Signs I suck at interviewing

[musicalfeet]

So I've finally heard back from the 3 schools I interviewed with early in Sept. 3/3 were all waitlists, so now I'm DEFINITELY wondering if it is because I don't interview well. I've done mocks and my feedback was generally average. I'm not outstanding, but they also said I don't seem to have really any weaknesses (except for being unprepared for ethics questions, which then I prepped a lot for so I assume I should be alright?) On the other hand, I was recently accepted to a DO school, so I can't be THAT horrible at interviewing? Don't know why I'm having so many issues with MD schools so far though 😛

I have 2 more MD schools to hear back from in December, and no more II besides one more DO in November, so I may very well be finished with the interviews I'll be receiving. I don't feel like my other 2 interviews were that different in performance from my other 3, but I also had to do those interviews before I got my decisions for the first 3.

Needless to say, all of these waitlists are really depressing to me...and I feel irrationally angry right now haha.

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[Glazedonutlove]

Could be other factors that put you on waitlist. Not sure if this is true for every school, but on my interview days I was told they look at the whole application again--interview is just one part of that. Do you come off too rehearsed? I'm asking because you said your weakness was being unprepared for ethics question; so would you not be able to give an answer unless you prepared for it beforehand? (I could be totally wrong in making that assumption, so feel free to correct me)

 

[GrapesofRath]

So I've finally heard back from the 3 schools I interviewed with early in Sept. 3/3 were all waitlists, so now I'm DEFINITELY wondering if it is because I don't interview well. I've done mocks and my feedback was generally average. I'm not outstanding, but they also said I don't seem to have really any weaknesses (except for being unprepared for ethics questions, which then I prepped a lot for so I assume I should be alright?) On the other hand, I was recently accepted to a DO school, so I can't be THAT horrible at interviewing? Don't know why I'm having so many issues with MD schools so far though 😛

I have 2 more MD schools to hear back from in December, and no more II besides one more DO in November, so I may very well be finished with the interviews I'll be receiving. I don't feel like my other 2 interviews were that different in performance from my other 3, but I also had to do those interviews before I got my decisions for the first 3.

Needless to say, all of these waitlists are really depressing to me...and I feel irrationally angry right now haha.

What were your stats and what were the schools the interviews were at. That will reveal a fair amount.

 

[musicalfeet]

What were your stats and what were the schools the interviews were at. That will reveal a fair amount.

Numbers:
cGPA: 3.64 (low uGPA, kicked some serious butt in career-changer postbac with a 3.94)
sGPA: 3.92
MCAT: 33
ECs in general were my strength rather than my numbers, with about 300 clinical volunteering hours (100 of free-clinic) at the time of application, former concert-violinist, 200 hrs clinical research

Waitlisted at: Gtown, UCI and Miami Miller
Waiting on decisions at Loyola, BU and CNU
My 1 acceptance was Touro CA.

Also worrying is that while it seems lots of people get more invites in October, it has been totally silent for me! So I suspect I may be done with invites for this cycle (which then this does not bode well for me at all...)

 

[GrapesofRath]

Numbers:
cGPA: 3.64 (low uGPA, kicked some serious butt in career-changer postbac with a 3.94)
sGPA: 3.92
MCAT: 33
ECs in general were my strength rather than my numbers, with about 300 clinical volunteering hours (100 of free-clinic) at the time of application, former concert-violinist, 200 hrs clinical research

Waitlisted at: Gtown, UCI and Miami Miller
Waiting on decisions at Loyola, BU and CNU
My 1 acceptance was Touro CA.

Also worrying is that while it seems lots of people get more invites in October, it has been totally silent for me! So I suspect I may be done with invites for this cycle (which then this does not bode well for me at all...)

Your stats are fine, yes if you are getting 3 II's at these schools there's definitely a chance your interview is hurting you. Having said that, it's nothing definite and we are still early enough in the cycle that there's no need for panic. You still have at least 2 more MD decisions and a couple months for more possible interviews. No need to hit the panic button.

