What are common medical school interview questions that have very different answers to the same question asked during a regular job interview?

[deleted1106140]

I noticed that most people on SDN say "Tell me about yourself" should be more about personal life/hobbies/upbringing/etc. This differs drastically from how this question should be answered during a regular job interview (which I think most people would agree should focus on education/previous job experiences/career interests -> leading to why you're applying to that particular job). This makes things slightly difficult for me as a career changer as I feel like I may answer questions in a way that adcoms are not expecting.

What are some common medical school interview questions that have very different answers to the same question asked during a regular job interview?

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[Deltasidearm]

I think there is an overall thematic difference between a job and med school interview. In a job interview, you may be looking to impress your interviewer (who probably didn't even go over your application in any detail) and are trying to convey that you are competent and well qualified for the job. In a med school interview, the focus is really more about evaluating who you are as a person and if your goals/personality align with the school's. The very fact that you got the interview means the school knows you're qualified to be a medical student--they're just uncertain if you should be THEIR medical student.

 

[deleted1106140]

I think there is an overall thematic difference between a job and med school interview. In a job interview, you may be looking to impress your interviewer (who probably didn't even go over your application in any detail) and are trying to convey that you are competent and well qualified for the job. In a med school interview, the focus is really more about evaluating who you are as a person and if your goals/personality align with the school's. The very fact that you got the interview means the school knows you're qualified to be a medical student--they're just uncertain if you should be THEIR medical student.

Thanks! This was useful. Job interviews mostly search for effectiveness and teamwork/communication. I'm sensing that medical school interviews overlap in that they also search for teamwork/communication, but they also are mainly searching for character, things an employer usually doesn't care much about as long as you're an effective worker.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Personally, I think that job interviews involve trying to win a position whereas med school interviews involve trying not to lose a position.

as I am not an adcom member, I can’t know this for sure. I have, however, attended many job and med school interviews. I know that at my job we will usually conduct 20 to 30 interviews for a single position. Even at the schools with the lowest post interview acceptance rates, this would lead to roughly 5 positive outcomes. At schools with higher rates, this is closer to 15 positive outcomes. These divergent rates call for divergent strategies. In a job interview, everybody is truly equal coming into the interview in terms of getting the position. In a med school interview, this does not seem to be the case (see staircase model of interviewing). During job interviews, I will generally try to take over the interview such that I can find common ground with the interviewer and get to all my relevant skills. In med school interviews, I will still try to make it conversational but exhibit more deference to the interviewer.

In a job interview, you’re trying to show the employer that you will add value to the firm. Whereas in a med school interview, it’s less of trying to show how you would add value and more showing that you’re ready for and capable of success as a med student.

 

[LizzyM]

I know that at my job we will usually conduct 20 to 30 interviews for a single position. Even at the schools with the lowest post interview acceptance rates, this would lead to roughly 5 positive outcomes. At schools with higher rates, this is closer to 15 positive outcomes. These divergent rates call for divergent strategies. In a job interview, everybody is truly equal coming into the interview in terms of getting the position.

This does vary in workplaces. I've seen as few as two or three candidates for a job opening make it to interview and they do not come in "all equal" but there is often a rank order on the way in and the interview is a means of determining if the applicant in person is as good as the applicant on paper.

 

[DoctorFate]

Another way to think about it, at a medical school if you already told them about something in your application, it shouldnt be repeated at the interview.

How does that work in closed file interviews though, which many medical schools practice now. Every school that interviewed me last cycle had at least one blind interview.

 

[deleted1106140]

The exact same rule applies even more so. So many applicants, wrongly assume, that since the blind interviewer doesnt know anything about your application, you should repeat it all. If the school wanted the interviewer to know it, they would have given it to them. The blind interviewer doesnt care about the content of your application. They care about personal traits, characteristics, and attributes particularly social, interpersonal, and communication skills. So it is mostly the Process of the interview I’m not so much the content discussed that matters. Applicants often feel they must get all those things pointed out the application brought up in the interview. That is a mistake. You answer the questions asked by the interviewer and you’re going to the discussion. That could be any place. Some interviewers will purposely ask stressful or difficult questions to see how you react to those situations. It is not your answer that matters it is your process of answering that matters.

Thank you. I take it that repeating stories from the secondaries/P.S. is okay as long as it answers the question (Tell me about a time...) and is the most effective story an applicant has in store to do so? I mentioned this in another post but I have some stories not on my app that are not as meaningful to me or as effective a story as the ones on my app, hence why I left them off. But they would be new to an adcom's ears.