How to interview at a medical school? What should you prepare before going?

Preparing for the Medical School Interview

He is a clinical anesthesiologist and practicing anesthesiologist at the University of California, San Diego. He urges pre-med students to be prepared to facilitate their medical school interviews. "They should know exactly who they are and what they can offer medical schools," he said.

While anxiety is normal and it's understandable for prospective medical students to feel uncomfortable during the interview process, they should appear confident and maintain good eye contact with the interviewer, admissions experts say. They can reduce their worries by realizing that medical schools are genuinely interested in learning more about themselves. “Always remember, you are the one who knows yourself best,” says Lamine Songk, co-founder of White Coat Admissions Strategy Consulting and an MBA student at the University of Pennsylvania.

A great way to prepare premed students for medical school interviews is to have friends and relatives read their applications and ask questions, suggests Inoue Enko. Another valuable form of interview preparation is looking for explanations of bioethical principles, since medical school interviewers often ask applicants how they would solve various medical dilemmas, he said.

Types of Medical School Interviews

Admissions experts say there are significant differences between the types of interviews medical schools offer. Many schools use traditional interviews in which applicants detail their personal qualifications and experience. Other schools conduct many mini-interviews where they ask students to talk about how they would respond to various situations if they were a health care provider. Dr. Karen Murray, associate dean for admissions at New York Medical College, said her medical school uses a variety of mini-interviews, or MMIs, to gain insight into how potential students think and how they handle difficult situations.

One advantage of the MMI interview format, Murray said, is that it allows premed students to meet with several people, meaning failure to meet one person may be less likely to impact a student's interview performance. Valerie Parkas, Ph.D., senior associate dean for admissions and recruitment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and an associate professor at the school, said it's important for premed students to know in advance what types of interviews their school will offer. is important so that they show up with the right attitude.

However, regardless of the type of interview, prospective medical students need to arrive on time and thoroughly research the school's mission and programs in advance, Parkas said. She added that pre-med students may also want to read about current events and pressing medical issues, such as the coronavirus outbreak, before going into interviews so that they can discuss them in an informed and informed manner. Parkas recommends that prospective medical students’ life goals align with the mission of their intended medical school. For example, students who are interested in rural medicine and apply to a school that focuses on training rural doctors may consider emphasizing this point in the interview.

Mistakes to Avoid in Medical School Interviews

One major mistake that pre-med students should never make during a medical school interview is to appear arrogant. Premed students should speak humbly and be prepared to answer questions about occasions where they failed, Parkas said. Because medical school is difficult and the medical profession is demanding, medical admissions officers want to confirm that students have successfully dealt with adversity before admitting them, Parkas explained.

Bilal Navid, M.D., is a student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a member of the M.D. Admissions committees urge premed students not to become "defensive" when asked challenging questions. It's critical for premed students to acknowledge their limitations when appropriate, he said. "It's the sign of a good doctor to admit you're wrong, admit what you don't know, and ask for help," Navid wrote in an email. "Remember, if a doctor doesn't ask for help when they need it, help, patients may suffer."

Naveed, co-founder and chief operating officer of Clearstep, a Chicago-based consumer health platform, also warned that excessive competition for other potential students would not be viewed favorably. manner.