Interviewing
One of the keys to a successful interview is to approach the interviewer from the perspective of the interviewer. As they speak to you, interviewers will ask themselves questions like “Do I like this person,” “Is he/she a good fit for this school,” and “Can I see myself teaching him/her as a medical school, consulting with him/her as a colleague, or referring family members to him/her as a patient?” Stress interviews are the rare exception, not the rule. It is much more likely that your interview will be relaxed and conversational. The idea is not to worry but to prepare.
The 5 Parts of Interviewing
After you complete your secondaries, you may not receive an invitation to interview for 7-9 weeks.
Because of many medical schools’ rolling admissions policies (in which they decide on whether to accept applicants in the order in which they interview), it is to your benefit to schedule your interview as early as possible because the sooner you have your interview, the sooner you’ll be considered for acceptance (at a time when the class is not yet full).
Financial or availability reasons may compel you to try to schedule groups of interviews in particular geographic areas so that you don’t have to make multiple trips to the same far-away destination. If you get one interview in a far-flung region and haven’t yet heard from other schools in the same place, you may give those schools a call and politely inform them of your situation to see if they are interested in interviewing you.
You should be comfortable talking about yourself and using specific examples to show the interviewer who you are. Honesty and sincerity are the keys to success. Begin your interview preparation with self-reflection. Review the Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students, and think of examples to demonstrate each.
Define Your Message
Identify the key attributes and experiences that will enable you to achieve success in medical school, and that demonstrate your suitability for the profession. Think about specific examples you can use to support what you’re saying without providing a laundry list of your achievements. Look for questions that provide opportunities to incorporate your points into your answers so that you maintain control over the message you are sending to the interviewer.
The 4 Types of Interviews
Planning what you will say during the interview will depend in large part on the specifics of the interview itself.
In general, there are four types of interview you’re likely to encounter:
- Open – The interviewer has already reviewed and is familiar with your entire application.
- Semi-open – The interviewer has read and is familiar with your personal statement and perhaps your secondary essays but nothing else.
- Closed – The interviewer has not read any part of and is not familiar with your application.
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) – The duration of the interview is typically 2 hours long and consists of a series of 10-minute “mini” interviews. For each mini interview, you will be given approximately 2 minutes to prepare an answer to a question/scenario before participating in the 8-minute scenario with an interviewer/assessor. The interviewers will evaluate your thought process and ability to think on your feet.
One of your interviewer’s primary responsibilities following the interview is to act as your advocate with the admission committee. If you are granted a semi-open or closed interview, it is up to you to bring to your interviewer’s attention anything concerning your application that you believe requires further discussion. That way, the interviewer will best be able to address questions posed by the admissions committee about your application.
Review Your Application
Look at your entire AMCAS and secondary application objectively. You should be very familiar with everything you included and be prepared to talk about it at length. As you study your application, ask yourself questions like:
- What impressions or pre-conceptions would you have about the person being described?
- Why have you chosen the clinical, community service, and research activities on your resume?
- Do you see any areas of potential weakness?
- Are there any red flags that need explaining?
When reviewing your application, pay particular attention to your essay as many interviews use it as a source of questions. Try to look at it objectively and try to imagine what additional information you would like to know about the writer. Be ready to discuss in depth anything you’ve written about in the personal statement. If your interview answers and personal statement don’t back each other up, then you may come across as insincere or even dishonest.
Research the School
Look at things like first year class statistics, curricular structure, timing of clinical rotations, extracurricular activities, school news, student life, financial aid, housing, current projects, and future plans.
Practice Answering Common Interview Questions
Interviewing is a skill, and, like any skill, the more you practice it, the closer you’ll be to mastering it.
See this list of practice interview questions and strategies for answering various types of questions. It is important to note that this list doesn’t pretend to be predictive or comprehensive: you won’t encounter all of these questions, and you may be asked some that are not on the list. If you take the time to examine these questions, however, you’ll have the confidence to answer most questions that come your way. Develop thorough and precise answers for each question type, and think about the different experiences you could talk about to demonstrate each point you would like to make.
Studentdoctor.net
This site offers descriptions of interviews by students who’ve interviewed in the past year school-by-school. You can look up the schools that have invited you for an interview and prepare based on questions they’ve asked other candidates. Note, however, that there is no way to verify the accuracy of the information, so you should not rely exclusively on this site for your preparation.
The interview day normally consists of six parts: a welcome from the admissions office, information sessions on the curriculum, financial aid, etc., a lunch (usually with students), a student-led tour, two interviews, and a wrap-up session.
At most schools, you will have two 30-45 minute interviews with a member of the admissions committee, physician from the community, faculty member, student, or administrator. When you first arrive at the school, you’re likely to receive your personal schedule of events, including the names of those interviewing you.
You should treat every interaction during the interview day as if that person is evaluating you, so act accordingly. This even applies to the medical students you meet.
The Interview is a Two-Way Street
The interview is a time for the admissions committee to check you out as a possible student; however, you should also approach the interview day as chance to determine whether or not you would want to attend that particular medical school. Based on information you have found on the school’s website, identify the aspects of that program that you wish to learn more about. Don’t ask anything that can be easily researched by going on the school’s website; instead, ask probing, in-depth questions.
Always answer “yes” when your interviewer asks you if you have any questions for him/her. Take the time to think of the questions that shed further light on what is important to you.
At the end of the interview, many interviewers will often ask you if there is anything else you’d like to say before ending the interview. You should definitely use this opportunity to say something that you think should be said but didn’t have a chance to say during the interview. If you don’t have anything specific to add, use this time to reiterate your main points.
Dress
Your appearance will be the first impression you make on the interviewer, so dress conservatively. Decide on your attire well in advance of the interview. Perfume or cologne should be used sparingly, if at all. Men should wear a suit and a tie. Women should wear a suit, dress, or skirt and blouse. Be aware of possible distractions like dangling earrings and plunging necklines. Shoes should be close-toed. If you have a hard time walking around in high-heels, you should also bring a pair of comfortable shoes for the school tour.
One suit or dress should be enough to get you through the interview season. You don’t need a new outfit for every interview unless you want one. If you have a bunch of interviews in a row, arrange to have your outfit dry cleaned.
Take Notes
Write down your impressions of the school while they’re still fresh in your head. This information will become invaluable when you are deciding between competing acceptance offers later on, especially since it may have been a few months since you visited the school for your interview. Keep the information folder you no doubt received at the beginning of the interview day for future reference.
Send a Thank-You Card
This is not only polite, but it is also a good opportunity for you to remind them of your interest in the school and why you think you’d make a good addition to their student body. You should write a formal, general letter of thanks to the admissions director and a more specific, more personal note to your interviewers. The admissions office and interviewers do get a lot of these notes, so be concise and polite but try to reference the most memorable aspect of the conversation to jog their memory about you.
Resources
Studentdoctor.net
Look up the school that has invited you and prepare based on questions asked of other candidates.
Virtual Mentor
The AMA’s website addressing ethical issues in medicine, with sample cases, a code of medical ethics, and more. Your answers to ethical questions are not as important as the thought process, understanding and sensitivity you demonstrate.
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) started at McMaster University Medical School in Canada and last year was used by 19 US medical schools. MMI is designed to offer each candidate multiple scenario-based interviews—each with a different interviewer. The scenarios may be medical or ethical situations or even a task that must be performed by the group working together. The MMI allows candidates an opportunity to think on their feet; having multiple votes eliminates any positive or negative bias inherent in the traditional one-on-one interview.
Contact
Contact Name
Courtney Hance
Director of Health Professions Advising
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