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LINUSBALLING’S DOS AND DON’TS OF THE MED SCHOOL INTERVIEW
When preparing for medical school interviews, it is important to pay close attention to 1) Body Language, 2) Manner of Speech 3) Content of Speech and 4) Clothing. If applicable, prepare specifically for 5) the MMI. Below are a list of prescriptions I gathered from research and personal reflection; it is certainly not comprehensive, but the best I could do. Most of them are common sense. Following them, with the help of the rest of my app, I was able to get admitted to multiple, highly reputable medical schools.
SDN has helped me over the past admissions cycle, so, in gratitude, I’ve decided to post these here. I hope they help someone! I went for expressiveness over brevity, be forewarned. Though it seems a bit presumptuous to say—please do not reproduce elsewhere.
IN GENERAL
· In my personal experience, interview preparation books are of very little use. Exhaust all free sources online (on and off SDN) before even thinking of purchasing these.
· Realize that you do NOT have to rehearse, or even read, the endless litanies of practice questions posted on these sites to do well. Rehearse answers for the most commonly asked major questions, and become fluent in discussing your life and resume.
· Understand that the major questions can be asked in many forms, and it is up to you to recognize them. The major questions are:
o Tell me about yourself.
o Why medicine?
o Why would you make a good physician?
o Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
o Tell me about your research/other activity.
o What are your challenges/weaknesses/failures and how did you overcome them?
o What is your greatest accomplishment?
o Tell me about a time when you collaborated on an endeavor.
o What is the biggest medical challenge today?
o Why this university?
o Is there anything else you'd like me to know, as your advocate?
o Is there one thing you want me to convey to the admissions committee?
o Do you have any questions for me?
· While practicing in front of a mirror offers some benefit, mostly in noticing your own particular quirks, it also is overly reassuring in that you continually see yourself. Therefore make sure you practice answering questions away from the mirror, in front of a camera perhaps—ideally, in front of mock interviewers.
· It is crucial to get good sleep and nutrition the night before an interview. If you have an upcoming interview that is of particularly high value to you, consider investing in a hotel room instead of using a student host, which introduces some uncertainty.
· Set multiple alarms (ex. cell phone and hotel room alarm). Test any new alarm the night before, ex. by setting to 9:30 pm, so that you know you’re operating it correctly.
· Research the specific format of a school’s interview well beforehand.
· Treat your fellow interviewees cordially—they are your future colleagues.
· Send thank you notes, whether in physical or electronic form, in a timely fashion (within a week, I’d say). Do not stress about it if you don’t manage to send them out for a particular interview. From my limited personal experience, they don’t seem to matter at all in terms of actual admissions decision, and instead are a question of courtesy. Principally, sending them reassures you, the interviewee, that you’ve treated everyone as well as you could have, and have therefore shown yourself in the best possible light. Do not send thank you notes for MMIs.
· Treat everyone you meet with good humor and sincerity, from the flight attendant to the driver of the taxicab to fellow interviewees, admissions staff and interviewers. Good practice for the interview day, and good practice for life in general. Habitual sarcasm or arrogance is difficult to mask fully in the interview, or other high stress situations. Don’t be an eye-roller.
1) Body Language
Do
· Have a firm handshake.
· Lean slightly forward with warm enthusiasm.
· Make measured gestures and return hands to lap.
· Smile frequently (though not at inappropriate times).
· Keep a clear and expressive face.
· Indicate you are registering the conversation through nodding, etc.
· Tape your interview practice. Observe any particular quirks, then take steps to consciously eliminate them.
· Maintain eye contact, breaking when you pause speaking (do not engage in a staring contest).
Don't
· Sit before the interviewer does.
· Contort mouth while enunciating.
· Slouch or lean backwards.
· Smack lips or lick lips excessively.
· Roll eyes.
· Have exaggerated expressions or a furrowed brow, or otherwise make faces.
· Scratch or rub head excessively.
· Make awkward “eye movements.”
· Scratch neck or fidget otherwise with hands.
· Rub nose or touch face excessively.
· Rock back and forth.
· Vibrate foot.
· Click a pen you may be holding.
2) Manner of Speech
Do
· Begin with a firm handshake and a confident, smiling demeanor. Let them know you appreciate the opportunity and their time.
