Interview day cliches?

[Officer Farva]

Anyone else wish interview days can be restricted to just the interview or maybe a regional interview in your hometown?

I feel like I memorized the interview day buzzwords of each school and can live without the countless presentations.

For example, every school wants to "seamlessly teach basic science alongside the art of medicine for all four years". Every medical student is a "collaborator who thrives in a community of like-minded learners.", despite being THAT hyper-competitive premed in my organic lecture a few years ago. Every medical school emphasizes research, education, and patient care whether they are receiving Harvard level NIH funding or your state school. Every P/F school keeps on saying how "chill" their classmates are, while every traditional school claims the same thing and "to not listen to all the P/F schools". Not to mention, repeating "collaboration" and "community" every other sentence. Oh, and the schools that overwhelmed their university hospital and justify putting you in this smaller, less-prestigious hospital by saying you have more one on one time with attendings for teaching you.

To be honest, I'd rather save my airfare and hotel accommodation money at this point.

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[piii]

Well you're never going to escape beuaracracy, it's everywhere in medicine! And the field is certainly plagued with all these crazy ridiculous buzzwords too, like "disease" and "mortality rate." You should probably just save your tuition money.

 

[wavvvvvves123]

it would be so cool if the option for regional interviews existed haha

 

[Reckoner]

Our students get clinical exposure starting on the very first day

 

[Krupke]

You'll easily be able to pay off your loans; you'll be doctors!

We choose to not focus on research, which allows us to dedicate more time to teaching.

Rotating at hospitals an hour drive away allows you to see a variety of patient settings

Or, it's good that the school is in the middle of nowhere because then you have nothing to do but study

I love the sales pitch clichés schools use to pretend like real problems don't exist. Not worth the thousands of dollars travelling to the interviews, but entertaining nonetheless

 

[Officer Farva]

When will these MDs who are "medical education specialists" or whatever fully commit to to reinventing the wheel by getting rid of all the science, making us take electives on art and medicine instead, and allow us to do major surgery on day one?

 

[justadream]

It goes both ways. Inteviewees also have to say the same tired cliches over and over like:

"I would like to work in academia and/or primary care"
"I have great leadership skills"
"I love community service more than anything in the world"
"Yes, you are my top choice school"

At schools that focus on PBL: "I work well in collaborative environments"
At schools that focus on research: "I love research"
At schools that focus on service: "I love service"
At a school in a big city: "I have always dreamed of living in a big city - so exciting!"
At a school that is in a rural location: "I hate big cities and prefer to live in a quieter location"
At a school close to home: "I want to stay close to my friends/family"
At a school across the country from you: "I am perfectly happy to move away and try a new area!"
At a school with warm weather: "OMG I hate winter. This weather is amazing"
At a school with cold weather: "I love seasons. Socal weather is so boring"
etc.

 

[Goro]

I'll agree to all of this when interviewees stop telling us that they are "people persons" and that "they want to help people", and unique to being at a DO school how "their hands will be their tools".

If you ever read "Dilbert", you'll see that medical schools have nothing on the Business world: "looking for new paradigms to incentivize stakeholders"!

Anyone else wish interview days can be restricted to just the interview or maybe a regional interview in your hometown?

I feel like I memorized the interview day buzzwords of each school and can live without the countless presentations.

For example, every school wants to "seamlessly teach basic science alongside the art of medicine for all four years". Every medical student is a "collaborator who thrives in a community of like-minded learners.", despite being THAT hyper-competitive premed in my organic lecture a few years ago. Every medical school emphasizes research, education, and patient care whether they are receiving Harvard level NIH funding or your state school. Every P/F school keeps on saying how "chill" their classmates are, while every traditional school claims the same thing and "to not listen to all the P/F schools". Not to mention, repeating "collaboration" and "community" every other sentence. Oh, and the schools that overwhelmed their university hospital and justify putting you in this smaller, less-prestigious hospital by saying you have more one on one time with attendings for teaching you.

To be honest, I'd rather save my airfare and hotel accommodation money at this point.

