What did you guys say at the interviews?

[Dakayus]

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I just want to ask what others have said to this question, PM me if you might not want the whole public to see, but I would REALLY appreciate it. I have "bombed" 3 interviews so far and I have only 1 left, being COMP, and I'm quite fearful of yet another interview. It could very well be other parts of my application, but I'm not inclined to think that it's my poor interviewing answers. I have interviewed with friends, none that are going the medical route, so they may not know what an appropriate answer would be. I'm just looking for acceptable answers since it seems as though I'm incapable (self-esteem has been ran over from the 3 rejections). Also my GPA and MCAT are well above the average and I'm coming from a top university.

Why DO?
Why xxxx school?
What problems face the medical community now and how would you solve it?
Why do you want to become a doctor?

I have looked up why I would like to become a DO and I've said because it has an array of extra tools to help diagnose and aid as a preventative measure that M.D.'s cannot perform.
For the school I would say the campus looked nice or their residency matching was great.
For the medical problem I said how HMOs are over run with too many people thus people not getting the appropriate time per doctor visit. I'm not sure what else would be a good problem to bring up.
And for why I want to be a doctor, I said it's fascinating to learn about the body seeing how all the new technology incorporates a lot of medical issues.

I have done research, but I just believe I need some help to get over this hump thats incessantly plaguing my interviews.
Any help would be MOST appreciated as I only have 1 last chance.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

This is how a typical interview goes:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TROhlThs9qY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[EEL08]

I don't think I'm very good at determining what is an okay answer versus what is a great answer. That being said, if they ask you why COMP, please don't just say because they have a nice campus. Dig deep and pick something else, something more substantial about the school.

 

[RySerr21]

I don't think I'm very good at determining what is an okay answer versus what is a great answer. That being said, if they ask you why COMP, please don't just say because they have a nice campus. Dig deep and pick something else, something more substantial about the school.

anyone who says they are going to COMP b/c the campus looks nice is either

1) lying through their teeth
2) legally blind.

 

[Jolie South]

not be an arse, but . . .

i think the reason most doctors spend less time with patients is due to declining insurance reimbursements. to continue at the same rate or make a greater salary, it seems that many are forced to decrease visit time and see more patients.

i think it has little to do with the HMOs having too many members.

as for why you picked a school, having a nice campus and good match list are great, but i would say reasons that would affect you more concretely as a student. i.e. PBL vs. traditional lecture, interesting elective courses, research opportunities, etc.

 

[RySerr21]

I just want to ask what others have said to this question, PM me if you might not want the whole public to see, but I would REALLY appreciate it. I have "bombed" 3 interviews so far and I have only 1 left, being COMP, and I'm quite fearful of yet another interview. It could very well be other parts of my application, but I'm not inclined to think that it's my poor interviewing answers. I have interviewed with friends, none that are going the medical route, so they may not know what an appropriate answer would be. I'm just looking for acceptable answers since it seems as though I'm incapable (self-esteem has been ran over from the 3 rejections). Also my GPA and MCAT are well above the average and I'm coming from a top university.

Why DO?
Why xxxx school?
What problems face the medical community now and how would you solve it?
Why do you want to become a doctor?

I have looked up why I would like to become a DO and I've said because it has an array of extra tools to help diagnose and aid as a preventative measure that M.D.'s cannot perform.
For the school I would say the campus looked nice or their residency matching was great.
For the medical problem I said how HMOs are over run with too many people thus people not getting the appropriate time per doctor visit. I'm not sure what else would be a good problem to bring up.
And for why I want to be a doctor, I said it's fascinating to learn about the body seeing how all the new technology incorporates a lot of medical issues.

I have done research, but I just believe I need some help to get over this hump thats incessantly plaguing my interviews.
Any help would be MOST appreciated as I only have 1 last chance.

maybe go deeper than this? it doesn't really have an array of extra tools...it just has one, OMM. on top of that, most DOs don't use OMM to help diagnose their patients.

if thats what you have decided that YOU want to do, then that would be nice to say b/c its personalized to you and you might wnat to be one of the few DOs that uses OMM all the time. is that what you want to do? if you want to become a psychiatrist, it would be hard to convicine someone you are excited to use OMM in your future pracice.

i know for me, I am interested in learning OMM b/c i feel it will be helpful for my future practice b/c I am planning on going in to something like sports medicine or PM&R.

one of the few schools I am excited about going to right now DMU. on of their campus being pretty (so ive heard) there are many things they offer that id like to take advantege of. one is their global health program. i've been in contact w/ them at DMU and they made their international health program sound like something i wanted to be a part of. since one of my goals is to go to south africa, I have become mor eintersted in DMU. i'm also intersted in their physician recruitment program, which says that if you practice for 4 years in a town in Iowa w/ less than 10,000 peopel, they will pay for up to 100K of your educational expenses. that is something i'm interested in doing.

see the difference between that and the campus is nice?

 

[ellinopedo182]

anyone who says they are going to COMP b/c the campus looks nice is either

1) lying through their teeth
2) legally blind.

