Interview/Alcohol

[Dr 14220]

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For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I got wasted the night before and went in hungover. I guess thats pretty much the same thing.

Worked for me.

 

[docmd2010]

better yet,

I think you should crack open a corona during your interview. that way you also appear to be relaxed.

 

[Red Beard]

Brush your teeth after the beers, maybe some breath mints too.

Check out propranalol...commonly used to suppress the fight-or-flight response in performers who suffer from stagefright. My buddy uses it before giving talks, and he's cool as a cucumber the whole time--no sweaty palms, no shaking, no bounding pulse. 😎

 

[OMMFan]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

Am I the only one who wonders if needing 2 beers before an interview is a red flag? I don't drink much b/c it seems like I have close to no alcohol dehydrogenase, but one of my former family members was a functional alcoholic and he always used a couple of beers to stay loose.

If you need 2 beers (or other chemical aid) before you interview you might want to look into other relaxation techniques/coping strategies (e.g., deep breathing). Maybe that's a bit harsh, since I'm sure there are people who have popped a Xanax before interviewing, but if your nervousness hasn't reached the panic attack stage it's probably something you can deal with on your own.

It's normal to be somewhat nervous at the beginning of your interview and ideally you will relax and become more comfortable as the interview progresses.

If anyone in the interview catches a whiff of EtOH they will see that as a red flag for alcoholism. Nobody wants an alcoholic doctor.

 

[FutureDocDO]

Brush your teeth after the beers, maybe some breath mints too.

Check out propranalol...commonly used to suppress the fight-or-flight response in performers who suffer from stagefright. My buddy uses it before giving talks, and he's cool as a cucumber the whole time--no sweaty palms, no shaking, no bounding pulse. 😎

Interesting. I need that! Does it require a prescription?
Just need something to calm my nerve when presenting in front of a room full of students and a handful of PhDs.

When I'm nervous I sweat and mispronounce words and even stutter if the A/C is on. But, I made it through the interviews on my own, without the help of alcohol or medications although it would have helped with TOURO-CA group interview. 😱 If I could do it anyone can. Just be prepared and you'll do fine.

 

[JohnnyOU]

Several of the guys I talked with after our interviews all told me the same thing....all of us were getting drunk or downing nyquil the night before just so we could calm down and get to sleep 😀

 

[Vox Animo]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

Of the dumb things you could do before an interview, this is probably in the top three.

 

[dr.z]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

Only if you think it is necessary. I wouldn't do it since I have to use rest room frequently after drinking beer.

 

[Kubed]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

For me, 2 beers would not be nearly enough.

Big problem with this plan (apart from the fact you will be interviewing with people who can smell booze from a mile away) is that there is a long time between when your day starts and when you actually interview. Most likely there will be a tour, a financial aid presentation, a meet and greet with a dean …etc…etc. This eats up a few hours in the morning. Odds are any relaxing effect you were feeling will be long gone by the time you actually interview.

… I'll give you points for originality though. I can't say that I've heard of being drunk in the actual interview.

 

[OMMFan]

Of the dumb things you could do before an interview, this is probably in the top three.

What are the other two?

 

[Junkster]

I'm not going to start on why this is not a good idea on so many levels.

 

[group_theory]

Brush your teeth after the beers, maybe some breath mints too.

Check out propranalol...commonly used to suppress the fight-or-flight response in performers who suffer from stagefright. My buddy uses it before giving talks, and he's cool as a cucumber the whole time--no sweaty palms, no shaking, no bounding pulse. 😎

Before you go around suggesting a non-selective beta-blocker to people - might want to know the contraindications for it.

Also, you don't want to try propanolol (Inderal) for the first time during the interview ... might pass out in front of your interviewer ... and if he/she takes your pulse ... the interviewer might decide to activate the code blue alert ... certainly a way to make the you memorable to the interviewer

 

[n0chi]

hey at least you got a bunch of docs right there 😉 go for it man! and let us know how it turns out hehe 🙂

 

[n0chi]

hey at least you got a bunch of docs right there 😉 go for it man! and let us know how it turns out hehe 🙂

 

[raptor5]

I suggest Marinol.

 

[MossPoh]

I have to say that while it is not something to do everytime you are nervous or have to present I have found that a beer or two before something loosened me up a bit, allowed me to smile a bit more and kind of have fun with it. It takes me about 6 beers to truly FEEL that I've been drinking but a little bit can make you more confident..if anything it is a calming just to relax before hand with a beer in your hand. Sad to think that my best presentations and papers written have all been under the influence to some degree. The others weren't horrible but it defintley kept me loose.

 

[DRofO]

Am I the only one who wonders if needing 2 beers before an interview is a red flag? I don't drink much b/c it seems like I have close to no alcohol dehydrogenase, but one of my former family members was a functional alcoholic and he always used a couple of beers to stay loose.

