Interviews - nerves...

[_Rod_of_Asclepius_]

Ahhhh the post as old as SDN itself; “my interviews are coming up and I’m ready to poop myself”.

I never thought I would actually get 4 interviews this cycle, let alone to KCOM (beyond excited) but now starting to worry about stumbling on my words, freezing etc. I’m told I am one of the most personable pre meds my advisor has come across and doctors have told me how my people skills are going to take my far (since my grades aren’t blowing anyone out of the water).

Now I’m starting to get a bit nervous though. I am beyond grateful I am being given an opportunity to interview at KCOM, I suppose this means they think I can handle med school??? Now it’s just about settling the nerves.

What advice do you have for interviewing at your reach school???

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[AnatomyGrey12]

Just be normal lol, that's all there is to it. Be able to convey your thoughts in a coherent matter. I suggest not scheduling that interview first. Having an earlier interview at a different school can help you get your interview jitters out.

 

[SergeantBuzzKill]

Definitely don’t have your top pick school be your first interview if you’re feeling nervous. Also practice your responses to the common questions

 

[PapaGuava]

I focus on certain themes that I want to talk about during an interview that could be tailored to an array of questions. For example, mentorship, workrate, etc. From here, I just pulled from examples and significant experiences that demonstrate why these themes reflect who I am as an applicant. In doing this, it saves me the stress of worrying about exact responses to all the specific questions that they could come up with during an interview. In having your ideas and experiences grouped in themes, you can pull from any one of them when needed.

However, I would definitely have an idea of what you're going to say for the standard questions (Why DO, why here, weakness overcome etc.), but I wouldn't memorize everything down to every single word otherwise you will not sound natural and you will freak yourself out if you forget any small piece.

I thought this has been extremely helpful for me and calmed down some nerves I would be feeling during an interview, but everyone thinks differently about it haha.

 

[Goro]

Ahhhh the post as old as SDN itself; “my interviews are coming up and I’m ready to poop myself”.

I never thought I would actually get 4 interviews this cycle, let alone to KCOM (beyond excited) but now starting to worry about stumbling on my words, freezing etc. I’m told I am one of the most personable pre meds my advisor has come across and doctors have told me how my people skills are going to take my far (since my grades aren’t blowing anyone out of the water).

Now I’m starting to get a bit nervous though. I am beyond grateful I am being given an opportunity to interview at KCOM, I suppose this means they think I can handle med school??? Now it’s just about settling the nerves.

What advice do you have for interviewing at your reach school???

Practice makes perfect!

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Prepare answers for the obvious questions. Why doctor/DO? What else would you do ect. They will throw you curveballs (in my experience these are impossible to rehearse) so just speak your mind. Don’t say anything disrespectful, condescending, or act overconfident. Make sure your answers do not sound rehearsed. Even if you know the answer to a question because you prepped, take a second to pretend you’re thinking about it. Be prepared to talk about any imperfections on your application (Low GPA/MCAT etc) but do not make excuses. Always ask question or two to your interviewer regarding their program/school to make it seem as if you’re interested.

Just remember at the end of the day, they are investing in you as much is you are investing in them. ( even though tuition is outragously expensive)

 

[4thtimeretaker]

Currently feeling this way, how did you end up preparing and calming your nerves?

 

[Magus5454]

Be yourself. dont ever BS. Be calm. Do mock interviews

 

[Osminog]

When you start feeling nervous, picture your interviewer naked.

 

[BostonGeorge]

Get some propranolol and take 20mg in the morning before the interview. That's what I've been doing and it works wonders.

 

[Doc_Ock]

I'm sure you know someone who takes xanax. Shouldn't be hard to get ahold of one pill, pop that before your interview. Or maybe just half depending on the dose.

 

[4thtimeretaker]

So I ended up getting my first acceptance, 2 days after my interview. Thank god, my nerves didn't get in the way of my interviewing ability.

 

[Doc_Ock]

So I ended up getting my first acceptance, 2 days after my interview. Thank god, my nerves didn't get in the way of my interviewing ability.

TWO DAYS? That's unheard of.

 

[4thtimeretaker]

TWO DAYS? That's unheard of.

Yeah, it surprised me as well. But it was for a DO, idk if that matters