****, thats why i have been bumping into things lately. i must be blind!

 

[Dakayus]

Sorry for the misunderstanding, yes I do know the COMP isn't the best looking school as indicated by numerous people on the COMP discussion thread. I know the doctors play the number game equating better status for a larger quota of patients seen per hour/day/shift.
Also I need to say COMP is my number 1 choice hands down. Initially I wanted to move my interview to be first, but seeing as how I performed bad at the other schools, I'm glad that I have experience on my shoulder to guide me. That being said, I also need corrective information to aid me since I know my questions are most likely insufficient/ethically/morally wrong.
All things aside, any suggestions as to answer those above would be GREATLY appreciated.

Btw ryserr21 yes now I see the difference. It's just the digging that gets me lost. Not lost in the sense of tons of information, but lack of (generalization).

 

[DrMidlife]

I used med school faculty members for mock interviews. If you don't have access to such, at least find an authority figure, a professor, a doctor, what have you. It needs to be somebody who has the backbone to give you the negative feedback you need, if you need to improve. Your friends aren't going to tell you anything harsh that you need to hear to interview better, even if they can correctly identify what needs to improve without having worked/hired/fired in industry. Get dressed up in your suit, do it for real, and videotape it if you can.

You're up against other candidates who read the NYTimes health section every day, who worked through the ethics case studies on the U of Washington site, who maybe took classes in medical history/ethics, and who read books about health policy and the history of (the lack of) socialized medicine in the United States. When you shadowed, or volunteered, or otherwise got exposed to clinical care, what did you see? Why do unfortunate outcomes occur, what do patients experience, what does it cost? Why are patients/midlevels/physicians/administrators unhappy? You're up against candidates who think about these things all the time. People who have done a lot of homework can talk spontaneously for HOURS about health care, and aren't looking for "the answer" to a question about medical policy.

I doubt you have time to regroup before your next interview, but maybe this info will be useful if you have to try again next year. I hope you don't.

 

[Bonsante]

I used med school faculty members for mock interviews. If you don't have access to such, at least find an authority figure, a professor, a doctor, what have you. It needs to be somebody who has the backbone to give you the negative feedback you need, if you need to improve. Your friends aren't going to tell you anything harsh that you need to hear to interview better, even if they can correctly identify what needs to improve without having worked/hired/fired in industry. Get dressed up in your suit, do it for real, and videotape it if you can.

You're up against other candidates who read the NYTimes health section every day, who worked through the ethics case studies on the U of Washington site, who maybe took classes in medical history/ethics, and who read books about health policy and the history of (the lack of) socialized medicine in the United States. When you shadowed, or volunteered, or otherwise got exposed to clinical care, what did you see? Why do unfortunate outcomes occur, what do patients experience, what does it cost? Why are patients/midlevels/physicians/administrators unhappy? You're up against candidates who think about these things all the time. People who have done a lot of homework can talk spontaneously for HOURS about health care, and aren't looking for "the answer" to a question about medical policy.

I doubt you have time to regroup before your next interview, but maybe this info will be useful if you have to try again next year. I hope you don't.

I concur. I am not trying to boast myself, but I am definitely qualified in several of those categories you mentioned. My homepage is the NY Times so I spend a fairly good amount of time reading the news. I also took several Sociology classes that are related to health and illness, welfare policies, ethics, and death and dying plus a good share amount of science courses. Cliche as it sounds, the best thing to do at interviews is to talk from the heart and be conversational. You are already qualified academically if they asked you for an interview, and now it's your time to show them how your values and experiences fit the school.

I am also in a similar situation as you. I interviewed at three schools so far. Rejected from one, but I can't really blame myself for that one. The way the 45 min interview structured at TUCOM-CA was too impersonal and consisted of 5 interviewees with three interviewers, and one interviewer had to leave in the middle of the interview to do something. In that interview, I literally had only about 6-8 minutes to talk. For my second interview, I got on the alternative list at LECOM-Bradenton. Recently, I just interviewed at SOMA, and I am currently waiting for good news from it. I still have three more interviews coming up, and I plan to be myself and speak my heart out in each of those. If things don't work out, I know I have done my best, and I will try again next year. It really is not the end of the world, nor I am in a rush to get into a medical school. There are so many things to learn and explore.

 

[DragonWell]

Huge test tomorrow, so I can't say too much now, but I would recommend you check out some of the tips on Malo's blog, here - especially the part about "Holistic BS"...I can't tell you how many people I've talked to whose answers for "why DO" sound just like this list...

"I applied allo for the last 3 cycles without success, but what really attracts me to osteopathic medicine now is the holistic approach...

"

I'm not saying this is your situation, but just beware, this is a bad way to go. Maybe if they're Phd's they will buy the holistic spiel, but a lot of interviewers know what's up and will expect a better answer for "why DO?" than something found on a website. Personally, I'd hope anybody applying would have at least paged through "The DOs" or something to have some kind of perspective on osteopathic medicine as a profession...