 

[musicalfeet]

Could be other factors that put you on waitlist. Not sure if this is true for every school, but on my interview days I was told they look at the whole application again--interview is just one part of that. Do you come off too rehearsed? I'm asking because you said your weakness was being unprepared for ethics question; so would you not be able to give an answer unless you prepared for it beforehand? (I could be totally wrong in making that assumption, so feel free to correct me)

I wasn't prepared for ethics because I couldn't state the pros and cons for certain issues (like stem-cell, I actually had to go back and check it out) and be better educated about issues like the ACA. My prep mostly consisted of just being more educated about both sides of the issues and reading different viewpoints.

 

[Lannister]

Well if it makes you feel any better, Loyola has a 77% post-interview acceptance rate, so your chances there are good!

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I wasn't prepared for ethics because I couldn't state the pros and cons for certain issues (like stem-cell, I actually had to go back and check it out) and be better educated about issues like the ACA. My prep mostly consisted of just being more educated about both sides of the issues and reading different viewpoints.

How did you feel about your interviews?

 

[musicalfeet]

How did you feel about your interviews?

I'm never the type to think I kicked butt in anything 😛. That being said, I'm pretty sure I wasn't terrible either in any of them. Although I came out feeling better in my UCI and Miller interviews in comparison to the later BU and Loyola ones... haha

But I never really regret any of my answers because I meant them, and felt I articulated everything I wanted to say/get across (with the exception of Gtown, where there were things about me I wished I could have shown/talked about).

 

[Doug Underhill]

If you got accepted somewhere, you probably aren't a bad interviewer. I feel like your average ECs may be holding you back more than the interview skills. 200 hours of research is pretty low and research productivity is not measured in hours.

Congrats on your acceptance and good luck with the list.

 

[Lawpy]

If you got accepted somewhere, you probably aren't a bad interviewer. I feel like your average ECs may be holding you back more than the interview skills. 200 hours of research is pretty low and research productivity is not measured in hours.

Congrats on your acceptance and good luck with the list.

I doubt mid/low and low tiers care about research productivity. That is something top and mid/top tiers are serious about.

I think OP will be fine and get accepted from at least 1 of the 3 waitlists. It's early November now so plenty of time till late April/May when things change a lot

 

[HelpMe212]

Did your interviewer tell you that they didn't think the school was for you? It happened to me and I got waitlisted so mine was based on the interview. If that didn't happen to you then it was probably just medical school admissions in general.

 

[Doug Underhill]

I doubt mid/low and low tiers care about research productivity. That is something top and mid/top tiers are serious about.

I think OP will be fine and get accepted from at least 1 of the 3 waitlists. It's early November now so plenty of time till late April/May when things change a lot

Yeah, but what is "300 hours of clinical volunteering"? It shows altruism and a clear desire to enter medicine, but there are lots of applicants with that. As mimelim would say, where are the "wins above replacement"? What did you in particular bring to the table that 7000 others did not?

 

[musicalfeet]

Yeah, but what is "300 hours of clinical volunteering"? It shows altruism and a clear desire to enter medicine, but there are lots of applicants with that. As mimelim would say, where are the "wins above replacement"? What did you in particular bring to the table that 7000 others did not?

Well, I would argue I'm a pretty unique applicant in the sense my background is VERY different from most of the applicants. Not many applicants were former concert violinists who got to see/tour the country and train with some of the most famous people in the industry 😉 and I would argue it shows an ability to have laser-like focus, persistence and dedication, as well as an ability to "take lots of BS from people" (in a blunt way..of course I word it differently!). So actually, I'd say my ECs are my strength and what makes me unique as an applicant.

 

[Goro]

Waitlisting after interviews smells of "meh" interviews. The acceptance says that you're not terrible. not everyone can hit a home run in an at bat. Hell, if you bat .333 over a lifetime in baseball, you go to the Hall of Fame.

