Importance of the interview in admission

[bluesTank]

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Hey guys,

I don't mean to toot my own horn in this post, so I appologize if I do at some points.

Ok so first of all, I consider myself to be the typical hardworking premed and I am very proud of how my GPA has turned out and very excited and surprised when I got my MCAT score back (if anyone is looking for their score I may have it on accident 🙄). However, I am a really shy person, and have difficulty communicating sometimes (formally) and I am absolutely TERRIFIED of the interviews. I really feel that even if I prepare sufficiently for my answers, I just won't be able to do well out there when it comes time to interview, I just have never been good at that kind of thing. I'm not saying i'm some kind of recluse that won't be able to talk to their patients or anything, it's just when the pressure is on to impress someone, or I am talking with someone I know is judging me I kind of break down sometimes.

So here is my question: I have worked so hard and come so far to have this interview prevent me from reaching my dreams. For someone that's application clearly shows that they can work hard, and are well rounded, is the interview itself LESS of a factor in deciding acceptance? What I mean is, is it possible for the ad. committees to look past a sub-par interview and see that I am able to get things done etc etc?

Would appreciate some feedback, cause I have my first interview at TCOM next friday and I am freaking out. Thanks guys 😀😀😀

 

[jochi1543]

Well, really good interviews have been known to end up in rejections due to applicant's low stats, and really bad interviews almost always result in rejections (however, if you browse through some of the interview threads, you'll find that every once in a while someone says something really awful and still gets in). In the end, schools seem to interview about 4-5 people per spot, so yes, you DO have to exhibit above average performance for the interview.

Do some practice interviews....if you can't get to your school's career center this time of year, I'd suggest asking a friend to do you a favor and Google some 10 interview questions and sit down and interview you in a formal atmosphere (i.e. with you wearing a suit, sitting in an uncomfortable chair and everything).

 

[DianaUT06]

Honestly, I think an interview can make-or-break you. But they're really only trying to make sure that you aren't some crazy i-study-all-the-time-have-no-friends recluse 😉 Everyone here will admit to how crazy nervous the thought of your first interview might make you feel...I was terrified! But you just go with it, let your personality shine! If you're given an interview, your stats are qualified...it's YOU they want to see.

And a little personal advice from me...try a few mock interviews. Most health professions offices will set up mock interviews for you. It was the best thing I could have done for myself, personally...it'll give you a feel for what you're doing right or wrong. For instance, I have this terrible habit of staring somewhere that's NOT into the interviewers eyes when I talk...so I had to break that! It'll help you out, promise. 😀 And best of luck!

 

[Nookular]

Obviously it varies from person to person on adcoms to an extent, but you can't deny that the interview is a huge part. There isn't a single medschool in the nation with average gpa 4.0 and average mcat 37+, but considering most schools are <100 people / class, I can assure you that more than 100 people with incredible stats apply, so obviously its more than whats on paper.
Yeah, ecs and lors have an effect too, but if you're awkward and hard to talk to they wont want to talk with you for the next four years. There was some guy on a previous post with incredible everything (40+ mcat, volunteer exp in ER for several years, ect...) didn't get in to any of the schools he wanted. When he followed up on why they said he was too mechanical in his interview...

Seems like in interviews you have a whole lot more to lose than to gain by your performance. A great interview wont trump a crappy mcat, but a crappy interview can easily trump an otherwise great app. Anyone else feel that way?

 

[jochi1543]

Seems like in interviews you have a whole lot more to lose than to gain by your performance. A great interview wont trump a crappy mcat, but a crappy interview can easily trump an otherwise great app. Anyone else feel that way?

Yup, I believe so, too.

 

[benzene21]

I have heard that the interviews are really important as that's how they are going to really judge whether or not you will interact well with patients. Obviously they will understand that you are nervous and in a stressful situation, but I think that's another purpose of the interview...seeing how you perform under stress.

I have also heard, however, that most of the interviewers are really nice and try their best to make you feel comfortable. It may not be as terrible as you'd think! Just go into it prepared, don't think about how nervous you will get. And if you do have a bad interview, don't stress about it, just figure out what went wrong and try to fix it the next time. Just be yourself and you'll do fine! Good luck

 

[Husky85]

Obviously they will understand that you are nervous and in a stressful situation, but I think that's another purpose of the interview...seeing how you perform under stress.