 

[Krupke]

It goes both ways. Inteviewees also have to say the same tired cliches over and over like:

"I would like to work in academia and/or primary care"
"I have great leadership skills"
"I love community service more than anything in the world"
"Yes, you are my top choice school"

At schools that focus on PBL: "I work well in collaborative environments"
At schools that focus on research: "I love research"
At schools that focus on service: "I love service"
At a school in a big city: "I have always dreamed of living in a big city - so exciting!"
At a school that is in a rural location: "I hate big cities and prefer to live in a quieter location"
At a school close to home: "I want to stay close to my friends/family"
At a school across the country from you: "I am perfectly happy to move away and try a new area!"
At a school with warm weather: "OMG I hate winter. This weather is amazing"
At a school with cold weather: "I love seasons. Socal weather is so boring"
etc.

Don't hate the player; hate the game. If interviewees don't sound like they are buying into what the school is selling then they have no chance.

Once you get into a school that matches what you want, you can then stop giving clichés

 

[Officer Farva]

I'll agree to all of this when interviewees stop telling us that they are "people persons" and that "they want to help people", and unique to being at a DO school how "their hands will be their tools".

If you ever read "Dilbert", you'll see that medical schools have nothing on the Business world: "looking for new paradigms to incentivize stakeholders"!

Totally agree and trust me I know very well from my friends and family members in business haha. Regardless of what field anyone is in, I think it's funny to take a step back and joke about that stuff like in Dilbert.

 

[longleat11]

"Just so you know, we have absolutely NO say in the admissions process" -- every tour guide ever

 

[Glandzburg]

While I agree that the cliches are overdone, I personally think it is important to spend a day at the school to get a feel for the environment.

One of my top choices (pre-interview) actually seemed to be a poor fit for me when I visited for interview day. The building was old, dark, and depressing, plus the students just didn't seem all that happy. Granted, it is hard to get a real feel for what a place is like based off of one day, but I'm still glad that I was able to actually see the place before potentially committing to 4 years there.

Even if regional interviews were offered, you should at least go to second look day so you aren't totally surprised on day 1 of medical school.

 

[Reckoner]

It goes both ways. Inteviewees also have to say the same tired cliches over and over like:

"I would like to work in academia and/or primary care"
"I have great leadership skills"
"I love community service more than anything in the world"
"Yes, you are my top choice school"

At schools that focus on PBL: "I work well in collaborative environments"
At schools that focus on research: "I love research"
At schools that focus on service: "I love service"
At a school in a big city: "I have always dreamed of living in a big city - so exciting!"
At a school that is in a rural location: "I hate big cities and prefer to live in a quieter location"
At a school close to home: "I want to stay close to my friends/family"
At a school across the country from you: "I am perfectly happy to move away and try a new area!"
At a school with warm weather: "OMG I hate winter. This weather is amazing"
At a school with cold weather: "I love seasons. Socal weather is so boring"
etc.

The difference is that applicants get to tailor their canned answers to the school's strength. So they might be cliches, but at least they show some interviewer that you took the time to browse their website.

The school has to try and appeal to everyone, which basically makes what they say on interviews meaningless

 

[Officer Farva]

While I agree that the cliches are overdone, I personally think it is important to spend a day at the school to get a feel for the environment.

One of my top choices (pre-interview) actually seemed to be a poor fit for me when I visited for interview day. The building was old, dark, and depressing, plus the students just didn't seem all that happy. Granted, it is hard to get a real feel for what a place is like based off of one day, but I'm still glad that I was able to actually see the place before potentially committing to 4 years there.

Even if regional interviews were offered, you should at least go to second look day so you aren't totally surprised on day 1 of medical school.

Interesting, I am choosing my school on a combination of prestige and location. I never really understood the concept of fit.

Unrelated, but during my first app cycle. I was interviewed by a dermatologist who spoke condescending to me since "I am nothing but gpa, mcat, and research and don't care about the underserved". This was from a dermatologist who specialized in cosmetics. I couldn't help but crack a smile haha.

