Hi there,
Some interview tips:
For females:
1. Wear sensible shoes because you are going to be doing some walking. This is not the time to break-in a new pair of 3-inch heels. If your feet hurt, the day is not going to go well.
2. Carry an extra pair of panty hose and an extra blouse in your briefcase. If you spill something or accidently get makeup on your collar, you can easily change. Runs in panty hose look awful. An extra pair will help you greatly.
3. Don't wear strong perfume or better yet, don't wear any perfume. Your interviewer may be allergic. If you must wear something, wear the body lotion version of your favorite scent and apply just after your get out of the shower so it will not be overpowering.
4. No dangly earrings, garish nails or nail art or make-up extremes. Don't get a perm or try an extreme hairdo on this day too. If a nose-ring is your style, it does not have to be the biggest one in history. Tongue rings are not going to help your application either. Try not to have more than on earring in each ear even if you have 20 holes. Small gold studs or pearls can get you further than large gold bangles. If your hair falls in your face, get it cut or pin it back. Constantly flipping your hair is very, very annoying.
5. Back when I interviewed, I wore my running shoes to the location and changed into my pumps in the ladies room. I re-applied my lipstick and powder and checked my hair for anything that might have fallen. Scuffed-up shoes look terrible. I used simple wide cellophane tape to remove the last bits of lint. (I always arrived early so I had time to check everything).
6. Don't wear a skirt so short that you can't sit comfortably without tugging on your skirt. Don't show off more than you want to reveal. This is not the time to be seductive.
For men:
1. No loud aftershave or colognes for the same reason that women should not wear strong perfume. Your interviewer may be allergic.
2. If a nose-ring is your style, keep it small and tasteful. Lose the tongue ring too. I can't tell you how many of my colleagues were totally annoyed by tongue rings clanging on teeth.
3. Arrive early and make sure that you are well groomed. Check the hair, dandruff and lint. If you look rushed, you don't look cool.
For everyone:
1. Don't attempt to "psych out" your fellow interviewees. This is a common pre-med tactic and you don't know who is listening to your conversations. I have heard of cleaning ladies reporting bad behavior to deans of admissions so be on your best behavior and be cordial to everyone including the cleaning ladies and secretaries.
2. Make a copy of every piece of correspondence that you send to any medical school. Keep a folder of these copies for each school along with any deadlines. Keep your air tickets and hotel info in each folder. When you are invited for interview, make a copy of your original folder and have those copies available in case something gets lost from your application file. The folder is good to hold onto so you have something to do with your hands.
3. If you are invited to stay with a student or out to dinner the night before the actual interview, remember that you are on stage. Don't show bad manners and don't get drunk. Take a small gift for your student host; home baked goodies would be nice and thank them for their hospitality.
4. Try to fly in the day before your interview and fly out the day after. Go back to the school after your interview and talk to students outside the interview. Ask plenty of questions. If you are going to invest thousands of dollars in tuition at this school, ask plenty of questions. Find out where people live and how they get about. Get the answers to everything that you need to know and take notes and names.
5. Don't lie. DON'T LIE. I cannot say this loud enough. Be yourself and be the best that you can be. If you don't know something, say so and keep going. One of my colleagues has a very nasty interview tactic of just sitting there and not saying anything. He doesn't start shuffing paper but just sits and looks at the applicant. Don't be unnerved if something like this happens. Don't chatter to fill the void but ask if there is anything that you might further clarify for the intervier. Ask a question but don't just sit there?
6. Have a list of questions? Ask about the curriculum. Ask about faculty teaching and research. Ask if there are research opportunities available. Ask why the faculty member likes teaching at this institution but ask something.
7. Everyone is nervous. Carry something with you if you can't keep your hands still. If you make a mis-statement, admit your error and correct it. Take a couple of deep breaths. You would not have been invited for an interview if they did not consider that you would be a good addition to the incoming class. Practice extending a hand and sitting in front of a mirror. Do you have any annoying habits that you didn't realize? Let your business major friends critique your style.
8. The interview is a chance for an admissions committee member to get to know you. This person may be or is charged with selling you to the rest of the committee. Please allow them to do this. You should know and be able to discuss anything in your application. This does not mean that you need to explain that D in organic chemistry unless asked about it but it means that you should be able to discuss your volunteer experiences, answers on any secondary applications or why you applied to the school. You can practice this stuff so that you have an answer ready.
9. Take an index card and write the names of anyone that was particularly helpful even the little housekeeping ladies if they helped you out. A note back to the Dean about anyone that was helpful is a good thing. It shows that you have breeding and it keeps you in mind. Trying to "suck up" to the secretaries on interview day is not going to cut it here.
10. Carry clean tissues with you. I have seen interviewees whose noses began to run from nerves and they didn't have anything to wipe with. I keep tissues in my office but I was in the minority. A small pack of tissues can save the interview for you.
11. Most interviews include continental breakfast or lunch or both. Take small bits and only drink clear liquids. Tomato sauce can ruin your interview. Spicy food can cause indigestion on top of nerves. Even better, eat before you leave the hotel and after you get back from the interview.
Finally, keep good records and meet all deadlines. Be very anal about getting everything done early and being on time. This especially applies to financial aid matters. Get your documents together now (your parents income tax returns) and your financial aid transcripts.
This whole interview thing is a process that you are going to have to repeat again for residency too. Think of your medical school interview as practice. And yes, we do talk about all aspects of the interview and applications in those meetings. We try to be fair and we do make allowances for things like nerves so you don't have to worry if you have been honest and yourself.
I hope that this helps. 🙂
njbmd