I have also heard, however, that most of the interviewers are really nice and try their best to make you feel comfortable.

Yes, this is kinda the point. In your education and career you will be faced by one stressful situation after the next and in the interview they're trying to see if you can handle them with grace and tact. They're also trying to make sure that you're not an egomaniacal jerk. Just practice interviewing in as real a scenario as you can. Be humble but confident.

As to the second point...in my experience interviewers are just like any other group of people...some are jerks and some are nice, and some fall in the middle. You really can't be concerned with that ahead of time. Just prepare yourself. The upside is that usually the jerks are known for being jerks, so their opinion is taken with a grain of salt by the adcoms.

 

[Law2Doc]

Honestly, I think an interview can make-or-break you. But they're really only trying to make sure that you aren't some crazy i-study-all-the-time-have-no-friends recluse 😉

Interviews can absolutely make or break you. I know several very personable folks who vaulted over folks with somewhat better stats due to the strength of their interviews (adcoms told them this later), and I know a few people with unbelievable stats who landed themselves on the waitlist due to their lukewarm interviewing skills. The claim that schools are just trying to weed out psychos and recluses is SDN myth -- it makes those with high stats feel better but isn't really the case. Schools are looking for the whole package, and that means people who are good in real life and not just on paper. Interviews at many schools can be the single most important factor in the application process if you get to that stage. Many schools have already determined that you are potentially admissible once they cull the group down to the interview pool, so it is up to you to sell yourself and come across stronger, more of a "good fit" for the school, than the others who have made it to that stage. Interviewing is a learnable skill, so you want to do what you can to practice. Do mock interviews, ideally something videotaped so you can see your nervous habits and fix things. If you can't do mock interviews, practice with friends, family. Just get used to answering the usual interview questions. And read up on the school, have questions ready to ask at the end.

 

[medhawk1]

I agree with most of the above posters as to the importance of the interview. If someone has a truly subpar interview even with above average stats the best the adcom will likely do is give them a spot on the waitlist. Generally if an applicant makes it to the interview stage the school has already decided their stats on paper are acceptable, so why waste a spot on someone who comes off as having poor people skills when there will likely be so many other acceptable candidates who appeared more personable. Now I'm not saying this to scare you, but rather to encourage you to practice, practice, practice. As Law2doc said interviewing is definitely a learnable skill. Also don't forget to read through the interview feedback section on this site. I personally found that section to be invaluable in preparing myself for specific schools.

http://share.studentdoctor.net/interview/school_pick.aspx

 

[armybound]

Get a little drunk beforehand to calm your nerves.

 

[doctortobe2012]

Get a little drunk beforehand to calm your nerves.

my musician friend sometimes will drink a glass of wine before a performance. she definitely feels a lot calmer beforehand 🙂 her teacher even recommends it/does it herself occasionally.

 

[inaminute]

that kind of anxiety can be medicated successfully---talk to your doc

and then pretend the interviewer is your grandma

 

[mave]

See if your school's pre-med advisors office will set up a series of mock interviews. See if your school's career services office will set up a series of mock interviews. See if any of your science teachers have connections to medical schools (example: my biochem advisor was an Adcom at the med school at my undergrad) will do a mock interview. The only thing that's going to make you feel more confident is practicing as much as you can.

Something else that also helped me: my school's premed office distributed an interview prep packet with a long list of questions on application stuff and ethics. Answering all of the questions on paper at least gives you the chance to lend written word to thought and a basis for an answer. Check out more questions on interview feedback for the schools you applied to.

 

[154241]

Public speaking in general used to be far and away my greatest fear, and I put off applying a year in part to remedy that. I knew that it was the kind of thing that would cripple me in interviews. So, I took a public speaking class and signed up as a Kaplan teacher. It was horrible at first--I sweated, turned red, and my voice shook so much I was almost intelligible--but after every embarrassing horror story in the book, very gradually, I became more comfortable with it. I couldn't have gotten any worse, I guess. I'm still no pro, but I'm definitely prepared to express myself in interviews without the fear. I don't think there is any remedy for this except practice. Mock interviews are good, but I think the semester-long exposure through Public Speaking and having to teach 3 hour classes for Kaplan solo was really what did it for me. I guess I was a really bad case, and I needed that much more practice. Best of luck--I definitely sympathize, but it can be overcome! 😀

 

[MassTransport]

This is all very good advice. Here is my own, and this may not be very palatable to some: in your situation, don't aim to impress your interviewers or be special. Be absolutely average, let nothing negative show through, and your stats (which are quite stellar) will get you the rest of the way.