 

[Glandzburg]

"Just so you know, we have absolutely NO say in the admissions process" -- every tour guide ever

Ha, this is actually true (at least at my school). Unless applicants say something egregiously inappropriate (e.g., racist or homophobic remarks - and I've never heard of this happening), our tour guides don't even talk to the admissions staff after they drop you off. The same is true for overnight student hosts.

I remember being apprehensive about those disclaimers as an interviewee, but now that I'm on the other side I can assure you that the tour guides are not lying to your face. Feel free to ask anything you would like to know about the school.

 

[Glandzburg]

Interesting, I am choosing my school on a combination of prestige and location. I never really understood the concept of fit.

The school I was talking about and the school I am at now are in somewhat similar locations and have similar "prestige." It may have been a different story if that were not the case, but I think fit is a part of the puzzle that should not be ignored. Medical school is hard enough when you are at a school you actually like; I couldn't imagine spending 4 years at a school I didn't like.

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

*After the first talk from admissions* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*After the Dean's talk* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*After the Financial Aid talk* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*27 times on the student led tour - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*At the end of every interview* - "Do you have any questions for me?"

 

[Pasmal]

If you think that is a waste of time, I really hope you post your thoughts within the next few years regarding the merits of countless online quizzes, EHR training, reflection papers, mandatory training sessions, lecture minutiae and required PBL activities. You have no idea. With all the interviews you must be getting to feel this way, maybe you should cancel a few, save some cash and let a more appreciative applicant take the slot.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

"There is no competition. We share study guides on Facebook for every test"

 

[musicalfeet]

it would be so cool if the option for regional interviews existed haha

Well... that could get totally sketch. In the music industry, we have regional "auditions" for the top conservatories. In reality though, those that attend regionals are fighting an uphill battle, because the fact you didn't fly there for a formal audition will be held against you. It's seen as "well, you're not committed enough to even come here to play for us live". You'd have to be like, the next big star or something for them to take you via a regional.

 

[Officer Farva]

If you think that is a waste of time, I really hope you post your thoughts within the next few years regarding the merits of countless online quizzes, EHR training, reflection papers, mandatory training sessions, lecture minutiae and required PBL activities. You have no idea. With all the interviews you must be getting to feel this way, maybe you should cancel a few, save some cash and let a more appreciative applicant take the slot.

I actually withdrew from everywhere else once I got into my #1 choice. IDK why, but I interviewed at a lot of schools with a high interviewee/acceptance ratio so I felt pressured to go to a lot of them.

 

[Pasmal]

I actually withdrew from everywhere else once I got into my #1 choice. IDK why, but I interviewed at a lot of schools with a high interviewee/acceptance ratio so I felt pressured to go to a lot of them.

That makes sense and I understand/agree with your point in general wrt just dropping the act and only giving applicants the essential info, but the whole "id rather save my cash" thing just came off poorly considering the desperation seen in other threads to get even one interview, combined with the fact that even if they're wasted words, the amount of BS you will experience in med school in comparison makes this seem like a middle schooler complaining that they don't have recess anymore.

 

[Officer Farva]

That makes sense and I understand/agree with your point in general wrt just dropping the act and only giving applicants the essential info, but the whole "id rather save my cash" thing just came off poorly considering the desperation seen in other threads to get even one interview, combined with the fact that even if they're wasted words, the amount of BS you will experience in med school in comparison makes this seem like a middle schooler complaining that they don't have recess anymore.

My bad, I totally agree. I don't consider myself the best at interviewing since I have the traditional boring premed cookie cutter background with an interest in research in a day when everybody is an art history major who was an investment banking analyst at Goldman who plays five instruments and won an olympic gold medal. I totally believe that applicants these days need more interviews to get that one acceptance.

Just a post made in a joking way to joke about annoyances at interviews.

 

[Pasmal]

My bad, I totally agree. I don't consider myself the best at interviewing since I have the traditional boring premed cookie cutter background with an interest in research in a day when everybody is an art history major who was an investment banking analyst at Goldman who plays five instruments and won an olympic gold medal. I totally believe that applicants these days need more interviews to get that one acceptance.

