Interview nervousness

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PooshBag

PooshBag

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I had an interview that combined an MMI and traditional interview. I had a few slip ups during a couple of MMI stations. As a result, I was very nervous going into the traditional interview aspect. That caused me to mess up badly during the traditional part:

For example, the school is research intensive. The interviewer asked me a simple question: tell me more about your research. And I had a good 6-7 second silence. I just stared at the floor during the silence. The answer was in me. I did my own research and I knew everything about it! But it just didn't come out immediately.

And here's the best part: when it did come out, it came out seeming fake and just bleh. My voice was shaky and there were 'ums" and "erms". My mouth was completely dry. It was a ****ing mess. I'm concerned he may think i lied about doing research.

My question: do adcoms know that interviewees are nervous? Or is being nervous seen as something that would be attributed to "me becoming a bad doctor in the future." and ultimately a rejection?

I know i just need more practice and confidence. I have another traditional interview tomorrow.
 
I have the exact same problem with interviews. I consider myself somewhat normal in a setting that's not an interview, but when it comes to MMIs or honestly any type of interview I just shut down and my brain for some reason is not able to communicate with my mouth to produce words. I've been doing a bunch of practice interviews which seems to be helping but if anyone has any advice on how to improve and get over my awkward nervousness during interviews it would be much appreciated.

Sorry for piggybacking off your thread but misery loves company right?
 
I really feel for the pain. I had one interview and it is my bane of existence (exaggeration much...). Everyone said it was going to be lax and yet, it was medium hard. In fact, my interview should have been closed file and yet one of my interviewers knew some details only those who had reviewed my file already could have asked. It caught me off guard but I was as honest as I could imagine being. Yea, in the heat of unexpected anxiety, I did forget some components like really drilling home the fact why their school was unique to me. However, throughout the whole interview I kept on assuming that my interviewer could infer my intentions. One lucky chap out of my group had all the chill interviewers (so yea I am a bit concerned about my performance). But all in all, I don't want to think about the past and just move on because medicine is one field where I know I can be who I am and I know that I tried my best in the circumstances presented.

I also had an interruption occur during our tour ...kind of glad it didn't happen while I was interviewing. Felt pretty embarrassed and frustrated at myself but hopefully that doesn't deter my chances. Apparently my folks wanted to check up on me on how my interview went (definitely not telling them about any future interviews from now on :whistle:)
 
I honestly think about an interview I have in a few weeks and my heart starts beating faster. I really don't understand this interview induced anxiety.
 
PooshBag said:
My question: do adcoms know that interviewees are nervous? Or is being nervous seen as something that would be attributed to "me becoming a bad doctor in the future." and ultimately a rejection? I know i just need more practice and confidence. I have another traditional interview tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Some nervousness is okay (and almost preferred in my opinion). But when nervousness prevents people from telling their story -- or worse yet, appearing as if they embellished their involvement in projects -- that will certainly hurt.

When I interviewed people who were overwhelmed by nervousness, I still believed that they had the potential to make great physicians one day -- I was certainly there at many points in my life, as were many of my colleagues. But it's hard to offer a recommendation for acceptance when there were many other qualified candidates on paper who also had stellar interview performances. I say performance because interviewing is a learned skill that, with practice, will become more natural and seamless.

My advice: don't dwell or focus on how poorly you did in prior interviews. Rather, figure out what could be improved and learn from each experience! You've already identified that you need to know your activities better -- so rehearse them in your mind so you can talk about any of them on a moment's notice. Similarly, attempt to phase out 'ums' and 'erms' in your daily speech. If you need time to think, learn to use brief silent pauses instead -- they're almost always preferable. And should you notice yourself becoming anxious or flustered in an interview, take a deep breath to compose yourself, consider acknowledging that you are indeed a little bit nervous, and then move on. As mentioned before, some nervousness is okay, and being able to overcome that nervousness during an interview is an admirable trait.

Good luck!
 
