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[Disclaimer: I am a 2019-2020 MD/DO applicant. I have attended four interviews and have been accepted by four schools. One of these interview invitations was from a school that required my CASPer score. The suggestions here are a mix of: (1) feedback I received during my own mock-interview, (2) information I've found on SDN and YouTube, and (3) my personal experiences and opinions. Like anyone else's thoughts, take what you like and disregard what you don't. Goodluck everyone!]
Introduction
You’ve done it. U of XYZ SOMCOM has actually invited you to interview. Maybe you lucked out too, and found the invitation in the junk mailbox you never check because you thought refreshing the School-Specific Thread U of XYZ SOMCOM (20XX-20YY) every 10 minutes would be all the notification you’d ever need. You’ll probably be one of two people:
Pre-Interview Prep (Mindset)
The interview is whatever you want it to be. It’s an opportunity to highlight your best traits, your fit, connections to the school, passion, and integrity. It’s also your chance to sink your odds of ever setting foot on that campus again.
If you are seriously considering this school, you need to bring you’re A-Game. You don’t give 70% effort just because your MCAT score is 3 points higher than their average. If you go in with the mentality that "your numbers will give you the edge," you’re already in the wrong mindset.
You WANT to go to U of XYZ SOMCOM – in fact, you want to go there more than anywhere else. Tell yourself this until you believe it. You want to go there because of their great X, Y, and Z. Now, figure out an X, Y, and Z that is (in-fact) exclusive to their school. If you can get an exact copy of X, Y, and Z at another medical school – try again. If you can find X, Y, and Z on the front page of their website – try again. X, Y, and Z should be legitimate reasons you would pick U of XYZ SOMCOM over another school (or at least demonstrate that you have put in extra effort to figure out what’s going on at their school). X, Y, and Z don’t have to be some magical thing. They should not take more than a couple hours to find.
Strong reasons are things like having a spouse, who works nearby, and wants to stay local. Weaker reasons are their incredible/revolutionary curriculum. Get a reason. Give them a reason. Get hyped. They can smell a lack of enthusiasm.
Pre-Interview Prep (Q/A)
I am an advocate of pre-preparing answers to interview questions. You don’t need to memorize your answers; you’ll be amazed how quickly the anecdotes you pre-wrote come back to you when asked. Some people are good at speaking off the cuff in high-pressure situations – I’m not one of them. If you aren’t either, I recommend the following:
youtube.com/watch?v=OLxz4pCBXKo
Introduction
You’ve done it. U of XYZ SOMCOM has actually invited you to interview. Maybe you lucked out too, and found the invitation in the junk mailbox you never check because you thought refreshing the School-Specific Thread U of XYZ SOMCOM (20XX-20YY) every 10 minutes would be all the notification you’d ever need. You’ll probably be one of two people:
- “Great, I was wondering when I’d hear from U of XYZ SOMCOM. I’m glad their only available interview slot is immediately between my interviews at U of East-Coast and U of West-Coast. That will give me at least 36 hours to fly home and pickup that coffee from Starbucks that I mobile ordered 3 days ago.”
- Immediate hyperventilation. “Its 1 day past Thanksgiving and all the cats on SDN said I was screwed from the start. This is my first interview invitation. I didn’t think I’d get this far. As soon as I regain consciousness, I need to go buy a suit. Hopefully this isn’t just for the waitlist.”
Pre-Interview Prep (Mindset)
The interview is whatever you want it to be. It’s an opportunity to highlight your best traits, your fit, connections to the school, passion, and integrity. It’s also your chance to sink your odds of ever setting foot on that campus again.
If you are seriously considering this school, you need to bring you’re A-Game. You don’t give 70% effort just because your MCAT score is 3 points higher than their average. If you go in with the mentality that "your numbers will give you the edge," you’re already in the wrong mindset.
You WANT to go to U of XYZ SOMCOM – in fact, you want to go there more than anywhere else. Tell yourself this until you believe it. You want to go there because of their great X, Y, and Z. Now, figure out an X, Y, and Z that is (in-fact) exclusive to their school. If you can get an exact copy of X, Y, and Z at another medical school – try again. If you can find X, Y, and Z on the front page of their website – try again. X, Y, and Z should be legitimate reasons you would pick U of XYZ SOMCOM over another school (or at least demonstrate that you have put in extra effort to figure out what’s going on at their school). X, Y, and Z don’t have to be some magical thing. They should not take more than a couple hours to find.