Just a post made in a joking way to joke about annoyances at interviews.

Obviously you're not awful if you got your #1! Good luck next year

 

[Officer Farva]

Obviously you're not awful if you got your #1! Good luck next year

Thanks dude, I still consider it an absolute fluke haha

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

also it seems like every school has "an above-average Step 1 score for students" they can't all be above average

 

[Officer Farva]

"I feel like the faculty truly support me here. I could be walking to class one day, and the chairman of surgery could see me and say, What's up Farva, let's get a beer sometime."

 

[terra330]

also it seems like every school has "an above-average Step 1 score for students" they can't all be above average

They could be if DO students and IMG/FMGs are factored into that average (not sure if they actually are)

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

also it seems like every school has "an above-average Step 1 score for students" they can't all be above average

Maybe you're just interviewing at a bunch of above-average schools

 

[w0rldw3y3d]

*After the first talk from admissions* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*After the Dean's talk* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*After the Financial Aid talk* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*27 times on the student led tour - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*At the end of every interview* - "Do you have any questions for me?"

you BETTER have questions for the interviewer too. I usually just ask them about themselves since everything else is answered during the day.

 

[Officer Farva]

*After the first talk from admissions* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*After the Dean's talk* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*After the Financial Aid talk* - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*27 times on the student led tour - "Does anyone have any questions?"
*At the end of every interview* - "Do you have any questions for me?"

I always repeated the same questions to everyone so I looked interested lol.

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

You'll easily be able to pay off your loans; you'll be doctors!

We choose to not focus on research, which allows us to dedicate more time to teaching.

Rotating at hospitals an hour drive away allows you to see a variety of patient settings

Or, it's good that the school is in the middle of nowhere because then you have nothing to do but study

I love the sales pitch clichés schools use to pretend like real problems don't exist. Not worth the thousands of dollars travelling to the interviews, but entertaining nonetheless

lol is this Quinnipiac?

 

[Officer Farva]

They could be if DO students and IMG/FMGs are factored into that average (not sure if they actually are)

Not sure if they are, not sure if it makes a difference. I heard Carribean kids, the ones who are not weeded out, either do average to above average to Harvard-level on their boards. Basically, everyone from Ross to Harvard does well.

 

[mkapp]

How many students to a cadaver?

 

[Officer Farva]

You'll easily be able to pay off your loans; you'll be doctors!

We choose to not focus on research, which allows us to dedicate more time to teaching.

Rotating at hospitals an hour drive away allows you to see a variety of patient settings

Or, it's good that the school is in the middle of nowhere because then you have nothing to do but study

I love the sales pitch clichés schools use to pretend like real problems don't exist. Not worth the thousands of dollars travelling to the interviews, but entertaining nonetheless

So true of all the new MD schools. Don't forget, we don't have to deal with the orthodoxy of basic science departments in the first two years, we can really innovate our teaching. Our small community hospitals don't have residents, so you will basically be a resident. We have plenty of great take out and restaurants within a half hour drive. Coming from a big city, the last one was crazy.

 

[NotAnotherPreMed]

Some version of "look at how awesome our anatomy lab is". Apparently everyone has some next level ventilation system to prevent the smell.

 

[Officer Farva]

Some version of "look at how awesome our anatomy lab is". Apparently everyone has some next level ventilation system to prevent the smell.

"Our anatomy lab is open 24/7. And I'm thinking, do people actually check out cadavers at 3 AM. I am way too superstitious to do that.

 

[takeurmeds02]

My biggest annoyance was everyone asking, "Does anyone have any questions?" Literally, everyone from the Dean to the guy waiting outside at the bus stop not even affiliated with the school was asking if I had anymore questions...

*Edit: oops, already been brought up...*

 

[takeurmeds02]

"Our anatomy lab is open 24/7. And I'm thinking, do people actually check out cadavers at 3 AM. I am way too superstitious to do that.

