Non trad interviews. Dealing with rejections!

[furyhecla]

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Hi.

I am a non-traditional applicant - 38 years old, I have a Ph.D. in biology, and am a research scientist in wildlife biology.

So far I've had 3 interviews. One acceptance (yay), one rejection, and one where I wasn't accepted 'in the first round', but there are 2 more rounds of acceptances (basically wait list).

Honestly, the rejection/waitlist post-interview really knocked the wind out of my sails. It was my first choice school. But the bigger deal is that I felt that I knocked it out of the park in both of those interviews.

So, the basic question is, how do I refocus/regroup for my upcoming interviews when I don't really know how to improve? Honestly, I am very sincere in my conviction to change careers, I do my homework before interviews and I am an affable person. I have been in mock interviews, where I have been evaluated and told that I did well.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it may have to do with age or some sort of lack of comfort on the interview panel that I am not sincere. But I don't want to dwell on this, as there is nothing I can do about it. Also, I don't want to be a victim.

So, basically, my strategy is to do the same. Prepare well. What else can I do 🙂?! Anyway, I thought I'd throw it out for some advice to other non-trads. How do you best demonstrate sincerity for a career-change?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Nothing really. You have an acceptance, so maybe this will give you some confidence, but just be yourself. Maybe you were trying to hard and they could tell. Not sure. Congrats on the acceptance!

 

[furyhecla]

Nothing really. You have an acceptance, so maybe this will give you some confidence, but just be yourself. Maybe you were trying to hard and they could tell. Not sure. Congrats on the acceptance!

Thanks! I am very grateful for the acceptance. Just want to do my best! 🙂

 

[cabinbuilder]

I remember those days and the rejections are hard not to dwell on. You just have to chalk it up to personality of the interview board and I started coming out with the attitude that if they didn't want me then I don't want them either. They lost out on a great person who would represent their school well. They can't take everyone so you just have to find the right fit, you already have an acceptance so just run with it. Medical school is essentially the same wherever you get in. You go the distance, get into the residency you want and don't look back. End of story.

 

[DrMidlife]

I think you're psyching yourself out, and you're looking at this backwards. You have an acceptance - you get to be smug. Or at least confident. You've been validated as a candidate for med school. If some other school doesn't crave you, that's their loss.

If you're like me, you're prone to focus on your detractors. Such as, if all but one person in a group likes you, you could care less about the ones that like you, even if it's 100 to 1: you obsess about the one that doesn't. Life-shortening attitude.

Spend time with match lists from the school that accepted you. Your future possibilities, enumerated like a menu. Like a lunch buffet.

Best of luck to you.

 

[MT Headed]

You seem to blame your "rejection" on yourself. Perhaps it was the medical school's fault?

I sense an undercurrent that you think by changing your behavior, you could possibly be accepted to all of your interviews. It doesn't work that way.

 

[Kj615]

All you need is ONE acceptance!

 

[QofQuimica]

All you need is ONE acceptance!

Agree.

OP, you're already accepted to a medical school. Who gives a flying rip if another 50 med schools reject you? It's not like you can attend more than one school anyway. So the way for someone in your position to deal with the rejections is by forgetting about them, because they don't matter.

 

[hopeful22213]

Just remember that at a minimum 58% of applicants are jealous of your acceptance.