SUPER DUPER MEGA POWER TIP: during interviews, you want to separate yourself from any stereotype that your race, gender, stature, application, etc. have already boxed you in. you all are aware of how medical schools look for diversity and one-of-a-kindness. if you can pull off being your own person, then that sort of individuality adds tones of strength and charm and charisma to you.
for example. look at my avatar. you will see that i'm an asian male. i'm 5'6". i have glasses. i have ridiculously high numbers but only mediocre extracurriculars. i did not even have a shaved head when i interviewed. so really, i appeared to be just like all the other cookie-cutter asian-american applicants that every admissions committee has already seen.
so how in the f uck did i separate myself from the crowd?
1) i talked as little as possible about science, math, even medicine. i talked instead about unconventional music, my experiences with asking out pretty girls on dinner dates (i'm not kidding. this works well with older female interviewers. if done tactfully, if makes you very, very, very human), and an afro-brazilian art form called capoeira. i talked about movies, too. i talked about people that influenced me. and just when they think they start to have a handle on me, i talk about my heritage, my family, my grandfather, growing up as an asian male, etc. so you show them that you're not confined to your stereotypes, yet you show pride in who you fundamentally are.
2) i exuded confidence and made devilishly bold eye contact. i spoke calmly and slowly and lucidly. i had powerful body language. the way i presented myself ran counter to the stereotype of the weak, nerdy, unconfident, socially inept asian-american male (hey, i don't like it either. i just tell it like it is, and do my own best to shatter that stereotype).
