Preparing for Interviews

[MrBrightside]

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Sorry if this is redundant. I did a search and didn't find anything. How should I prepare for my interviews? One of my residents mentioned reading a book on interviewing. What are some typical questions or where can I find such information? Thank you.

 

[RussianJoo]

Also for those that interviewed last year how often did you guys come across being pimped on interviews? Should I try to reread baby miller to freshen up?

thanks for your replies.

 

[G-Man82]

I'm reading the Successful Match: 200 rules to succeed. I don't read it religiously, but I read some chapters if they interest me. Right now I'm prepping for step 2 ck for this saturday, but after that I might read the interview-related chapters. I like the book, and it's available in my library, so I didn't have to spend a cent.

Re-read Baby Miller? Wow, I haven't even read that once. Just a few chapters here and there as it pertained to my Anesthesiology rotation.

 

[RussianJoo]

cool thanks guys.

 

[proman]

Be normal, be nice, never say anything negative and only be positive. And be able to talk about your research if you included it in the application.

 

[cchoukal]

I would focus on the same things that made you an adequate interviewee for medical school.

Dress professionally and conservatively. Get a hair cut, shave, and try not to emit any foul odors. Inspect your teeth after lunch.

Be polite and respectful. Arrogance, boastfulness, and overconfidence are easy to pick up. This goes particularly for places where you've rotated; being over-familiar with the staff/faculty can be misinterpreted as arrogance.

Research the program before showing up. Is there something on their website you can ask about? Chances are, if it's on their site, they're proud of it. ALWAYS have a question to ask, even if you've already had it answered. This is how you appear interested in the program.

Have something to talk about, something that makes you interesting. Everybody is "interested in physiology and pharmacology," so you need to stand out. This doesn't mean you have to have published in JAMA or founded an AIDS clinic in Africa, but you need to have SOMETHING that you're passionate about or that makes you unique and worth talking to. Ideally, the conversation would include something that you could later refer back to in your thank you note, so the person remembers who you are.

Focus your questions on the right audience. Faculty would rather drone on about their research than answer questions about the call schedule and health benefits. And I'll just come out and say it: no matter how you couch it, asking about the call schedule makes you look lazy, so ask a resident who doesn't look too invested in the process...

 

[periopdoc]

One hint,

You will be asked, "why did you apply here" or some iteration. Know something about the program and how it differs from other similar programs. Don't answer, "I have always wanted to live on the coast so I applied to coastal programs" etc.

If you are struggling to figure out what the program is known for, ask some of the residents during the pre-interview dinner.

A couple of bones for my SDN buds.

UW was previously known for excellence in pain medicine (think Bonica). That legacy was decimated, but is now being rebuilt. The name of the program has recently been changed to the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. How does that effect residents?

Other areas of recent emphasis at UW. Critical care medicine. Academics.

Upcoming area of emphasis, regional.

Think about how these areas might fit into your career interests.

- pod

 

[lord_jeebus]

Be prepared to spend 20-30 minutes with someone who can only say "OK, ask me another question."

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

The only way I can see you getting pimped and having it matter is if you brag about something you did clinically.

One time, I asked applicants if they knew what a bougie was. Another time, I asked if they knew which vaporizer was yellow. No one knew. It didn't matter to me. I just wanted to see if there was any rockstars in the bunch. Med students are not expected to have any significant anesthesiology knowledge.

While vaporizer colors are a little esoteric (desflurane?), I would think someone applying to anesthesia residency would have at least seen a bougie before.

I'm dreading a little the "why do you want to come here" question, as I applied to a ton of places I don't know a ton about (yet). The honest reason would be, "because I would do an anesthesia residency at any program that doesn't totally suck and that will take my wife into a residency program also," but I don't know how that would go over?

Maybe I'm coming at it from too much of a "they have something I want" perspective, when I should also be thinking "I have something they want" perspective? I don't know. I think maybe the couples match is slowly driving me insane.

 

[okayplayer]

While vaporizer colors are a little esoteric (desflurane?), I would think someone applying to anesthesia residency would have at least seen a bougie before.

C'mon man, that's sevo...I've filled up a few of those!