Find solace that you have, at worst, a 1 in 3 chance of receiving an offer from the Texas schools. Last year, UTSW accepted 265 of the 798 interviewed (~33%), UTMB 457/981 (~47%), UTH 345/1131 (~31%), UTHSCSA 405/1018 (~40%), A&M 284/727 (~39%), UNT 276/743 (~37%), and TCOM 330/573, an astounding 58%. This is not even taking into account any post-match waitlist movement from people going OOS.

There's a difference between uncomfortably nervous and debilitatingly nervous. If you're in the former, than you will be uncomfortable but fine. If you're in the latter, than you should probably seek professional guidance.

 

[Law2Doc]

This is all very good advice. Here is my own, and this may not be very palatable to some: in your situation, don't aim to impress your interviewers or be special. Be absolutely average, let nothing negative show through, and your stats (which are quite stellar) will get you the rest of the way.

Disagree. This is what I was talking about when I said "lukewarm" above and it more often than not lands you on the waitlist. You want to come across as enthusiastic and dynamic in interviews, not absolutely average. If they are accepting one out of every three folks interviewing, odds are that average only gets you to be one of those other two. Practice, practice, practice. Go after this with the same vengeance that you went after those stellar stats.

 

[sanchopanza]

Agreed with L2D. I wouldn't want to go to a school that only lets in "average" interviewers anyway.

 

[armybound]

Agreed with L2D. I wouldn't want to go to a school that only lets in "average" interviewers anyway.

why, do "average" interviewers make bad doctors? does it somehow speak poorly of the school?

 

[Law2Doc]

why, do "average" interviewers make bad doctors? does it somehow speak poorly of the school?

While I don't really agree with the prior poster's statement, I would suggest that medicine is a service industry, and speaking with people is going to be a big portion of the job. If you can't come across better than "average" or lukewarm in an interview, you need to work on that skill.

 

[armybound]

While I don't really agree with the prior poster's statement, I would suggest that medicine is a service industry, and speaking with people is going to be a big portion of the job. If you can't come across better than "average" or lukewarm in an interview, you need to work on that skill.

your average person who can manage to get an interview is still fully capable of being social, I'd imagine.

saying that a school who accepts the "average" interviewee is below you sounds like you're assuming the average interviewee has an IQ of 75 and drools when he speaks or something.

 

[Law2Doc]

your average person who can manage to get an interview is still fully capable of being social, I'd imagine.

saying that a school who accepts the "average" interviewee is below you sounds like you're assuming the average interviewee has an IQ of 75 and drools when he speaks or something.

Again, I didn't say what the prior poster did. But I would suggest that if you are interviewing for a spot where there is a 1 out of 3 acceptance chance, you need to be above average to get it, i.e. the 1 out of 3. So you need to be dynamic, interesting, engaging, and enthusiastic. That isn't saying average is a drooling idiot, it's just saying that lukewarm doesn't get the job done. And since the interview is hugely important at most schools when you get to that stage, this is your spot to land or lose. So work on your mad interviewing skillz -- they will pay dividends. They really aren't interviewing just to make sure you are normal, they are looking to see if you have that extra something that makes you the whole package.

 

[armybound]

Again, I didn't say what the prior poster did. But I would suggest that if you are interviewing for a spot where there is a 1 out of 3 acceptance chance, you need to be above average to get it, i.e. the 1 out of 3. So you need to be dynamic, interesting, engaging, and enthusiastic. That isn't saying average is a drooling idiot, it's just saying that lukewarm doesn't get the job done. And since the interview is hugely important at most schools when you get to that stage, this is your spot to land or lose. So work on your mad interviewing skillz -- they will pay dividends. They really aren't interviewing just to make sure you are normal, they are looking to see if you have that extra something that makes you the whole package.