 

[Amy B]

At the time of my interviews... I said one of the biggest problems facing medical professionals as well as teh general public is the rapidly decreasing antibiotic supply due to drug resistent strains of most of the bugs out there today.

 

[Dakayus]

I used med school faculty members for mock interviews. If you don't have access to such, at least find an authority figure, a professor, a doctor, what have you. It needs to be somebody who has the backbone to give you the negative feedback you need, if you need to improve. Your friends aren't going to tell you anything harsh that you need to hear to interview better, even if they can correctly identify what needs to improve without having worked/hired/fired in industry. Get dressed up in your suit, do it for real, and videotape it if you can.

You're up against other candidates who read the NYTimes health section every day, who worked through the ethics case studies on the U of Washington site, who maybe took classes in medical history/ethics, and who read books about health policy and the history of (the lack of) socialized medicine in the United States. When you shadowed, or volunteered, or otherwise got exposed to clinical care, what did you see? Why do unfortunate outcomes occur, what do patients experience, what does it cost? Why are patients/midlevels/physicians/administrators unhappy? You're up against candidates who think about these things all the time. People who have done a lot of homework can talk spontaneously for HOURS about health care, and aren't looking for "the answer" to a question about medical policy.

I doubt you have time to regroup before your next interview, but maybe this info will be useful if you have to try again next year. I hope you don't.

I appreciate your honest opinion, but I shall never the less try my best to ascertain my spot. Although I haven't taken sociology classes or ethics classes, I'll try to get an rough grasp of the main concepts and such that'll hopefully help.

 

[oopnoyoo]

And for why I want to be a doctor, I said it's fascinating to learn about the body seeing how all the new technology incorporates a lot of medical issues.

[LACK OF SUGAR COATING WARNING]

I'd say that's your biggest problem right there. You could easily apply that statement when interviewing to become a lab technician, scientist, secretary at a hospital, or even a medical columnist for the local newspaper.

I'm going to give it to you straight...

You need to stop reading SDN, look in the mirror, and ask yourself why you are committing yourself to a life of hard work to become a physician (sounds cheesy, I know). If you cannot come up with those answers yourself, then your life will be HELL for the next couple of years, or maybe even the rest of your life as a physician. Forget about searching for "the one right answer" (and there isn't one), you need to look for YOUR answer. This isn't some simple decision about what clothes you're going to wear for the day; your career as a physician will affect peoples LIVES. For the sake of your patients, make sure you are making the right decision, and dig deep!!

And the interview is designed so that the school can find out more about YOU, not about other peoples' opinions and beliefs that you read on the internet. They are trying to see if YOU would be a good medical student, and to see if YOU would eventually become a good physician. As future doctors, we need to be independent and be able to make tough decisions on a daily basis. In the future are you going to ask people on SDN what treatments you should be giving your patients? I hope not.

No offense, but if those answers are what truly makes up your decision to become a physician, then I think the interview process has done its job.

It just sounds like you haven't had enough clinical experience, so if you don't get in this year, get out there and get your feet wet. Immerse yourself in the field and really find out if you want to become a physician. Are you sure you don't want to do research? You could be happier not having to worry about that 2nd mortgage (student loans).

[/LACK OF SUGAR COATING WARNING]

On the upside, I have heard that COMP's acceptance rate for those invited to interview is 90%. But for the sake of your patients, DO NOT become a physician for the wrong reasons.

*I'm only a dumb pre-med so take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[oopnoyoo]

Also, be careful when you make any DO vs. MD comment, because an MD could be interviewing you. And again, make it personal. All your responses are very general and you do not stick out. Remember, you among the best applicants, what makes you better?

 

[PistolPete]

This is how a typical interview goes:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TROhlThs9qY[/YOUTUBE]

Glengarry Glen Ross is a freaking awesome movie.

 

[t-funk]

Why DO?
Why xxxx school?
What problems face the medical community now and how would you solve it?
Why do you want to become a doctor?

I have looked up why I would like to become a DO and I've said because it has an array of extra tools to help diagnose and aid as a preventative measure that M.D.'s cannot perform.
For the school I would say the campus looked nice or their residency matching was great.
For the medical problem I said how HMOs are over run with too many people thus people not getting the appropriate time per doctor visit. I'm not sure what else would be a good problem to bring up.
And for why I want to be a doctor, I said it's fascinating to learn about the body seeing how all the new technology incorporates a lot of medical issues.

There is no perfect or right answer for any of these questions. Personally, I think you need to sit down and really ask yourself what YOUR answers are for these questions. Why do you want to be a doctor? The human body being fascinating or cool technology isn't going to get you by day to day when you're working full time. Is there anything about medicine that sparks a passion in you that you can work off of?

Although everyone can have different answers, I spoke about overmedication/people wanting a pill for everything and problems with insurance companies taking autonomy away from the physician and impacting his/her decision making abilities etc. I know other people like to talk about the obesity and diabetes stuff. What's important to you? What experiences have you had that makes it improtant?

