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Success in residency starts with a successful interview.
Interview season is in full swing for premed students hoping to secure a coveted position in medical school. An invitation to interview generally signifies that an admissions committee believes the applicant is academically qualified. Still, this limited encounter can certainly make or break your candidacy.
That’s why it’s good to master the art of interviewing for medical school so that you breeze through the process when it comes time to apply for residency. Now that I’ve had experience interviewing both premed students and resident hopefuls, I want to share a couple of important tips for medical school and residency interview success.
Preparation
It takes years of preparation through coursework, experiences, and the MCAT to finally reach this point of applying to medical school.
Once applicants feel ready to apply, they spend hours perfecting their American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) personal statement and experiences. Then, they continue to pour their hearts and souls into secondary application prompts.
Days, weeks, even months may pass before the first residency interview invitation arrives.
Dress for Success
As a premed student, I remember browsing the Student Doctor Network threads on interview attire, then spending an exorbitant amount of money purchasing a standard black suit.
While blending in with the crowd with a well-fitted, conservative black suit generally will not hurt you, getting too creative can. I’ve seen some mismatched outfits or applicants who decided to forego a suit jacket altogether.
I cannot emphasize enough how important a first impression makes; medicine is an extremely conservative field and your appearance needs to reflect your understanding of this.
Practice
The moment an interviewee starts answering one of my questions, I can tell if he or she has practiced interviewing. There is a balance between being well-prepared and overly rehearsed. Not even an MCAT score of 45 and a GPA of 4.0 will redeem you if you are stumbling over your words when asked, “Why medicine?”
Make sure you’ve reflected upon your experiences beforehand and can give a coherent answer to standard interview questions. Before answering less conventional questions, it’s also acceptable to take a moment of silence to prepare your response.
Enthusiasm
The interview process serves numerous purposes, one of which is whether an applicant would be a good fit for the institution. Showing that you did your research on the school through verbal and non-verbal enthusiasm go a long way.
Also, remember interviewing is a two-way street. Make sure you are assessing whether you’d be happy at that institution—happiness and success often go hand in hand.
Never Let Your Guard Down
Every member of a medical school community can influence your ultimate acceptance or rejection. This means that you should be polite and professional to everyone and during every moment of the interview day.
We had an applicant that unapologetically got up in the middle of our Dean’s introductory presentation to use the restroom and others that were obviously preoccupied with something on their phone. These little actions speak volumes about an applicant’s interest in the school and his or her ability to succeed in medicine.
Of course, the best way to set yourself up for success in residency is with a knock-out USMLE score!
The post How Medical School Interviews Prepare You for Residency Interview Success in Medical School, Residency and Beyond appeared first on Residency Secrets.