· Vary tone smoothly.
· Speak at a comfortable, pleasing volume.
· Enunciate clearly and precisely (without sounding clipped).
· Take moments to think before you answer.
· Thank the interviewer at the end for their time; shake their hand firmly. Do not thank them excessively (ex. a “thank you” over the desk, another half-way across the office, a final one sideways through the doorway) and make it awkward. Stick the landing.
Don't
· Botch the first impression—it is CRITICAL, arguably the primary determinant.
· Talk in a sing-song fashion or suddenly vary volume of speech like in lecture; ex. “SOOOOoooo, THAT’S why….” (do not lecture, be a student).
· Stress syllables pedantically.
· Say “um” (better to say “uh” in a pensive manner, if you really must. It is a bit less disruptive, as long as you don’t pull an “uuuuuuuuuuuuh”).
· Say “sort of” ,“frankly”, “honestly” “to be honest.”
· Be excessively apologetic.
· Say “you know.”
· Say “cuz” (instead use “Because”).
· Mumble whether in the meat of your answers or in asides.
· Don’t do many asides, if at all; i.e. don’t ramble.
3) Content of Speech
Do
· Watch interviews and emulate great communicators across disciplines: ex. Jon Stewart, David Copperfield, Bill Ackman.
· Prepare and rehearse your answers for the most commonly asked questions, but do not sound like an automaton.
· Mention mentors if making statements about “medicine” or a “physician's job.”
· Be yourself
· Be witty but decorous.
· Use examples from personal life and experiences and readings to support your points.
· Have interesting anecdotes at the ready, i.e. a “story bank.”
· Be truthful always (of course, one rather hopes that this comes naturally). Admit you aren’t sure, when you aren’t sure.
· Display empathy towards patients and their families.
· Make interesting and relevant analogies.
· Engage directly with the interviewer’s questions, instead of sticking to canned talking points that skirt the subject.
· Research the school, beyond superficial aspects (ex. new facility, or pass/fail). Be prepared to explain why you, as defined by your application, specifically mesh with particular aspects of the school.
· Research all the items and activities on your resume. Prepare and rehearse these explanations.
· The biggest favor you can do any interviewer is to create interesting, engrossing discussion, if possible. If the interview feels like a real chore, although you can’t say that you’ve “failed it,” it probably could be going better.
· Relax, be comfortable, and treat the faculty interviewer just like you should any professor—with respect, courtesy, and humility. Treat medical students like TAs—they are your superiors and have “grading privileges,” even if usually closer in age to you.
Don't
· Say you know more than doctors, nurses, physician assistants, medical students, your grandfather or mother, uncle’s brother, anyone really.
· Say you know “what medicine truly is.”
· Unnecessarily use charged examples to make a point.
· Be profane or offensive, under any circumstances, even in jest. Obviously.
· Be edgy.
4) Clothing
Do
· Wear clothes that make you feel confident and vibrant, within conventions.
· Wear comfortable shoes.
· Be impeccably groomed and appointed, from your toes to the tip of your cranium.
· Hanging suits outside a hot shower does help to remove wrinkles, as confirmed by personal experiences. Wearing them for some time after you unpack the evening before helps as well. Keep your clothes in your carry on.
· Invest in a travel iron, if possible.
Don’t
· Do anything against common sense (quite simply).
5) MMI
Do
· Make sure you fully understand the MMI procedure before it commences.
· Pay attention to MMI scenarios during the reading period and especially note the pronouns involved (don’t space out, or run your eyes over the prompt without registering).
· Preface your comments with a short recap of the scenario.
· Be explicit, making very clear your logical flow even if it seems obvious to you.
· Add outside conceptual knowledge but also stress concrete thoughts and actions.
· Explore multiplicity of opinions, viewpoints, and outcomes.
· Treat actors as real patients—let your speech evidence compassion and respect.
Don’t
· Be pigheaded or obstinate in your positions (instead show a willingness to think things through).
· Allow performance in individual stations to affect subsequent interview stations.
· Allude to the “act” in acting scenarios by addressing the “real person” directly, aside from greetings. Treat the scenario at face value. Do not be “too cool for school.”