What is the reason why you are applying to COMP? Location? Proximity to a big city? You want a residency in CA? Same thing goes for why DO? If it is just bc you couldn't get into an MD school, the adcoms will see through it in a second. You need to really do some soul searching and come up with real, truthful, well thought out answers for these questions. No one on SDN can do that for you and don't just try to please the adcoms; be real. Just my opinion.

 

[DredPiratRobrts]

Tex, this was the guy who interviewed right after me at an unnamed school:

[YOUTUBE]snW3cM1KipQ[/YOUTUBE]

 

[justletmeinplz]

I'm probably not the one to be giving advice as I've only had 1 interview and I've yet to be accepted, but I'll give it a shot anyways. I'm not convinced that the interviewers are as concerned with the answer you give as they are with how you give it. If your answers sound researched and rehearsed, they'll pick up on that. Just have a few ideas as to what you might say in response to a question and go from there. Being relaxed and being yourself will make a much greater impression on them than giving textbook answers.

And always remember, you would like to practice medicine in the state in which you are interviewing. You have an interest in Family Practice, but aren't sure quite what field you see yourself in in 5 years. You need to go through rotations to determine that. If you're interviewing MD, sure you'd consider academic medicine. 😉 At a DO school, you like the patient first attitude of many DOs and their ability to treat the whole patient. You see OMM as another tool to help you treat patients to the best of your ability. I think it's ok to be vague, just as long as you don't sound disinterested. For instance, I wouldn't tell a D.O. adcom that you really want to be a plastic surgeon. I'd instead tell them that I have in interest in several fields, including family practice as it allows you to treat a wide variety of patients and conditions which is interesting. It is also often the first place people turn when they are sick, thus you are kind of like a fist line of defense... yada yada yada. Then go on and talk about your other fields of interest, such as plastic surgery, but don't leave out family practice at a D.O. school. Trust me. On the other hand saying "I'm not sure what I want to do yet" probably isn't going to work out well either. I could be wrong though... just something to think about.

What problems face the medical community? Sick patients. How would I solve them? Treat the sick patients presented to me. Or you could go off on a tirade about Hillary Clinton and lawyers ruining healthcare, but I wouldn't. I really doubt the interviewers care to hear your brilliant plan to save the medical community from it's imminent demise.

Why be a doctor? I feel if you are able and willing, then being a doctor is your best opportunity to serve society. Since not everyone is able and willing and you are, you have an obligation to society to do so. It's interesting. It's rewarding.

And I joked with my interviewers. Gonna have to feel that one out, but if they seem easy going then you should be too. If the interviewers present a light and conversational mood, then by all means take it. I started by telling my interviewers they were making me late for lunch, which they were. They got a kick out of that. By the end of the interview the guy was joking with me saying the only thing they have against me is that I went to UF and they all went to FSU. Then they all laughed. I thought we were all just having a good time, but maybe that's why my letter hasn't come yet....

 

[spazzz]

anyone who says they are going to COMP b/c the campus looks nice is either

1) lying through their teeth
2) legally blind.

people think it's so bad, have you seen the west coast Touro's? I think COMP is actually pretty charming.

As far as your questions/answers. I find a lot of your answers pretty cookie cutter. MAKE IT PERSONAL! They ask me why DO? Everyone says OMM, my pediatrician was a DO! I work with 4 DO's! I see the difference. Etc. As far as issues facing healthcare? pick something you have experience with. I say for-profit hospitals. Or say the uninsured, as I've been unisured for going on 3 years now. ..again, make your answers PERSONAL. That's why they want you there, to learn about you

 

[EEL08]

I'm probably not the one to be giving advice as I've only had 1 interview and I've yet to be accepted, but I'll give it a shot anyways. I'm not convinced that the interviewers are as concerned with the answer you give as they are with how you give it. If your answers sound researched and rehearsed, they'll pick up on that. Just have a few ideas as to what you might say in response to a question and go from there. Being relaxed and being yourself will make a much greater impression on them than giving textbook answers.

And always remember, you would like to practice medicine in the state in which you are interviewing. You have an interest in Family Practice, but aren't sure quite what field you see yourself in in 5 years. You need to go through rotations to determine that. If you're interviewing MD, sure you'd consider academic medicine. 😉 At a DO school, you like the patient first attitude of many DOs and their ability to treat the whole patient. You see OMM as another tool to help you treat patients to the best of your ability. I think it's ok to be vague, just as long as you don't sound disinterested. For instance, I wouldn't tell a D.O. adcom that you really want to be a plastic surgeon. I'd instead tell them that I have in interest in several fields, including family practice as it allows you to treat a wide variety of patients and conditions which is interesting. It is also often the first place people turn when they are sick, thus you are kind of like a fist line of defense... yada yada yada. Then go on and talk about your other fields of interest, such as plastic surgery, but don't leave out family practice at a D.O. school. Trust me. On the other hand saying "I'm not sure what I want to do yet" probably isn't going to work out well either. I could be wrong though... just something to think about.

