Interview Preparation

[ToStrikeInfinit]

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Hey people,
So my first interview is happening in a week, and I'm super-nervous.. I thought I would petition you all for some help. How are the rest of you preparing for interviews? I am:

1) Reading a stack of papers related to my research, and asking the postdoc I work under to list all of the experiments that we have completed and that are ongoing (in 3 years of research, it gets really really muddled and I've lost some perspective; am I the only one that has this problem?).

2) Finishing "Understanding Health Policy" and reading about McCain and Obama's health plans. Also reading about the pros and cons of socialized medicine.

3) Coming up with a good response for "why I want to be a doctor".


Also, I've been looking at the SDN Interview Feedback database to see what kind of questions are asked at Yale (which is where my first interview is), but there doesn't seem to be an option for MD-PhD. Is there any way to get a list of the first 10 or so common interview questions? Or to get like, a detailed account of what an interview is like?

 

[Doctor&Geek]

The Baktrta is all that is needed.

1) Be able to succinctly state the problem, your hypothesis, your approach, and results of your project.
2) Depending on the school, your MD interviews may be meaningless, or may be all important. If important, understanding health policy may be good. If not, then you won't be asked any questions about it from the MD/PhD folks.
3) Understand what translational research is, why we need it, why you want to do it, and how obtaining an MD/PhD might fill that need.

 

[Neuronix]

I already answered this today. In fact, I think should make a blog about this one. Anyhoo...

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7255727&postcount=7

2) Finishing "Understanding Health Policy" and reading about McCain and Obama's health plans. Also reading about the pros and cons of socialized medicine.

Unlikely to come up, but good to know I guess. I got my summary on NPR yesterday morning.

3) Coming up with a good response for "why I want to be a doctor".

Why MD/PhD. Why not MD alone. Why not PhD alone.

 

[Ariodant]

Just know the standard questions. MD/PhD interviews tend to lean on the research side and be more straightforward as well. Some MD interviewers might ask odd questions, and you can't possibly be prepared for all of them. Relax and give your best answer, which somtimes is "I don't know".

 

[chirpingmobiles]

Also helps to have some readiness for the inevitable "do you have any questions?"

 

[freddymac]

In all of my interviews thus far, they've always started off with

"So tell me about yourself"
"So tell me about your research"
"So what are you looking for in an MD-PhD program?"
"Why not the MD? Why not the PhD?"
"So why this school specifically?"

If you can, really talk to the students as soon as you arrive. Ask them why they like that school, why they chose it over some others, what special programs are available, etc. I usually don't do my research regarding the school till I arrive because the website only says so much and no school is dumb enough to post negative things about themselves.

 

[simlamblue]

I didn't get asked any of these questions specifically, but I felt after I was able to answer them I was really comfortable with my research,
1. Explain your research
2. what exactly you did
3. what were you trying to examine
4. what are the limitations of your experimental approaches.
(these were posted by someone else on here, who was an actual interviewer)

I think Freddymac's questions are pretty representative of whats asked, UNLESS you get somebody who is in your field, that's when I think there is a good chance of getting "grilled"

I had two interviews, not really top tier but neither were really stressful, even the MD/PhD interviews, it seems like if you know your research well (you can also bring up work not being done in your lab) they kinda assume you know what you're talking about and have understood/read peripheral things related to the work you do (but isn't actually being done by you or your lab) I do think it is a good idea to read the health care policy information because it came up in my MD/PhD interview and have your own opinions to discuss (because no body asks tell me about Obama's health plan, but obviously your opinion on it) Oh and know the Nobel Prize controversy about the one in Medicine this year... (the French and American lab and HIV)
The biggest thing I would stay away from is rehearsing your answers, have sort of an outline but just let it flow... Good Luck, I'm sure you and everybody here will be fine...

 

[Doctor&Geek]

Oh and know the Nobel Prize controversy about the one in Medicine this year... (the French and American lab and HIV)

Why? Very little science, a lot of politics.

 

[URHere]

My advice would be to go over all of these questions, but to make sure that you practice actually saying your answers out loud. It is amazing how muddled words/answers can get during the time between "excellent answer idea formation" and "vocalization".

Other than that, relax - personally I am convinced that I sounded like an idiot during interviews where I was too worried or anxious, and I think that when I relaxed, thoughts flowed much more easily...making me sound more intelligent than I actually am. 😉

 

[simlamblue]

Why? Very little science, a lot of politics.

no idea... but they asked

 

[ecoli]

For a guy. Obviously a business suit for the actual interview, but what about for the dinners, "informal" meetings and lab visits?

 

[Brunette1981]

For a guy. Obviously a business suit for the actual interview, but what about for the dinners, "informal" meetings and lab visits?

I would dress "nice" casual. The goal is not to stand out here in a bad way.

* clean, non-wrinkled khakis
* button-down shirt, polo, or sweater - no pictures, logos (a small thing on a polo is OK), or slogans
* leather shoes like a loafer
* dress socks (no white athletic socks, please!)