Yes, impressing your interviewer will help you get accepted.

I don't think it says anything about your ability to be a good doctor, though.

Bottom line, yes, you need to have a good interview.. for the sake of getting admitted.

 

[TheRealMD]

This is all very good advice. Here is my own, and this may not be very palatable to some: in your situation, don't aim to impress your interviewers or be special. Be absolutely average, let nothing negative show through, and your stats (which are quite stellar) will get you the rest of the way.

Find solace that you have, at worst, a 1 in 3 chance of receiving an offer from the Texas schools. Last year, UTSW accepted 265 of the 798 interviewed (~33%), UTMB 457/981 (~47%), UTH 345/1131 (~31%), UTHSCSA 405/1018 (~40%), A&M 284/727 (~39%), UNT 276/743 (~37%), and TCOM 330/573, an astounding 58%. This is not even taking into account any post-match waitlist movement from people going OOS.

There's a difference between uncomfortably nervous and debilitatingly nervous. If you're in the former, than you will be uncomfortable but fine. If you're in the latter, than you should probably seek professional guidance.

Hey, where did you get those numbers, specifically the UTSW ones? I've heard that there was a typo in that document and UTSW gave out 401 offers. 265 seems way too low when you realize that many highly competitive applicants decide to go to Baylor or other out-of-state schools instead.

 

[Law2Doc]

I don't think it says anything about your ability to be a good doctor, though.

Yeah, I don't know that I would quite say that either. But I do think that being an effective communicator is a big component of the job these days (as with any service industry). You can learn to overcome this kind of shortcoming and still be a great doc, though. Someone who is a good interviewer just already has that component down.

 

[Law2Doc]

Average is a loaded term. The average applicant might not get into med school, an average doctor probably wasn't an average applicant who became an average med student, etc. People tend to rise and fall at various times in this process. Half of all med students will be in the bottom half of their class, notwithstanding that most were A to B+ students in undergrad.

Bottom line is that you have to be the best you can on all aspects of your application, and the interview is a huge component of this process. Work on your skills until you can wow them with the interview. Ignore those folks who tell you to wing it. It's too important for that.

 

[MassTransport]

Average does not mean lukewarm, nor does it mean "wing it." In the OP's case, an average interview does not make him an average applicant, because he is very much academically and extracurricularly above average. After all, it is the applicant as a whole that determines whether or not he or she will be admitted. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to support any argument, which is precisely why anecdotal evidence is not evidence at all.

I agree that "average" is a semantic issue, but my point is that he has an excellent chance at many schools, and as long as he doesn't receive a black mark during his interview and everything else intangible is on the up and up, he will do spectacularly.

To TheRealMD, yeah, the numbers were from the end of match, I don't doubt that UTSW and all other schools eventually extended more acceptances afterwards.

 

[Law2Doc]

In the OP's case, an average interview does not make him an average applicant because he is very much academically and extracurricularly above average.

I think you are not looking at it as many schools do. Everyone invited to the interview at many schools is deemed admissible. That means the best interview can take the day even if the other two (out of three) had better numbers. That is why many folks I know who were exceptionally personable got into med school which other folks I know who were geniuses on paper ended up waitlisted. Take the interview as seriously as the other components of the app. In many cases it gets more weight than the other stuff once you get to that stage, because that other stuff was already used to determine who got interviewed.

 

[Law2Doc]

and as long as he doesn't receive a black mark during his interview and everything else intangible is on the up and u p, he will do spectacularly.

To reiterate -- it's not about not getting black marks, it's about getting the gold star. If you look at the interview merely as a "don't let me screw up" chance rather than a chance to shine, you aren't looking at it appropriately, and will be passed by.

 

[MassTransport]

With respect, I disagree. The importance of the interview versus the importance of the whole application slides depending on the school. I'd also mention that anecdotes skew perception.