What problems face the medical community? Sick patients. How would I solve them? Treat the sick patients presented to me. Or you could go off on a tirade about Hillary Clinton and lawyers ruining healthcare, but I wouldn't. I really doubt the interviewers care to hear your brilliant plan to save the medical community from it's imminent demise.

Why be a doctor? I feel if you are able and willing, then being a doctor is your best opportunity to serve society. Since not everyone is able and willing and you are, you have an obligation to society to do so. It's interesting. It's rewarding.

And I joked with my interviewers. Gonna have to feel that one out, but if they seem easy going then you should be too. If the interviewers present a light and conversational mood, then by all means take it. I started by telling my interviewers they were making me late for lunch, which they were. They got a kick out of that. By the end of the interview the guy was joking with me saying the only thing they have against me is that I went to UF and they all went to FSU. Then they all laughed. I thought we were all just having a good time, but maybe that's why my letter hasn't come yet....

Are you joking about some of this? 😕

 

[ShyRem]

Hm. My answers were TOTALLY different, but very very personal. And extremely honest.

To me, that was key. honesty. Turns out one of my LORs said something about how I was a person of "unusual candor". Had I investigated/made up a reason that wasn't blatantly honest, it would have showed up as a huge red flag.

Be true to yourself. Don't look for answers that everyone else gives. Look inside yourself and answer honestly WHY to those questions. You don't have to know all the answers. It's ok to say "I haven't thought about it that way" if they come back with a viewpoint you hadn't considered before. And for heavens sakes, RELAX.

 

[justletmeinplz]

Are you joking about some of this? 😕

Nope. Not really.

Oh. Haha. Well, the last line is kinda a joke. I don't really think that's why I haven't heard back yet.

 

[EEL08]

And always remember, you would like to practice medicine in the state in which you are interviewing. You have an interest in Family Practice, but aren't sure quite what field you see yourself in in 5 years. You need to go through rotations to determine that. If you're interviewing MD, sure you'd consider academic medicine. 😉 At a DO school, you like the patient first attitude of many DOs and their ability to treat the whole patient. I think it's ok to be vague, just as long as you don't sound disinterested. On the other hand saying "I'm not sure what I want to do yet" probably isn't going to work out well either. I could be wrong though... just something to think about.

What problems face the medical community? Sick patients. How would I solve them? Treat the sick patients presented to me. Or you could go off on a tirade about Hillary Clinton and lawyers ruining healthcare, but I wouldn't. I really doubt the interviewers care to hear your brilliant plan to save the medical community from it's imminent demise.

Why be a doctor? I feel if you are able and willing, then being a doctor is your best opportunity to serve society. Since not everyone is able and willing and you are, you have an obligation to society to do so. It's interesting. It's rewarding.

Okay this is what I have a problem with. You're essentially telling the OP, and everyone else, to tell the interviewers what you think they want to hear. If you don't want to practice in the state in which you're interviewing, don't say that. If you're not interested in Family Medicine, don't say you are. There are more diplomatic ways of addressing these questions without straightout lying. DOs are not the only doctors who treat the "whole person" and using that reason is going to sound like a canned response. This could also get you in trouble if you say this if you're interviewing with an MD.

If you are asked to talk about a problem that faces the medical community and you said "sick patients" I could only imagine you getting stares of disbelief or laughed out of the room. I don't think being a doctor is above all other helping professions. To say that it's the best opportunity to serve society is, I believe, somewhat arrogant and disregarding of all the other areas of work which serve society. There are many reasons to be a doctor and they should be personal rather than what you think people want to hear. By the way, when I say you, I mean people in general. I just thought this response was almost a what not to say during interviews. That's just my personal opinion though.

 

[DancerDoc777]

Amen sistah!

Okay this is what I have a problem with. You're essentially telling the OP, and everyone else, to tell the interviewers what you think they want to hear. If you don't want to practice in the state in which you're interviewing, don't say that. If you're not interested in Family Medicine, don't say you are. There are more diplomatic ways of addressing these questions without straightout lying. DOs are not the only doctors who treat the "whole person" and using that reason is going to sound like a canned response. This could also get you in trouble if you say this if you're interviewing with an MD.

If you are asked to talk about a problem that faces the medical community and you said "sick patients" I could only imagine you getting stares of disbelief or laughed out of the room. I don't think being a doctor is above all other helping professions. To say that it's the best opportunity to serve society is, I believe, somewhat arrogant and disregarding of all the other areas of work which serve society. There are many reasons to be a doctor and they should be personal rather than what you think people want to hear. By the way, when I say you, I mean people in general. I just thought this response was almost a what not to say during interviews. That's just my personal opinion though.

 

[justletmeinplz]

Okay this is what I have a problem with. You're essentially telling the OP, and everyone else, to tell the interviewers what you think they want to hear. If you don't want to practice in the state in which you're interviewing, don't say that. If you're not interested in Family Medicine, don't say you are. There are more diplomatic ways of addressing these questions without straightout lying. DOs are not the only doctors who treat the "whole person" and using that reason is going to sound like a canned response. This could also get you in trouble if you say this if you're interviewing with an MD.

