It's just a little alcohol before the interview to calm the nerves right?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
mterp45

mterp45

Membership Revoked
Removed
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2007
Messages
671
Reaction score
5
Members do not see this ad.
What's wrong with drinking a little alcohol to get rid of the jitters before the interview? I did it and everything worked out fine. I wasn't nevous at all. In fact, I recommend it.
 
Bad idea, alcohol effects everyone differently, and can have profoundly different effects on the same individual depending on the state of your mind. Also, the interviewer might be able to smell the alcohol on your breath or be able to tell that you are impaired. Why risk not being at your sharpest in the first place?
 
Wow. You guys are paranoid. I'd just make sure I don't drink any alcohol until I arrived on campus. You do not want to get pulled over for drunk driving. Also, I'd recommend vodka--it's the "no-tell liquor."
 
i love how in the other thread ppl are freaking out about someone wanting to wear an obama button to their interview, but drinking b4 your interview?? that's just fine!
 
Nikki2002 said:
i love how in the other thread ppl are freaking out about someone wanting to wear an obama button to their interview, but drinking b4 your interview?? that's just fine!
Click to expand...

Democrats and Republicans both drink: therefore drinking before your interview is a good, politically neutral action.

Obama on the otherhand could elicit a coservative backlash.
 
"Say you got a big job interview, and you're a little nervous. Well throw back a couple shots of Hennigans and you'll be as loose as a goose and ready to roll in no time. And because it's odorless, why, it will be our little secret." -Kramer :laugh:
 
Nikki2002 said:
i love how in the other thread ppl are freaking out about someone wanting to wear an obama button to their interview, but drinking b4 your interview?? that's just fine!
Click to expand...

I've already had the interview no worries. I had 3 shots, brushed my teeth had breakfeast and was off to the interview.
 
HumidBeing said:
Hmmmm. . . . This sounds like the kind of recommendation someone would pass around to lessen the competition. 😏
Click to expand...

Sadly enough, I know a lot of knifing premeds that would do just that. I am an EDP applicant with no SDN applicant and nothing but my own ego to compete with.
 
if it calms someone's nerves, why not?!

why are people reacting so dramatically!!! Seriously, people know if they can or cannot handle alcohol, there is nothing wrong with it if it helps your nerves/interviewing skills.
 
I am in the EDP boat with you mterp. Just 10 days to go....
 
mterp45 said:
What's wrong with drinking a little alcohol to get rid of the jitters before the interview? I did it and everything worked out fine. I wasn't nevous at all. In fact, I recommend it.
Click to expand...

I'm not for it, but if it works for you, fine. However, recommending such a thing to others is really not a good idea; it's a bit callous, in fact. Alcohol is a drug. Your best friend is preparation, not alcohol, or any other drug you can take. This is a lesson you can take with you for the rest of your life. While not everyone is prone to alcohol problems, it seems like drinking a "little" alcohol to relieve stress before an important event could become habit-forming. I've seen this before and it generally starts this way.

However, everything else aside, there is a notable issue with drugs/alcohol among healthcare workers... Not a good idea to come into a medical school interview with alcohol breath and/or slightly impaired. Yeah.

If it suits you, it's probably better to have a drink AFTER your interview. Why take a chance with something so important?
 
If it helps you calm down, I don't see much harm in a beer or glass of wine or something with a meal before the interview. I did the stay-up-all-night-so-I'm-too-tired-to-be-stressed plan, and it worked out pretty well. 😛
 
spicedmanna said:
I'm not for it, but if it works for you, fine. However, recommending such a thing to others is really not a good idea; it's a bit callous, in fact. Alcohol is a drug. Your best friend is preparation, not alcohol, or any other drug you can take. This is a lesson you can take with you for the rest of your life. While not everyone is prone to alcohol problems, it seems like drinking a "little" alcohol to relieve stress before an important event could become habit-forming. I've seen this before and it generally starts this way.

However, everything else aside, there is a notable issue with drugs/alcohol among healthcare workers... Not a good idea to come into a medical school interview with alcohol breath and/or slightly impaired. Yeah.

If it suits you, it's probably better to have a drink AFTER your interview. Why take a chance with something so important?
Click to expand...

I 100% agree. I think the key is to really know how alcohol affects you and go from there. If I thought there was any chance my personality would be hindered in anyway, I wouldn't have done it.
 
MilkmanAl said:
If it helps you calm down, I don't see much harm in a beer or glass of wine or something with a meal before the interview. I did the stay-up-all-night-so-I'm-too-tired-to-be-stressed plan, and it worked out pretty well. 😛
Click to expand...

Sure, if you can stop at one and know that it won't impair your performance. I don't know though. Also, many interview days start early in the day, first thing in the morning... A drink during or before breakfast? Eeesh...
 
liquid8r said:
I am in the EDP boat with you mterp. Just 10 days to go....
Click to expand...

WOW I thought I was the only one going through this nightmare. Thanks. where are you applying?
 
MilkmanAl said:
If it helps you calm down, I don't see much harm in a beer or glass of wine or something with a meal before the interview. I did the stay-up-all-night-so-I'm-too-tired-to-be-stressed plan, and it worked out pretty well. 😛
Click to expand...

Now this is what you call having balls. Staying up all night??? haha.
 
Just know I am in the same boat!
 
Last edited:
Yes! An EDP success story! So hard to find that on these forums. Where do you attend school Nikki?
 
Good luck to the others here who applied EDP--it is a very difficult decision but getting your acceptance so early makes it that much sweeter. Just think--you will be one of the first to be accepted this cycle.

