What does getting an interview invite really mean?

Started by DirkN
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DirkN

DirkN

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Getting invited to interview at a medical school is obviously very exciting. Clearly, it means you have a shot at getting in.

However, what does it really mean to be invited to interview at a school? On one hand, I've heard it means the school wants you to be a part of their upcoming class, and if you interview well enough, you get a spot. On the other hand, others suggest that it is simply part of the process, and the school needs to get further information from you before you are accepted. Obviously many people that interview do not actually get into the school, and some are left on the waiting list for months before eventually being rejected.

What are your opinions?
 
DirkN said:
Getting invited to interview at a medical school is obviously very exciting. Clearly, it means you have a shot at getting in.

However, what does it really mean to be invited to interview at a school? On one hand, I've heard it means the school wants you to be a part of their upcoming class, and if you interview well enough, you get a spot. On the other hand, others suggest that it is simply part of the process, and the school needs to get further information from you before you are accepted. Obviously many people that interview do not actually get into the school, and some are left on the waiting list for months before eventually being rejected.

What are your opinions?
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If the preliminary screen of your application indicates that you share the qualities of other successful students at a particular school then, depending on the resources of that school you will be invited to interview. With additional information from the interview, you will be stratified by of the admissions committee into accept, waitlist or reject.
 
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Both ideas are correct.

On one hand, I've heard it means the school wants you to be a part of their upcoming class, and if you interview well enough, you get a spot. On the other hand, others suggest that it is simply part of the process, and the school needs to get further information from you before you are accepted.


Correct again. Do a search for my comments on getting rejected. People who get wait listed are either applying too late, and get interviewed (if at all) in the cycle, or have some defect that becomes more apparent at interviews, but isn't outright bad even to get rejected. One example is a "meh" or boring interviewee.

Obviously many people that interview do not actually get into the school, and some are left on the waiting list for months before eventually being rejected.
 
I interviewed at 5 different schools (most "prestigious" was Hopkins, which was my reach school). Got accepted to two: the medical school I attend now and a school in Tennessee (I was a resident for a long time then moved to another state, so I had connections there.)

They already like you on paper, but they will find out if they like you in person. I called Hopkins to ask why I got rejected and they told me that I don't really fit their mission statement and that if I want to apply next year, I should spend a year volunteering more outside of a clinical setting helping people.
 
FutureOncologist said:
...I called Hopkins to ask why I got rejected and they told me that I don't really fit their mission statement and that if I want to apply next year, I should spend a year volunteering more outside of a clinical setting helping people.
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Just an aside for everyone else, if you get into other med schools, it's considered extremely poor form to be calling the ones you didn't get accepted to to ask why. There's nothing wrong with asking places how to strengthen an application for next year if you got nothing, but if you did get an acceptance somewhere it's really a "sour grapes" move to still make that call. Sorry, but it is -- it makes you sound like you think you ought to have gotten Hopkins.

Getting in at the interview stage is often largely about being a "good fit", or even just whether they liked you more than the others they saw. The top schools reject a ton of top people. So if you put them on the spot they will have to come up with something. I guaranty there's someone they liked more who still got in despite not having much volunteerism. But you put them on the spot so they came up with something semi-legit.

To the OP, consider the interview to be the most important part of the process once you get to that stage. Don't phone it in or expect the strength of your application to pave the way. This is not merely a formality. This is not just to weed out the crazies. This is going to be a heavily weighted part of the process and a great interview can really help, while a poor or even just passive or lukewarm one can really hurt. You need to be likeable and sell yourself. Practice, and bring your A-game.
 
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DirkN said:
Getting invited to interview at a medical school is obviously very exciting. Clearly, it means you have a shot at getting in.

However, what does it really mean to be invited to interview at a school? On one hand, I've heard it means the school wants you to be a part of their upcoming class, and if you interview well enough, you get a spot. On the other hand, others suggest that it is simply part of the process, and the school needs to get further information from you before you are accepted. Obviously many people that interview do not actually get into the school, and some are left on the waiting list for months before eventually being rejected.

What are your opinions?
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As you're probably sick of hearing, it depends on the school.

Some schools mention when you get to the interview that you have the stats and hours and now they want to see if you have the personality they like. That's probably a bit of BS in some cases (many schools still reject for low mcat after interview), but probably true in others. I'd imagine that your interview performance is important in most cases and I'd personally rank it right after mcat, GPA, important ECs. It'd be in the same tier as hobbies/diversity/interests IMO.

Looking at it from a quantitative aspect, the interview to acceptance
ratio ranges from .25 to .8 for school with my estimated average being around .4-.5.

This all being said, the interview should be treated as a top priority. I don't know but think that an interviewer could have the power to sink you're application if they feel like there's a problem with your communication skills. However, I don't think they have any power to single handedly propel you to an acceptance. In other words, it can do harm than good but the same goes for the PS and secondaries.

