What Does Being Offered An Interview Say?

[beBrave]

I was previously worried about my schools Premed program (highly accredited but still not an Ivy league) despite being told by various med schools that It met the requirements for applying to there programs however one our recent graduates landed Eight interviews and got accepted to an Osteopathic school where he is now in attendance. This is a concept that is often overlooked however I believe that if you are being offered a significant number of interviews, then you have just as much of a chance of getting in as virtually any of the other candidates; at this point its all about how you sell yourself (everyone has explaining to do).

If a school does not think you are qualified, then they wouldn't offer you an interview so when you have students whom have gone on 8 - 10 interviews after applying to 25+ schools and not getting accepted by a single one, I strongly believe that it is likely that the applicant is clearly not prepared for these interviews or is possibly showing lack of maturity. What are your thoughts. If students are being offered numerous interviews but no acceptances, is something clearly wrong with their ability to interview (or rather the person themselves).

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[NontradCA]

I think interviews are overemphasized. I'm pretty sure they're just trying to make sure the candidate is not a robotic douche. You know, play well with others and can carry a basic conversation/is who they say they are.

 

[Like]

I'm sorry but isn't that obvious?

 

[NontradCA]

I'm sorry but isn't that obvious?

Also this.

 

[beBrave]

I'm sorry but isn't that obvious?

I don't think so. There are a lot of students that continue to apply round after round. There are also those with great GPA's and decent MCAT's that don't get accepted anywhere as well. I think many people believe that their grades will do the talking and an interview is just a basic meet and greet; clearly it isn't the case.

 

[cliquesh]

Interviews are mostly a formality. If you have good grades/mcat and you are normal you'll be accepted at most places you interview, assuming your stats are average or above average for said school.

The quality of your interview only matters when you are interviewing at places out of your league.

 

[bvo21]

Interviews are mostly a formality. If you have good grades/mcat and you are normal you'll be accepted at most places you interview, assuming your stats are average or above average for said school.

The quality of your interview only matters when you are interviewing at places out of your league.

So would you say a medical school interview is easier than a job interview?

 

[EmergDoc2B]

It says you dont suck on paper...

 

[beBrave]

I think a Job interview and Medical school interview are the same depending on how competitive the school you are applying to vs the competitive nature of a specific job (almost every job has some level of competitiveness these days just like every school). I definitely believe that a persons ability to sell themselves on any interview is what ultimately determines an offer from the company or school. Interviews are like Golden tickets however only you can decide what happens at the chocolate factory.

 

[R1MD]

I respectfully disagree that interviews are a formality. While I agree that getting one indicates you are acceptable "by the numbers", the interview adds the element of how you interact, establish rapport, and present yourself to others. The interview can make or break you. It's unlikely to override poor numbers, activities, etc. but I think it would be misleading to underestimate how it can differentiate two comparable applicants.

 

[DrEnderW]

How are interviews a formality when many, many schools reject 50% (or more) of the people they interview?

 

[Skeeks]

I respectfully disagree that interviews are a formality. While I agree that getting one indicates you are acceptable "by the numbers", the interview adds the element of how you interact, establish rapport, and present yourself to others. The interview can make or break you. It's unlikely to override poor numbers, activities, etc. but I think it would be misleading to underestimate how it can differentiate two comparable applicants.

Totally agree. Why else do you think med schools invite 500 people to interview with only 100 seats available. This is their way of selecting between people who are very similar on paper.

 

[beBrave]

Totally agree. Why else do you think med schools invite 500 people to interview with only 100 seats available. This is their way of selecting between people who are very similar on paper.

Exactly, they don't just invite people because they are curious.

 

[nwmedapplicant]

How are interviews a formality when many, many schools reject 50% (or more) of the people they interview?

Agree completely! There was a school I interviewed at that had two interview dates a month starting in October with 35 - 40 students at each interview. I read their last month (march) of interviews were for waitlist only! The class size is only 130 students. That's alot of rejections and waitlisting relative to the class size!

some schools seem to have small interview pools and therefore are more zoned into who they will most likely accept (pending the interviewee doesnt blow the interview).

 

[Goro]

We take admissions interviews very seriously. Getting an invite means that we think you are academically prepared for medical school, and you meet the minimum demands of the profession's humanistic side by your numerous ECs.

Concur with the thought below. There are several reasons why one can get no acceptances post interview:

• Late application (seats are all filled)
• Bad LOR (this is rare; I see one at the rate of 1/year, but it's enough to kill an application)
• IA in background We're talking cheating or plagiarism here, not necessarily the suspension for failing a semester. We take unethical behavior very seriously too.
• Recent felony or multiple misdeanors. Criminal behavior, especially against persons as opposed to property, will be enough to disqualify no matter how good your CV is. Multiple misdeanors, especially if they're recent, says you're either too immature or you don't learn from your mistakes (or don't care).
• Bombing the interview...this happens a lot. You have to have people skills. You need to be a good listener. You have to speak understandible English. You need to be calm in a stressful environment. You need to show that you know what you're getting into. You have to be mature. Don't make dumb-ass mistakes. And don't babble!
  • Aiming too high for your stats. If you have a 3.5 GPA and a 30 MCAT, you're NOT going to Harvard or UCSD, unless you have something unbelievably compelling in your packet. Being a surgical patient once, or Gramma dying from cancer doesn't make you compelling.
• Being borderline in pre-requisites. If you don't have that "oomph" to push you over the line, you stay behind the line.