Practice, practice practice!!! If possible, film yourself for feedback.

 

[operaman]

Well, I would argue I'm a pretty unique applicant in the sense my background is VERY different from most of the applicants. Not many applicants were former concert violinists who got to see/tour the country and train with some of the most famous people in the industry 😉 and I would argue it shows an ability to have laser-like focus, persistence and dedication, as well as an ability to "take lots of BS from people" (in a blunt way..of course I word it differently!). So actually, I'd say my ECs are my strength and what makes me unique as an applicant.

You may be overestimating how unique your experiences are in the pool of applicants. Many applicants have substantial backgrounds in music and there are few interviewers who are savvy enough to distinguish between the kid who was principal violinist in his college symphony and won some local regional competitions from the kid who was a professional solo player following some national and international competitions. They won't know who the major players are in the field and even if you were one of Dorothy Delay's kids back in the day, they wouldn't know her from any local violin teacher. A number of medical schools have no trouble fielding orchestras made entirely of students, so there are clearly many others out there. Making adcoms understand that you reached a different level may be a losing battle.

Instead, I would focus on how your experience better prepares you for medicine and I think your current tack is too vague to resonate. Lots of paths will give you perseverance and focus. The key difference I would focus on is how mastering one art sets you in good stead for learning another. Talk about the act of learning your craft, the time spent mastering scales and etudes in hopes of one day being able to master the great concerti. Talk about times you took on a piece before you were ready and what you learned from it. Talk about what you learned from orchestral versus solo playing, how to lead and when to be led. You could cite the studies showing that success in athletics and music are shown to be predictors of success as a resident.

I think good musicians have quite an edge on learning medicine, but it takes ingenuity to convey the details of this to others.

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

Georgetown waitlists almost everyone post-interview, so don't look too much into that, and write them a letter of intent if you can really see yourself spending 4 years in THAT environment. If you did poorly in interviews chances are you wouldn't be accepted at Touro CA.

Interviews can be hit or miss too, and you can be rejected or waitlisted just for not clicking with the interview or them assuming stuff about you. Chances are if your interview skills were bad you'd be straight up rejected post-interview. The only advice I have is if you're looking to improve your interview skills/close the gap, make sure you articulate yourself clearly without ambiguity. Keep your answers short and concise too. Both of these tips leave less room for a lot of interpretation. Also make sure you have the basics of eye contact, not being super nervous, having self-awareness, and being able to carry on a conversation well. That's literally it.

Maybe call up UCI and Miami miller and see if they offer feedback on why you're waitlisted, but i really wouldn't worry about it. As for BU - they take forever, and aren't very transparent, so don't look into them too much.

What's wrong with the Georgetown environment? Genuinely asking, not snarky

 

[Lawpy]

What's wrong with the Georgetown environment? Genuinely asking, not snarky

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/worst-admissions-staff-in-the-country.12212/

I'm a little bit pissed right now. I hate Georgetown. I'm nominating them for the worst admissions committee in the nation.

I got the invite for an interview a month ago and it told me I had to schedual by october 1st and interview by the 28th. We'll I teach a class in California every monday, wednesday and friday and there is no way that I could have flown out to washington DC and back in time to interview and make my class. I called them up Sept 25th and told them this, and I would have to interview in december. They told me I had to write a letter to the dean and explain my problem and he might consider letting me have an extension. I think this is bull****, but I'll do it later in the month.
Today I find out that my friday, oct 28th, class is cancelled. I try calling up Georgetown to see if I can get an interview then. The tell me that since I never wrote a letter to the dean, there is no way they will ever let me interview. I'm thinking this is complete BS. By the time I can finish the letter and the dean reviews it and all the other stuff there is no way I will be able to get a flight to Washington DC. But then they tell me that not only can't I interview in October, but because they didn't recieve the letter by Oct 1st, I was automatically rejected. So now I probably never will be able to interview at Georgetown because of their F***d up admission policies. I'm not normally a vengful person, but if I remember this next June or so I'm going to try and encourage people (at least on the west coast) not even to waste the 150$ to apply to GT.

