So when an interviewer asks you...

[notgettingin]

"Do you have any questions for me?" What do you usually ask?

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[Haemulon]

"Do you have any questions for me?" What do you usually ask?

"So, what would it take for me to get accepted here?"

 

[armybound]

To me this is one of the toughest questions. I actually usually have nothing to ask. In the interview I went on I asked the two people about their jobs. One was a medical officer in the Public Health Service, so I asked about that.

The other interviewer was a 4th year med student, so I asked how students get the opportunity to interview, since I would be interested in doing the same.

You could always ask about what percentage of their students get their desired internship matches, board success rates, what kind of resources the students have for support..

 

[LizzyM]

This is your opportunity to show that you have done your homework about the school but that you want to know more and that you want to do more then just be a student. You can also tie it in to your previous experiences to further highlight that aspect of your application.

"Because of my background in ___ , I'm very interested in the Center for ___ and I wondered if there are opportunities for medical students to work with faculty at the Center during the academic year or during the Summer?"

The background can be a research activity, a volunteer service activity or a medical condition that you have an interest in due to personal/family experiences. The "Center" can be a lab, a free clinic, etc.


Showing that you know something about the school that interests you based on your previous experiences is a good way to distinguish yourself to the interviewer.

 

[notgettingin]

Thanks! Any other suggestions?

 

[deuist]

The SDN wiki's interview section lists the following potential questions:

How would you describe a typical entering class (backgrounds, ages)?
How much flexibility is there in the coursework and in the timing of the courses?
What kind of representation do students have on school committees?
What kinds of clinical opportunities are available during the first two years?
Can you describe the patient population that I will have exposure to?
What do you wish you had known prior to coming to this school?
Have any students left this university (transferred, dropped out)? And if so, for what reason?
How can students evaluate the faculty? How responsive is the administration to student feedback?
How prepared are students for away rotations? What do program directors at other hospitals say?

 

[xylem29]

Here's a really good thread that I will use when asking questions:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=104541

 

[Stolenspatulas]

In the beginning I heard that you whould always ask a question even if you don't have one.

Now if I don't have one, I don't make one up on the dot. Just be honest. It's refreshing.

 

[Koch]

Don't ask something just for the sake of asking something. If you have a legitimate question, ask it. But don't rattle out some generic question they've heard a thousand times before. I have a friend who's a med student and does interviews and he told me multiple times that he takes points away for asking stupid questions.

 

[aardvark14]

Honestly, I dont know why people feel obligated to ask something. I am kicking my interviews asses and Ive never asked a question. I tell them that the day, the presentations and the tours have been informative, and that I have all the info I need. Anyone can go online and find some center or program that they read 2 sentences about and ask a superficial question just to have something. Quite frankly, I do not think that this impresses anyone.

 

[notgettingin]

Makes sense. Always thought to myself that I should have at least one question..but I could see how the interviewers may be sick of generic responses. Thanks for your input!

 

[dutchman]

"Do you have any questions for me?" What do you usually ask?

Is it true physicians' income is on the decline?

 

[Soggun]

Ok, I'm going to start this off by saying that I'm awful at coming up with questions to ask at interviews (not just med school but in general). It does make sense that you shouldnt ask a superficial question about some center or clinic that could probably be answered quickly by looking at a website or doing a little research...

That being said, I understand why people say that you should ask questions. The honest truth is that there is plenty you don't know about a school from reading online and having a 1-day experience there. You can always ask about a student's perception on the make-up of the class (how competitive and such) or about what they recommend in terms of housing or if there is something they'd recommend doing the summer before to better prepare you for med school. The point is that it is in your best interest to take advantage of your interviewer's experience and find out more to make your decision easier later. If the choice is asking a dumb question or nothing, pick nothing. But in general, you should have legitimate questions and I think it's a little easier to come up with them when you view the interview as a two-way street. After all, it's not only them evaluating whether you belong there... you should be doing the exact same thing.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

This is your opportunity to show that you have done your homework about the school but that you want to know more and that you want to do more then just be a student. You can also tie it in to your previous experiences to further highlight that aspect of your application.

"Because of my background in ___ , I'm very interested in the Center for ___ and I wondered if there are opportunities for medical students to work with faculty at the Center during the academic year or during the Summer?"

The background can be a research activity, a volunteer service activity or a medical condition that you have an interest in due to personal/family experiences. The "Center" can be a lab, a free clinic, etc.


Showing that you know something about the school that interests you based on your previous experiences is a good way to distinguish yourself to the interviewer.

Just wanted to highlight this point.

All schools want students who are happy to attend.

The best applicant can be rejected if he does not show interest in the specific school, and nothing shouts interest like a few (or even several) GENUINE (don't just ask for the sake of asking) questions about the school itself and its curriculum. This is the time to show that you've researched the school intensely (which you should assuming you interview there.)
-Dr. P.