· Discuss MMI question content afterwards. This is often against school policy.
Good luck.
When preparing for medical school interviews, it is important to pay close attention to 1) Body Language, 2) Manner of Speech 3) Content of Speech and 4) Clothing. If applicable, prepare specifically for 5) the MMI. Below are a list of prescriptions I gathered from research and personal reflection; it is certainly not comprehensive, but the best I could do. Most of them are common sense. Following them, with the help of the rest of my app, I was able to get admitted to multiple, highly reputable medical schools.
SDN has helped me over the past admissions cycle, so, in gratitude, I’ve decided to post these here. I hope they help someone! I went for expressiveness over brevity, be forewarned. Though it seems a bit presumptuous to say—please do not reproduce elsewhere.
IN GENERAL
· In my personal experience, interview preparation books are of very little use. Exhaust all free sources online (on and off SDN) before even thinking of purchasing these.
· Realize that you do NOT have to rehearse, or even read, the endless litanies of practice questions posted on these sites to do well. Rehearse answers for the most commonly asked major questions, and become fluent in discussing your life and resume.
· Understand that the major questions can be asked in many forms, and it is up to you to recognize them. The major questions are:
o Tell me about yourself.
o Why medicine?
o Why would you make a good physician?
o Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
o Tell me about your research/other activity.
o What are your challenges/weaknesses/failures and how did you overcome them?
o What is your greatest accomplishment?
o Tell me about a time when you collaborated on an endeavor.
o What is the biggest medical challenge today?
o Why this university?
o Is there anything else you'd like me to know, as your advocate?
o Is there one thing you want me to convey to the admissions committee?
o Do you have any questions for me?
· While practicing in front of a mirror offers some benefit, mostly in noticing your own particular quirks, it also is overly reassuring in that you continually see yourself. Therefore make sure you practice answering questions away from the mirror, in front of a camera perhaps—ideally, in front of mock interviewers.
· It is crucial to get good sleep and nutrition the night before an interview. If you have an upcoming interview that is of particularly high value to you, consider investing in a hotel room instead of using a student host, which introduces some uncertainty.
· Set multiple alarms (ex. cell phone and hotel room alarm). Test any new alarm the night before, ex. by setting to 9:30 pm, so that you know you’re operating it correctly.
· Research the specific format of a school’s interview well beforehand.
· Treat your fellow interviewees cordially—they are your future colleagues.
· Send thank you notes, whether in physical or electronic form, in a timely fashion (within a week, I’d say). Do not stress about it if you don’t manage to send them out for a particular interview. From my limited personal experience, they don’t seem to matter at all in terms of actual admissions decision, and instead are a question of courtesy. Principally, sending them reassures you, the interviewee, that you’ve treated everyone as well as you could have, and have therefore shown yourself in the best possible light. Do not send thank you notes for MMIs.
· Treat everyone you meet with good humor and sincerity, from the flight attendant to the driver of the taxicab to fellow interviewees, admissions staff and interviewers. Good practice for the interview day, and good practice for life in general. Habitual sarcasm or arrogance is difficult to mask fully in the interview, or other high stress situations. Don’t be an eye-roller.
1) Body Language
Do
· Have a firm handshake.
· Lean slightly forward with warm enthusiasm.
· Make measured gestures and return hands to lap.
· Smile frequently (though not at inappropriate times).
· Keep a clear and expressive face.
· Indicate you are registering the conversation through nodding, etc.
· Tape your interview practice. Observe any particular quirks, then take steps to consciously eliminate them.
· Maintain eye contact, breaking when you pause speaking (do not engage in a staring contest).
Don't
· Sit before the interviewer does.
· Contort mouth while enunciating.
· Slouch or lean backwards.
· Smack lips or lick lips excessively.
· Roll eyes.
· Have exaggerated expressions or a furrowed brow, or otherwise make faces.
· Scratch or rub head excessively.
· Make awkward “eye movements.”
· Scratch neck or fidget otherwise with hands.
· Rub nose or touch face excessively.
· Rock back and forth.
· Vibrate foot.
· Click a pen you may be holding.
2) Manner of Speech
Do
· Begin with a firm handshake and a confident, smiling demeanor. Let them know you appreciate the opportunity and their time.
