Well, I have reached the end of the semester, which means that I finally have a moment to breathe. This semester was fundamentally different than any other semester of college because in addition to taking classes, I was also attending medical school interviews. Interviews can be really intimidating and exhausting, but I’m here to share with you some tips to help the process be as positive as possible.
Common Interview Information
In general, medical school interview season occurs after you have submitted your primary and secondary applications for medical school (I can write more about those in spring once applications start coming out). The season is generally from late August to mid-February. Most schools require you to travel to the university for the interview, and you must finance everything from the flights, places to stay, meals, etc. The interview day itself can be a few hours to a full day of events. While each school is unique, a typical interview day includes the interview portion, lunch, a tour, and informational talks about the school. The interview styles can also vary. I have had traditional one-on-one interviews mostly, but other schools have committee interviews or MMI’s (multiple mini interviews). Since I have only experienced traditional interviews, my tips will be geared towards the traditional style. However, there are many online resources for MMI’s if you are interested in that.
How to Prepare Beforehand?
If you get an email for an interview invitation, congratulations! It is extremely exciting, and if you got an interview, you are roughly in the top 10% of applicants. In the email, they should tell you the schedule of the day. They will also inform you if the interview is an MMI. If it doesn’t state any particular interview style, I would assume it is a traditional interview. Some schools also offer a student host program where medical students offer to host interviewees for a night or two. I would highly recommend inquiring about such programs because it will save you a ton of money. It also provides you with an opportunity to ask a current medical student any questions about the school.
Now that you know the logistics of your interview, you need to prepare for the questions your interviewer may ask you. Again, with a simple google search, you can find hundreds of interview questions. Most of the questions I received were about myself and what I put on my application, but other questions are more geared towards ethical scenarios or current healthcare issues. For the ethical and healthcare questions, I would recommend staying up to date with current events. I love to read the Skimm, listen to the Daily, and use Google News.
As for personal interview questions, the most common questions are:
- Tell me about yourself
- Why medicine?
- What are your strengths/weaknesses?
- Why this medical school?
- Why should we pick you?
- More vulnerable questions like when was a time you failed/made a mistake? When did you need to ask another person for help?
Know these questions! I would not recommend typing answers to any of them, but take time to reflect about yourself and try to outline a complete answer for these questions. The key with these questions is to concisely answer the question, while still showing who you are as a person. For example, when I answered the “Tell me about yourself” question, I mentioned my studies both at my college and abroad in Quito. I talked about my interests like hiking and reading, but I also mentioned my passion for serving vulnerable youth. There is no perfect answer or even a perfect format to answer a particular question. Just think about what makes you, you.
My last tip is to review all the activities you added to your AMCAS application, and know those well. Many of my interviewers asked questions about my volunteer experience, research, etc. It is crucial to articulate why those 10-15 activites on your application are important to you. I would go through your activities list one by one, and online what each activity reveals about you. For example, three activities I listed on my application were my work as a Med Tech, my research experience, and hiking. For each activity, I jotted down some key points for why that activity was important.
- Med Tech
- work as a team
- communicate between resident, family, and doctor
- form relationships with residents
- deal with stressful situations
- Research
- form a strong mentor relationship with my research professor
- learn from mistakes
- learn new lab techniques
- Hiking
- explore and appreciate nature
- challenge my mind and body
What to Pack
This is not an all-inclusive list, but here are some items that I thought were useful.
- A suit you are confident in
- For women specifically, there are many interview attire options. Wear what you feel comfortable and confident in! I personally found a navy blue blazer and pencil skirt from Ann Taylor that I loved, but you can certainly wear pants. Other people advised me to stick with neutral colors, so I normally wore a white blouse with my suit. However, I occasionally wore a maroon blouse, and I was just fine. I believe that you can show your personality with your outfit, as long as you look polished.
- Shoes that you are comfortable in (You walk around a lot!)
- I wore black heels for my interview and changed into black flats for the campus tour.
- Portable steamer (I used this one from Amazon, it worked pretty well.)
- A larger tote bag to carry essential items (I bought a simple black bag from Target, nothing fancy.) In my bag, I brought the following items:
- A mini first aid kit for when you wear heels and get blisters (even though you were told to wear comfortable shoes)
- Lint Roller
- Ped and Padfolio (You can get a cheap one from Target or Walmart)
- Snack and a Water Bottle (A “light breakfast” truly is light. Always be prepared with snacks.)
Tips for Interview Day
On interview day, try to relax. It’s good to remember that at this point, both you and the school are trying to judge if you are a mutual fit for each other. The school already sees your potential because you are here for an interview. On your interview day, simply be open-minded to everything you learn about the medical school. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions both during your interview and throughout the day. This is your opportunity to learn about the school, the city, student life, etc. Finally, chat with the other interviewees. For all you know, some of these people could be your future classmates.
After the Interview
After the interview, I would take a little bit of time to reflect about what you liked and disliked about the school. It may be 6-10 weeks before you hear a decision from them, and if you get in, you may have forgotten parts of your interview experience. If you jot some notes down right after the interview, it will be easier once it’s time to start deciding where to go to medical school. Finally, ALWAYS send a thank you unless the school specifically says not to. I always preferred to send a handwritten thank you if that option was available. However, I know that many people sent thank you emails, or uploaded a typed thank you note onto their online communication portal for the school. Either way, it is important to craft a personable thank you so that your interviewers can remember who you are. I always liked to reference some of the discussions we had during my interview to help jog their memory. Writing a nice thank you note really shows that you are interested in the school, so I would highly recommend doing this step.
In summary, on interview day, be yourself and be confident. All the interviewees are coming with different backgrounds and stories. I remember feeling slightly insecure because I am only a senior in college, whereas some other applicants were older with a lot more life experience. It’s crucial to remember that the admissions committee picked you to interview for a specific reason. They see your unique potential. Therefore, be confident in the stories that you have to share. I think if you are genuine, candid, and humble (yet still confident), you will have a great interview day. Good luck, and comment down below with any other questions!
Peace,
Hannah
Curiosity and a Cat 