If you need 2 beers (or other chemical aid) before you interview you might want to look into other relaxation techniques/coping strategies (e.g., deep breathing). Maybe that's a bit harsh, since I'm sure there are people who have popped a Xanax before interviewing, but if your nervousness hasn't reached the panic attack stage it's probably something you can deal with on your own.

It's normal to be somewhat nervous at the beginning of your interview and ideally you will relax and become more comfortable as the interview progresses.

If anyone in the interview catches a whiff of EtOH they will see that as a red flag for alcoholism. Nobody wants an alcoholic doctor.

I am with you on this. For me, I only had 3 interviews...(two waitlisted, one acceptance) and to actually do something that could jeopardize my chances seems stupid to me! Being relaxed (and being drunk) is simply a state of mind, there are ways to bring down heart rate and eliminate nervousness without the use of drugs or alcohol. What happens when you have a tough surgery? Down a few beers before? There are much better ways, do some research.

 

[OSUdoc08]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

Or you could just be yourself.

 

[samdwi]

better yet,

I think you should crack open a corona during your interview. that way you also appear to be relaxed.

Have your interviewer slice you a lemon wedge...

 

[Dr 14220]

i love the people who get real serious, almost to the point where it seems they are in some way offended-and start with the scientific explanations and the "i wouldnt want uuuu as myyyy doctor stuff". ridiculous.

 

[OMMFan]

i love the people who get real serious, almost to the point where it seems they are in some way offended-and start with the scientific explanations and the "i wouldnt want uuuu as myyyy doctor stuff". ridiculous.

You love me? Awww, that's so sweet of you.

You want to use booze for your interview, then go right ahead. You're the one who asked for our thoughts, buddy.

If you're an alcoholic or on your way there, I wouldn't want you as my doc. If you find that funny or "too serious," then I wish all your future patients the best of luck b/c they'll need it. I have more than enough experience w/very intelligent functioning (so much so I didn't even realize the magnitude of their addiction) alcoholics, thanks.

I have learned that using alcohol to loosen up/relax *before* work starts is a red flag for a chronic drunk.

 

[Kubed]

Have your interviewer slice you a lemon wedge...

Lemon!? Man you gotta drink Corona with lime (all mexican beer needs a slice of lime for that matter) 😀

 

[OSUdoc08]

Lemon!? Man you gotta drink Corona with lime (all mexican beer needs a slice of lime for that matter) 😀

Mexican = Lime Slice

Boulevard = Lemon Slice

Blue Moon = Orange Slice

 

[babyruth]

Also, sometimes when you feel relaxed and feel like you are having fun with it, sometimes this a misperception. Like on Family guy when they smoked pot and thought they were the best singers ever. Usually how you appear and how you think you appear when you are drinking are not one and the same. Don't let it become a bad habit...

 

[tucomnvms1]

Sure drink some beer before your interview. That is a great quality to have, you know that you need beer to function in stressfull situations. Better yet, why don't you have a few before your first surgery, you know just to calm you down.. So what school are you interviewing at? And what is your name?

 

[prana_md]

back to the beta blockers ... this could realy work if you have a problem with anxiety. I took them for a while and they really helped. of course, don't take it w/o talking to a doctor, and probably do a dry run with them before the actual interview. code blue on interview day makes for a hell of thank you note to write.

as for the whole "if you can't handle the anxiety, there's something wrong with you" schtick, check the DSM-IV. There a plenty of different kinds of anxiety and panic disorders. When I am a physician, I will probably have issues with anxiety. I've practiced a lot with visualization and breathing, but sometimes a pill is all that helps. I will probably not be a surgeon. I probably will take the occasional Klonopin during my work day. Will I be stoned? No. Will I be a danger to my patients? No. I will be calm and I will practice better medicine for it.

As for the two beers, probably not a good idea. The bathroom problem would be an issue for me. And the whole campus tour thing. They drag you all over heck before you ever see an interviewer. Buzzkill.

 

[Dr 14220]

yea i do think its ridiculous....i am far from an alcoholic, and wouldnt REALLY drink beer before a medical school interview.

As for the 1 or 2 nutcases on here who are flipping out and such, do not feel bad for my patients. instead, ill feel bad for yours-for they will have a doctor with minimal personality and perhaps with an inability to relate to people (ie. should u have not just been a robot?)

As for Kubed (or anyone else who is not overly serious and/or offended by an online thread), i think ill send u a case of corona + a box of limes. enjoy.

 

[OSUdoc08]

back to the beta blockers ... this could realy work if you have a problem with anxiety. I took them for a while and they really helped. of course, don't take it w/o talking to a doctor, and probably do a dry run with them before the actual interview. code blue on interview day makes for a hell of thank you note to write.

as for the whole "if you can't handle the anxiety, there's something wrong with you" schtick, check the DSM-IV. There a plenty of different kinds of anxiety and panic disorders. When I am a physician, I will probably have issues with anxiety. I've practiced a lot with visualization and breathing, but sometimes a pill is all that helps. I will probably not be a surgeon. I probably will take the occasional Klonopin during my work day. Will I be stoned? No. Will I be a danger to my patients? No. I will be calm and I will practice better medicine for it.