If students are being offered numerous interviews but no acceptances, is something clearly wrong with their ability to interview (or rather the person themselves).[/QUOTE]

 

[beBrave]

We take admissions interviews very seriously. Getting an invite means that we think you are academically prepared for medical school, and you meet the minimum demands of the profession's humanistic side by your numerous ECs.

Concur with the thought below. There are several reasons why one can get no acceptances post interview:

• Late application (seats are all filled)
• Bad LOR (this is rare; I see one at the rate of 1/year, but it's enough to kill an application)
• IA in background We're talking cheating or plagiarism here, not necessarily the suspension for failing a semester. We take unethical behavior very seriously too.
• Recent felony or multiple misdeanors. Criminal behavior, especially against persons as opposed to property, will be enough to disqualify no matter how good your CV is. Multiple misdeanors, especially if they're recent, says you're either too immature or you don't learn from your mistakes (or don't care).
  [*]Bombing the interview...this happens a lot. You have to have people skills. You need to be a good listener. You have to speak understandible English. You need to be calm in a stressful environment. You need to show that you know what you're getting into. You have to be mature. Don't make dumb-ass mistakes. And don't babble!
  • Aiming too high for your stats. If you have a 3.5 GPA and a 30 MCAT, you're NOT going to Harvard or UCSD, unless you have something unbelievably compelling in your packet. Being a surgical patient once, or Gramma dying from cancer doesn't make you compelling.
• Being borderline in pre-requisites. If you don't have that "oomph" to push you over the line, you stay behind the line.

If students are being offered numerous interviews but no acceptances, is something clearly wrong with their ability to interview (or rather the person themselves).

I think many students focus so much entirely on the concept of actually getting accepted that they see point A as grades, MCAT score, Shadowing and point C as acceptance. They fail to realize that point B the interview stage is more than just a formality of point C and point A should be treated like point B because the interview begins as soon soon as you apply. This makes perfect sense though.

You often have kids coming out of college in other majors and they usually learn the importance of understanding how to interview through trial and error or preparation before graduation. Medical school students are just thinking grades, grades, grades, apply. After studying the interview process for a number of years, I've come to realize that companies and any organization will often take someone with less qualifications that fit the mold and culture than someone with higher qualifications who don't fit the culture. If you have a cocky immature know it all kid who cannot shut up while being interviewed because he knows everything (with a 3.8 GPA and 35 MCAT) and then you have a student with a 3.5 GPA and 33 MCAT, who shows maturity; the ability to listen, ask thoughtful questions and shows a common respect for the interviewers and the field of medicine, my money is on the student with the slightly lower grades.

 

[Mr Kenobi]

Seems that everyone is only considering a traditional interview. Remeber the MMI interview is out there as well and I think that the schools that use them strongly consider your performance during it.

For the schools that use them, the MMI interview seems to be an integral part of the entire application process--weighed heavily in the decision to accept/wait list/reject interviewees. Whereas the MCAT levels the playing field between applicants in the cognitive realm the MMI is meant to do the same with your non cognitive skills. So for these schools I'd assume that being offered an interview means that your other stats are at or above the minimum competitive level to be accepted or something stood out with your application that made you competitive. Once the MMI is over and a score is tallied, candidates are further analyzed and compared again as their file is now considered "complete" and ready for judgement.

This was the impression I received from the schools that utilized an MMI. Do not underestimate your interview if you are invited at one of these schools. Your performance can be a game changer.

 

[Mosonik]

There is no denying that the interview process can be highly subjective and sometimes (like receiving an invite to begin with) a crap shoot though just be thankful it isn't as much so as MD interviews which usually have well below a 50% interview to acceptance rate.

The good news is that if you play the admissions game right (and it is a game, there is no denying that) and as long as you have a shred of social ability, you can master the interview, it is an acquired art/skill and not out of your control to thrive in. You may get the short end of the stick from one particular school and interview but if you get the interview, take it seriously, study up on the school and your app, practice and you'll be golden.

And OP, please don't lose sleep over this. The admissions process is not a science, don't try to understand it 😉

 

[ToldYouSo]

Med Students VS​

Interviews are mostly a formality. If you have good grades/mcat and you are normal you'll be accepted at most places you interview, assuming your stats are average or above average for said school.

The quality of your interview only matters when you are interviewing at places out of your league.

