Reapplicant losing motivation

[desperate4help]

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Anyone else with me? How are you reapplicants getting through it without feeling discouraged?

Stats: 3.65 cgpa/sgpa. 33 MCAT 12-9vs-12. Southern California resident.

This is my third time reapplying. I had 6 interviews last cycle and spent thousands of dollars flying everywhere. No acceptance from any of them.
Schools told me to work on my interviewing... I am unsure if I can even fix this sigh..:scared

 

[BrightandClear]

Schools told me to work on my interviewing... I am unsure if I can even fix this sigh..:scared

Can you be more specific (ability to answer questions, general demeanor, etc.)?

Does your school offer practice interviewing through a pre-med office?

 

[DinoSaysRawr]

Anyone else with me? How are you reapplicants getting through it without feeling discouraged?

Stats: 3.65 cgpa/sgpa. 33 MCAT 12-9vs-12. Southern California resident.

This is my third time reapplying. I had 6 interviews last cycle and spent thousands of dollars flying everywhere. No acceptance from any of them.
Schools told me to work on my interviewing... I am unsure if I can even fix this sigh..:scared

That's what I get for skimming. D'oh! I'm very curious now how an interview can get messed up. Is interviewing like a goldilocks thing? You can't be too hot or too cold? I've done several for different positions at my uni but I've never been denied for any of them.

 

[jkm07]

If the interview is the only issue holding you back, you can 1) mock interview like mad or 2) try to find a job that requires you to interact with people on a daily basis like at a department store. It'll help you open up more.

You're on the cusp of an acceptance. Good luck the rest of the way. Keep up the good fight.

 

[desperate4help]

One school told me it was the interview alone.
The person said everything else on my application was fine.


Another school told me that I need to be more expressive, and sell myself more.

 

[DinoSaysRawr]

One school told me it was the interview alone.
The person said everything else on my application was fine.


Another school told me that I need to be more expressive, and sell myself more.

Naturally shy? 🙂

 

[Eric01]

One school told me it was the interview alone.
The person said everything else on my application was fine.


Another school told me that I need to be more expressive, and sell myself more.

Do you have social anxiety disorder?

 

[rottweiler225]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYtQy9EqTA

 

[desperate4help]

I don't have social anxiety disorder lol. I am not scared to speak at all. I enjoy giving speeches actually but I always need a script.

The problem I think is that I just don't have much to say. I tend to give very short answers, and cannot elaborate on things.

My mind is just blank when I talk with other people. When I do have something to say, I will say it though.

 

[FunnyCurrent]

I don't have social anxiety disorder lol. I am not scared to speak at all. I enjoy giving speeches actually but I always need a script.

The problem I think is that I just don't have much to say. I tend to give very short answers, and cannot elaborate on things.

My mind is just blank when I talk with other people. When I do have something to say, I will say it though.

Aspergers?

 

[Person0715]

Good luck OP. This time around, I'm sure your determination will shine when interview season comes around.

 

[theseeker4]

I don't have social anxiety disorder lol. I am not scared to speak at all. I enjoy giving speeches actually but I always need a script.

The problem I think is that I just don't have much to say. I tend to give very short answers, and cannot elaborate on things.

My mind is just blank when I talk with other people. When I do have something to say, I will say it though.

Practice is probably the only way to go. You will just have to be able to converse with the interviewers more freely than you have been, and I am not sure of anything other than practicing that can help you with that. Check with your pre-med office as others suggested, and other than that good luck.

 

[kpcrew]

I don't have social anxiety disorder lol. I am not scared to speak at all. I enjoy giving speeches actually but I always need a script.

The problem I think is that I just don't have much to say. I tend to give very short answers, and cannot elaborate on things.

My mind is just blank when I talk with other people. When I do have something to say, I will say it though.

I'm like this too, but not blank. I just think about other things. If I were you, I'd just go to the interview sections and look up questions that other applicants have been asked and just write up answers on microsoft word. You don't have to memorize it but it will let you go through the thought process at your own speed and embellish your answers.

 

[MediCynical]

Record yourself talking (video and audio). I literally did this 4-5 days per week prior to my interviews. I had answers to probably any question you could have asked me. During my video sessions I always started with answering "why medicine" and "why this school" because they are very important, and also because it helped me to think through my application which made it easy to transition into other topics.

I would make a word document with a list of questions (I did this and had about 3 pages worth). Be able to talk through every single one. This will provide you some sort of "script" for your interview and it should become easier to integrate answers if a variation of a question is asked during your actual interview.

Also, recording yourself allows you a chance to observe your non-verbal communication from the interviewer's point of view. I noticed from my first video that I would often move around too much and was unsure of what to do with my hands.

One final thing - start talking to random people. I'm not kidding. You know when you get in the elevator with one other person and you both just stand there as you go up 10 levels? Say something. It doesn't have to be a full conversation, just "How's it goin? Crappy weather, huh?". This sounds stupid, but if you become accustomed to going outside of your comfort zone it will help when you have to meet a random person (adcom) and explain your very personal motivations for a career in medicine.

 

[desperate4help]

Thank you for the advice, encouragement, and the diagnoses lol.

I don't think I have aspergers either...


I am not like super awkward. I can hold a conversation to some degree, typically I would be the one who is speaking less, but it would not be awkward or anything.

I'm like this too, but not blank. I just think about other things. If I were you, I'd just go to the interview sections and look up questions that other applicants have been asked and just write up answers on microsoft word. You don't have to memorize it but it will let you go through the thought process at your own speed and embellish your answers.