 

[mudphudwannabe]

Keep in mind that this is coming from a midwest school where the "informal" events include hockey games, going to bars, etc. We actually ask people not to wear suits for interviews, and people take that seriously. You would stand out if you wore a suit to the interview.

For the evening "fun" activities, I think jeans are totally ok, depending on the event. One of our evening options is usually a symphony concert of some type, and as a current student I don't wear jeans to the symphony (but I don't wear an evening gown either - I dress casually but nicer). Plenty of regular symphony goers here do wear jeans so you wouldn't stand out if you did wear jeans.

The current students are going to be in T-shirts and jeans for the most part. Just be sure what you're wearing looks neat and clean, even if it is casual. Khakis or jeans and a sweater would be a nice choice. Oh, and no one cares what socks you wear. 😉 Athletic socks with a suit stand out, but if you're wearing jeans or khakis, I could really care less. Business casual is fine, but make sure that you are comfortable. You definitely want to be able to relax a bit and enjoy yourself.

As far as other activities, it depends. Are the lab visits part of your interview day? Or followed by "fun" activities? It never hurts to ask the administrator what people normally wear if you're unsure. 🙂

 

[ecoli]

it looks as if the lab visits are the next day, after the interview.

 

[GliaGirl]

I think the whole "what do I wear thing" is a little bit silly in that it causes a ridiculous amount of conformity. No, I will not wear a black and white outfit, wear high cut shirts, and no jewelry or make-up. That's not who I am. I like bright colored clothes, I like jewelry, I think that I look nice with make-up on for special occasions, and I will not wear a stuffy suit that covers me from head to toe in the fear that I will offend someone by flaunting one of the few parts of my physiology that I am happy with. So far, everyone else that I see at interviews is wearing a black/dark grey suit with some sort of light colored undershirt. Except for the 2 people I've seen in light colored suits that is. And personally, I don't buy it. I don't think that anyone who interviews you is going to look down at the evaluation form and find a box to check off to make sure that you look exactly like everyone else they interview that day. I believe that if a school wants me to dress in order to meld into the crowd, that's not an institution that I would care to associate myself with anyway (what with them stifling my creativity and all of that hippy crap). Obviously I will respect the interview enough to dress nicely, but I don't think that I look nice in an all black suit. I will therefore continue to dress like a "harlot", and if that is something that helps me stand out from the 10 other qualified applicants at the interview date, then all the better. Like they say: there's no such thing as bad press.

And I have to say for the record, that I will continue to wear brown and cream stripped socks or something equally as offensive with my black shoes and pants. I don't care is my socks don't match my outfit, because THEY ARE IN MY SHOES AND NO ONE CAN SEE THEM!!!!!

Ok, I think I'm done ranting now. 😛

Personally, if they say dress nicely, I dress nicely, and if they say dress casually, I dress casualy. The way I see it: casual interview outfit = outfit that you'd wear to the first day of high school because you're excited to show everyone how "cool" you have become over the summer (even if no one will believe you). You don't want to try too hard, but you have to look good anyway.

And as one final note, I actually have had two separate interviewers for the med school at the two places I've been so far compliment me and thank me for not wearing all black. They both told me pretty much the same thing: interview days are like going to a funeral, because everyone is in black. I'm a ray of happiness in this bleak interviewing world! Ok, maybe they didn't say that last part, but if someone on the committee can't put my name with my face, and someone else can say "you know they girl who was wearing the bright red shirt" then I feel like that will be a little bit more helpful than "That girl in the black suit".

Ok, now I'm REALLY done ranting.

 

[Brunette1981]

OK, maybe I'm on the more formal East Coast and maybe all scientists are nerds anyway, but white socks with brown or black leather shoes looks terrible. Seriously, how hard is it to go to TJ Maxx and buy brown, gray, or black socks? It's not like it adds to the discomfort level, unlike high heels for women. And I think it's worth it to not look like a dork but to each his own. Some East Coast schools are very dressy even for students - my host at Columbia spent an hour in the morning putting her hair in hot rollers. Classmates of mine typically wore skirts and high-heeled boots to lecture.

Jeans are probably fine for the evening activities with the students and faculty might not care much anyway, but the OP asked what to wear for lab tours, not to hang with current students. Where I go to school, students have no say in admissions anyway. And you don't get a lot of opportunites to change your outfit so it's easier to have something that can go from research interviews to dinner out.

Be yourself, be comfortable, but remember you are interviewing. My suggestion is safe while being more outlandish is risky. Medicine is very conservative, especially about dress - I was reprimanded on rounds once for wearing a skirt 2 inches above my knees.

For clothes it may be excessive but I've seen enough applicants (6th year student here) to know that many standout in bad ways - badmouthing people (never know who's friends with who especially among faculty), getting drunk, looking sloppy, confessing to crimes (DUIs, etc). Try to be your BEST self.

 

[ecoli]

dear God, the drama starts that early?

I usually dress pretty boring anyway. OTOH, I don't want to be the 15th person to wear a DNA tie at a med school interveiw. It may be less boring, but its certainly not original.