Agree completely! There was a school I interviewed at that had two interview dates a month starting in October with 35 - 40 students at each interview. I read their last month (march) of interviews were for waitlist only! The class size is only 130 students. That's alot of rejections and waitlisting relative to the class size!

some schools seem to have small interview pools and therefore are more zoned into who they will most likely accept (pending the interviewee doesnt blow the interview).

Pre-meds​

I respectfully disagree that interviews are a formality. While I agree that getting one indicates you are acceptable "by the numbers", the interview adds the element of how you interact, establish rapport, and present yourself to others. The interview can make or break you. It's unlikely to override poor numbers, activities, etc. but I think it would be misleading to underestimate how it can differentiate two comparable applicants.

How are interviews a formality when many, many schools reject 50% (or more) of the people they interview?

Totally agree. Why else do you think med schools invite 500 people to interview with only 100 seats available. This is their way of selecting between people who are very similar on paper.

Exactly, they don't just invite people because they are curious.

Ready, FIGHT!​

 

[Anicetus]

Med Students VS







Pre-meds












Ready, FIGHT!​

Mediated by.... the Pre-Med, himself!!

 

[HalfListic]

The only way to give an answer here is to say that it means something slightly different at each school.

It always means that they like your stats, in general, and want to meet you in person. At that point, each school will have slightly different "odds" of acceptance, and different rates that they accept/reject/waitlist.

So, yeah, its a little more than just a formality, but at some schools its only just a little more than that, while at other schools, you'll have MMIs and in depth interviews where your composure and personality and performance do matter significantly.


In the end, and again in general, if you get an interview, you have a pretty good chance of being accepted. Especially when you get 2-3+ and interview decently, you should get at least one acceptance (even if its after wait list)

 

[GUH]

Seems that everyone is only considering a traditional interview. Remeber the MMI interview is out there as well and I think that the schools that use them strongly consider your performance during it.

For the schools that use them, the MMI interview seems to be an integral part of the entire application process--weighed heavily in the decision to accept/wait list/reject interviewees. Whereas the MCAT levels the playing field between applicants in the cognitive realm the MMI is meant to do the same with your non cognitive skills. So for these schools I'd assume that being offered an interview means that your other stats are at or above the minimum competitive level to be accepted or something stood out with your application that made you competitive. Once the MMI is over and a score is tallied, candidates are further analyzed and compared again as their file is now considered "complete" and ready for judgement.

This was the impression I received from the schools that utilized an MMI. Do not underestimate your interview if you are invited at one of these schools. Your performance can be a game changer.

Now I've only done 1 MMI, but I didn't think it was so hard (and I can be an awkward conversationalist)... You just have to act like you care about the character you are interacting with and don't say anything mean or misleading. Not sure why this would be seen as a common obstacle to admissions.

 

[HalfListic]

Now I've only done 1 MMI, but I didn't think it was so hard (and I can be an awkward conversationalist)... You just have to act like you care about the character you are interacting with and don't say anything mean or misleading. Not sure why this would be seen as a common obstacle to admissions.

Well, just to be objective, do you know how well you actually scored on your MMI? And, it sounds like you did the AT Still MMI, which is different than other MMI's (like MarianCOMs).

Each of these include both MMIs as well as a traditional interview...so you do have to concede that its additional work to interview at these schools, and that MMIs give additional information. How difficult they are or aren't, is a perception that may not be an objective conclusion.


In any case...I think MMI's are pretty great. Especially the kind that was done at MarianCOM. There, they had several stations with one interview question that you would discuss with that interviewer. They covered all types of questions (ethics, familiarity, character, etc) and each interviewee had the same stations with the same interviewer that day...so it gave a good average performance.


It makes sense to interview only academically prepared individuals, but then to choose the best candidates based on non-cognatives (which are shown by interview/MMI) so that you have as many smart & well rounded med students/future doctors, rather than the bio-bot that can come from choosing solely based on stats. Good Doctors are more than just scientists.

 

[beBrave]

It makes sense to interview only academically prepared individuals, but then to choose the best candidates based on non-cognatives (which are shown by interview/MMI) so that you have as many smart & well rounded med students/future doctors, rather than the bio-bot that can come from choosing solely based on stats. Good Doctors are more than just scientists.

Fatality - Pre-Meds WIN

 

[ChineseKid]

This thread is win.

 

[Beandog]

Copy that.

I'm surprised the question has to be asked. Interviews are not just a "let's make sure you can speak and present yourself". They're interested in you, but they need to see you are capable, competent and have a personality they find fitting in their school.

I respectfully disagree that interviews are a formality. While I agree that getting one indicates you are acceptable "by the numbers", the interview adds the element of how you interact, establish rapport, and present yourself to others. The interview can make or break you. It's unlikely to override poor numbers, activities, etc. but I think it would be misleading to underestimate how it can differentiate two comparable applicants.

 

[Sephy]

It means you were offered an interview

Wait a sec.....

 

[StudyShy]

This thread makes me feel like I suck at life, lol.