student v. faculty interviews

[smgfan]

This past week, student interview was very first of mine in this process... not typically overwhelmed by social interaction, usually calm, confident....totally choked....felt extremely nervous, just couldn't get the interaction to become conversational....on the other hand, faculty interview went very well, hit it off w/ the physician and we had much in common, in addition to him commenting towards the end that my answers were "great"...all this being said...does one weigh ore than the other..or does it depend on the school?...any guidance would be appreciated and help allay some concerns...was a top pick of mine, so hard to just move on! Thanks for reading this ramble ;-) ....

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[FlowLimited]

I can't speak for other schools, but at my school both the student and faculty interview are considered equally. When I interview an applicant, I submit an evaluation which is reviewed alongside the faculty member's evaluation during the committee meeting. One is not viewed more highly than the other.

Other schools may do it differently.

 

[smgfan]

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[FlowLimited]

Thanks so much for your input, I really appreciate it.

Unsure if you can answer this, but do the student and faculty ever have different opinions / experiences with the student, and if so are potential reasons for this discussed and considered?

In my experience, yes. Sometimes applicants don't realize that the student interview is a real interview. Every now and then, I get an applicant who doesn't take the interview seriously and they don't do as well as they should.

The applicants are told that they should take the student interview seriously, so we don't really give any special treatment. Obviously, there's a difference between a student who doesn't talk because they're nervous or uncomfortable and one that doesn't talk because they aren't taking things seriously. I will note this in my evaluation, and it may or may not have an effect.

 

[xanthomondo]

In my experience, yes. Sometimes applicants don't realize that the student interview is a real interview. Every now and then, I get an applicant who doesn't take the interview seriously and they don't do as well as they should.

The applicants are told that they should take the student interview seriously, so we don't really give any special treatment. Obviously, there's a difference between a student who doesn't talk because they're nervous or uncomfortable and one that doesn't talk because they aren't taking things seriously. I will note this in my evaluation, and it may or may not have an effect.

When have you gotten the chance to interview an applicant? Interviews don't start until next week!

 

[Mobius1985]

do the student and faculty ever have different opinions / experiences with the student, and if so are potential reasons for this discussed and considered?

There was a story on SDN last year from a student interviewer who related that his interviewee was so comfortable with their interview that he totally let down his guard and expressed some negative commentary about the school, and about some med students they passed in the hall. In this case the student interviewer's opinion overrode those of the faculty who'd met the interviewee and had felt positively about him. He ultimately failed the interview after committee discussion.

Moral of the story: never take off your game face at the interview. Even a secretary or janitor you interact with has the potential of bringing negative behavior or comments to the attention of the adcomms.

This story doesn't seem to apply to your specific situation, OP, but I mention it to highlight the potential power of a student interviewer.

 

[Mobius1985]

When have you gotten the chance to interview an applicant? Interviews don't start until next week!

Many folks on SDN have reported on completed interviews.

 

[copperfrog09]

It wasn't your GW interview, was it? If so... I'd be interested to hear the answer to this question also. I was there last week and actually had the opposite experience! I'd be curious to know if they were weighted equally or the faculty interview had more weight. I did notice they had the same questions.

 

[45408]

When have you gotten the chance to interview an applicant? Interviews don't start until next week!

when I was applying, my first interview was 9/16

 

[DrYoda]

The schools that I interviewed at with student interviewers (3) all stressed that they weigh student interviews the same as faculty interviews.

It's hard to judge your own interview performance; some interviewers don't want a conversation, they just want to fire off questions. Since it's over just sit-back and play the waiting game to see what comes of it.

I also agree with Tired that student interviews are a terrible idea.

 

[copperfrog09]

The schools that I interviewed at with student interviewers (3) all stressed that they weigh student interviews the same as faculty interviews.

It's hard to judge your own interview performance; some interviewers don't want a conversation, they just want to fire off questions. Since it's over just sit-back and play the waiting game to see what comes of it.

I also agree with Tired that student interviews are a terrible idea.

Hm.. it seems to me that student interviews are quite valuable. Who's to know that you would fit in at a school and you're the type of student who would thrive at the school than the students attending the school? The faculty can decide whether or not they believe you should be a doctor, and whether or not you fit the school's philosophy, but they haven't attended the school (at least recently) and have no idea what it's like to actually be a student. In the same way, you can ask questions of the student interviewer that the faculty interviewer would be unable to answer. Who knows, just my useless two cents.

