A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR FUTURE MED STUDENTS

READY FOR MED SCHOOL INTERVIEWS?

Medical school interview season has arrived! And while you may be thinking your application season is coming to a close it is actually just beginning.

Why are interviews even necessary?

After toiling for hours over applications, receiving an invitation to interview may feel like the end goal; but, it is truly the time you need to refocus. Interviews offer you the opportunity to tie up loose ends from your application as well as further explain certain aspects of your personal statement or past activities.

At the same time, an invitation to interview means medical schools want to meet you. They not only want to put a face to your name and application but also observe firsthand how well you fit into their institution and culture. So, here are five major tips to help you march into your interview with confidence and leave a good, lasting impression.

5 1 MAKE A LIST OF YOuR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

While most medical schools have transitioned to the multiple-mini interview or MMI format, many common questions are recycled from the one-on-one or group interview styles. And the strengths and weaknesses prompt is at the top of the list.

This question can be styled in several ways such as: a. What is your greatest strength? Greatest weakness? b. What are some of your strengths and how will they make you a good physician? c. How will you overcome your weaknesses to ensure success in medical school?

You never really know how this question will be posed, so plan ahead by making a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Keeping three strengths and three weaknesses in mind will give you plenty to discuss in your response.

THEY'RE A GAME CHANGER!

5 2 REFLECT YOuR PRODuEST MOMENT

Another great interview question to prepare for relates to your achievements. The interview prompt may inquire about your “proudest moment” or “greatest achievement.” Either way, you should be honest and humble as you answer. Talk about something you are truly proud of...not what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Some good examples could be learning to play an instrument, adopting a pet, earning a degree, being a caregiver to a relative, or making a difference in the life of a stranger.

3THINK ABOuT SOME OF YOuR GREATEST CHALLENGES

Medical school is challenging -- not just for its curriculum, but for all the distractions and demands of everyday life you must navigate as well. Facing those challenges without falling apart in the process comes only with practice. Therefore, interviewers like to hear about the challenges you have faced. It is entirely okay to share something personal here (i.e. a learning disability, death in the family, financial hardship); just do your best to avoid crying. Strive to convey at most two difficulties and how you overcame them while remaining composed.

5 4 CHECK YOuR BIASES

Cultural competency, diversity, and health equity have risen in importance to medical school programs in recent years. So, you surely can anticipate multiple questions regarding your exposures to diversity, views on access to healthcare, and even your innate biases. For instance, do you automatically visualize a nurse as a woman, a prisoner as a minority, or a disabled person in a wheelchair? Are you familiar with recent state and federal legislation affecting the LGBTQ+ community or undocumented immigrants?

5 5 DRESS THE PART

Last, but not least, make sure to dress the part of a professional student who will soon be a professional physician. In general, you will want to aim for clean, business casual with comfortable dress shoes.