First of all, to those of you who have made it to this point, I want to say congratulations! You’ve already accomplished so much by making it to this point in the application cycle. I want you to first take a couple seconds to really be proud of yourself for the passion, hard work, dedication, and boldness you have shown to get to this point (actually take a few breaths and do this).
- Remember your interview day is just that, a day in your life. It is not your life: A common mistake by applicants while interviewing is putting too much pressure on themselves, which causes them to crack even before the questions begin. I fully understand the weight of this part of the cycle. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that you were hand-picked to interview because the admissions committee was impressed by your credentials and essays from the primary and secondary application. You have enticed them, and they want more. Use that information to hype yourself up.
- Write down the five characteristics you want to exemplify: When answering questions or telling a story during my interview, I would think about how I could show (not tell) the five characteristics that I thought best represented me as well as exemplify what the interviewers may be looking for. Some example characteristics could be leadership, empathy, honesty, critical thinking skills, compassion, intellectual strength, health care awareness, ethical responsibility (for yourself and other students/patients/workers/etc.). Think of which of these, or any others you can think of, that you really want the interviewer to take away from speaking with you.
- Problem solve out loud: When asked a scenario question, do your critical thinking and problem-solving out loud. Often, there is not a right answer for the question and the interviewers aren’t looking for one. They are looking to see how you approach problems, if you consider each person involved, and how you work towards a goal. This technique also helps show openness and effective communication skills. Just remember to sum up your conclusion at the end, so they aren’t left feeling confused.
- Treat the interview like a chat in a coffee shop with a friend: Like I said above, the admissions committee has already been impressed by you, and now they want to know more. If you were talking with a friend, you wouldn’t be trying to give them a perfect answer that is disingenuous and if you did, they would know! The admissions team will be the same way. From their perspective, it will be easy to filter who is genuine or not based on the way you speak as well as your non-verbal cues. The school wants to know the real you, so just be yourself. That is the best way to stand out. Also, SLOW DOWN. When nervous, we tend to speed up our talking, so do your best to remember the coffee shop atmosphere and talk at the speed you would with a friend.
- Use specific examples, tell stories (show, don’t tell): You will come across much more authentic if you tell stories of specific events in your life while answering questions. Remember to keep them concise and relevant, but use your humanity and experiences to your advantage. The interviewers are humans, and it will help you to remind them of that. Our experiences make us who we are, and their main goal is to find out who that is.
- You are interviewing the school as well as being interviewed: I know it may not seem like it at the moment, but the interview is an important opportunity for you to evaluate the school and if they truly line up with your values and goals. If possible, ask questions that matter to you: how do students treat each other, how does the faculty actively try to help their students, what sets their school apart, what is their target patient demographic, how do they exemplify their mission, etc. Trust your gut instinct during your interview. Also use this tip to help calm yourself before the interview itself. Four years is a long time, and if you get the choice, you owe it to yourself to find the school that will push you to be your best while cultivating your happiness.
- Practice common questions/topics out loud: It is impossible to know which topics will be asked about during your interview, but a helpful practice can be to think of main topics, areas of care, and characteristics involved in being a successful physician such as: leadership, dealing with difficult situations/conflict, communication skills, empathy, critical thinking, resiliency, overcoming failure, passion for medicine, how you specifically will make a difference in communities, and demographic awareness such as the effects of socioeconomic status, location, culture, age on care. Also practice an elevator pitch for yourself, if you have 2-5 minutes to sell yourself by discussing why you are drawn to medicine, and what needs to be known about you to properly evaluate you, what would you say? This will help you identify the key aspects of your passion for medicine, as well as describe the experiences that cultivated the characteristics that will help you succeed in this profession. Give yourself a timer for each topic/question you come up with and practice answering out loud. (I know it feels super awkward, but trust me it will help in the moment.)
- Come up with filler/helpful phrases: If you know there is something negative you do while interviewing because you get nervous, come up with a couple phrases to address it positively. This will show effective communication skills. For me, I tend to speak quickly when nervous or use my hands to gesture while I speak. A helpful phrase for addressing these was, “I realize I may be speaking a tad fast/I am gesturing with my hands. I just can’t contain my excitement for ___ topic.”
- There will be mess-ups, just keep going: No one is perfect, there will inevitably be little hiccups during your interview, so be kind to yourself and don’t get hung up on them. The interviewers know that you are human and won’t hold that against you (and if they do, would you really want to go to that school? No, no is the answer). Remember that they are looking for resiliency and professionalism under pressure, so regain your composure quickly and just keep moving forward. Also, sometimes interviewers will act a certain way to test the interviewees’ reaction. Take everything as a learning lesson and just give the best answer you can in the moment.
- Be concise and relevant. Interviewers want to get to know you. That is the whole point of the interview. Pertinent stories are a great way to do this as well as leave a lasting impact in their minds. Remember, though, the stories need to be impactful while being concise, so you don’t accidentally take up all your time telling one or two stories. The interviewers are looking to get a well-rounded view of you, which comes from more than one or two questions.
- Have fun: You have been working so hard throughout this process and deserve to enjoy interview day. Typically, the schools hold information sessions that can be informative as well as give you insight into what the school is hoping to accomplish. Take advantage of these sessions to release some nerves as well as gain some information you can point out or praise in your interview if it is after the sessions. Also take notes if you can, but ask the school first if this is permissible. If so, you will thank yourself in the future, trust me.
- Take notes of your feelings: These notes will be the most accurate representation of your first impressions, feelings, things that stuck out to you about the school, ways to improve, etc. Our memories change as time goes on, and it will be important to have these impressions when you want to compare schools or make decisions later.
Comment if you have any specific questions so we can answer them as well!
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