 

[xanthomondo]

Many folks on SDN have reported on completed interviews.

when I was applying, my first interview was 9/16

No I was saying that because saq and I go to the same school, where interviews start up on Monday.

 

[xanthomondo]

Hm.. it seems to me that student interviews are quite valuable. Who's to know that you would fit in at a school and you're the type of student who would thrive at the school than the students attending the school? The faculty can decide whether or not they believe you should be a doctor, and whether or not you fit the school's philosophy, but they haven't attended the school (at least recently) and have no idea what it's like to actually be a student. In the same way, you can ask questions of the student interviewer that the faculty interviewer would be unable to answer. Who knows, just my useless two cents.

I agree with this.

Also, with the student interviews 1) they're usually really relaxed (if it isn't you know what kind of class you're going to be joining) and 2) you can ask different questions and get more (and probably more pertinent) information than the admissions interview about how classmates are, how strict is it going to lectures, etc etc.

 

[FlowLimited]

When have you gotten the chance to interview an applicant? Interviews don't start until next week!

I've been busted! Let's call it foresight.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

I agree with this.

Also, with the student interviews 1) they're usually really relaxed (if it isn't you know what kind of class you're going to be joining) and 2) you can ask different questions and get more (and probably more pertinent) information than the admissions interview about how classmates are, how strict is it going to lectures, etc etc.

I concur as well; I'll be a student interviewer provided the school I'm accepted at allows this, so possibly I'm biased by this future intention. My reasons are similar to those in the posts above, but also that I've spoken with adcomms that seem to have an incredibly inflated opinion of what's "normal"; these are the ones who recommend relocating to do an SMP in order to take 1st year med school classes along med students; that under a mid-30's mcat or 3.8 gpa is "sub-par" etc. An interview by a med student who was a fairly recent applicant themself may provided a counterweight to the "admissions committee" interview person; the former would provide have a much more realistic sense of how tough the app process is, and will better seek out the traits that help actual students succeed in med school.

It really helped recently in an interview when students hosted a lunch; they gave a much more down to earth feel for how it was really like at the school than hearing administrative staff discuss things through a formal presentation. They also shared their experiences of why they picked this school versus others where they'd interviewed 1-2 years ago, which was very informative.

 

[Perrotfish]

None of the schools I applied to had student interviews, which I was grateful for, since student interviews are the most ******ed idea I've ever heard of.

Really? I don't see how they're any better or worse than a faculty interview. I mean if the interview's purpose was to evaluate your ability to pass your clasees, that would be one thing, but that's why you have grades and an MCAT score. Interviews are for making sure you're not such a complete jackass that you drag the whole class down, and for that a student interview seems to work as well as anything.

 

[tabrazinski]

i just had my hopkins interview and we were specifically told that our student interviewer did not have a "vote" like the faculty interviewer did, but their feedback was still important. for whatever that's worth...

 

[45408]

None of the schools I applied to had student interviews, which I was grateful for, since student interviews are the most ******ed idea I've ever heard of.

Many of the faculty will be retired by the time these students are attending physicians, and some of the faculty interviews are done by people who almost never spend time in the hospital/clinic anyways. I have to work with these applicants (or ones just like them) for the rest of my career. I'd appreciate it if someone screened out the tools and idiots.

 

[Kaydubz]

Didn't have any of those either. All were done by academic or clinical faculty for the schools.

I look at it this way: which students end up doing the interviews? The "active" students known to the university who participate in student government, clubs, etc.

In other words: the tools.

 

[jdandturk]

I agree. Going through this admissions process now, I could not imagine giving an interview. What would I ask?, Why this school; I know the applicant has probably applied to 15-20 other schools as well, and that the truthful answer is because he/she likes the location and has competetive numbers for this school. Why do you want to become a doctor? First of all i really dont care why, the fact that you want to is enough for me. secondly, the answer to this question will invariably be some version about wanting to help people, giving back to the community, my sick grandmother ect. ( however when it comes time for residency derm and plastics are the most popular ) Frankly the only way you would turn me off at an interview is if you were a complete tool.

