Medical School Interviews: 6 Common Mistakes That Admissions Officers Hate

[owlegrad]

Please Discuss!

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[gettheleadout]

Article is titled as a list of mistakes but instead lists things that should be done.

Also, isn't this just the same sort of generalization that is warned against? Where's the evidence?

First, these student interviewers are more likely to be an “interviewer-from-hell” than their senior counterparts. They are eager to prove how rigorous and devoted they are, and that might translate to a much more aggressive and rigorous interview style.

 

[crabdoc4]

This is literally the worst interview article. Hyperbole aside, if someone told me that they loved working late at the hospital with more things to do than time to do them i would instantly write you off as a massive tool. You can never "show" how into medicine you are because you have no idea what "medicine" is yet! These articles written by people who are not doctors or deans are useless, don't waste your time.

 

[QofQuimica]

As a former adcom, I ran the gamut from cringing to eye rolling while reading this. Why is a law student writing this article anyway? Not that his intentions weren't the best I'm sure, but this is the kind of advice that should come from an adcom. I wouldn't go trying to write an article about the "dont's" according to law school adcoms when I've never been one!

Premeds, the best way to get good at interviewing is to practice interviewing. Do mock interviews with your school's premed committee, friends who are already med students/residents, faculty, etc. Read about the med school before you visit so that you have intelligent, specific questions to ask the interviewers. While you don't want to sound like you're reciting a part in a play, a little preparation goes a long way toward making you come across as polished and professional.

 

[Snoopy2006]

Not a great article IMO, although some points held merit.

I second what one of the above posters said - the line about loving being in the hospital when there are a million things to do is sure to induce a gag reflex.

There's likely some bias insofar as the writer interviewed officers only at "top" medical schools. I don't head into interviews "eager to prove how rigorous and devoted" I am, and I don't see any of my classmates fitting that description either.

Compassion / interesting service stories are at the top of my list in terms of catching my attention. These are things you don't just prep for right before an interview - this is why you seek out service opportunities as a premed. If you go to college near a medical school and find a way to get involved in a free med student/resident clinic, that shows both character and that you have good exposure to the field.

My advice to applicants would be to videotape yourself interviewing and playing it back. It's an effective way of practicing, and you'll be surprised by your body language. I just interviewed an applicant who couldn't look me in the eye when I was speaking to him and said "uh-huh" or "yeah" after every single word I spoke. I wanted to strangle him by the end.
Definitely agree that some applicants relax a bit too much with a med student interviewing them.