Interview prep?

[ladysmanfelpz]

I contacted some local schools about practice interviews, but no one really offers them. I haven't heard back from my premed advisor yet about a skype interview. What is the best way to practice then?

Are there any helpful YouTube videos or podcasts? What material should I study prior to the interviews? Topics such as affordable care act? Vaccines? Ethical questions?

I will obviously know my application inside and out including personal statement and secondaries. Any other resources to help me prepare will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

P.S. Oh I also plan on some practice with my aunt who interviews for employment, not education.


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[tony101]

First, I can recommend this book to you: LOOK ON AMAZON
" The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty 1st Edition "
It was extremely helpful for me. Essentially all the questions asked at me thus far have been in this book.
Also gives directions of how to ask, what not to say, what to say in certain situations(to a point), etc.

2nd, practice like crazy, ask friends, family, even people who have never interviewed anyone in their life. Ask them how you did, did you seem confident? Were you smooth or anxious? Record yourself, see if you are going to fast, to slow, if you are serious when you shouldn't be, if you are laughing in wrong situations.

3rd: I have to stress this, when you give an answer, give an answer that feels unique and makes you stand out. Anyone can say "I love your school for X,Y and Z reasons posted on your website" but someone who truly stands out will connect to those reasons and explain it. The book helps a bit with that but I got many tips from a doctor I shadowed.

 

[Robracer89]

Use this!

 

[MrFixIt]

My local library offers help with getting jobs so they have some interview resources there too. Maybe check out one near you?

 

[Goro]

There are several YouTube videos on interviewing skills. There are also several cringe-worthy ones on what NOT to do at an interview.

Look over the interview feedback forum of SDN for type sof interview questions.

IF you know anyone who works in an HR context, ask them for advice.

You can also ask acquaintances to mock interview you. You hand them a pool of questions, they ask some.

I contacted some local schools about practice interviews, but no one really offers them. I haven't heard back from my premed advisor yet about a skype interview. What is the best way to practice then?

Are there any helpful YouTube videos or podcasts? What material should I study prior to the interviews? Topics such as affordable care act? Vaccines? Ethical questions?

I will obviously know my application inside and out including personal statement and secondaries. Any other resources to help me prepare will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

P.S. Oh I also plan on some practice with my aunt who interviews for employment, not education.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Go_Pokes_11]

Does your undergrad offer mock interviews for jobs? I went to my school's business department and asked them to sub their normal job interview questions for the questions my pre-health committee was going to ask and it served me just as well.

 

[Grey Storm]

.

 

[ghiblijiang]

Use this!

^. Also use https://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/index.html to prepare for bioethics questions.

 

[Dr. Souk]

Really like this video resource for MMI which I found through one of the other threads:

 

[Boxcar Social]

I contacted some local schools about practice interviews, but no one really offers them. I haven't heard back from my premed advisor yet about a skype interview. What is the best way to practice then?

Are there any helpful YouTube videos or podcasts? What material should I study prior to the interviews? Topics such as affordable care act? Vaccines? Ethical questions?

I will obviously know my application inside and out including personal statement and secondaries. Any other resources to help me prepare will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

P.S. Oh I also plan on some practice with my aunt who interviews for employment, not education.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

If you ask around the forms here you may get someone who has lots of experience to offer a Skype practice. Just a suggestion ...

 

[Dr. Souk]

If you ask around the forms here you may get someone who has lots of experience to offer a Skype practice. Just a suggestion ...

Have seen some people offer that up. Always worth asking - good suggestion Boxcar!

 

[edgerock24]

I've found that the best way to do well at an interview is not to have answers to questions entirely memorized, but simply to be able to act in a personable, yet professional way.

 

[Boxcar Social]

I've found that the best way to do well at an interview is not to have answers to questions entirely memorized, but simply to be able to act in a personable, yet professional way.

That sounds so simple right now, but it makes sense not to get too over complicated with preparations I guess. Just get so nervous before any type of assessment or interview!

 

[deleted831695]

To be perfectly honest, the biggest thing that helped me improve in interviews....was my first interview. In the actual moment, there were a number of things I reflected upon later where I had made mistakes or could have presented myself better. Unfortunately, that school happened to be among my top three choices. Luckily, it did help me be that much more comfortable and ready later for another of my top three, which is where I'm going now!

Anyway, for a standard interview, I found it useful, for a particular question, to first write down all that I wanted to say. I wouldn't memorize that, but it keeps the ideas in your head, and there might be a particular line that you would remember to say. Then I'd sit in front of a mirror, with a timer, and ran through a list of 10 high-yield questions. I recommend the day before the interview to revise through your primary/secondary applications and personal statement, because that recaps all your experiences and also provides well-crafted lines that you might be able to spit out for a question. Also, I'd make sure to at least go through the school website, and know its mission, values, and some basic facts.

 

[Dr. Souk]

To be perfectly honest, the biggest thing that helped me improve in interviews....was my first interview. In the actual moment, there were a number of things I reflected upon later where I had made mistakes or could have presented myself better. Unfortunately, that school happened to be among my top three choices. Luckily, it did help me be that much more comfortable and ready later for another of my top three, which is where I'm going now!

Anyway, for a standard interview, I found it useful, for a particular question, to first write down all that I wanted to say. I wouldn't memorize that, but it keeps the ideas in your head, and there might be a particular line that you would remember to say. Then I'd sit in front of a mirror, with a timer, and ran through a list of 10 high-yield questions. I recommend the day before the interview to revise through your primary/secondary applications and personal statement, because that recaps all your experiences and also provides well-crafted lines that you might be able to spit out for a question. Also, I'd make sure to at least go through the school website, and know its mission, values, and some basic facts.

Yeh it is really important to make sure you feel pretty immersed in the culture and values of the institution. Definitely know some people who forgot to really think about the school in question when preparing and they regretted it during their interview when these blind spots came through pretty strongly.

 

[el_duderino]

I'm just speaking for myself as a student who participates in MMI interviews.... I feel like I can tell the people who have practiced and rehearsed, and it turns me off. I end up trying to ask them unexpected questions or throw them off balance a little. What I'm looking for in the interview is for you to be yourself. I have less than 10 minutes to get a feel for what kind of human being you are, and I can't do that unless you're natural. More than once I've written something like "robotic, unable to connect" when someone feels to rehearsed and won't let loose a bit.

So if you want to practice, just practice being comfortable. Nerves can get in the way, certainly, and the best thing you can do is get over that. It should be a conversation.