I attend a U.S. allopathic med school and I've gotten to know the admissions staff pretty well in this process. I've seen first hand the stacks of applications they receive every single day. It was a long road to get where I am now and I feel very fortunate.



ok that was kind of cheesy. back to the original topic of discussion. gettin drizzy b4 your interview. and seriously--if someone on sdn gives you some crazy advice, it doesn't mean you have to take it.
 
I hope no one from Yale looks at this tread...I think it would be faily easy to figure out who you were from you MD app. or maybe you are tied in enough were it won't matter.
 
Nothin like a good ole DWI on the way to the biggest day of your life!!
 
Wylde said:
if it calms someone's nerves, why not?!

why are people reacting so dramatically!!! Seriously, people know if they can or cannot handle alcohol, there is nothing wrong with it if it helps your nerves/interviewing skills.
Click to expand...

:laugh: Sure, what's a shot of jack before surgery? I mean, if it calms their nerves, why not? Who are we to see Dr. Cardiothoracic Surgeon can't handle their liquor without it impairing them? :meanie: Good call.

Yes, I know interviewing and performing surgery are different things but the concept is the same. Learn to handle stress or life is going to become pretty unbearable in the near future.
 
whatever works for ya dude.

although imo the negatives outweigh the positives.

pos: more relaxed??!

neg: slowed cognitive function/reduced reasoning ability to read and understand your interviewer and therefore make the best possible impression. Also the chance that the interviewer smells alcohol (big deal).

if you were interviewing ladies at a bar, alcohol works as a social lubricant. However med school interviews are a different situation and must be taken as such. I don't think the positives of drinking (less inhibited, more animated responses etc) in a social situation are necessarily positives at a med school interview.

Also if you feel like you have to drink to be relaxed before doing something important, it's a sign of dependence. You should feel like a rockstar interviewee while straight-up sober, make the best impression possible, then go out AFTERWARDS to the pub and relax. jmo.
 
mterp45 said:
Now this is what you call having balls. Staying up all night??? haha.
Click to expand...
It was more a matter of necessity than anything. I could've either stayed in Dallas and gotten a free flight back to Raleigh or sucked it up and driven 7 hours in driving rain to Little Rock to make my interview. I chose the latter, and that was obviously the right choice. 🙂
 
Jwax said:
:laugh: Sure, what's a shot of jack before surgery? I mean, if it calms their nerves, why not? Who are we to see Dr. Cardiothoracic Surgeon can't handle their liquor without it impairing them? :meanie: Good call.

Yes, I know interviewing and performing surgery are different things but the concept is the same. Learn to handle stress or life is going to become pretty unbearable in the near future.
Click to expand...

haha my father ( a reconstructive face surgeon) gave me the advice. ironic isn't it?
 
I don't know. I wouldn't mind a drink or two the night before an interview to help with sleep (although I've heard it disrupts REM). I haven't had much luck getting a good night worth of sleep yet and I know a lot of people I've met have had trouble sleeping because of the anxiety of the interview.
 
mterp45 said:
I've already had the interview no worries. I had 3 shots, brushed my teeth had breakfeast and was off to the interview.
Click to expand...
if you have those 3shots for breakfast then any calming effect would be gone by the time you decided to interview. but dilated pupils, frequent urination, or the worst: bad breath might be very possible. and the smell of alcohol metabolites might come through your skin or out of your stomach, so the mouthwash wouldnt help. of course you wouldnt necessarily get it from only 3 shots but you might.

i think what im trying to say is, an anti-anxiety drug like valium would be much more effective.
 
This might work for some of the party medical schools (i.e. Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Mayo) where you'll fit right in with the drunk student body but don't even think about pulling this off at a respectable institution like Duke or FSU.
 
I get really nervous for interviews so I take beta-blockers. I take one in the morning as the interview day starts and one an hour before the interview itself (if its quite a few hours later). All it does is reduce your physical symptoms of stress, such as reducing your heart rate and preventing your hands from shaking. If you only take 10mg you will be quite relaxed but still have a bit of a nervous edge so that you can act 'on' during the interview. Make sure you try it before hand though to see how you react to it. I took 20mg the first time around and it affected my breathing, 10mg doesn't.

It's easy to have prescribed. Just go see your doctor and mention your situation, most are very receptive - it's commonly prescribed to people who have to perform in front of audience or are under intense scrutiny (auditions).
 
This is like a bad joke, only I'm afraid it isn't.

If you're not trolling, then here's my serious response. Throwing back three shots with breakfast is a fairly high level of impairment. Interviewing like that is stupid.

I also think taking beta blockers is horrible. Will you take beta blockers before a big car accident trauma case comes in? And if you're more nervous over a dinky little med school interview than over having some child's life in your hands, you need to re-evaluate your priorities.

Take a few years off. Deal with some real-life stress. And then your medical school interviews will be more like chatting with people to get a feel for what they're like than some kind of serious situation.
 
If you're going to do it, drink peppermint schnapps. It's the drinking professionals drink of choice.
 
DO IT!!!!!! It'll just mean more open seats for me :laugh:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

hopeful4medschool
Am I on the right track?
Replies
6
Views
452
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
D
Too late to add more schools in September? Partner just got the option to relocate
Replies
15
Views
672
drkjoy
D
E
alcohol related IA
Replies
7
Views
1K
LizzyM
LizzyM
FuturePediatricNeurosurge
Interviews/Essays: Walking the line between savior complex and genuine desire to serve the underserved
Replies
12
Views
2K
FuturePediatricNeurosurge
FuturePediatricNeurosurge
E
SDN Article: The Time is Right: Prehealth Application Timelines
Replies
1
Views
1K
AsclepiusAdvisingLLC
AsclepiusAdvisingLLC
Top