Among the pivotal steps in the journey to becoming a doctor is the medical school interview. This intimidating and often daunting step is a golden opportunity to showcase your qualifications, passion, and readiness for a career in medicine. But what exactly does it entail?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss how to prepare for medical school interviews and provide tips and strategies for success. Join us and learn how to approach your interviews with confidence.
Understanding Medical School Interviews
Medical school interviews are a critical component of the admissions process, allowing your personality to shine through. Let’s delve into what makes medical school interviews important and how they’re formatted.
Importance of medical school interviews
The main objective of medical school interviews is to allow the admissions committee to know you as an individual beyond your application. Therefore, they use interviews to determine if you can communicate well, think under pressure, show compassion, demonstrate resilience, and display professionalism. The admissions committee can conclude whether you possess the traits needed to become a doctor by assessing your character and personality traits. These interviews are also a chance to learn more about the school you’re applying to, allowing you to make an informed decision about your future.
Types of medical school interviews
There are three main types of medical school interviews, such as:
- Traditional interview: In a traditional interview, you interact with a panel of one to three people. The committee members ask questions to understand your personality and motivation for practicing medicine.
- Multiple mini interview (MMI): This type of interview is becoming increasingly popular. It usually includes six to ten interview stations, each with a different interviewer focusing on a specific question or scenario. During the interview, you have about five minutes at each station to answer the question or solve the problem before moving to the next station.
- Group interview: In this interview, you participate with multiple applicants at once. This type is used to assess your interpersonal competencies and problem-solving skills.
How to Prepare for a Medical School Interview?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on preparing for medical school interviews.
1. Research the school
The first thing you need to do to prepare for medical school interviews is to research the schools that have invited you. Start by reviewing the school’s mission statement to ensure it aligns with your values and goals. Additionally, look into the program’s curriculum to understand what aspects appeal to you, such as clinical rotations, student research projects, and other qualities.
2. Review your application
The interviewers will go through the documents you’ve submitted during your medical school applications and ask questions based on the information you provided. Therefore, failing to review your application and forgetting details can be a significant pitfall. Make sure to thoroughly review your application and be prepared to discuss your:
- Academic background
- Employment and research experience
- Extracurricular and leisure activities
- Views on medical problems and other ethical issues
- Reasons for wanting to become a physician
3. Practice common interview questions
It is essential to go through multiple rounds of mock interviews before your actual interview. You can practice with your premed advisor, a medical school admissions consultant, or a friend who has successfully gone through the process. While practicing for a long time is beneficial, knowing how to strategically answer questions is crucial. So, when answering questions, make sure to:
- Be consistent with what you wrote on your application
- Take a firm position on an issue when necessary
- Directly address the question
- Make appropriate eye contact and use proper tone and speech volume.
Some of the most common interview questions you should prepare include:
- “Tell me about yourself.”
- “Why do you want to become a physician?”
- “Why do you want to attend our school?”
- “What do you see as the biggest problem with healthcare in the U.S.?”
- “What is your greatest strength?”
- “Where do you see yourself in 5/10/15 years?”
4. Be ready for ethical dilemmas
You should also be ready to handle ethical scenarios and provide resources for ethical dilemma practice. When answering ethical questions, try to apply the four pillars of ethics:
- Patient autonomy: Does the situation show respect for the patient and their right to make decisions?
- Justice: Are there consequences for the broader community?
- Non-maleficence: Does it harm the patient?
- Beneficence: Does it benefit the patient?
You can expect to be questioned on subjects like euthanasia, abortion, or stem cell research. Keep in mind that interviewers will judge your ability to make a coherent and informed decision rather than sharing your personal stance.
5. Research behavioral interviewing
Behavioral interviews are a type of interview that focuses on your past experiences to assess how you’ve navigated specific situations. To ace a behavioral interview, you should:
- Come prepared with examples of your past experiences
- Use the STARR (situation, task, action, result, reflection) format to demonstrate your experiences
- Speak strongly, confidently, and clearly while remaining aware of your body language
- Ask questions if you need clarity on a prompt or have a question you’d love to explore further.