 

[FlowLimited]

I agree. Going through this admissions process now, I could not imagine giving an interview. What would I ask?, Why this school; I know the applicant has probably applied to 15-20 other schools as well, and that the truthful answer is because he/she likes the location and has competetive numbers for this school. Why do you want to become a doctor? First of all i really dont care why, the fact that you want to is enough for me. secondly, the answer to this question will invariably be some version about wanting to help people, giving back to the community, my sick grandmother ect. ( however when it comes time for residency derm and plastics are the most popular ) Frankly the only way you would turn me off at an interview is if you were a complete tool.

This is exactly why, at least at my school, we have student interviews. The point isn't to test your reasons for going into medicine or to grill you. We have students interview applicants to get an idea of their personality. Is the person a complete jerk? Are they unmotivated? Invariably, the overarching question we try to determine is "Will this person make a good colleague?".

 

[FlowLimited]

Didn't have any of those either. All were done by academic or clinical faculty for the schools.

I look at it this way: which students end up doing the interviews? The "active" students known to the university who participate in student government, clubs, etc.

In other words: the tools.

This may be true at a lot of schools, but at mine anyone can interview. You just go sign up. The administration doesn't have to know you, so the only real common denominator between student interviewers is that they all love a free lunch.

 

[pagemmapants]

Didn't have any of those either. All were done by academic or clinical faculty for the schools.

I look at it this way: which students end up doing the interviews? The "active" students known to the university who participate in student government, clubs, etc.

In other words: the tools.

Which is exactly why I, having avoided student government like the plague and preferring to spend my time doing things I like to do instead of networking & posturing, am going to be an interviewer. Hopefully reduce the tool/everyone else ratio...

 

[Law2Doc]

This may be true at a lot of schools, but at mine anyone can interview. You just go sign up. The administration doesn't have to know you, so the only real common denominator between student interviewers is that they all love a free lunch.

I think that's his point. The average med student wouldn't just go sign up. The same group of folks who run for president of the clubs are the ones who sign up for these things. The "work hard and keep your head down" crowd who make up the majority of most schools would never sign on for this.


While lots of schools have student interviews and most say they are of equal impact, I wouldn't really believe it. While every interviewer submits a "score" for the interview, and those scores probably carry equal weight whether coming from faculty or students, there is a certain amount of advocating for applicants that goes on in adcom meetings, and you'd better believe that an esteemed faculty member or a dean is going to be a better advocate than some second year med student.

 

[FlowLimited]

I think that's his point. The average med student wouldn't just go sign up. The same group of folks who run for president of the clubs are the ones who sign up for these things. The "work hard and keep your head down" crowd who make up the majority of most schools would never sign on for this.

I think again this depends on the school. At mine, you sign up for each interview you want to give. If you want to interview one person, you sign up once. If you want to interview a hundred, you sign up a hundred times. There's no commitment and there's no special "student interviewer" designation. I think this translates to more regular folks signing up to give an interview or two.

 

[jdandturk]

I think that's his point. The average med student wouldn't just go sign up. The same group of folks who run for president of the clubs are the ones who sign up for these things. The "work hard and keep your head down" crowd who make up the majority of most schools would never sign on for this.


While lots of schools have student interviews and most say they are of equal impact, I wouldn't really believe it. While every interviewer submits a "score" for the interview, and those scores probably carry equal weight whether coming from faculty or students, there is a certain amount of advocating for applicants that goes on in adcom meetings, and you'd better believe that an esteemed faculty member or a dean is going to be a better advocate than some second year med student.

I am actually gong to an interview that has student interviewers. Any advice as to how the tone of this interview should differ from the faculty interview?

 

[xanthomondo]

I am actually gong to an interview that has student interviewers. Any advice as to how the tone of this interview should differ from the faculty interview?

Let them set the tone. Be talkative, outgoing, and friendly but as far as comfort goes let them set it.

 

[Law2Doc]

Let them set the tone. Be talkative, outgoing, and friendly but as far as comfort goes let them set it.

Yeah, I probably would treat it the same. Some people do find it easier to "connect" with someone of their generation who actually remembers what it's like being a premed, so in this respect the interview might go smoother. But a student interviewer probably lacks some of the polish that a more senior person might, so definitely plan to do your fair share of carrying the conversation.