As for the two beers, probably not a good idea. The bathroom problem would be an issue for me. And the whole campus tour thing. They drag you all over heck before you ever see an interviewer. Buzzkill.

Obviously if it is in the DSM-IV, then there in fact IS something wrong with you since it is listed as a "disorder."

 

[Vox Animo]

yea i do think its ridiculous....i am far from an alcoholic, and wouldnt REALLY drink beer before a medical school interview.

As for the 1 or 2 nutcases on here who are flipping out and such, do not feel bad for my patients. instead, ill feel bad for yours-for they will have a doctor with minimal personality and perhaps with an inability to relate to people (ie. should u have not just been a robot?)

As for Kubed (or anyone else who is not overly serious and/or offended by an online thread), i think ill send u a case of corona + a box of limes. enjoy.

all alcoholism aside, if in interviewer smells beers on you, which they will, they will most likely dismiss your application. Be more concerned on how you will respond if they ask if you've been drinking.

I had a few drinks on the night before some of my interviews to relax and sleep, but honestly, interview days are so packed that you would have a hard time sneaking out to down a few. My suggestion, is just do some mock interviews so you can be relaxed, the booze will only mess up your interview, and this advice comes from a person who drinks too much (and has been drinking all day today)

 

[Khia18]

Am I the only one who sees this? For all the offended responders, quite obviously it was meant as a joke. Don't forget patients also want a doctor with a human personality (ie sense of humor, compassion, among other things), not a self-righteous. holier-than-though ass. Did you harp on and scold every drunk classmate during your undergrad? If you don't like something, don't do it, and lay off everyone else about it. Before you climb up on your high horse try to remember that you yourself are far from being addressed as "doctor" just yet. 😀
On a lighter note, does anyone else find it amusing (in that sad, only we understand our fellow nerds kind of way) that we're discussing drinking in tandem with alcohol dehydrogenase and beta blockers? Only med students, I tell you.
Chill out everyone, we only have a short summer of freedom left before our souls are owned for the better part of a decade. Enjoy it! We'll be broken and much poorer when this is all over. Good luck in the fall! 😛

 

[Khia18]

PS- I want a case of coronas too!

 

[scpod]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

Two ways to guarantee that your interview will be the most discussed of all by the admissions committee:

1) Bring beer
2) Show up naked

 

[EvoDoc]

yea i do think its ridiculous....i am far from an alcoholic, and wouldnt REALLY drink beer before a medical school interview.

As for the 1 or 2 nutcases on here who are flipping out and such, do not feel bad for my patients. instead, ill feel bad for yours-for they will have a doctor with minimal personality and perhaps with an inability to relate to people (ie. should u have not just been a robot?)

As for Kubed (or anyone else who is not overly serious and/or offended by an online thread), i think ill send u a case of corona + a box of limes. enjoy.

I am not overly serious about this...can I have a case? Some nachos would also be nice. 🙂

 

[gagolden]

You need a couple of Caronas before your interview, fair enough. Then say you become a surgeon, and need a couple of Jack n' Cokes before that big tauma. With all of that "life and death" stress out of the way , everyting will go OK. Thank god your applying, makes me feel safe in case my wife gets into a car accident.

 

[Dr 14220]

i give up, im gonna have a bagel and orange juice before my interview.

but maybe so that i still make an impression, i can by a pair of those sneakers that have wheels pop out from underneath-so that when every1 is showing me around campus and they are all walking, i can just pop open my wheels and roll around from place to place, thus getting there 4x as fast and exhibiting my superior intellect.

 

[VentdependenT]

A beer is ok. Plenty of folks have a drink before public speaking.

If you have anxiety though I recommend lexapro. 10 mg at night before you go to sleep and you will be cool in the am. give it a couple of weeks to kick in though.

beta blockers arent a bad idea but they wont do much for your mind racing.

 

[LovelyRita]

Eat a banana. Bananas are touted as a natural beta-blocker.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

I got wasted the night before and went in hungover. I guess thats pretty much the same thing.

Worked for me.

Oh man... I remember the night before my Touro interview in Vegas... went to sleep at 5am partied out.

 

[Kubed]

Oh man... I remember the night before my Touro interview in Vegas... went to sleep at 5am partied out.