Yes, we know that you're nervous, and that interviews are stressful, but my answer is "tough". You can't afford to be nervous and go blank when you're dealing with a spurting artery from an MVA victim, or dealing with an acting out psychotic. We select for people who display grace under pressure.

Write this school off and on to the next one.


PooshBag said:
My question: do adcoms know that interviewees are nervous? Or is being nervous seen as something that would be attributed to "me becoming a bad doctor in the future." and ultimately a rejection?

I know i just need more practice and confidence. I have another traditional interview tomorrow.
Click to expand...
 
Petrichor1 said:
I also had an interruption occur during our tour ...kind of glad it didn't happen while I was interviewing. Felt pretty embarrassed and frustrated at myself but hopefully that doesn't deter my chances. Apparently my folks wanted to check up on me on how my interview went (definitely not telling them about any future interviews from now on :whistle:)
Click to expand...
Oooh, cringe-worthy. My sympathies.
 
How you play off your mishaps and struggles tell you just as much about you as a person as someone who is able to stay calm and collected the entire time. I have a stutter and during one of my interviews there was legit one word I could not pronounce. It was kind of like a sitcom. l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l... it was bad. Anyways, instead of getting upset or frustrated, I laughed, said excuse me, took a deep breath, and continued on. She laughed and said don't worry!!!! Now if I had gotten angry, upset, flustered, etc you bet her response wouldn't have been as positive. We're human. We make mistakes. Being able to stay graceful after a mistake is very important.

If anything bad ever happens in an interview play it off and make up for it.

Or break down crying. Either way it'll be a good story.
 
Goro said:
Yes, we know that you're nervous, and that interviews are stressful, but my answer is "tough". You can't afford to be nervous and go blank when you're dealing with a spurting artery from an MVA victim, or dealing with an acting out psychotic. We select for people who display grace under pressure.

Write this school off and on to the next one.
Click to expand...
That's not the same thing though. The nervousness that comes with interviews, at least for me, is nothing like being in a stressful situation like this.
 
Goro said:
We interviewers don't have the luxury of knowing that, especially in a seller's market.
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That's fair. I guess we'll see how it goes. I've been terrible at interview for as long as I can remember, even when interviewing for a fraternity on campus haha. I don't know what it is.
 
Dear old Dad (who is some sorta interpersonal guru) always taught me to set the tone in the first 10 seconds. Walk in with a big (but not corny) smile, introduce yourself, shake hands, thank them for their time. In the second 10 seconds when you answer the inevitable "tell me about _____" question be animated, smile, use your hands, make conscious effort to have facial expressions (poker face=common when you're nervous). It's a lot easy to appear confident if you're acting confident, whether or not you're actually about have a panic attack. At first its almost like you're tricking yourself into being confident but then it becomes natural after some practice.
 
Omg, I always crack open a smile if I don't feel confident about my professional appearance. It takes all the ugliness away if you can put it that way cause when you smile ppl acknowledge it. That's a distraction for them before they squint their eyes and you start wondering if they are judging you. If I smile, I know I'm doing everything impression wise possible. I think. 😵:horns:
 
This might not work for everyone but something that has helped me so far is reminding myself that this school likes me and wants to get to know me. It puts a little more of the power in my hands and helps boost my confidence. Also taking a few deep breaths before I go into the interview, until I can feel my heart rate go down. It's hard to remember because med school is an enormous sellers market but getting an interview is a huge deal and means that THEY LIKE YOU!!
 
I get dry mouth as well. I usually bring a water bottle when I go to job interviews (not sure how this is viewed for med school interviews). Also avoid caffeine/alcohol/tobacco, use chap-stick, and try sugar-free candy or gum....
 
Wearing heels makes me taller than most and it's always a confidence boost.

Other than that I have two tips.
1. No dark roast coffee on interview day.
2. Pauses to gather your thoughts are a life saver.
 