Strong reasons are things like having a spouse, who works nearby, and wants to stay local. Weaker reasons are their incredible/revolutionary curriculum. Get a reason. Give them a reason. Get hyped. They can smell a lack of enthusiasm.
Pre-Interview Prep (Q/A)
I am an advocate of pre-preparing answers to interview questions. You don’t need to memorize your answers; you’ll be amazed how quickly the anecdotes you pre-wrote come back to you when asked. Some people are good at speaking off the cuff in high-pressure situations – I’m not one of them. If you aren’t either, I recommend the following:
- Copy all of these questions into a word document (50 Common Medical School Interview Questions). Write out an answer to each question. When you’re done, re-read your answers the next day to make sure you don’t sound like a psychopath. Adjust your answers accordingly.
- Find the school that’s graciously given you the opportunity to completely blow it at this link: (School Rankings List | Student Doctor Network). Click the “Interview Feedback” tab and click “View All Questions and Recent Responses.” Click “Show More Responses” to your heart’s delight. Copy those questions into a word document and answer as many of them as possible. You might find repeated questions, or multiple questions with a common theme.
- You assume the best in others. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” If you have an answer that involves the poor behavior of another person, don’t reflect on how horrible that person is – instead, propose an alternative reason for their behavior, and move on to describe your positive and graceful response.
Interviewer: Tell me about one of your most challenging experiences.
Kardio (WRONG): My mom wouldn’t let me eat ice pops until I finished my broccoli. I hate that lady.
Kardio (RIGHT): My mom wouldn’t let me eat ice pops until I finished my broccoli. It was challenging for me because I didn’t like broccoli. I know it was hard for my mom to watch me be sad, but she was doing the best she could to make sure I got a nutritious diet. In retrospect, I really admire her decision to not let me eat ice pops. - You are as open about your life as possible – Without crying. I would avoid talking about mental health crises in general.
- Have a positive outlook. Nobody likes a pessimist. Your answers should reflect that you see the glass half full.
Interviewer: Why this research project?
Kardio (WRONG): I had to do research for medical school and they’re the only ones who responded to my email
Kardio (RIGHT): I liked X, Y, and Z about the work there. I’m grateful that they let me get involved. Here, let me tell you about our work… - Focus on actions you literally did, not just power-words. Unless explicitly asked for one-word answers, don’t give them. For example:
Interviewer: What’s your greatest strength?
Kardio (WRONG): I’m good with people. My coworkers usually say I’m great to work with and that I pick up the slack.
Kardio (RIGHT): I look out for the players on my team. I remember one day my coworker at the ice cream shop was much slower than usual, increasing my own workload. Their behavior let me know something was wrong, so I pulled them aside in private. I let them know what I had observed and asked them if something was wrong. They let me know that their grandmother had recently passed away and they were very sad. I listened to them actively and validated their feelings. - You’re open-minded and not a political zealot. Political questions are tough – you need a thoughtful answer. They expect you to understand, and articulate, multiple perspectives on whatever current event they have chosen to torment you with. Know what republicans are saying, know what democratic are saying, and have a respectful opinion. Do not cower down the moment an interviewer disagrees with you. Be respectful and acknowledge the merits of their thoughts. As a rule of thumb, I would not show strong feelings if asked about politics.
- Assume they have, and have not, read your essays and ECs. If asked about your essays or ECs, begin talking about them like the interviewer has not read your work. Then, extrapolate on a component of that work which is not included in your application.
Interviewer: Tell me about your research
Kardio (RIGHT): I had a great time in XYZ’s lab. We were studying the complexity of weaving baskets underwater. I thought it was totally fascinating how we found that the base of the basket would spontaneously self-assemble when placed in water.
^In this case - we gave one sentence that the interviewer would recognize (if they read our whole application), restated in our own words. We followed this up with the results of the study, which were hypothetically not included in our application. - Show Maturity. You’re a grownup, and you ought to see yourself as a grown up. You’ll be taking care of people decades older than you. Show them how great an adult you are.
Interviewer: Tell me about your family
Kardio (WRONG): I live with my dad and mom and my brother’s actually just moved off to college!
Kardio (RIGHT): I don’t have a family yet. Someday I might get married and have kids, but for right now I’m single.
^ In the WRONG example, I’m saying that I still see myself as a child. In the RIGHT example, I see myself as an adult. - Sound like your essays. They invited you because they liked you on paper. It’s your job to be the person you articulated yourself as. I recommend re-reading your essays several times before the interview.
youtube.com/watch?v=OLxz4pCBXKo
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