What does an interview represent/mean?

[Flymm]

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People might see this as a joke thread, but I was curious to hear what people think an interview represents/means.

For example, have we passed through the hell that is our past (GPA/MCAT/EC/LOR) and all now that awaits us is our future (the interview)? Or, do our gpa/MCAT/EC/LOR still come back into play in the end and the interview is just really worth very little in ultimately determining our fate?

Does it mean that if you nail your interview you are getting an invite? Or, maybe it means that if you blow your interview you are getting rejected? Or maybe it means none of the above and you have your own take 😀

Just curious about people's thoughts, not trying to pick a fight or anything. Just trying to figure out what this thing I have been striving for so long to be invited to really is.

 

[etf]

the way i see it is that with so many qualified applicants, med schools are looking for anyway possible to reject you. in my case, it was for my shortcomings at the interview stage. hopefully i'll fare better in round 2...

 

[MassTransport]

If you get an interview, you can rest assured that adcoms consider you to be a competitive applicant for their school. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean they reviewed your whole application (UMich gives out automatic invites based on stats, for example). At some schools, once you get an invite, everybody's on equal ground, and at others, the interview is just a way to make sure you're not a psycho. I believe at most schools your whole application comes into play, and your interview is just one component of it.

 

[Law2Doc]

At some schools, once you get an invite, everybody's on equal ground, and at others, the interview is just a way to make sure you're not a psycho.

Agree with the former, but not the latter. At some schools they certainly consider everyone potentially admissible and so it constitutes the only game in town. At others they may revisit other factors of your application but it is still hugely important. Certainly the schools that give out interviews based solely on MCAT scores will be revisiting your application pretty substantially. But at no school is it merely used to rule out the psychos. At most schools the interview is one of the largest components in the adcoms decision once you get to that stage. (Which is why it's a mistake to look at med school admissions as mostly a numbers game -- that is just the initial cutoff -- it becomes very subjective thereafter). If you get an interview it is up to you to turn that into an acceptance. So plan on selling yourself and outshining the others also interviewing. If you come across as lukewarm, boring, unenthusiastic, arrogant, (even if you are clearly totally sane and normal), you will not likely be admitted. I know many very personable/affable people who blew away competition with somewhat better stats and gained admissions, and equally as many people with stellar stats who lost their edge once it got to this stage and ended up waitlisted everywhere. So take the interviews seriously and practice.

 

[sanchopanza]

Yeah. I think that, to an extent, you're correct that that "all that hell" is the past (in terms of your numbers). If you're given an interview, your numbers are good enough to get you in to that school. In other words, you're numbers won't keep you OUT of the school.

If you're granted an interview, it means that the school is making a serious commitment to get to know you as a person and to see if you'll make a great "fit" at their institution. I'd go with that mentality, and just be yourself. If you're a great fit there, it's in your best interest as well as the school's to figure that out in a sincere and personal way, right?