you walked out of the interview room and were not "thown out" or "carried out on a stretcher" or "escorted out by the campus police", your interview likely went well. You can't go back and "do over" so put it behind you. You are also not going to be able to objectively assess your performance in any interview. You simple do what you can do at the time, be polite and realize that everyone is nervous at one time or another. The thing "is what it is" and you can't change the past.
 
I'd somewhat liken this to a job interview (in that both have high stakes, the decision is in the control of someone else, and the interviewee does the best they can to impress).

also I've got a lot more experience with landing a job than getting accepted to med school, so far at least.

Seemed that for the positions I've landed, the interview and the whole process seemed so simple, straightforward, and almost predetermined. It felt like all I had to do was walk into the room, shake someone's hand, and make sure I conveyed who I am and what I can do. For feedback I've gotten when it didn't work out, sometimes the firm would say "we really want exposure to xyz" which I lacked, or "we're looking for someone more able to fit into the existing structure" rather than make waves.

the takeaway being that a good interviewer will be seeking someone who's a strong match for that program, and a "failed" interview resulting in a rejection letter may prevent an applicant from attending a school where they'd really be miserable.
 
LostLost said:
I had two interviews and none of them ask me why I want to become a doctor, I tried to include it in the conversation but .... i thought it was weird. what do you do in that case?
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if they don't ask it, don't force it in there. what is worse is if you make it looked like you have prepared stuff for the interview and have a NEED to insert it. if they want to know, they will ask you. just go with the flow.

njbmd said:
You are also not going to be able to objectively assess your performance in any interview. You simple do what you can do at the time, be polite and realize that everyone is nervous at one time or another. The thing "is what it is" and you can't change the past.
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well said, njbmd, well said. the interview is over, no matter how much you think about it, things won't change. it probably won't even if you turned up at the office and begged. just hope for the best and move on, don't dwell

nontrdgsbuiucmd said:
a rejection letter may prevent an applicant from attending a school where they'd really be miserable.
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this is also true. sometimes it's bad luck when you get rejected. but more often then not, its because they can't see you at the school. you aren't a great fit. so by rejecting you the school was doing you a favor
 
LostLost said:
I had two interviews and none of them ask me why I want to become a doctor, I tried to include it in the conversation but .... i thought it was weird. what do you do in that case?
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I reviewed a large number of "important" questions that I might be asked in an interview. No matter what is asked, I always try to answer as many of them as I can in the conversation. If they ask me about why I did this or that, I try to tie it into q's like why medicine, what my greatest strength is, why this school, etc. I had one interviewer who asked me nothing related to medicine or the school, and I spent the entire hour relating our chats to my strengths, etc. You just gotta keep looking for openings.
 
On a side note:

What do you say to fellow interviewee's when they tell you, "Man I don't think my interview went well, sigh..."

I've thought of the classic, "Don't worry about it, you probably did fine..." or "Nah, you got one more coming up no sweat"....

BUT, then there is always that one gunner in the room that goes and says, "Well thank goodness my interview went well, you know its worth 15% right?"

-_-
 
My friend's dad, a corporate lawyer in NYC, told me once that when he interviewed people for his law firm, he decided within 20 seconds of meeting them whether or not he wanted them. The rest of the interview was just a waste of time. Not that it really applies to med school interviews, but thought it was interesting.

Anyways, in response to the OP, I'll echo what everyone else has been saying, I don't think there's really a way to tell if an interview went well. IMO it's easier to tell if an interview didn't go well (like saying something you immediately regret) than the contrary.
 
For one school, interviewer told me I was a good candidate and that he was 'optimistic' about my chances.

=> NR/waitlist?

Of course it could be cuz I struggled through my 2nd interview where the guy's only question was -- 'Have any questions for me??'
 
I just got out of an interview today. Ahhh I think I bombed it. I was actually confuse when I walked out of the interview, not really knowing his response. He seem so emotionless and disinterest. There were several times in which he did say "Sounds good", "that sounds great", "that true", "thats is a very good experiene", "You probably have very good experience since you work with professor x", but I think he was just tricking me, trying to be nice lol. Then at the end he was like "we went fairly quickly, but thats all that I needed from you. you have very good academic record. good luck to you and with your research, maybe you can get to be a co-author". or maybe i'm just a little to self critical.
 
I'm one of those very fortunate individuals who interviewed at only two schools (my two top choices) and was accepted at both (somehow). I had really radically different experiences at both. The first one was intense, cross-examination, interrogation style "interviewing" with a committee. One surgeon was especially good at playing the "bad cop" as he second guessed all my answers and basically mocked me as he tried to trip me up. I thought there wasn't a chance I'd get accepted there, especially after other applicants talked about how easy and great their interviews went.... and then I came to find out that most of them were rejected or waitlisted. Then at my second school, I had a totally different experience and ended up being accepted there too.

so basically to answer the OP, no, I can't think of any way to tell how things are going to go after the interview... unless you REALLY screw up and know it....😉

Either way, good luck!
 
OptionMD said:
I just got out of an interview today. Ahhh I think I bombed it. I was actually confuse when I walked out of the interview, not really knowing his response. He seem so emotionless and disinterest. There were several times in which he did say "Sounds good", "that sounds great", "that true", "thats is a very good experiene", "You probably have very good experience since you work with professor x", but I think he was just tricking me, trying to be nice lol. Then at the end he was like "we went fairly quickly, but thats all that I needed from you. you have very good academic record. good luck to you and with your research, maybe you can get to be a co-author". or maybe i'm just a little to self critical.
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You're overthinking it.
 
Wow just learn how to use good body language and don't be nervous. Show confidence and power...don't act like a scared little kid. Being nervous will destroy you...they'll sense the nervous energy and mark it as a negative
 
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