If you are asked to talk about a problem that faces the medical community and you said "sick patients" I could only imagine you getting stares of disbelief or laughed out of the room. I don't think being a doctor is above all other helping professions. To say that it's the best opportunity to serve society is, I believe, somewhat arrogant and disregarding of all the other areas of work which serve society. There are many reasons to be a doctor and they should be personal rather than what you think people want to hear. By the way, when I say you, I mean people in general. I just thought this response was almost a what not to say during interviews. That's just my personal opinion though.

Ok, you missed the point a few times here, but I can see how I made that easy. Not very well written as I'm not tired enough to go to bed, but too tired to really care. Haha. And I'm bored.

About being a doctor. Maybe saying you are able and have the desire to be a physician would be better than able and willing. In that case, you are serving in the best way possible for YOU. That's not making an argument for medicine being the greatest profession ever, it's simply stating that for some people it's their best avenue for aiding society. It's what they want to do and let's face it, not everyone is cut out to do it. Those that want to and can, should.

About the "whole person" thing, it might be a little cliche, but DOs like to hear about what they do well, and that's one of them. In my experience DOs seem to be more interested in the well being of the entire patient both physically and emotionally, regardless of specialty. So it's not a lie and it's not offensive to anyone. In my experience, it's true.

Practicing in the state in which you were interviewing was kind of a joke, but seriously, if they ask, don't rule it out. You've "considered it."

About telling them what they want to hear. Yeah, that's pretty solid advice. Lie? Wouldn't go so far as to say "I plan on practicing family practice right here in Florida for the rest of my life," but by the same token I wouldn't rule it out. Insulting an interviewer by saying "I'm not really interested in internal medicine, I'd like to do something more interesting like neurosurgery" is probably a bad idea. My justification for not strongly showing preference for one specialty is that many DO schools are looking to serve underserved and rural areas. If that's not your goal, might not be a good idea to bring it up. If pressed though, I'd quickly find a way to broaden my interests.

In regards to problems facing medicine....tell me how you would answer that. Seriously, why would they be concerned with how you would "fix" medicine. They're a medical school. They train physicians. Many of the problems facing medicine are political. I'm not a politician. If you want to talk about specific medical problems, such as AIDS or cancer, then I guess you could interpret the question like that and go from there. I think in one of my essays I addressed obesity as a major health concern that could pose a problem to the medical community. Anyways, the point is, going off on a big tangent involving politics and insurance and prescription drugs is probably a bad idea.


And like I said, maybe I'm wrong about all of this. I don't know. I was told my interview went "very well." Maybe they were just trying to get me to shut up and leave...I dunno. Each interview situation is unique. Hard to say what would work best really. Just be yourself is all that really matters. It's what they're looking for. Who you are is what matters. Not your answers to their standard questions.

 

[EEL08]

Ok, you missed the point a few times here, but I can see how I made that easy. Not very well written as I'm not tired enough to go to bed, but too tired to really care. Haha. And I'm bored.

About being a doctor. Maybe saying you are able and have the desire to be a physician would be better than able and willing. In that case, you are serving in the best way possible for YOU. That's not making an argument for medicine being the greatest profession ever, it's simply stating that for some people it's their best avenue for aiding society. It's what they want to do and let's face it, not everyone is cut out to do it. Those that want to and can, should.

You're right I could have missed the point, but I was just reacting to what you said/how it was written. I do agree that it would be the best way for someone to serve people if that is what interests them. The way you've written it here, I agree with you.

About the "whole person" thing, it might be a little cliche, but DOs like to hear about what they do well, and that's one of them. In my experience DOs seem to be more interested in the well being of the entire patient both physically and emotionally, regardless of specialty. So it's not a lie and it's not offensive to anyone. In my experience, it's true.

I still disagree with you on this point. Saying that this is what DOs like to hear is telling interviewees to answer according to what the interviewers want to hear. Again, what if you're interviewing with an MD who asks that. I have a friend who is an MD and I can guarantee she would be offended if someone suggested she doesn't treat the whole person as well as a DO. This may be true in your experience, as it was in my husband's, but it's important not to make broad generalizations. My son's first pediatrician was a DO and she was horrible. It's hard to believe she ever even heard the term "whole person" much less learned about it in school. We had to go back to her office the day after my son had his shots and she didn't even remember us less than 24 hours later. So this one experience of mine is completely different than yours.

Practicing in the state in which you were interviewing was kind of a joke, but seriously, if they ask, don't rule it out. You've "considered it."

About telling them what they want to hear. Yeah, that's pretty solid advice. Lie? Wouldn't go so far as to say "I plan on practicing family practice right here in Florida for the rest of my life," but by the same token I wouldn't rule it out. Insulting an interviewer by saying "I'm not really interested in internal medicine, I'd like to do something more interesting like neurosurgery" is probably a bad idea. My justification for not strongly showing preference for one specialty is that many DO schools are looking to serve underserved and rural areas. If that's not your goal, might not be a good idea to bring it up. If pressed though, I'd quickly find a way to broaden my interests.

