Researching your interviewer in advance?

[frosty42]

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Wondering what the consensus is on researching your interviewers ahead of time.

I received the names of my interviewers over a week before my upcoming interview - wouldn't they expect me to have glanced at their professional bio?

My one interviewer attended medical school at the school where I studied abroad so I would love to connect with them over that, but I don't want to come across as creepy or knowing more than I should about them.

Do interviewers expect us to know the basics about them (e.g. specialty, where they went to school) or should we pretend we don't know anything about them?

I've heard conflicting answers so I just wanted to ask one last time.

 

[gyngyn]

If the school gave you their names, they have to expect that you might look them up.
Personally, I find it creepy to discover that an applicant has investigated me.
I still remember the first time it happened (the dawn of the internet!).

 

[Crayola227]

Yeah, I really wouldn't. If you're clever you might figure out how to mention something you might have in common with your interviewer, but in passing, and see if they volunteer information.

"You asked me about formative educational experiences, and while I didn't spend a lot of time at School Abroad, one thing I really enjoyed about my time there was..."

You should spend more of your time researching the school and showing that knowledge. That's expected and isn't creepy.

 

[frosty42]

Thank you both, I appreciate the insight!

I'm sure my time abroad will come up so we'll talk about it regardless. Pretending I don't know anything about them sounds like the way to go.

 

[Proudfather94]

Wondering what the consensus is on researching your interviewers ahead of time.

I received the names of my interviewers over a week before my upcoming interview - wouldn't they expect me to have glanced at their professional bio?

My one interviewer attended medical school at the school where I studied abroad so I would love to connect with them over that, but I don't want to come across as creepy or knowing more than I should about them.

Do interviewers expect us to know the basics about them (e.g. specialty, where they went to school) or should we pretend we don't know anything about them?

I've heard conflicting answers so I just wanted to ask one last time.

I wouldn't do that because then you're going to be focusing on not saying something creepy instead of focusing on your interview.

 

[LizzyM]

I had an applicant who had obviously looked me up and then made assumptions about my interests that started with statements like, "you are interested in ....[something like college major 40 years ago]" that were just weird.

Don't start any sentence with "You". Turn it around and say "I". Make statements about yourself, "I studied abroad in ...", "I played clarinet in high school and wish I had more time to play in a concert band now." If the interviewer wants to make the connection with you in that way, they will but don't start out by saying, "I saw on Facebook that you play the clarinet, what's your favorite piece?"

 

[snooper]

Interesting responses. I actually would expect someone to look up a professional bio and even bring it up, e.g. talk about research --- obviously not stalker-like behavior, as in looking up info of my private life.

 

[frosty42]

Interesting responses. I actually would expect someone to look up a professional bio and even bring it up, e.g. talk about research --- obviously not stalker-like behavior, as in looking up info of my private life.

Yes, that’s what I heard from physicians who are involved in residency interviews at a local hospital. They said they would expect the interviewee to know a bit about their professional bio and it would show interest and that you made slightly more of an effort to know who you’d be speaking with. Mixed messages.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Yes, that’s what I heard from physicians who are involved in residency interviews at a local hospital. They said they would expect the interviewee to know a bit about their professional bio and it would show interest and that you made slightly more of an effort to know who you’d be speaking with. Mixed messages.

Maybe that’s true for residency interviews, but not for med school interviews. And it’s very likely they paired you with that interviewer because of the connection you have. Would be very surprised if it doesn’t come up.

 

[LizzyM]

Part of the difference is that in a residency interview, you are feeling out whether the program is a good fit for you and, in some respects, you are the interviewer who asks the questions before making a choice.

That is not the case for medical school interviewers. Pandering to the research interests of the interviewers (or even worse, aspects of their private life), particularly if there is noting in your application that indicates that you have experience in that field or in related bench work (e.g. "I think that dermatology research is so interesting! Can you tell me if there are opportunities for students to be involved in research on Inflammatory Mononuclear Phagocyte and T-Cell Profiles within Psoriatic Skin?") Something like that just comes off as pandering from a b.s. artist.

 

[frosty42]

Very understandable! I appreciate all the advice from adcoms, physicians, and everyone who has far more experience than myself.

In case anyone reading this in the future is wondering, I did not end up bringing any info about my interviewers up in any of my interviews. Things we had in common came up naturally, as expected.