6. Prepare questions for your interviewers
At the end of the interview, you’ll have the opportunity to ask the interviewer some questions. Therefore, you should have at least three questions ready for them to show genuine interest and gather information. For example, you can ask about:
- Specific opportunities, e.g., “Could you tell me more about the physician-scientist training program?”
- Advice about navigating medical school, e.g., “Drawing from your extensive experience, could you share the typical challenges first-year students face and offer advice for newcomers like myself?”
Other example questions to ask your interviewer include:
- “What stress management resources do you offer for students?”
- “What research opportunities are available for students?”
- “Can you tell me more about diversity and the culture of your institution?”
7. Dress professionally
Remember that first impressions matter, so you must dress appropriately to make a professional impression. Choose a well-fitted suit or a conservative dress with a blazer. Stick to neutral colors like black, gray, or navy, and make sure your clothes are clean, wrinkle-free, and in good condition. Avoid any distracting patterns, accessories, or strong scents. Keep your hair neatly styled, and make sure your nails and facial hair are well-groomed. Also, wear comfortable closed-toed shoes since you’ll likely be walking around the campus.
8. Arrive early and stay calm
While you may have spent several weeks preparing for medical school interviews, it can all go to waste if you’re not punctual on the interview day. Arriving early for the interview demonstrates your professionalism, reliability, and respect for the interviewer’s time. It also allows you to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and get comfortable.
Moreover, during the interview, you should stay calm and composed to display your ability to handle stress and pressure, which are essential qualities of a medical professional. This will also show that you can maintain your poise and think clearly in challenging situations.
Tips for a Successful Medical School Interview
Let’s explore some helpful tips to excel in your interviews. These tips can boost your confidence and preparation, improving your performance and chances of success.
Be yourself
Authenticity is crucial. Therefore, you should be honest and let your true personality and motivations show through. Since much of your interview is about finding a good personality fit, if you’re a funny person, feel free to insert some humor as you answer questions. Also, avoid giving the answers you think the interviewers want to hear and focus on answering questions genuinely.
Demonstrate empathy
Empathy is essential for building trust and addressing patients’ concerns and fears. It is a crucial aspect of patient care and is important for demonstrating your readiness to become a doctor. During the interview, you can showcase empathy by sharing specific examples of situations where you have demonstrated empathy skills through volunteer work, clinical experiences, or personal interactions. It’s important to highlight relevant experiences and emphasize the positive impact of your empathy skills.
Follow-up with thank-you notes
Unless the school has a policy explicitly asking students not to send thank-you notes, you should send one to every person who interviewed you within 48 hours. In your note, remember to mention any advice or guidance they provided and briefly include what you discussed during the interview.
By sending a thank-you note, you show appreciation for the interviewer’s time and consideration. It also serves as a reminder of your candidacy and professionalism.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for medical school interviews can seem daunting, but with the right approach and thorough preparation, you can present yourself as a strong, confident candidate. Be sure to research the schools, practice questions, be ready for ethical dilemmas, and more to take interviews by storm.
While it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, as you step into each interview room, let your passion for medicine and commitment to making a difference shine through. Take the first step today and start exploring where you see yourself setting the foundations of medical education.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long do people prepare for med school interviews?
In general, students take eight to 12 weeks to prepare for medical school interviews. This period will give you ample time to prepare for the different interview formats and questions.
How many interview invites does the average med school applicant get?
On average, students can expect to receive 2.5 interviews in a medicine application cycle. However, the exact number depends on factors such as your GPA, MCAT scores, and the school’s admissions process.
Can you get into med school with a 2.5 GPA?
While it may be challenging, you can get into medical school with a 2.5 GPA. To increase your chances of admission, you should apply to medical schools that take a holistic approach during the admissions process and focus on your clinical experiences and character traits.
What not to say in a medical school interview?
You shouldn’t say anything that would make you sound ambivalent about your career path in medicine, and you don’t want to appear unprofessional and dishonest. So, during your medical school interviews, you must avoid saying things like:
- “I don’t mind which medical school I get into.”
- “I don’t have any questions for you.”
- “I’m not sure why I want to be a doctor.”
- “I don’t remember writing that on my personal statement.”
- “My parents want me to be a doctor.”