Best advice I got:

There's nothing you can do to change your whole personality for interview season. When you're talking with your good friends, ask them some annoying things you do (do you interrupt often, not make eye-contact) and then spend the next few months trying to get in or out of the good or bad habits. As for your answers, sit down, and just bullet point your answers to why medicine (biggest one) why our school, what volunteering, what research, think what to say if they ask about one of your specific activities, and then think of scenario based questions like describe a time when you were faced with an ethical dilemma. Don't write
anything out I you'll sound rehearsed
Also, visit the SDN interview questions thread to see what questions they ask.

.
 
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Law2Doc said:
Just an aside for everyone else, if you get into other med schools, it's considered extremely poor form to be calling the ones you didn't get accepted to to ask why.
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I got the rejection about a week before I got my first acceptance. I called literally the next day when they told me why. I love my medical school, which is why I'm attending it now. I don't regret getting rejected from Hopkins because frankly, it was meant to be if I am where I am now (I won't go into detail about my school). However, I want to ask why this is "poor form"? I guess I understand from a POV of when you finally decide where you're going, assuming you're accepted, for it to be a douche-move to consider another school that rejected you.
 
Law2Doc said:
Just an aside for everyone else, if you get into other med schools, it's considered extremely poor form to be calling the ones you didn't get accepted to to ask why. There's nothing wrong with asking places how to strengthen an application for next year if you got nothing, but if you did get an acceptance somewhere it's really a "sour grapes" move to still make that call. Sorry, but it is -- it makes you sound like you think you ought to have gotten Hopkins.

Getting in at the interview stage is often largely about being a "good fit", or even just whether they liked you more than the others they saw. The top schools reject a ton of top people. So if you put them on the spot they will have to come up with something. I guaranty there's someone they liked more who still got in despite not having much volunteerism. But you put them on the spot so they came up with something semi-legit.

To the OP, consider the interview to be the most important part of the process once you get to that stage. Don't phone it in or expect the strength of your application to pave the way. This is not merely a formality. This is not just to weed out the crazies. This is going to be a heavily weighted part of the process and a great interview can really help, while a poor or even just passive or lukewarm one can really hurt. You need to be likeable and sell yourself. Practice, and bring your A-game.
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What do you have to lose lol
 
chillaxbro said:
What do you have to lose lol
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What have you to gain? You are going to school elsewhere. At best you get your feelings hurt, at worst they feed you a canned answer, an "it's not you, it's me" breakup line. But chasing a rejection just comes off as sour grapes. Another premed who thinks he's "entitled" to go to a top school.

Reputation is everything -- paths will often cross in the future.
 
FutureOncologist said:
I got the rejection about a week before I got my first acceptance. I called literally the next day when they told me why. I love my medical school, which is why I'm attending it now. I don't regret getting rejected from Hopkins because frankly, it was meant to be if I am where I am now (I won't go into detail about my school). However, I want to ask why this is "poor form"? I guess I understand from a POV of when you finally decide where you're going, assuming you're accepted, for it to be a douche-move to consider another school that rejected you.
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You don't call the next day if it's to find out how to improve things for next year. You call at the end of the cycle, if you don't get anything. Before that yes, its always bad form. You have no reason to expect an acceptance to a top school. Most amazing applicants will not get into Hopkins. So calling the next day to say, "I don't understand why I didn't get in" really can only come off badly. I wouldn't brag about doing it. Glad you got into a place you love, but you really may want to rethink your approach for future things (eg residency, fellowships) you apply to and maybe don't get your first choice (and odds are most won't).
 
Law2Doc said:
You don't call the next day if it's to find out how to improve things for next year. You call at the end of the cycle, if you don't get anything. Before that yes, its always bad form. You have no reason to expect an acceptance to a top school. Most amazing applicants will not get into Hopkins. So calling the next day to say, "I don't understand why I didn't get in" really can only come off badly. I wouldn't brag about doing it. Glad you got into a place you love, but you really may want to rethink your approach for future things (eg residency, fellowships) you apply to and maybe don't get your first choice (and odds are most won't).
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Thank you for the advice. I guess I was carried away when I got the callback for interview. I was very humble about it and really didn't tell people I got interviewed until I got back home. I didn't even expect an interview (my stats weren't the best--once again, it was a reach school). I was very grateful to even get a tour of the medical school. But I never had a pre-conceived notion that I was a shoo-in for admittance. Did it sting when I got rejected? Of course it did. But that quickly healed when I got accepted to another medical school that I fell in love with when I toured.

I digress. I still wanna thank you for the advice.
 
FutureOncologist said:
Thank you for the advice. I guess I was carried away when I got the callback for interview. I was very humble about it and really didn't tell people I got interviewed until I got back home. I didn't even expect an interview (my stats weren't the best--once again, it was a reach school). I was very grateful to even get a tour of the medical school. But I never had a pre-conceived notion that I was a shoo-in for admittance. Did it sting when I got rejected? Of course it did. But that quickly healed when I got accepted to another medical school that I fell in love with when I toured.

I digress. I still wanna thank you for the advice.
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Love this attitude, and I appreciate everyone's responses!
 
For what it's worth, I don't think it's bad form per se to call Hopkins and ask about your rejection. I think they know as much as anyone that they're everyone's reach school, and that over excitement is bound to happen. It's OK. I wouldn't contain myself either 🙂
 
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