Thanks for reading my post. I feel a little bit better now.

 

[drwoofs]

Numbers:
cGPA: 3.64 (low uGPA, kicked some serious butt in career-changer postbac with a 3.94)
sGPA: 3.92
MCAT: 33
ECs in general were my strength rather than my numbers, with about 300 clinical volunteering hours (100 of free-clinic) at the time of application, former concert-violinist, 200 hrs clinical research

Waitlisted at: Gtown, UCI and Miami Miller
Waiting on decisions at Loyola, BU and CNU
My 1 acceptance was Touro CA.

Also worrying is that while it seems lots of people get more invites in October, it has been totally silent for me! So I suspect I may be done with invites for this cycle (which then this does not bode well for me at all...)

With regards to Miami. If you aren't in the top 20-30 people of all of those who attended an interview and are being discussed at that specific date then you are put on the waitlist. Since they interview twice a week and there has only been one date, I'd estimate they probably interviewed maybe 140 people. 20/140= 14% outright acceptances. Everyone gets waitlisted that is not in those top 20-30 people. Depending on your score you may be in the next top 20-30 people when the next decision day comes then you will be admitted.

TLDR: Miami waitlists a TON of people. Few people are outright accepted. Many many people are taken from the waitlist.

You'll get there!

 

[LizzyM]

Chalk it up to "yield protection". Schools will be conservative at this time of year and make offers to just the superstars. After they have some idea of how the rest of the pool shakes out, the offers will come to the second tier applicants. This is the flip side of why it is safe to interview later in the year and not be interviewing for the waitlist... if you rise to the top when a decision day rolls around, you will be skimmed from the top and made an offer. Schools rush to interview the superstar candidates early in the season before they start getting offers and start being more picky about who they'll interview with. Once they're skimmed from the list, the mere mortals rise to the top. Don't lose heart.

And if you want Georgetown, send a love letter (I mean, a letter of interest). That school is a safety for one group of applicants, a lifestyle choice for others, and a reach for a third group. G'town practices yield protection by not offering admission to those who might be using it as a safety or who aren't interested after visiting and hearing about the G'town philosophy and mission.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

Chalk it up to "yield protection". Schools will be conservative at this time of year and make offers to just the superstars. After they have some idea of how the rest of the pool shakes out, the offers will come to the second tier applicants. This is the flip side of why it is safe to interview later in the year and not be interviewing for the waitlist... if you rise to the top when a decision day rolls around, you will be skimmed from the top and made an offer. Schools rush to interview the superstar candidates early in the season before they start getting offers and start being more picky about who they'll interview with. Once they're skimmed from the list, the mere mortals rise to the top. Don't lose heart.

Fingers crossed this means more II start coming my way!! 🙂

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/worst-admissions-staff-in-the-country.12212/

Oh wow. Well we know how Jalby feels at least.

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

It's very cutthroat with the students pitted against smp students , the faculty support isn't existent, my interview who was the dean of rotations literally told me I wouldn't be successful in medical school because I asked what academic support they provide students who wish to excel further in med school.

Sounds like a rough interview! Having academic support seems crucial to me, so I'm not sure why that question implies anything negative about you?
I had my interview at Georgetown not too long ago and got a very positive vibe, so it's interesting that we had such different experiences.

 

[Jalby]

Oh wow. Well we know how Jalby feels at least.

Does anything else matter??

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

Does anything else matter??

You're like Beetlejuice ... we say your name and you appear

 

[BluMist]

At first I thought you tagged Jalby with @ Jalby and was confused why Jalby wouldn't show up after receiving a notification ...

You're like Beetlejuice ... we say your name and you appear