I know people who would purposely go in that late to beat the crowd

 

[takeurmeds02]

you BETTER have questions for the interviewer too. I usually just ask them about themselves since everything else is answered during the day.

During one interview:

Interviewer: Anything else?
Me: *starts thinking*
Interviewer: It's okay if you don't have any questions. I'm sure they've all been answered haha

 

[Officer Farva]

My biggest annoyance was everyone asking, "Does anyone have any questions?" Literally, everyone from the Dean to the guy waiting outside at the bus stop not even affiliated with the school was asking if I had anymore questions...

Just an observation. At a couple of interviews, the taxi driver driving me back to the airport almost instinctively knew why I was visiting the city, saying it's interview season at the medical center and he likes taking pick ups from around there. I swear, these guys are almost adcoms in disguise because they knew lots about the hospital and medical training!

 

[takeurmeds02]

Just an observation. At a couple of interviews, the taxi driver driving me back to the airport almost instinctively knew why I was visiting the city, saying it's interview season at the medical center and he likes taking pick ups from around there. I swear, these guys are almost adcoms in disguise because they knew lots about the hospital and medical training!

LOL, they have to be

 

[nRomaleos]

"the weather in california must be nice"

 

[Sgucci]

Hell yes OP. On interview days every single curriculum is "UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE" for teaching anatomy (literally had one admissions dean say that) and having PBL or a lecture format. Fellow interviewers are a load of mostly gunners listening for any information they can use to their advantage, and interviewers always ask the same god damn questions with no originality.

tell me about yourself
why medicine
why this school
what did you do for ___ activity?
what would you do if you reapplied?

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Also interview days drag on beyond belief for 8 hrs so you barely catch your flight and if you have to leave early the admissions team will hold it against you.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

If you ever read "Dilbert", you'll see that medical schools have nothing on the Business world: "looking for new paradigms to incentivize stakeholders"!

So there's no corporate synergy in medicine?

Well... that could get totally sketch. In the music industry, we have regional "auditions" for the top conservatories. In reality though, those that attend regionals are fighting an uphill battle, because the fact you didn't fly there for a formal audition will be held against you. It's seen as "well, you're not committed enough to even come here to play for us live". You'd have to be like, the next big star or something for them to take you via a regional.

That's if you're doing performance.... If you're like me and were a music ed major, regional auditions have no negative affect. At least they didn't for my FSU and Michigan auditions.

 

[Sgucci]

Admission directors who can't be bothered to deal with bad interviewers or give a **** about students who have a problem with them.

Also terribly prepared half-assed food for lunch that makes you sick, but you still shovel down so you have some energy.

Oh and some empty comments about how great the school is and how devoted and transparent they are to applicants (almost none of them are)

Finally, med school student ambassadors who trash talk other people in their class for doing well on USMLE and going into primary care. Gotta love it.

 

[musicalfeet]

So there's no corporate synergy in medicine?

That's if you're doing performance.... If you're like me and were a music ed major, regional auditions have no negative affect. At least they didn't for my FSU and Michigan auditions.

I guess performance people are jerks hahaha!!

 

[el_duderino]

You'll easily be able to pay off your loans; you'll be doctors!

We choose to not focus on research, which allows us to dedicate more time to teaching.

Rotating at hospitals an hour drive away allows you to see a variety of patient settings

Or, it's good that the school is in the middle of nowhere because then you have nothing to do but study

I love the sales pitch clichés schools use to pretend like real problems don't exist. Not worth the thousands of dollars travelling to the interviews, but entertaining nonetheless

This is an MD school?

 

[Sgucci]

Financial Aid: You're getting loans and that's it, then an hour is spent on dumb obvious questions about financial aid from applicants. Seriously it's not that ****ing hard, you apply to FAFSA, you take out loans, you're not getting real financial aid. You're welcome

Also the biggest load of bull "there's no competition! we only compete against ourselves (and everyone else" lmao

 

[Officer Farva]

The inevitable Hunger Games reference made by a medical student or adcom at a school that does MMIs when referring to their interviews.