Transcript INTERVIEW TIPS!

FOR Med/Vet/Dental School
Give yourself time to become “ready” for your interviews. It will
make all the difference!
1. Know yourself, gather your thoughts.
2. Practice speaking.
3. First Impressions: you can only make them once.
4. The Interview experience.
5. Question hints
6. Types of Questions
7. Learn about the school you are visiting.
8. Anticipate logistics.
9. Consider your clothes.
10.Styles of Interviews
11.Be yourself—Be honest
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SIT DOWN AND WRITE!
GATHER AS IF DOING A RESEARCH PROJECT.
There are many common questions that are asked—you can have
already thought through many of them.
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An interview can have surprises, but if you gather your thoughts about
key questions you will be more flexible and “at the ready” for any
questions.
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When your stories and experiences are easily available in your mind,
you will feel much more at ease.
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Question examples include: Why do you want to practice medicine?
What are some of your strengths and weaknesses? Tell us about a time
when you overcame a challenge? Tell us “about yourself?” …. (More
about questions posted at end of pwrpt)
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A good resource= 100 Medical School Interview Practice Questions @
http://www.colorado.edu/aac/PreMed_interviewquestions.pdf
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This Can’t Be Overstated. Your interview is a
conversation. Whether you are shy or
extroverted, you can become more at ease
with expressing yourself skillfully.
It is a huge leap from “thinking your thoughts” to SPEAKING
them aloud. Practice so you can easefully translate your
thoughts into verbal communication with others.
Get together with friends or family and have them ask you
questions. This gives you the chance to build your capacity
to respond coherently and be more relaxed, more
“yourself.”
DO
 Arrive on time (aka, 15
minutes early)
 Dress appropriately
 Treat everyone you meet
well-interview starts when
you enter front door.
 Have a firm handshake
 Make good eye contact
 Use good (nice long
spine), and attentive
posture.
Smile, Connect!
Don’t
 Be late
 Be sloppy
 Look down or disconnect
during greeting.
 Bring food
 Slouch
 Put arms in defensive
position
 Play with your hair or
face.
BODY LANGUAGE SPEAKS
If you are at an interview: Congratulations! This is already a great
step. Now you have a chance to be met in person, use it well.
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Interviewers are often very experienced. They genuinely want to
get to know you better and want to have a conversation with you.
The interview is not meant to be “scary” though you might feel
nervous (which is natural). It is meant to engage you.
If you need a moment to answer, take a moment. “Hmmm, good
question..”
If you stumble, it’s okay to laugh at yourself…recover, move on.
Talk WITH the interviewer, not AT the interviewer. If you don’t
understand something, ask for clarity. This is a conversation.
Answer the question asked. If it’s repeated, they want you to give
more of an answer.
If you don’t know or have, the answer to something, let them
know, don’t fake it. They can tell.
Confidence is different than arrogance. Be sincere.
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Q: why do you want to be a
physician?
◦ *Remember what a physician does.
They’re not just looking for a great
student or researcher, but also
someone with the spirit/desire to help
people.
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Q. What would you do if a parent refused a
controversial, but life-saving treatment for
their child?
◦ Questions like these are chances for them to
learn about your reasoning skills, empathy,
understanding of “first do no harm”. There
aren’t “right answers. Be thoughtful and
genuinely consider your answer.
They’re not trying to trick you!
Q: How do you spend your free time?
◦ They really want to know! What do
you enjoy in life? Talk about an
interest, a passion: Nature? A sport?
Time cooking with friends? Be
genuine!
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Q: Tell me something about yourself?
◦ Think of this as an icebreaker vs. an
overwhelming blank slate. An
opportunity to suggest a topic of
conversation by mentioning something
meaningful to you. Is there something
you’d love for them to know tha t
didn’t make it onto your application?
Q: Describe a weakness.
◦ Turn this around. Think of a quality of
yours that at it’s best is a strength but
sometimes is a challenge. IE: “I love to
take initiative and enjoy the challenge
of helping start projects. However,
sometimes I have to be very mindful
because I can take on too much….”
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Q: What will you do if you don’t get
into Medical School?
◦ Do you really want to go? Tell them
about your plans to become a better
applicant next time around. They’re
looking for applicants who really WANT
to practice medicine, not just think it’s
a “good idea.”
Each Q is an opportunity to let them know more
about you…how you engage is as important as
what you say!
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Personal
Your Motivation and
Commitment
Knowledge of
Program
Education &
Experience
Goals and Plans
Current Events and
Issues in Medicine
Behavioral/Choices
Practice Questions in all
these areas and you
will be FABULOUSLY
prepared…even if you
can’t have predicted a
question you actually
get. You will have
greater access to
yourself and your
ability to be flexible
and creative!
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Before any interview, read up on the school you are
visiting! Look at any info on the schools own website.
Read what you can from other sources. If you want to
be taken seriously, you need to know something about
who you are meeting!
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Are there any programs you are curious about?
Are there any projects that you’ve noted with interest?
Are you aware of any unique attributes about the institution?
Anything YOU’D Like to know??
Okay so, Common Sense!
 Know when your interview is and where you
need to go
 Figure out directions and time to venue ahead
of time, plan your travel accordingly.
 Make a plan that includes a decent sleep,
time to get dressed, eat something and arrive
15 minutes early.
 Would you like to take notes: bring a neat
folder/pad/pen to write with.
Do make sure to dress appropriately! It’s not a
black tie affair, but even if THEY are casual,
and many interviewers will be, You need to be
spiffy.
STRUCTURES
 Individual, one on one
interview
 Panel: several
interviewers at once
 Multiple Mini Interview
= MMI
OTHER INFO about interviews:
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Some are “blind” ie: they
haven’t seen any other part
of your app.
Some are “partial blind”,
usually have seen everything
but your scores
Some are “Open”, so it’s up
to the interviewer whether
they’ve read your app.
**So you many get questions
that sound like they know
nothing about you, or quite a
bit…
The more prepared you are the easier it is to be
comfortable in this unique experience, and to be yourself.
Always be honest. After interviewing perhaps 100’s of
candidates over the years…interviewers are excellent at
discerning sincerity, honestly and a true desire to become
a medical professional!
Good Luck!!!