When Interviewing

[NontradICUdoc]

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If you go to an interview and when asked, you have NO questions.....you did not prepare enough. There is no way that you know everything about the school. You must prepare and have questions.

1) Review your personal statement and know it backwards, forwards, upwards, downward, you get the idea.

2) Look at the website of the school and jot down some notes. When asking your questions, reference something you learned about the school. Do this especially if you took a tour of the school with a student before your interview.

3) The only way you should not take the tour is if you have a plane to catch. Otherwise, this is your chance to get good information from current students. They are expecting you to ask anything. Remember, you are also interviewing the school to make sure that this is where you want to be.

4) You are ON from the moment you step out of your car and onto the parking lot until the time your car leave the grounds. You do not know who is interviewing you but everyone is watching you. From the custodian to the students to the Deans. Always say Please, Thank you, Have a Nice Day, etc.

5) If you are going to eat lunch before your interview, stay away from Onions, Garlic, any sodas that are not clear (imagine you spill soda on your shirt, Sprite and water do not show), avoid greasy foods (don't want to have gas while you are interviewing). The last thing you should worry about it eating, rather talk with the students and other people who are with you at lunch, you can always eat later. But if the lunch is after your interview, eat but stay away from those mentioned above.

6) Be confident. Firm handshake (from both men and women), always have eye contact when answering a question. If there are 2 people in the room, do not just talk to one of them. Change the focus every few words to each person so that each of them knows that you are addressing everyone.

7) When asked a question, is it alright to think for a few seconds (not minutes). Shows people that you are choosing what you say carefully and have put thought into the question.

8) DO NOT TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER SCHOOL AT THE INTERVIEW.

9) Ladies: Tasteful makeup if you wear any. Gentlemen: Do not bathe in cologne.

10) Conservative dress. Women, try to keep the skirt at knee length, conservative up top too. Take it easy on the jewelery (not too many earrings. Try just 1 in each ear), a plain necklace, maybe a bracelet. Nothing jingly. Gentlemen: Navy Blue suits are the way to go. A conservative tie either solid or stripes; not the funny tie that you got for father's day (if you need to, switch it a block from home). Men, make sure you are either clean shaven or your facial hair is neatly trimmed. Men, maybe a good idea to lose the earring if you have one (not the time nor the place).

 

[FrkyBgStok]

awesome post. thanks. what are some examples of appropriate questions? I don't want to seem like I am trying too hard (ie. when is the cafeteria food the freshest) nor do i want to seem like I didn't do any research. I also don't want to spend a week researching a school to get questions that i can't find.

 

[Eric01]

Questions I've thought of that can apply to any school.

1.) Is there any planned change in the curriculum in the next 4 years?

2.) What are rotations like starting third year?

3.) What academic support programs do you have?

You should probably think of a school specific question as well

 

[Amarillo]

Just a note re: your comment about not bathing in cologne - no cologne or perfume is the safest way to go. You'd hate to have an interviewer who is sensitive to fragrances, and most hospitals and medical facilities are fragrance-free zones anyways.

 

[PeachyPhd]

8) DO NOT TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER SCHOOL AT THE INTERVIEW.

QUOTE]

These are all great suggestions. I was asked at several interviews about other schools. I would usually respond with a generic answer:

Them: "What other schools did you apply to?"
Me: "I focused on schools that were in the SE United States."

Them: "Have you interviewed anywhere else?"
Me: "Yes. I have had a couple other interviews."
Them: "Where?"
Me: "Mainly schools in the Southeast."
Them: "Have you been accepted anywhere?"
Me: "Yes (sir/ma'am)." (I then broke into a "which shows that I'm very interested in YOUR school" speech).

Them: "What schools were accepted to?"
Me: "A school in Georgia, a school in Tennessee... " you get the point.

"They" wanted to play guess the school and I let them and we had a fun conversation. I was accepted to the schools, despite talking about specifics, but I tried to steer the conversation away from discussing other schools in specifics.

 

[Vishna]

8) DO NOT TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER SCHOOL AT THE INTERVIEW.

QUOTE]

These are all great suggestions. I was asked at several interviews about other schools. I would usually respond with a generic answer:

Them: "What other schools did you apply to?"
Me: "I focused on schools that were in the SE United States."

Them: "Have you interviewed anywhere else?"
Me: "Yes. I have had a couple other interviews."
Them: "Where?"
Me: "Mainly schools in the Southeast."
Them: "Have you been accepted anywhere?"
Me: "Yes (sir/ma'am)." (I then broke into a "which shows that I'm very interested in YOUR school" speech).

Them: "What schools were accepted to?"
Me: "A school in Georgia, a school in Tennessee... " you get the point.

"They" wanted to play guess the school and I let them and we had a fun conversation. I was accepted to the schools, despite talking about specifics, but I tried to steer the conversation away from discussing other schools in specifics.

Good to know. I was worried about this scenario playing out at an interview and me choking on answers about other schools.

