Important tip I learned from Yakov

[jkhamlin]

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Many people on this board ask about how to interview at different schools. They constantly get well intentioned advice that I also got from many sources such as "Just be yourself."

The problem with that is that it is hard to know how to be yourself in an interview and also convey to them why you should be admitted.

I truly believe that a critical reason I gained admission this year is because of some advice I got from one of my professors named Yakov Smirnoff. Yes, THE Yakov Smirnoff. He has a master's degree in psychology and teaches a class at my university about relationships. In a way, you are initiating a relationship when you apply to medical school.

Yakov explains in his class that the way that a successful celebrity, business, date, interviewee, etc. is successful is because they know how to be "in their head" when they are dealing with relationships. The person who stays in their head thinks how to make the person they are dealing with feel good about them. That is the way to reach the other person's head. That person then reciprocates using their head to make the other person feel good about them.

When I was in my interview, I stayed in my head, and avoided being guided by my feelings. I considered the interviewers' feelings about how they needed to do a good job of learning about me to help their medical school. I used information about myself that pertained to their answers to make them feel good about me as a physician. I also took as much time asking them very good questions about their university as they took asking me questions, which made them feel good because I was very interested in their university. That made them think that I will be a good student and a good physician.

Now, this seems simplistic, but believe me, it's not. It does work, however. When you are in the interview, they want to get to know you, so when they ask mean questions like "If you were a vegetable, what would you be?," you have to think about how you can use information about you to answer their question in a way that makes them feel good about you as a physician. If you cannot come up with this, then you are not ready for medical school. If you are asked an ethical question, don't get emotional (in fact, I recommend not taking a side), just explain your thoughts in a way that they feel like you would make a good physician. Again, if you cannot do this, then you are not ready for medical school.

Keep in mind that you cannot force or fake this. You have to have factual material that is confirmed by your application materials that you use to think to make them feel good about you as a physician. The bottom line is that the interview is your chance to make them feel good about you as a person, and not as a file. They did the thinking part when they invited you.

I hope this helps someone.

 

[sj786]

Many people on this board ask about how to interview at different schools. They constantly get well intentioned advice that I also got from many sources such as "Just be yourself."

The problem with that is that it is hard to know how to be yourself in an interview and also convey to them why you should be admitted.

I truly believe that a critical reason I gained admission this year is because of some advice I got from one of my professors named Yakov Smirnoff. Yes, THE Yakov Smirnoff. He has a master's degree in psychology and teaches a class at my university about relationships. In a way, you are initiating a relationship when you apply to medical school.

Yakov explains in his class that the way that a successful celebrity, business, date, interviewee, etc. is successful is because they know how to be "in their head" when they are dealing with relationships. The person who stays in their head thinks how to make the person they are dealing with feel good about them. That is the way to reach the other person's head. That person then reciprocates using their head to make the other person feel good about them.

When I was in my interview, I stayed in my head, and avoided being guided by my feelings. I considered the interviewers' feelings about how they needed to do a good job of learning about me to help their medical school. I used information about myself that pertained to their answers to make them feel good about me as a physician. I also took as much time asking them very good questions about their university as they took asking me questions, which made them feel good because I was very interested in their university. That made them think that I will be a good student and a good physician.

Now, this seems simplistic, but believe me, it's not. It does work, however. When you are in the interview, they want to get to know you, so when they ask mean questions like "If you were a vegetable, what would you be?," you have to think about how you can use information about you to answer their question in a way that makes them feel good about you as a physician. If you cannot come up with this, then you are not ready for medical school. If you are asked an ethical question, don't get emotional (in fact, I recommend not taking a side), just explain your thoughts in a way that they feel like you would make a good physician. Again, if you cannot do this, then you are not ready for medical school.

Keep in mind that you cannot force or fake this. You have to have factual material that is confirmed by your application materials that you use to think to make them feel good about you as a physician. The bottom line is that the interview is your chance to make them feel good about you as a person, and not as a file. They did the thinking part when they invited you.

I hope this helps someone.

Very good post.
Thanks for posting that jkhamlin

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

oh my god, you know yakov smirnoff? that is so cool. I would think bringing that up at interviews alone woulf get you in. That's awesome.

Oh, and thanks for the advice too👍

 

[jkhamlin]

oh my god, you know yakov smirnoff? that is so cool. I would think bringing that up at interviews alone woulf get you in. That's awesome.

Oh, and thanks for the advice too👍

I was thinking that, but I didn't get a chance. Fortunately, however, I learned how to interview better from him. BTW, I notice you are from Pennsylvania; Yakov got his degree at University of Pennsylvania.

 

[FizbanZymogen]

I think everyone over estimates these interviews. Seriously just being yourself will get you in if you are a polite, intelligent and honest individual. But you must also show some personality and charisma. They already know you are freakin obsessed with becoming a physician so talk about natural topics too. For example I spent 15 minutes, yes half the interview at WVSOM talking about golf and the greenbrier country club with my three interviewers and was promptly accepted. At Touro-NV I talked about private schools in the area and how effective they were (I have two very young boys) and had a few good laughs about Celine Dion with my interviewers and was promptly accepted. Finally while at my NSU interview we speculated for about 10 minutes as to whether Dante Culpepper could help the Dophins out of there slump (apparently not!!!). Bottom line, just be a feaking human. When you start to over analyze these interviews, thats when you start to get nervous and when you get nervous it is very apparent and no one wants a nervous doc. I sure don't. They want to see that despite your awesome stats on paper you can carry on a fun and intelligent conversation. I learned this very quickly at my KCUMB interview in which I felt like like T.O. returning to Philli. I didn't have the greatest game but it wasn't all my fault. After that interview (and acceptance) I decided I would go into these interviews and with a professional-casual attitude. It paid off big time! Good luck all and remember above all have fun at these interviews. I would definitely accept an excited, fun and intelligent individual more-so than a nervous, overly canned pre-med telling me exactly what they think I want to hear. peace