That is but one of our many selling points

 

[Vox Animo]

PS- I want a case of coronas too!

corona= chiwawa piss 😀

 

[MossPoh]

corona= chiwawa piss 😀

I always said it is just mexicans that were shipped into the brewery. Their job. Drink budweiser and piss into the bottles. Stick with smaller breweries, Belgian, German or Czech beers...some from the UK are ok. Scattered Polish beers aren't horrible....One danish beer I've had is good but if you stick with Belgian beers especially you'll never have a bad one. 😀 I think the drinking thing REALLY depends on the person as well. Obviously one beer by a 90 lbs asian girl wouldn't be good ...one beer by me.. a 6'5" 230 lbs (at my smallest) male doesn't do anything. Keep it under DUI levels and nothing horrible would happen. It isn't a matter of using it as a crutch for every difficult situation. I have had tons of things I'm nervous about and would never do it...public speaking I pretty much melt down. I've tried all those stupid breathing exercises and stuff and they really didn't do anything for me. Like said..depends on the person, don't even get buzzed and you should be fine. Perhaps it is the German perspective developing in me but 1 beer really won't do much of any harm. I have seen high school teachers crack open beers here during breaks and nobody thinks twice about it. If you are legal, responsible and just need something to chill nerves then there shouldn't be a problem....also kind of depends on the time of day. After 12 is preferable.... I am not sure if the "kein bier vor vier" (except for lunch) works in that situation.

 

[azcomRob]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

If you want to drink before your interview thats up to you. Sounds like a great idea after working so hard to get the grades and the MCAT score to even grant you that interview. However, I would advise against it due to the chance of the panel smelling it on your breath regardless of dentene or scope (there is still that possibility). Don't worry though, I'm sure the adcom would understand if you told them that you have a hard time dealing with pressure. They may even give you some vaseline to rub on your hiny to take care of that diaper rash. Lets just hope that you don't use the same logic when your nervous about seeing your first patient.

 

[Megalofyia]

According to my mother whiskey is the way to go. It's what she suggested to me before my interviews.

 

[MSc44]

i suggest starting with 👍 0.25 of xanax

 

[RedSoxDO]

i love the people who get real serious, almost to the point where it seems they are in some way offended-and start with the scientific explanations and the "i wouldnt want uuuu as myyyy doctor stuff". ridiculous.

Wouldn't you want the person who is going to be treating you or your children to get serious and come straight out with a scientific explanation? This is not an MBA or even JD we're preparing for here. Furthermore, the large number of people responding with caution should say something. If one person tells you you've got a tail growing out of your butt you laugh. If ten people tell you you're growing a tail you should look in the mirror.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

A beer is ok. Plenty of folks have a drink before public speaking.

If you have anxiety though I recommend lexapro. 10 mg at night before you go to sleep and you will be cool in the am. give it a couple of weeks to kick in though.

beta blockers arent a bad idea but they wont do much for your mind racing.

Or celexa if your insurance sucks. 🙂

 

[Dotsero]

For those of you who have interviewed for med school or are planning on interviewing at some point.......what do you think about having ~2 beers before the interview??? To me this seems like a good idea, since 2 beers would loosen you up and calm the nerves without making you slur speech or lose cognitive abilities. what do u think?

I haven't read all the other posts but I sincerely hope you are joking. This is a truly stupid idea. Would you, as a doctor, prepare for a very difficult surgery by having a couple of drinks? Come on, get real! If you can't handle the stress of an interview without self-medicating then you need to look into another career field, PLEASE!!!

 

[DRofO]

yea i do think its ridiculous....i am far from an alcoholic, and wouldnt REALLY drink beer before a medical school interview.

As for the 1 or 2 nutcases on here who are flipping out and such, do not feel bad for my patients. instead, ill feel bad for yours-for they will have a doctor with minimal personality and perhaps with an inability to relate to people (ie. should u have not just been a robot?)

As for Kubed (or anyone else who is not overly serious and/or offended by an online thread), i think ill send u a case of corona + a box of limes. enjoy.

This question has come up before. (Maybe not here on SDN...but I wouldn't be surprised if it had)
This subject came up earlier this year; I was in the parking lot at Touro MI, after I just dropped off my deposit check, when a young man started asking me questions. (I have to say I don't remember exactly what he asked at first) He was from LA, preparing for his interview the next day and he wanted to walk around the campus. We talked for probably 20 minutes and one of the things he proposed was exactly what you said. "Should I have a few beers to relax?" I said exactly what I posted earlier...not holier than thou...just reality.
So, you may (or may not) have posted your question as a joke, but it has been asked before and it has been thought of by many who are nervous. Do you really think you can perform better in an interview with a few beers? The reality is probably not. You may think you can, but we all think we are wonder woman (or superman) when we are drinking!
Make sure you post your decision, and your results..... inquiring minds want to know....
Only 28 more days til classes start!!!! Yahoo!!!!!!

 

[Dr. Steve-O]

better yet,

I think you should crack open a corona during your interview. that way you also appear to be relaxed.

LOL that mental picture is hilarious!