Why no coffee? Other than it might make you pee your pants mid interview
 
Goro said:
Yes, we know that you're nervous, and that interviews are stressful, but my answer is "tough". You can't afford to be nervous and go blank when you're dealing with a spurting artery from an MVA victim, or dealing with an acting out psychotic. We select for people who display grace under pressure.

Write this school off and on to the next one.
Click to expand...

I think it's important to have an "elevator summary" pre-prepared. Not memorized word-for-word but something ready to go. (Elevator summary is pretending that you enter an elevator with a big-wig that you want to impress and you have 60 seconds to make your great first impression.)

So be ready to talk succinctly about your research (60 seconds), or job/volunteer experience (another 60), or why medicine (another 60), etc. Then if the interviewer wants more, you'll have time to respond and expand and with any luck, the first 60 second intro will loosen you up so that you can continue to discuss it without freezing up and answer questions if asked.
 
Eh, it sucks but it's not the end of the world. You had an early interview, you'll probably have more. And you'll be ok. Work on putting things out of your mind and just moving on. Meditation might help. or draw on your days as a little league pitcher idk.

I dunno if more practice on interviews is a good idea. They're good for plenty of people but some do better by knowing their app and themselves then just winging it. You'll probably know where you fall here so think about it then trust your decision and proceed

Fwiw I messed up my interview at a school I really liked and was rightfully rejected. I decided on a school I was lukewarm on and in happy where I am. Again, you will be ok. Relax
 
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Know your application. I know nervousness is quite debilitating, but the better you feel prepared, the less nervous you will be.
 
Also something that helps me is to be conversational. The more you spread your topic web the higher the chances of ur interviewer going "no way me too!"

Try to connect with your interviewer and see the person behind them, it makes you more likable and memorable. Doesn't work for someone thats actively trying to grill you but for the most part it helps.
 
PooshBag said:
I had an interview that combined an MMI and traditional interview. I had a few slip ups during a couple of MMI stations. As a result, I was very nervous going into the traditional interview aspect. That caused me to mess up badly during the traditional part:

For example, the school is research intensive. The interviewer asked me a simple question: tell me more about your research. And I had a good 6-7 second silence. I just stared at the floor during the silence. The answer was in me. I did my own research and I knew everything about it! But it just didn't come out immediately.

And here's the best part: when it did come out, it came out seeming fake and just bleh. My voice was shaky and there were 'ums" and "erms". My mouth was completely dry. It was a ****ing mess. I'm concerned he may think i lied about doing research.

My question: do adcoms know that interviewees are nervous? Or is being nervous seen as something that would be attributed to "me becoming a bad doctor in the future." and ultimately a rejection?

I know i just need more practice and confidence. I have another traditional interview tomorrow.
Click to expand...

100% serious: I do the whip and the nae nae in my suit before I go into interviews. I get loose way before I arrive at the school. Then, when I'm there, I'm already a friendly, happy, energetic person who's excited to answer the questions & present my case to the interviewer.
 
Practice practice practice!

Most importantly, before going in for an interview, go to the bathroom and do a superhero pose. It helps boost confidence. Also, I've been told to "shake off" some stress/neevousness and also do some vocal practice ( you don't have to scream loudly)
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Thanks to everyone who replied! And yes, I have a few more interviews, so I have some more shots left at redemption.
 
Set aside a couple of minutes before your interview to assume poses that portray dominant body language. It's helped me with everything from public speaking to interviews. Besides that, remind yourself of all of your positive traits - talk yourself up the day before and of your interview (internally, of course). You'd be surprised how significantly a little mental repetition can affect your viewpoint.

 
PooshBag said:
I had an interview that combined an MMI and traditional interview. I had a few slip ups during a couple of MMI stations. As a result, I was very nervous going into the traditional interview aspect. That caused me to mess up badly during the traditional part:

For example, the school is research intensive. The interviewer asked me a simple question: tell me more about your research. And I had a good 6-7 second silence. I just stared at the floor during the silence. The answer was in me. I did my own research and I knew everything about it! But it just didn't come out immediately.

