Purpose of interviews

[inrevertias]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I was in an online chat session with an admissions director of a medical school who was asked if the purpose of the interview was to determine admission of borderline applicants or to make sure people who were likely going to be accepted weren't psychos. His answer was it was both, but mostly the latter. Is that true for most interviews? Did I read the transcript wrong?

Just wondering.

 

[zimmie256]

I was in an online chat session with an admissions director of a medical school who was asked if the purpose of the interview was to determine admission of borderline applicants or to make sure people who were likely going to be accepted weren't psychos. His answer was it was both, but mostly the latter. Is that true for most interviews? Did I read the transcript wrong?

Just wondering.

Depends on the school. Some interview a much larger percentage of the applicant pool, meaning significant cuts still need to be made (therefore they all aren't people who are likely to be accepted). The balance could shift later in the cycle I'd think too...

So moral of the story, be able to sell yourself if you're borderline, and learn to hide the crazies if you're a psycho...

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

I was in an online chat session with an admissions director of a medical school who was asked if the purpose of the interview was to determine admission of borderline applicants or to make sure people who were likely going to be accepted weren't psychos. His answer was it was both, but mostly the latter. Is that true for most interviews? Did I read the transcript wrong?

Just wondering.

It varies from school to school. For some/most schools it is a very big part of the selection process, while for others it is more or less a formality. Some schools will even tell you that you're accepted right at the interview, although that is not common

 

[baylormed]

Personality can't be assessed through paper. That's the purpose of the interview (or so I've been told).

You may have a 45 mcat and a 4.0 gpa, but if you are incapable of humility or just socializing with others (in an extreme way, I guess, since you don't need to be the greatest socialite to be a doctor), then the interviewer might be less inclined to grant you an acceptance.

 

[inrevertias]

So moral of the story, be able to sell yourself if you're borderline, and learn to hide the crazies if you're a psycho...

 

[wolfram241]

Real psychos know how to hide it.


(not telling how I know)

 

[etf]

so judging from my 5 interviews and 0 acceptances, i must really be borderline (and not convincing enough to cross that border), or a psychopath. i'm actually hoping it's the latter, because at least then the system works...

 

[DrAverageJoe]

so judging from my 5 interviews and 0 acceptances, i must really be borderline (and not convincing enough to cross that border), or a psychopath. i'm actually hoping it's the latter, because at least then the system works...

Where were your interviews?