My Interviewing Advice/Observations From the Cycle

[surftheiop]

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So I'm done interviewing for the season (filled out 8 secondaries, 6 invites, went on 5 interviews, and have 3 acceptances so far).

Here are some advice/observations that I think will be helpful to interviewees and maybe don't get mentioned as much as other advice.

1) Its all about the patients!

After they ask every single question, think to yourself "How will my answer to this reflect my commitment to my future patient's well-being and my ability to be empathetic to their situations?"

It often astounds me how often interviewees don't follow this simple rule. For example- If your answer to "why medicine" doesn't revolve around healing/caring/advocating for the sick, you might as well just leave the interview.

2) Before the interviews the dean will say something like "Just be yourself, don't stress during interviews, we just want to know you a little better"

Don't let those sorts of statements allow you to let your guard down, the Adcoms want people to act more "natural" and less "calculated" because it will make their selections easier. Each school's student population seems to have a bit of a "feel/mission", and its important for you to try to match yourself up with that feel/mission. Obviously your going to always be truthful, but our applications/aspirations are many dimensional so for each school you definitely are going to be showcasing different aspects of your application/goals depending on the feel/mission of school.

Bottom Line for #2, If your giving the same answers to questions at every school then your really missing a huge opportunity. Your application is dynamic, make your answers fit each specific school your applying to.

3) (This was told to us by a particularly helpful/honest Adcom member at one school)

"Be honest, but you don't want to tell us about any possible skeletons in your closet, keep your secrets secret."

4) Be extremely aware of your facial expressions/emotions.

You should be smiling like its your job, laugh at their jokes, make eye contact, etc.
BUT, the moment the mood changes you better change your demeanor instantly. If they ask about current state of healthcare in USA, you better suddenly look more somber/reflective. If they ask a really sad ethical hypothetical- you better make it blatantly obvious from your body language and speech pattern that your considering the terrible gravity of the situation. If your telling a story about a patient who had a bad outcome while volunteering, make sure your expressions match the tragedy.

Bottom line on #4, if your that dude smiling and excitedly talking about the extent of some trauma you saw roll into the ER or talking happily about how awesome it was to see some rare deadly disease, you might as well just leave.

 

[LizzyM]

After they ask every single question, think to yourself "How will my answer to this reflect my commitment to my future patient's well-being and my ability to be empathetic to their situations?"

I disagree with this statement. Some questions are just questions to get to know you. If the interviewer wants to make small talk about travel or food or the famous people you'd like to eat dinner with on a train traveling through Nepal, don't feel the need to tie it into your future patients. If you enjoy a hobby, it doesn't need to tie into patients. Ditto sports, etc. It is ok to do stuff that is an escape from your work life.

Yeesh!

And congrats to the OP for getting some offers and retiring from the interview circuit.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

2) Before the interviews the dean will say something like "Just be yourself, don't stress during interviews, we just want to know you a little better"

Don't let those sorts of statements allow you to let your guard down, the Adcoms want people to act more "natural" and less "calculated" because it will make their selections easier. Each school's student population seems to have a bit of a "feel/mission", and its important for you to try to match yourself up with that feel/mission.

i'd rather be rejected for being "natural" and "myself" than accepted by showcasing myself to be a fit when i might not be.

 

[lovebat]

i'd rather be rejected for being "natural" and "myself" than accepted by showcasing myself to be a fit when i might not be.

Could not agree more. I think it better for my personality to shape the physician I become rather than force my personality into a mold of "what physician I should be".

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

yeah, you just need to be yourself at every interview instead of "keeping a guard up" and "calculating" responses.

congrats, op! you're in!

 

[surftheiop]

I disagree with this statement. Some questions are just questions to get to know you. If the interviewer wants to make small talk about travel or food or the famous people you'd like to eat dinner with on a train traveling through Nepal, don't feel the need to tie it into your future patients. If you enjoy a hobby, it doesn't need to tie into patients. Ditto sports, etc. It is ok to do stuff that is an escape from your work life.

Yeesh!

And congrats to the OP for getting some offers and retiring from the interview circuit.

I wasn't saying you need to talk about your future patients, but rather that the qualities you reveal about yourself should be beneficial to your future patients. Sports, Hobbies, Dinner Invitations - all can speak to personal characteristics that would benefit/harm future patients/colleagues. (Or else why would the Adcom even bother ask 😉)

Also, being well balanced and having outlets away from work would obviously be beneficial to your future patients/colleagues.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

(Or else why would the Adcom even bother ask 😉)

maybe they're just interested in you as a person, and want a friendly/interesting convo? just throwin out a guess.. props to you for managing to keep your eye on the prize though.

 

[surftheiop]

i'd rather be rejected for being "natural" and "myself" than accepted by showcasing myself to be a fit when i might not be.

Don't you think that your adaptable enough to excel almost anywhere? I personally think the whole concept of "fit" is kind of crazy. I've been accepted to small state schools and a "big name" research, and in all honesty I think I could fit just as well in either atmosphere. (Leaning towards state school unless fin. aid is really friendly or I have a change of heart in next 6 months)

 

[surftheiop]

maybe they're just interested in you as a person, and want a friendly/interesting convo? just throwin out a guess.. props to you for managing to keep your eye on the prize though.

Thats exactly my point, they want to see if your the type of person who should be a physician.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

Don't you think that your adaptable enough to excel almost anywhere? I personally think the whole concept of "fit" is kind of crazy. I've been accepted to small state schools and a "big name" research, and in all honesty I think I could fit just as well in either atmosphere. (Leaning towards state school unless fin. aid is really friendly or I have a change of heart in next 6 months)

sure, i could succeed just about anywhere. but i can tell from visiting schools where i'll definitely be happier.

you're saying you didnt have more of a gut reaction to a school than another?

 

[mijlee]

Well, gut reactions are one thing, but the reality is often another. In the end I think it's extremely difficult to know how happy you'll be at a particular school, unless an abundance of research opportunities or some other definite quality makes you positively ebullient.

 

[LizzyM]

Don't you think that your adaptable enough to excel almost anywhere? I personally think the whole concept of "fit" is kind of crazy. I've been accepted to small state schools and a "big name" research, and in all honesty I think I could fit just as well in either atmosphere. (Leaning towards state school unless fin. aid is really friendly or I have a change of heart in next 6 months)

A few schools require a research thesis so there might be some concern that someone with no interest in research would be challenged to complete the degree.

There are schools in very urban areas and some in very rural areas... some people who would love one setting would not thrive in the other. Some members of minority groups whether racial, ethnic, religious or related to gender/sexual orientation might be more "at home" in a location (not just the school but the larger community) where there are others like themselves.

Some schools have mandatory attendance at small group session and others have just large lectures that are optional. People who would prefer to learn on their own might fit better at a school with large lectures that can be skipped.