 

[2008applicant]

haha i have to agree with Law2Doc. although we may want to have optimistic beliefs such as "the admissions committee will have greater emphasis to my gpa, mcat, ec, lors...", the interview is probably the most important part of the process for highly competitive schools. theres a reason schools do the interview last, right? it's one of the few (or maybe the ONLY) ways to distinguish the accepted from the waitlisted. many of us want to be doctors simply because we do not like to fight over things (ie. the corporate world) and we find satisfaction in helping others (not competing with them). but we have to acknowledge that the interview is a cutthroat situation and that is just reality. imagine group interviews....😱

 

[ZagDoc]

The interview is an absolutely CRITICAL part of the application process, one which numbers can't overshadow if it goes poorly. Especially if they are one-on-one interviews, since that interviewer will often be the only direct advocate at the admissions council who has personally met you and made collected impressions of you. Do you really want to be unimpressionable or average when that person comes to advocate for YOU in front of their peers? I have a doctor who helped me with the admissions process who was on the ADCOM at UPenn Medical for 10 years, and they told me that interview is completely make or break. They've rejected stellar academic minds because of such small matters as the person didn't dress well, seemed elitist to the receptionist at the main office, etc, etc. This doctor HIGHLY stressed to me to, above all, avoid cliche answers, stress what makes me a unique applicant, and SELL SELL SELL myself. The interview isn't the time for modesty.

I don't get why people are so anxious about the interview. This is a chance for the school to get to know you as a PERSON, which I hope would be important to you because its your PERSON which will be slaving away there for four years and giving them $200,000 of your money. Study up so you have an idea of what you want to say (memorize key points, not who answers), but just be yourself. Interviewers can sniff through any lack of genuineness in a heartbeat. To put it bluntly, if you know you really want to be a doctor, so will they. You should be excited. This is your opportunity to actively and directly do something to improve your chances at admission. Don't be content to just "get it over with."

A couple things that really helped me:
-Be nice to EVERYONE. The only reason I even found the admissions office for my West Virginia interview was by asking the janitorial staff, and it turns out the janitorial staff chats it up in the admissions office every week. You never know who might be asked for impressions of you, and hell, you're interviewing for MEDICAL SCHOOL, why WOULDN'T you be nice?

-A firm handshake, a smile, and looking your interviewer(s) in the eyes during the first 10 seconds is more important than any answer you will give.

-Try to relax. The interview is a tough balancing act. You want to appear confident but not cocky. Nervous enough you realize the gravity of the situation but not a trainwreck. Basically, if you practice, know your answers, and realize this is crunch time/game time/4th quarter time, you'll come off genuine.

-Don't B.S. Whoever you'll be talking to will be very experienced at spotting it.

-Attempt to establish a repoire with your interviewer. Besides your questions about the school, if the person is a physician/researcher, ask about their work. If they are a resident or student, ask about their experiences. If they are a teacher, ask about what makes their curriculum unique.

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

I'm not so great at interviewing myself. I still have a couple years before I'll be interviewing with med schools, so I'm trying to work on my skills! I just get nervous and can't think of how I should word things and then later on, after I leave the interview, I think of all the stuff I should have said. And I also sometimes lose my train of thought because I'm so flustered and for a few seconds I'm like, "Um, uh....". I'm trying to work on being more confident and less self-conscious.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm not so great at interviewing myself. I still have a couple years before I'll be interviewing with med schools, so I'm trying to work on my skills! I just get nervous and can't think of how I should word things and then later on, after I leave the interview, I think of all the stuff I should have said. And I also sometimes lose my train of thought because I'm so flustered and for a few seconds I'm like, "Um, uh....". I'm trying to work on being more confident and less self-conscious.

Mock interviews on videotape are probably the most helpful. Practicing with friends and family who are able to be brutally honest with you also helps. Some people have had luck with public speaking classes -- stuff like Dale Carnegie or Toastmasters. Or maybe trying out for plays or other things with an audience - if you are used to being the center of attention, you get less flustered when you are put on the spot. You just have to get comfortable in your own skin.

 

[mave]

-Be nice to EVERYONE. The only reason I even found the admissions office for my West Virginia interview was by asking the janitorial staff, and it turns out the janitorial staff chats it up in the admissions office every week. You never know who might be asked for impressions of you, and hell, you're interviewing for MEDICAL SCHOOL, why WOULDN'T you be nice?

True in medical school, as well as jobs. When I was interviewing for jobs, several of them had a built-in time for the first interviewer to be late, I suspect, just to see how you treated the office and support staff.