· Vary tone smoothly.
· Speak at a comfortable, pleasing volume.
· Enunciate clearly and precisely (without sounding clipped).
· Take moments to think before you answer.
· Thank the interviewer at the end for their time; shake their hand firmly. Do not thank them excessively (ex. a “thank you” over the desk, another half-way across the office, a final one sideways through the doorway) and make it awkward. Stick the landing.
Don't
· Botch the first impression—it is CRITICAL, arguably the primary determinant.
· Talk in a sing-song fashion or suddenly vary volume of speech like in lecture; ex. “SOOOOoooo, THAT’S why….” (do not lecture, be a student).
· Stress syllables pedantically.
· Say “um” (better to say “uh” in a pensive manner, if you really must. It is a bit less disruptive, as long as you don’t pull an “uuuuuuuuuuuuh”).
· Say “sort of” ,“frankly”, “honestly” “to be honest.”
· Be excessively apologetic.
· Say “you know.”
· Say “cuz” (instead use “Because”).
· Mumble whether in the meat of your answers or in asides.
· Don’t do many asides, if at all; i.e. don’t ramble.
3) Content of Speech
Do
· Watch interviews and emulate great communicators across disciplines: ex. Jon Stewart, David Copperfield, Bill Ackman.
· Prepare and rehearse your answers for the most commonly asked questions, but do not sound like an automaton.
· Mention mentors if making statements about “medicine” or a “physician's job.”
· Be yourself
· Be witty but decorous.
· Use examples from personal life and experiences and readings to support your points.
· Have interesting anecdotes at the ready, i.e. a “story bank.”
· Be truthful always (of course, one rather hopes that this comes naturally). Admit you aren’t sure, when you aren’t sure.
· Display empathy towards patients and their families.
· Make interesting and relevant analogies.
· Engage directly with the interviewer’s questions, instead of sticking to canned talking points that skirt the subject.
· Research the school, beyond superficial aspects (ex. new facility, or pass/fail). Be prepared to explain why you, as defined by your application, specifically mesh with particular aspects of the school.
· Research all the items and activities on your resume. Prepare and rehearse these explanations.
· The biggest favor you can do any interviewer is to create interesting, engrossing discussion, if possible. If the interview feels like a real chore, although you can’t say that you’ve “failed it,” it probably could be going better.
· Relax, be comfortable, and treat the faculty interviewer just like you should any professor—with respect, courtesy, and humility. Treat medical students like TAs—they are your superiors and have “grading privileges,” even if usually closer in age to you.
Don't
· Say you know more than doctors, nurses, physician assistants, medical students, your grandfather or mother, uncle’s brother, anyone really.
· Say you know “what medicine truly is.”
· Unnecessarily use charged examples to make a point.
· Be profane or offensive, under any circumstances, even in jest. Obviously.
· Be edgy.
4) Clothing
Do
· Wear clothes that make you feel confident and vibrant, within conventions.
· Wear comfortable shoes.
· Be impeccably groomed and appointed, from your toes to the tip of your cranium.
· Hanging suits outside a hot shower does help to remove wrinkles, as confirmed by personal experiences. Wearing them for some time after you unpack the evening before helps as well. Keep your clothes in your carry on.
· Invest in a travel iron, if possible.
Don’t
· Do anything against common sense (quite simply).
5) MMI
Do
· Make sure you fully understand the MMI procedure before it commences.
· Pay attention to MMI scenarios during the reading period and especially note the pronouns involved (don’t space out, or run your eyes over the prompt without registering).
· Preface your comments with a short recap of the scenario.
· Be explicit, making very clear your logical flow even if it seems obvious to you.
· Add outside conceptual knowledge but also stress concrete thoughts and actions.
· Explore multiplicity of opinions, viewpoints, and outcomes.
· Treat actors as real patients—let your speech evidence compassion and respect.
Don’t
· Be pigheaded or obstinate in your positions (instead show a willingness to think things through).
· Allow performance in individual stations to affect subsequent interview stations.
· Allude to the “act” in acting scenarios by addressing the “real person” directly, aside from greetings. Treat the scenario at face value. Do not be “too cool for school.”
· Discuss MMI question content afterwards. This is often against school policy.
Good luck.
