Getting the Interview Right
Keep in mind that you are also interviewing the school. The exploration of fit is a two-way street. What are you looking for in a medical education? Does this school fit all or most of your specifications? These personal evaluations can help you make a decision down the road. Here are 4 useful tips to help you on your path.
Source: Tips from an admissions office on interviewing for medical school,
Know what experiences you included in your application and your supplemental answers,
because everything you chose to include in your application is fair game for the interviewer.
Not being able to robustly answer a question about your own application is a major
flaw. If you included research, know the hypothesis. If you worked for a nonprofit,
know the mission. If you volunteered to help people enroll for health care under the
Affordable Care Act, know the basics of the Affordable Care Act. If the interviewer
asks about a specific experience, do not repeat what you already wrote in your application.
Add depth to your written application and reflect on the experience during the interview
with greater detail and insight.
At the end of an interview, I evaluate a candidate across several domains. One of
those is motivation and passion for medicine. If I cannot recall why the applicant
is interested in a medical career, I usually score them lower. I also give lower scores
for very bland answers like, “I like people and I like science.” Please personalize
that answer! You are there to testify as to why medicine is right for you and why you are right
for medicine. Your motivation and passion must leave an impression. Convey your interest in the
school by stating why you feel it is a good fit for you and what programs it has that
you are interested in, and ask questions to further explore fit. Research the school’s
programs and opportunities in advance so you can have a productive conversation.
I see several interview reports a year where a committee member writes that an applicant
was “too rehearsed” or “too scripted.” The compulsion to memorize and practice answers
sometimes leads to too much pivoting in the interview where an applicant doesn’t answer
the question asked but gives the answer they prepared instead. This is not only frustrating,
but shows a lack of communication skills, which is something I am assessing in the
interview. The best interviews are conversational and allow me to explore your experiences,
motivations, and reflections, but also your personality. I have had great interviews
where the conversation evolved to all sorts of topics not listed in the application
that enabled me to see an applicant’s critical thinking skills, analytical skills,
and personality.
Stories are powerful and memorable ways to convey your ideas. Consider your areas
of growth, your accomplishments, your past failures, and your motivation for medicine.
Think about instances of teamwork, failure, disappointment, goal setting, or resilience.
Catalog stories in your mind that relate to these areas so you can easily recall an
example with a story if asked a related question. Reflect on growth and meaning as
much as possible. How did you change? What did you learn? What would you do differently
next time?