I also don't think a person should rule out living in a particular state or choosing a particular specialty. What you're referring to is the diplomatic way to answer which I referred to in my earlier post. I strongly disagree that telling someone what they want to hear is solid advice, with the exception of a woman asking "do these pants make my butt look fat?" or any reasonable facsimile thereof. I agree that you shouldn't focus on what you don't want to do but don't say you're interested in something if you're not. I'm open to a lot of specialties but I am most interested in OB/GYN and EM so when I interviewed at DCOM, that's what I said. If asked at AZCOM I will answer the same way. I will express my openness to all specialty areas but I won't say I want to do family medicine, etc. because some may consider it the key phrase to gain admission to a DO school.

In regards to problems facing medicine....tell me how you would answer that. Seriously, why would they be concerned with how you would "fix" medicine. They're a medical school. They train physicians. Many of the problems facing medicine are political. I'm not a politician. If you want to talk about specific medical problems, such as AIDS or cancer, then I guess you could interpret the question like that and go from there. I think in one of my essays I addressed obesity as a major health concern that could pose a problem to the medical community. Anyways, the point is, going off on a big tangent involving politics and insurance and prescription drugs is probably a bad idea.

I also agree that going off on a tangent really about any topic is probably not a great idea. There are so many more problems facing healthcare than sick people. I mean sick people is what makes healthcare possible so without them there wouldn't even be med school interviews to use that answer for.
One of the most obvious problems is the fact that 40+ million individuals are uninsured. Even for those who do have some form of insurance, access may be limited due to a number of constraints. Someone mentioned earlier (maybe t-funk) problems in regards to insurance companies dictating to doctors what they can and can't do when they may not be (probably aren't) as well informed as they should be. Also just to clarify, I'm not suggesting you had a bad interview. I wish you the best and hope you get in. I'm just putting this out there for people who have yet to interview so they have more opinions on which to base how they approach any questions they might be asked.

 

[madcye]

I concur with what EEL08 said. I don't recommend just trying to say whatever they want to hear.

I just interviewed with COMP about 2 weeks ago and was accepted a week later. For me what I think enabled me to succeed was that I have thought over why I want to become a doctor for a very long time. I'd say practically ever since I first thought of becoming doctor I thought about why I want to become one. What really helped me was doing research about medicine and society (reading articles and books), then reflecting on what you've learned about the subject and discussing that with others.

I know there is a sense of urgency to get in but on the other hand if you can't answer these question successfully then maybe you should like others have said dig deep within yourself and formulate some thoughts and methods to improve your candidacy . If you dont get in this year, take that as an opportunity to reevaluate if this is the right path for you and if it is the right path then take some of this advice on this board as a resource to focus your efforts for the next cycle. Hopefully, this helps and if you want some of the books I've read pm me. GL 👍

 

[spazzz]

Okay this is what I have a problem with. You're essentially telling the OP, and everyone else, to tell the interviewers what you think they want to hear. If you don't want to practice in the state in which you're interviewing, don't say that. If you're not interested in Family Medicine, don't say you are. There are more diplomatic ways of addressing these questions without straightout lying. DOs are not the only doctors who treat the "whole person" and using that reason is going to sound like a canned response. This could also get you in trouble if you say this if you're interviewing with an MD.

If you are asked to talk about a problem that faces the medical community and you said "sick patients" I could only imagine you getting stares of disbelief or laughed out of the room. I don't think being a doctor is above all other helping professions. To say that it's the best opportunity to serve society is, I believe, somewhat arrogant and disregarding of all the other areas of work which serve society. There are many reasons to be a doctor and they should be personal rather than what you think people want to hear. By the way, when I say you, I mean people in general. I just thought this response was almost a what not to say during interviews. That's just my personal opinion though.

amazingly eloquent. you should be able to kill the AZCOM interview!

 

[Orthodoc40]

While interviewing you guys it is SO easy to tell when someone is saying what we think they want to hear. It is not hideable, guys, so don't bother!
Interviewing over 1,000 people in a few months - it's pretty tough to get genuine responses out of people. Everyone thinks they're goal is to say what the school wants to hear. Well, yah - but not in a practiced, planned way.

We want to hear something from YOU. Something that YOU think about it. Something that YOU'VE considered. It shouldn't be that hard for you to consider to yourself while you're making that plane flight halfway across the country, "Why DO I want to go to this school?", "Why would it be a good fit for me?" "Why would I be a good fit for them?" You want to have an idea of how the two of you would work well together.

Practiced speeches and statements put interviewers to sleep faster than you can finish speaking them. Be honest. There's no RIGHT ANSWER. It's not a multiple choice exam!