 

[fakin' the funk]

Also for those that interviewed last year how often did you guys come across being pimped on interviews? Should I try to reread baby miller to freshen up?

thanks for your replies.

There's a dude at USC who pimps. That's it, though.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Sorry if this is redundant. I did a search and didn't find anything. How should I prepare for my interviews? One of my residents mentioned reading a book on interviewing. What are some typical questions or where can I find such information? Thank you.

My take on interviewing is, it is an opportunity for you to put yourself in ROL #1 if you do it right. To me that means presenting yourself professionally and personally as a candidate that Program X simply cannot do without.

Personally, that means impeccable dress/grooming, a confident handshake, appropriate smiling/laughing, and relentless politeness.

Professionally, that means you are familiar with your application, can explain your interest in anesthesia and/or subspecialties, are prepared to sell your achievements and address your deficiencies, and have researched the program's strengths/weaknesses and individual interviewers (usually not possible).

Lastly, it's OK to not have questions especially towards the end of the day! Just say that all your questions have been answered.

 

[periopdoc]

I'm dreading a little the "why do you want to come here" question, as I applied to a ton of places I don't know a ton about (yet). The honest reason would be, "because I would do an anesthesia residency at any program that doesn't totally suck and that will take my wife into a residency program also," but I don't know how that would go over?

Maybe I'm coming at it from too much of a "they have something I want" perspective, when I should also be thinking "I have something they want" perspective? I don't know. I think maybe the couples match is slowly driving me insane.

We all applied to a ton of programs chosen mostly because they were in geographically acceptable areas and didn't have bad reputations. Plus a couple of backup places.

Now is the time to step up and learn a little about the places that you are interviewing. Call up any old friends you have that are now residents in these places. Ask faculty at your home institution about the institutions you are going to interview with and what they are known for. Look at their websites and see what they are trumpeting. Look at the CV of some of the faculty, at the very least the chairman and program director.

You should be considering both perspectives. They saw something in you (or your spouse) if they offered you an interview. Now is the time to figure out how you and the program can be mutually beneficial and present that at your interview.

Or you can do what I did... I decided that it is a B.S. question and I did not want to play the game. So, I answered honestly when they asked, "Why did you decide to apply here." I answered, "I looked at the bi-coastal and mountainous areas where I was willing to live and then I applied to programs that had solid reputations, looked interesting to me, or had previously accepted friends of mine. I am especially interested in moving to an area of the country where I haven't lived before so I looked for programs that were in interesting areas"

I got into Hopkins with that answer, but I had enough going for me that I could get away with it. I wouldn't recommend it as a good strategy if you are at all uncertain of your chances of landing one of your preferred spots.

- pod

 

[Idiopathic]

UAB used to pimp ("what are reasons why your end-tidal CO2 might drop acutely?)

just come prepared with questions for the program and an asnwer to "why anesthesia" and "why (insert program)"

be yourself, be calm, look like you belong, other people will notice

 

[ngozi]

I totally overdid the application process... I applied to >50 programs (too much), received around 60-70% invitations to interview, and interviewed at around 20 programs. I don't know if it's me, but I definitely had interviewers ask me questions that aren't usual... I had a few pimpers (maybe 5?)... With questions such as "what receptors does [specific pressor] affect?" And a few people who asked pointed questions about family and religion (illegal). I talked to one of them post-interview and he told me he didn't care what the answer was, but how I reacted to the question. Anesthesiologists are often put into difficult situations in practice, and I believe these interwers were testing how calm I was in a high stress environment. At the middle of the interview season, I dropped all the facade out of fatigue. No more always saying positive things, not asking certain questions, not being myself. I just had fun with them, was very honest, and asked anything I wanted. Granted, I'm usually a positive person who really does care about medicine + patients, but it's my perception that the honest approach worked much better than the pretend-I'm-perfect-and-everything-is-awesome approach... The interviewers appreciated my honesty (some said so), and I received positive feedback in the immediate and late post interview periods. So, that's my tip... be yourself, be honest... It'll be easier to find the right place for you that way. In fact, my top choice (where I matched) happened to be where I misbehaved the most on interview day.