 

[Goro]

Wonderful advice!! I wish all of my interviewees would follow it. I'd add one more:

Do not babble incessantly with an answer. I know some people, when cought off-guard, try to think of an answer while they're talking, but it just makes me want to reject them outright.

So be concise in answers, OK?

If you go to an interview and when asked, you have NO questions.....you did not prepare enough. There is no way that you know everything about the school. You must prepare and have questions.

 

[drctother]

OP tells the truth. I did literally everything he recommended and I was interviewed twice, receiving an acceptance at both schools.

I would recommend that while you are professional at all times, laughing a bit doesnt hurt either. I smiled alot and joked a lot with my interviewers (jokes that arent offensive or anything obviously)

 

[Melomare17]

great advice!

general consensus is not to bring up something negative of your app in the interview right? what if you are asked about it?

 

[NontradICUdoc]

great advice!

general consensus is not to bring up something negative of your app in the interview right? what if you are asked about it?

acknowledge and when you answer turn it into a positive: example:

"I noticed that your first year was not your greatest"

"Correct. And before starting my sophomore year, I looked at everything I did very carefully and changed my study habit. I made regular appointments with my professors to review the material and answer any questions I had. I formed a study group with some classmates and realized that I learn best when I connect a concept to an image. So I created a file on my computer with images from the web so I can see it when I study the subject. And as you can see from my transcript, that has certainly made the difference"

 

[bstep12]

I know a firm handshake is very important, but what if there are 3-4 interviewers, should you shake each hand before interviewing? From past experiences some interviewers are sitting on the other side of a big table and it seemed awkward to walk all the way over there to shake their hands when walking into the interview room.

 

[mommy2three]

I know a firm handshake is very important, but what if there are 3-4 interviewers, should you shake each hand before interviewing? From past experiences some interviewers are sitting on the other side of a big table and it seemed awkward to walk all the way over there to shake their hands when walking into the interview room.

yes you should shake hands with everyone in your interview room.

i reached across a standard size table to shake the hand of the one who did not escort me to the room and she stood and met me halfway across the table.

you should also shake hands when you leave.

just shows your professionalism, imho.

 

[ozzi22]

awesome post. thanks👍

 

[MightyMoose]

Some great suggestions here.

Another that I'll add, which seems to be overlooked, is to SMILE! You're not at a funeral, you should be excited! You are interviewing for medical school. A smile will make you seem friendlier and more approachable. Don't don a fake ear to ear nonstop smile, but don't be afraid to smile when the situation arises.

 

[SLC]

A great question that I always ask at interviews (work and elsewhere) is: "Why do you feel I should select this school if extended an acceptance?

Modify it for the situation of course but it gets them into a mode of selling their school/workplace to you.

I believe the way I phrased it was something along the lines of "I know why I feel that this would be an excellent program for me, but I'd like to hear each of your personal opinions of why this is an excellent school!"

Worked very very well, and allowed the interview to close on a positive note.

 

[twinklystar]

Wonderful advice!! I wish all of my interviewees would follow it. I'd add one more:

Do not babble incessantly with an answer. I know some people, when cought off-guard, try to think of an answer while they're talking, but it just makes me want to reject them outright.

So be concise in answers, OK?

i had an interview for a foreign school couple days back.. he asked me some q, which i was totally unprepared for..and hadn't given it much though.. i think it had something to do with the health issues prevalent in the region of the school...
but my point is, so there i was, totally caught off-guard..it was also my first ever med school interview.. so, i did start talking, and trying to think up an answer while talking..i probably rambled a bit too 😳 because really, it was either that, or sitting there silent for minutes, or passing up the q...

so, wht wud u guys, who've had experiences with interviews, say one should do if caught in such a situation?? like, what are some generic responses that can be given to deal with questions you may have no precise answer to...?😕 the main thing ofcourse is to do good prep and research before the interview..but even then, say you missed out something, some ethical term, or some major research news that's relevant to the school, and then you get asked on it.... 😕

 

[MightyMoose]

i had an interview for a foreign school couple days back.. he asked me some q, which i was totally unprepared for..and hadn't given it much though.. i think it had something to do with the health issues prevalent in the region of the school...
but my point is, so there i was, totally caught off-guard..it was also my first ever med school interview.. so, i did start talking, and trying to think up an answer while talking..i probably rambled a bit too 😳 because really, it was either that, or sitting there silent for minutes, or passing up the q...

so, wht wud u guys, who've had experiences with interviews, say one should do if caught in such a situation?? like, what are some generic responses that can be given to deal with questions you may have no precise answer to...?😕 the main thing ofcourse is to do good prep and research before the interview..but even then, say you missed out something, some ethical term, or some major research news that's relevant to the school, and then you get asked on it.... 😕

You could always come up with some default phrase that eats up ~15-20 seconds while you think through the answer. I would often say something like, "That's a very interesting question and I have been thinking about X issue for quite some time trying to determine how I feel/my stance on that issue (or whatever). It seems like it is a very complex topic, because the varying stances on X issue all seem to have strong points. (Now highlight 2 of the opposing side stances BRIEFLY)." As you do this, it gives you the opportunity to think through the issue and try to formulate examples on both sides at your own pace, then as you are presenting the examples you can choose a stance. I had the health care question a number of times and my answer was always a little different all depending on my mood. Your interviewer isn't going to know how to solve the health care crisis (if they did, they would not be spending their afternoon interviewing you and we wouldn't all be debating the health care "crisis").