This is what I did the first time. I think my answers to their questions were too brief , and to the point.

 

[Cerena]

I'm curious to know if you're GPA and non-academics have improved since last cycle.

 

[desperate4help]

I already graduated so my academics remained the same.

I have a lot more improvement on my ecs, although no schools said I need improvement in any particular area.

More leadership, more clinical experience, more community service.

 

[Eric01]

I would suggest joining a toastmasters club, they have some things that might help you such as impromptu question/speech sessions where they ask you random questions and have you give a short speech about it. They give you feedback based off your responses.

I went to a company for toastmasters and found the business professionals there very helpful in critiquing how I talked especially with non verbal communication, after a while I improved significantly. It's just like any other skill, you have to have correct practice and strategy and you'll hone your abilities.

 

[isoquin]

What have you done since your last rejection to improve your chances? What have you done to improve your interviewing skills?

 

[TheUPSIDEdown]

I had 6 interviews last cycle and spent thousands of dollars flying everywhere. No acceptance from any of them.
Schools told me to work on my interviewing... I am unsure if I can even fix this sigh..

Dude if you've got 6 interviews and 0 acceptances as a re-applicant, they are telling you you are extremely socially awkward.

Stop worrying about your application and worry about your interpersonal relationships/interview skills.

 

[DrElliotReid]

It's pretty evident that what's holding you back is your interview skills. The ability to hold a conversation isn't just important in interviewing for medical school but is also very important in your career as a physician. You have to be able to connect with your patients and have them feel comfortable sharing very personal information with you. The interviewer wants to know you're capable of that. Keep conversation flowing. Connect the information you're sharing or ask the interviewer a question. If they bring up the fact that they'd love to visit Boston (because you told them that's where you're from) don't just sit there and nod. Suggest places you think are worth visiting in the area if they ever get the chance to go, things like that.

 

[desperate4help]

Yeah I know it is my interviewing skills based on what the schools told me. And I am not worried about my application, I am just dreading reapplying again.

The thing is , I have ample opportunity to practice speaking. I surround myself with people all the time. I don't just lock myself in my room all day.
I just feel like I am not made of the right material to interview...

Perhaps, I need an interview coach to tell me exactly what is wrong with the way I communicate, cause I can't tell , and none of my friends can tell/ don't tell me either.

 

[Astarael]

This sounds like it might be a case of you having a really bad answer for one or more questions that are being asked. With 6 interviews, I would expect more success even for someone who is socially awkward. Can you think of any answers that you might have given that could be off-putting or offensive? Any negative comments you might have made during the interview? I can tell you that a number of standard questions do have really wrong answers; for instance, answering the question, "Why do you want to be a doctor," with any variation of "For money/prestige," is not going to go over well.

 

[tabascosauce]

dont give up bra

 

[desperate4help]

Thanks astarael I will consider that.

Btw, I am working as a medical assistant so I do have some degree of communication at my work.

 

[235009]

you need help. try to set up mock interviews ...not with your friends but with actual professionals. if you can't find any that are willing to help you should seek professional help. interviewing and "selling yourself" are skills that you'll need throughout your life if you want to achieve your goals, no matter what profession you enter. Even if you somehow get into ONE med school you'll have the same problem during 3rd and 4th year as you interact with patients, during residency interviews, during fellowship interviews, and when you interview for a job as an attending! You will continuously fall short of your potential if you don't do something about this NOW!

this should be a reality check for you that you need to take seriously. Going 0 for 6 on interviews and having a school tell you flat out that your only fault was your interview skills is an enormous problem.

 

[Morsetlis]

You might become me when your MCAT score expires.

3.63 / 36T, three interviews ;p

But, yes, interviewing isn't easy. There ARE patient-interaction courses though in med school for when you do get in.

 

[Don15]

You might become me when your MCAT score expires.

3.63 / 36T, three interviews ;p

But, yes, interviewing isn't easy. There ARE patient-interaction courses though in med school for when you do get in.

you went to SGU with a 36T??!!!

 

[tn4596]

you went to SGU with a 36T??!!!

my goodness, i almost didnt believe it myself...

 

[isoquin]

Yeah I know it is my interviewing skills based on what the schools told me. And I am not worried about my application, I am just dreading reapplying again.

The thing is , I have ample opportunity to practice speaking. I surround myself with people all the time. I don't just lock myself in my room all day.
I just feel like I am not made of the right material to interview...

Perhaps, I need an interview coach to tell me exactly what is wrong with the way I communicate, cause I can't tell , and none of my friends can tell/ don't tell me either.

What have you done since your last rejection to improve your chances? What have you done to improve your interviewing skills?
I can't help but notice you didn't answer these questions. Having opportunity to practice speaking doesn't mean you're actually doing anything to improve your interviewing skills. If you really want to get into med school, I recommend you sit down and form an honest answer to the above two questions. What have you done to change your chances?

 

[Political]

Just believe in the heart of the cards, they will guide you

 

[Launcelot]

OP, I completely understand where you are coming from. I used to give relatively short and to the point answers to pretty much everyone. I wouldn't really express much outside of an asked question.

It's unfortunate, though, that some people equate a lack of words with a lack of intelligence or interpersonal skills. But that's where you've got to play the game and build up a sense for awkwardness and how to avoid it.

I'd say take a question, answer it, then follow it up with an imaginary "why?", then answer that as well in your physical, verbal answer to your interviewer. If that is too short, expand on that by maybe adding "when?" or "how?" to the questions you ask yourself to keep your response flowing smooth.