Friday, July 25, 2008
Medical School Interviews
- The Admissions Committee’s Task
In order to choose the applicants who will make the best doctors, one must first know what makes a good doctor. Unfortunately, nobody really knows which qualities are most important in a doctor. No two people will agree on the qualities most essential in a physician. Admission committees usually consist of faculty of diverse background, office and motivation. They included clinicians, researchers, administrators and medical students. - The Evaluation Process
It is important to understand that each school has its own system, policies and personality. Review techniques vary greatly from school to school, and few administrators or committee members even know what interview procedures other institutions use. If you request it, some schools’ admissions offices will provide more specific information about their interview procedure.
Screening: Once a school receives all required application information, the file is submitted to the admissions committee. Anywhere from one to five committee members scan each application and place it in one of several categories, which will usually include “call for interview”, “hold for further review”, and “reject”. Those in the “hold” category may be shelved until all the applicants have been scanned, and a certain number chosen to fill out the school’s interviewing schedule. This “shelving” may last up to several months. - The Interviews
Once you are granted an interview, you are assured a more thorough and fair evaluation by the entire committee. Schools employ one or all of the following interview types:
Open-file interview: The faculty interviewer has access to the entire application file during and/or before the interview. Certain schools allow only admissions committee members to interview; some also use academic faculty and participating physicians.
Closed file interview: Here the interviewer knows nothing about the applicant beforehand other than his/her name, if that. The idea here is to remove bias based on information in the file. This interview is likely to be more easy-going. You will probably have more control over the direction of the discussion. The interviewer may very well lean back and say, “Well Mr./Ms. X, tell me about yourself”.
Student interview: Here the interviewer is a medical student (often first-year), who has volunteered to interview applicants. This interview may carry less weight with some committee members, but it is also a way to expose the applicant to the school. Keep in mind that the student interviewer is a good source of information about student life at the school.
Most schools use at least two of the above formats for each applicant. This is an attempt to look at the interviewee from more than one angle so that several opinions can be correlated. Most schools also supply the interviewers a form to complete for each applicant. This form specifics characteristics to be explored and provides room for an overall assessment. - What Are They Looking For?
Motivation: Why do you want to become a doctor? What, and who influenced this decision? What activities or accomplishments indicate your interest in medicine? How have you demonstrated self-motivation in other aspects of your life?
Logical Thought: Do you tackle novel problems in a logical, step-by-step fashion? Do you recognize the consequences of each step and understand more than one side of the problem? The interviewer is likely to present a hypothetical problem having no right answer. For example: Can you devise a strategy for dealing with the problem of child abuse? The idea is to see how you can think on your feet. The nature of the solution doesn’t matter as long as you arrive at it in a logical fashion and can support your ideas.
Extracurricular Activities: What have you done besides study a lot? This subject may have been covered superficially in the supplementary application. Depth of involvement is the key now. The interviewer will prefer details on one or two activities in which you were very involved, rather than a huge list of superficial interests. What did you learn? How did the activity change you? What did you add to the organization?
Leadership: This usually relates to the extracurricular topic, what experiences have you had leading large or small groups of people? Did you enjoy the responsibility or, at least handle it well? What did you learn about people, situations, and yourself. What did you contribute as an organization’s leader?
Maturity: What major decisions have you made on your own? What responsibilities have you had? How did you solve a difficult problem in your life? What have you learned by dealing with problems or disappointments in the past?
Preparedness: Do you know what you are getting into? Are you familiar with the med student’s and doctor’s lifestyles? Where did you get your information? Are you ready to commit yourself to a career in medicine at this time?
Open-mindedness: Do you see both sides of a problem regardless of your personal opinion? Are you willing to change your mind if you learn more about a situation? The interviewer may challenge your opinion to see how you react as well as how you support your side.
Sensitivity and Compassion: Anyone can say he or she is compassionate; can you prove it? How have you shown your sensitivity to others’ problems?
Goals: What are your ultimate goals or dreams? They may or may not be related to your career in medicine. What have you done to reach them?
Weaknesses and Strengths: What are your faults and weaknesses and how do you overcome them? What do you think you’re best at? What are your personal interests and talents? How will you use your unique set of talents and skills to contribute to healthcare?
Knowledge of the Field: Are you familiar with current controversies in medicine? What are your opinions on these subjects? Realize that the interviewers do not simply want you to agree with them. They want to see how you support your position. - How to Prepare
The purpose of preparation is not to study all the questions that might be asked and then rehearse a good answer for each. The purpose is to think about yourself and how you relate to your chosen career. In this way, you will be prepared to answer any question accurately and spontaneously. Now is the time for some careful soul-searching.
Delve into your past and try to understand all the factors that influenced your decisions and goals in medicine. How were your attitudes and abilities shaped by your experiences? What are your opinions on current issues that interest you? Explore those feelings and motivations that the interviewer might not like. You’ll have time to figure out how to present these ideas in a positive light, rather than being put on the spot about them at the interview.
To really learn about yourself, you must put pen to paper – write your ideas down. We all have many reasons for wanting to be a doctor floating around in our heads, but it is impossible to think of them all at once and express them clearly. Writing helps you organize your thoughts. It also prepares you to express yourself in the most articulate manner during your interview. Be prepared to discuss problems in your file such as bad grades or inconsistencies. Know how and why you made mistakes and most importantly, what you learned from them.
Also, familiarize yourself with current medical controversies and issues, and get to know the school and the specific program to which you are applying. Most schools have a lot of program information on their web site. - How to Perform
If you have prepared for the interview adequately, the best advice may truly be, “just relax and be yourself”. The following suggestions are not a rigid guide to interview technique. They are meant to inform you of what to expect as well as to steer you away from tactics you might think necessary, even though they are unnatural for you (such as excessive eye contact or aggressiveness).
First, realize that the interview is a conversation, a one-sided one perhaps, but all rules of good conversation apply. You must listen as thoughtfully as you speak. Make sure you understand questions fully; if you don’t, just ask for a restatement. Also, interviewers don’t want you to mold your personality to what you think they would like. Stick to your own convictions; remember, interviewers don’t care what your opinions are as long as you can support them.
Have a relaxed attitude at the interview. Undoubtedly, you honestly feel you are competent to be a fine physician, if you didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be applying at all. Have confidence in this self-assessment. You are in reality competing for acceptance, but you don’t need to compete now. All your homeruns have already been scored, and your errors have been made. Your job now is simply to recap the game, emphasizing your best plays.
Expect the unexpected. You will undoubtedly be asked a question you do not have a good answer for. Don’t be afraid to stop and think about it for a minute. If you can’t come up with a good answer, say so. Don’t try to talk about something you know nothing about. The interviewer doesn’t expect you to know all about everything, and certainly will not hold it against you if you admit your ignorance and ask to talk about something else.
A standard business suit is the usual interviewing attire for both men and women. Consider your attire a form of self-expression. It should project that part of your personality which you would want a patient to perceive if you were to introduce your self as his/her physician. - Related Web Sites to Explore
www.interviewfeedback.com
www.aamc.org
www.healthcaresource.com
www.medforum.com
www.medsearch.com
www.chemistry.com
www.medicalschool.com
www.accepted.com/medical
www.bestpremed.com
www.studentdoctor.net
www.mymedline.com/premed/index.php3
