last minute interview checklist

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fishtolive

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well, it happened...i got my interview already at RWJMS-UMDNJ...it's next week and although i feel ready for it, are their any last minute things i should do/know/make sure i bring with me?...any advice from the veterans would be great!

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hey fishtolive, are you early decision or regular?

good luck!
 
EDP...and thanx!
 
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A couple good things to have in your pockets are a breath mint and a tissue.

As a previous poster said, don't check your interview attire if you're flying.

Make sure you're very comfortable in your interview suit. I didn't wear a skirt because I knew I'd be uncomfortable in it.

Do everything you can to maintain at least the appearance of being somewhat relaxed.

Be sure to be conversational. Don't be afraid to talk! Too many interviewers complain about the students they can't get to say anything. They really do want to know about YOU, and not all of what they want to know about you needs to be tied back into medicine.

Good luck, and really try to enjoy yourself. Self-confidence goes a long way.

--kris
 
P.S.
If they feed you, make sure you don't have stuff stuck in your teeth :D .
 
Okay, practice question.. What do you like about UMDNJ-RWSMS? Give a minimum 3 minute answer. =) Good luck!
 
I agree with Kris about the breath mints and tissues! (Gum does not work - no where to put it). Other good "hints" are to make sure your hands are warm (rather than sweaty or cold), so that when you shake the person's hand, they don't focus on or remember the handshake, and to check your appearence in a bathroom before you go to interview (looking for food in teeth, as kris said, that your clothes are straight, etc). Other than that, make sure to read a lot about the school - so you can answer daredevil's question - and so you can ask good questions of the interviewer. Read the school's brochure or web site, and MSAR entry (these are written by the med schools) and be familiar with your personal statement, secondary answers and, dare I say, AMCAS application. Try to get to "meeting place" at the school at least 30 mins early (in case something happens) and make sure you do whatever you can to be alert, happy and ready (e.g., coffee, good breakfast, music, whatever). Try to get a good night's rest and to not worry too much. Make continuing eye contact with your interviewer. Do not get psyched out by any other interviewees and their "stats" or experience (you're all pretty much on the same level at this point). The more you can avoid talking to really stressed out people, the better for you mentally. (I cannot recall this being an issue at many places I interviewed -- most applicants were really nice and supportive.)

In the end, other than logistical things (like getting there), a good interview occurs when you are relaxed. The best way to achieve that is to realize and believe that you are very deserving of a spot at the school (you wouldn't be interviewing otherwise) - it seems that once you believe that, you relax more and are better able to carry on a "normal" conversation. It can actually become fun to interview - if you decide to look at it in this way. Good luck!
 
Everyone's advice is great, but take it from me -- don't forget your shirt!! I forgot to bring my shirt for my first interview, and I ended up scrambling to get one that morning and bribing a shuttle driver to get me to the school on time.

Congrats on your interview. Good luck.

--doepug
 
A couple other things to add: talk to as many med students there as you can. Remember that you're interviewing the school as much as they're interviewing you -- so try to get a good feel of the place and whether you would fit in there. Also, try to talk to some clinical students if you can (they're often hard to track down).

If you've done any research, practice giving a 2-minute summary of your work that someone who's not in the field would understand. Be prepared to answer questions about your research, especially how it might be relevant to medicine.

I can't emphasize Becky's point enough -- do not get psyched out by other applicants! There's always going to be someone who scored better on the MCATs than you, or someone with more research experience, etc. But remember that you're all at the same level. Once you get to the point of an interview, you're just as good as any of the other applicants, and you have just as much going for you. Hang out with the applicants you get along with -- often they can offer some interesting perspectives, and some you might meet again in future interviews.

The most important thing is to relax. Treat the interview like a conversation. Interviews are a great way to learn about the different schools -- remember that your interviewer is not only trying to get a feel for what you are like, but he/she is going to try just as hard to sell his/her school to you. Therefore, they can be very interesting as well as informative.

Good luck!
 
best thing I can say is be prepared and relax...Sleep early and wake up early.
What I mean by being prepared is know what you are going to say. I don't mean to memorize your application and just barf it out. Have all your extracurricular activities and ideas straightened out.
Check out interviewfeedback.com
and good luck!
 
Hey Fishtolive, how did they inform you that you had an interview, and did they give you a number of dates?
 
Hey fishtolive let us know how the interview goes, and what it consisted of...
 
This might be too late, but what the hell...

I think ajm gave the best suggestion so far... TALK TO AS MANY STUDENTS AS YOU CAN!!!! A corollary to that is to talk to AS WIDE A VARIETY OF STUDENTS AS POSSIBLE (ie, from each of the 4 classes). This will give you the best perspective on the school, how happy students are, how prepared they feel, etc. Only talking to first years can definitely give a skewed perspective of a school.

Bring band-aids in case your shoes are uncomfortable/giving you blisters.

Definitely have at least 2 or 3 questions for your interviewers.

Good luck!
 
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