 

[spazzz]

while saying "sick patients" may be the most tangible aspect in the problems that face healthcare, it sounds like such a ill thought answer. It's almost as bad as saying "I want to help people." Becoming a doctor is much more than this noble vocation, it's a career, first and foremost for myself. I actually have only been asked "Problems with healthcare" once in the 7 interviews I have been on, I was asked 2 weeks ago at AZCOM. Personally, I don't like to mention the plight of the uninsured as it's such a broad and complex issue, but instead of the usual "For Profit Hospitals are ruining the Healthcare industry" I chose to talk about the uninsured. If you read enough about it, you'll be able to speak at length about it, the people interviewing you aren't stupid, they most likely deal with these situations everyday and see the flaws in the system...No one is expecting you to provide a solution, they just want to hear your thoughts on a issue that will affect the way you practice medicine, most likely within the next election....

 

[ShyRem]

Interesting Orthodoc40. When I was asked "why DO" or "why *this* school", I responded with how I chose schools to apply to. I have a family, children, a husband. I flat out said I pulled out the map and we crossed off all the states we didn't want to live in. Then we looked at all the schools and crossed off the ones that weren't in places my kids would be safe in. Then we looked at schools, job prospects for him, the area for arts, culture, etc. and pared the list down to 7 DO and 7 MD schools that fit the bill. As for Why DO, I had been in the medical field for over 10 years. I'd worked with DOs, MDs, whatever, and quite frankly had no clue what the difference was. I knew which docs were good ones, and which ones I wouldn't trust my dog to. And it had nothing to do with the letters behind their name. The letters don't make the physician, the person does. And I was looking for a school to help me get there. I wanted to be a physician, and I needed to make sure my family would be ok wherever I might get that done.

Not a single place I interviewed had a problem with that answer (but it inevitably brought up new questions about how receptive I would be to OMM - not a problem there either). In fact, they seemed... relieved by the honesty. And I never got a rejection letter after an interview. Waitlisted - yes. Rejected - no.

 

[justletmeinplz]

I was the one advocating NOT giving cookie cutter responses that sound rehearsed and researched. I also said it's most important to be yourself and relax. So when I said tell them what they want to hear, maybe I meant "Whatever you do, don't tell them what they DON'T want to hear." There's nothing wrong with being aware of the things they're looking for and failing to mention things that are clearly not what they're looking for.

Everyone thinks they're goal is to say what the school wants to hear. Well, yah - but not in a practiced, planned way.

So, pretty much tell them what they want to hear in your own words. No one seems to have a problem with the way it was stated there, so I'll go with that.

 

[Orthodoc40]

Shyrem says it better than I do.
Basically, while your answer might sound great to you, if it is rehearsed, we've probably heard it a bunch of times from a few hundred other applicants. So you're better off saying what you mean, because you've actually thought about it for yourself, rather than thinking you picked the right answer off a multiple choice exam.

 

[Mallory Weiss]

Actually, they aren't looking for the "right" answer. They are looking for someone who has thought hard about becoming a physician, knows that there isn't a huge difference between MDs and DOs, and isn't a weirdo.

A faculty member at my school once told me that she could tell when a student was quoting off the AOA website, and it annoyed her.

So why is it that you applied to DO schools, Dakayus? What do you think a DO does differently? Why did you apply to each school? Do you know any problems that face the medical community? And why on earth would you put yourself through the hell of medical school in order to get paid less than your equally-well-educated peers?

PM me your answers and I will help you out.

 

[umean2tellme]

Well I have my first interview on Monday (and only one) and this is how i have been thinking about what questions will they ask me specifically that I have to have an idea of what to say. NOt just the why DO or why NOVA but a few others

1. why the poor science gpa ( around 3.0)
2. Why major in anthropology
3. why didnt I shadow a DO
4. becoming an lpn in high school
5. Might ask about specific classes I took that were different (folk/alternative medicine, introduction to third world feminisms (only man in the class lol), museum internship).

I think you should just look at your application and your whole body of work and just see what makes you different, both good and bad, and be prepared to talk about it.

the only thing I do worry about is if they see that I'm a nurse and ask me questions about HMO's and health insurance cuz I dont know a thing about them. But like any conversation as long as you keep talking and make some sense that's all that matters. A stupid answer is better than a blank stare imo 😱

 

[spazzz]

i have yet to be asked about any classwork that's "interesting". I almost wish for those giveaway questions. I really want the "what do you do for fun" but alas, my interviews are now over

 

[Beau Geste]

There are typical good answers to typical questions, e.g. why do, why medicine, etc. The trick is to not deliver a canned response, but to own it and make it personal.

Then on the more personal questions, the trick is to be succinct, sincere, and not talk too much.

 

[doinmybest5840]

When I went on interviews I took several notecards with me with answers to review prior to meeting with the interviewers. The questions I always took with me were for "Why DO?" and "Why this school?" I also took a card with questions I had to ask them. Whenever there was downtime during the day I'd glance over my answers just so I wouldn't blank in the interview. For questions regarding a particular school you need to do more than say you like their campus. I would suggest researching the school ahead of time and finding some concrete examples of what you like about the school (e.g. focus on a particular aspect of medicine, close to your home, something in the mission statement, some cool clinical rotation in the third or fourth years). Good luck.