How should I prepare for an interview?
There are two standard pieces of information that every applicant will be asked for many times! Why MD/PhD? Explain your research. Secondly, don't forget that in addition to meeting with the MD/PhD committee, at most schools there will also be medical school interviews. All frequently asked questions for straight-MD applicants also apply.
At most interviews, there will be time at the beginning of the conversation for you to speak directly to the aforementioned questions. An excellent strategy is to weave your past medical and research experiences into a coherent story that corroborates with your decision to pursue the dual degrees. Lasting about 2-4 minutes, it should contain in it all the ‘hooks' that you would like to steer the conversation into. Though the preceding language may unintentionally imply contriving a story (certainly not the case!) – it is important to focus the interview on issues/research topics that are most familiar, relevant and conducive to endorsing your candidacy. As a general rule, not limited to MD/PhD interviews, it is important to gauge ones audience. The depth of detail should be adjusted for those in your field, other scientists, as well as medical doctors.
An excellent way to prepare for interviews with regard to research knowledge is to take reviews in of a specific field, and branch off the papers it cites. Repeat. Make sure to keep knowledge current as the interview season progresses!
An important piece of advice was imparted upon me before I began interviewing: "Interested is interesting". While it is important not to present an affected personality, body language, enthusiasm, tenor and demeanor are as essential to interviewing as the content itself. Back to top
What are the interviews like, and how are they structured?
For the most part, interviews are extremely pleasant experiences. While it may not feel like it at the time, they are an opportunity for a school to impress an applicant as much as for an applicant to impress them. MD/PhD interviews may occur over 1 or 2 days, and usually include a time for the medical school to inform and interview as well as an MD/PhD only segment. Interviews with the MD/PhD are usually divided into those with committee members (one on one or panel) and those with scientists in the applicant's specific field.
Many applicants go into their first interviews ready to be antagonized about minutiae tangentially related to their research, this is certainly not the case. These interviews are simply relaxed conversations. There may be challenging questions presented, but they are usually within the scope of ones specific research field, and even then, it is ok to simply not know the answer. In case of the latter, it is very important to admit lack of knowledge rather than BSing through an answer. It is important to view your interviewer as your advocate at an MD/PhD admissions committee meeting. Presenting them with the information and conviction they need to endorse you will allow an applicant to stand out in a field of highly qualified people.
Occasionally, an interview will be rather stressful, but it is important to keep calm and steer the conversation into familiar topics. Oftentimes, these interviews go much better than they are perceived. There is no point second-guessing the motives of the interviewer, or how they report back to the committee.
In addition to the interviewing portion of a program visit, there will be opportunities to meet current students, go out for dinner, see the surrounding areas, and assess other factors. For tips on what to look for, see ‘What should I look for in a program?'
There is much more information about specific programs, and more general interviewing tips interspersed throughout the Program Review section. Back to top.