And here's the best part: when it did come out, it came out seeming fake and just bleh. My voice was shaky and there were 'ums" and "erms". My mouth was completely dry. It was a ****ing mess. I'm concerned he may think i lied about doing research.

My question: do adcoms know that interviewees are nervous? Or is being nervous seen as something that would be attributed to "me becoming a bad doctor in the future." and ultimately a rejection?

I know i just need more practice and confidence. I have another traditional interview tomorrow.
Click to expand...

This is going to sound really odd but my advice to you is to care a little less. My very first interview (which I botched by the way and will most likely get a rejection) my care-o-meter was off the charts and I treated it like it was the most important thing in my life which lead me to being overly nervous, studdering, and being unable to think clearly. Ever since I had that interview I sit back and think (prior to every interview) about all that I have been given and that no matter how this interview goes life will go on. Ever since I have done this, I've experienced little to no nervousness and have had no problem getting into my element (extroversion) and tapping into my charisma (which has carried me through my interviews quite well).

Sparknotes

1) This is not the end all be all, realize that

2) Relaxation is key

3) The two prior steps will aid you in finding your charisma and confidence.

4) When you're in your element you'll be surprised at what you can do and how things just seem to "flow" out of you.

I really hope this advice helps you with the remainder of your interviews OP. You CAN do this!
 
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Something that helped me deal with performance anxiety as a musician was remembering that people want you to do well. Nobody is sitting there thinking "I hope this guy screws up!" Everyone is rooting for you to succeed. Even the interviewer who aggressively grills you is just pushing to see how you'll react - it's not malicious. They wouldn't have invited you for an interview if they weren't interested. They want to be impressed, they want to think you're a superstar, so go in and show them how awesome you are.
 
Gurby said:
Something that helped me deal with performance anxiety as a musician was remembering that people want you to do well. Nobody is sitting there thinking "I hope this guy screws up!" Everyone is rooting for you to succeed. Even the interviewer who aggressively grills you is just pushing to see how you'll react - it's not malicious. They wouldn't have invited you for an interview if they weren't interested. They want to be impressed, they want to think you're a superstar, so go in and show them how awesome you are.
Click to expand...

Except possibly some of the other musicians. I gigged regularly with a girl who would get happy when the other bands messed up or weren't great, because it apparently "made us look better."
 
Add me to this crew! If I get an interviewer that is not very talkative, I get a bit nervous. I keep thinking if Im turning him/her off or something 😛 Yes, the first 30 secs can be daunting if I'm not in my zone haha. So basically, if the interviewer opens with small talk, I luck out. OTOH, if he/she opens with "tell me about yourself..." I scramble to calm my nerves.
 
Silence isn't a terrible thing, as long as what comes after it shows reflection, introspection and answers the question thoroughly. Nervousness is normal, but coupled with a shallow response, I'd imagine you lost a few points there. You'll have more opportunities, let's not make this mistake again.
 
What helps me the most is talking out loud to myself like I'm in a interview. I'll do it at home or in the car driving to wherever. Talking helps to hear myself and know how I should sound in a calm situation during the interview. I find that it also helps me to talk more effortlessly about a topic (try to answer the generic questions like what you did for research, tell me about yourself, etc). The best thing is to do mock interviews like others have recommended but I feel like you're usually limited on how many you can do because of other people's availability, but you can talk out loud a million times on your own. I haven't done any med school interviews but it's helped with job interviews in healthcare (with physicians or PhD researchers) and presentations for my research.

And don't worry about sounding like a parrot haha.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
Except possibly some of the other musicians. I gigged regularly with a girl who would get happy when the other bands messed up or weren't great, because it apparently "made us look better."
Click to expand...

So true. So far, I've only been to one school where the other interviewees were just relaxed and not the gunner type. The one thing I look for in a school is how the students are there. I don't want to spend the next four years with other students who just want me to do poorly so they look better.
 
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