This strategy does a few things, it allows you to think through a complete answer, demonstrate you can at least give a brief description of both sides of the issue (just use common sense here), and buys you a good minute or two to determine a stance. I will say, however, this method is very dangerous if you have problems thinking on your feet and/or are so nervous that you are barely stammering through your sentences.

 

[twinklystar]

You could always come up with some default phrase that eats up ~15-20 seconds while you think through the answer. I would often say something like, "That's a very interesting question and I have been thinking about X issue for quite some time trying to determine how I feel/my stance on that issue (or whatever). It seems like it is a very complex topic, because the varying stances on X issue all seem to have strong points. (Now highlight 2 of the opposing side stances BRIEFLY)." As you do this, it gives you the opportunity to think through the issue and try to formulate examples on both sides at your own pace, then as you are presenting the examples you can choose a stance. I had the health care question a number of times and my answer was always a little different all depending on my mood. Your interviewer isn't going to know how to solve the health care crisis (if they did, they would not be spending their afternoon interviewing you and we wouldn't all be debating the health care "crisis").

This strategy does a few things, it allows you to think through a complete answer, demonstrate you can at least give a brief description of both sides of the issue (just use common sense here), and buys you a good minute or two to determine a stance. I will say, however, this method is very dangerous if you have problems thinking on your feet and/or are so nervous that you are barely stammering through your sentences.

nice! 👍

i do have problems spontaneously thinking up answers, and do get nervous when in such a situation, but then i guess practice, and good prep, could help one out there.. besides, medicine being a career which requires prompt thinking under pressure, i wud need to get over this nervous stammering issue, soon! 🙂

 

[Lindseysayshi]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I have my first interview in a few weeks and plan to utilize these tips. I will continue to check back to this thread for updates, thanks again!

 

[MedIsInMyBlood]

I know a firm handshake is very important, but what if there are 3-4 interviewers, should you shake each hand before interviewing? From past experiences some interviewers are sitting on the other side of a big table and it seemed awkward to walk all the way over there to shake their hands when walking into the interview room.

I would definitely try to shake hands with everyone, as mommy2three said.

This also helps because sometimes some interviewers don't really say much, and that handshake will be one of the only times they personally interacted with you and they'll remember it if you snubbed them.

 

[Eric01]

Practice twisting iron with your hands, if your handshake doesn't crush their cartilage and bones, you're not trying hard enough.

 

[costales]

If you go to an interview and when asked, you have NO questions.....you did not prepare enough. There is no way that you know everything about the school. You must prepare and have questions.

1) Review your personal statement and know it backwards, forwards, upwards, downward, you get the idea...

10) Conservative dress. Women, try to keep the skirt at knee length, conservative up top too. Take it easy on the jewelery (not too many earrings. Try just 1 in each ear), a plain necklace, maybe a bracelet. Nothing jingly. Gentlemen: Navy Blue suits are the way to go. A conservative tie either solid or stripes; not the funny tie that you got for father's day (if you need to, switch it a block from home). Men, make sure you are either clean shaven or your facial hair is neatly trimmed. Men, maybe a good idea to lose the earring if you have one (not the time nor the place).

10 is important. People have been rejected because of inappropriate attire. Interviewers want to see people who can look and act like doctors - pillars of the community etc.

And: Turn off your cellphone. If you're too busy texting or talking on your cellphone during the interview or the group tour, then you're probably too busy for med school. It's a huge blunder.

 

[deleted336217]

10 is important. People have been rejected because of inappropriate attire. Interviewers want to see people who can look and act like doctors - pillars of the community etc.

This might sound like a funny question, but I've seen it come up as an issue when I'm talking about interviews with my former college roommate who was a business major. She told me that interviewers don't like curly hair on girls because they automatically think you are wild. I think this is crazy because I can put a super serious face on, even when my hair is in its naturally curly state. Haha. Anyway, let me know what y'all think because I can't even find a good Google search about this. Thanks!

 

[komikos]

Wonderful advice!! I wish all of my interviewees would follow it. I'd add one more:

Do not babble incessantly with an answer. I know some people, when cought off-guard, try to think of an answer while they're talking, but it just makes me want to reject them outright.

So be concise in answers, OK?

If you go to an interview and when asked, you have NO questions.....you did not prepare enough. There is no way that you know everything about the school. You must prepare and have questions.

ok 😛