In terms of helping or hurting you, the interview can do both, but to different levels. My opinion is that, a good interview will help you a little, but a bad interview will hurt you a lot. Think of it this way: You are like a cake. When you go to interview, the admissions committee is looking to confirm that you are what they want. They are checking to see if the cake is ready and looks good. Your individual talents/personality is the frosting or sprinkles or design that sets the cake apart from others. However, if they find your cake lacking in substance or taste, no matter how much frosting you put on it, no one will want to eat it.
So, how do you make sure you present your best, most tastiest cake? First and foremost, acknowledge that there is a great degree of luck involved. For example, on one interview, my interviewer and I had a lot in common. As a result, the interview flowed nicely from topic to topic, and we both had fun (at least I did). That was the luck factor; so much is dependent on who your interviewer is and how he/she is feeling that day, among other things. Don't despair though! You can still nail the interview by doing a few simple things.
1. Look nice. Make sure you are dressed nicely (suit is highly recommended) and well groomed. Medicine is fairly conservative (at least the interview part), so don't go overboard on make-up or fashion.
2. Be comfortable and relaxed. Okay, realistically you'll be pretty anxious; I was too. Just try not to let it show too much. Do some deep breathing exercises if you find yourself getting too worked up. And don't be afraid to take a second or two to think about a question before you respond. You want your sentences to be of substance; talking more doesn't necessarily mean better. Also, I recommend you wear your suit a couple times before your interview day. You can tell who is wearing a suit for the first time because they tend to look uncomfortable. So dress up to class or work a couple times to get used to the feel.
3. Be polite and positive. This goes without saying. Be polite to everyone, especially the staff and other interviewees. You never know when you are being observed...
4. Be passionate, be genuine, and know your application material. This is crucial. You will probably be asked about your application (some interviews are different, like the MMI). Make sure you can spend at least a few minutes talking about anything you mentioned. Most importantly, make sure you speak enthusiastically. Now, you don't want to go used-car-salesman on your interviewer, but make sure you convey a degree of excitement about the things you mentioned in your application. Look, everyone knows there is a great deal of scut work you have to do to get into med school. Just don't present that way. If you did research, talk about it. If you had a powerful experience volunteering or on a trip, explain how it impacted you so heavily. It's not the smartest, most accomplished people who get into medical school. It's the ones who show that they want it most, that they're willing to put in the effort to succeed. Make damn sure you get that point across.
5. Send a thank you note. For the love of all things good, write down the name of your interviewer(s) so you can send a thank you note. Often times you'll send it to the admissions office, and they can forward it to the person. Very important you do this. It doesn't have to be long (mine was a couple sentences saying thank you and mentioning a specific thing we talked about to make it seem less generic), but it's important you do this follow up.
You can find interview tips just by doing a simple Google search, so I encourage you to look up those general pointers. Honestly, the medical school interview is a lot of fun. It's the closest you'll be to getting into med school. You'll get to talk to students, find out about the curriculum, maybe even sit in on a lecture (if you get the option to stay with a student host, do it. It's way better than staying in a hotel. Just trust me on this one). The interview is the final hurdle you have to get over. There is essentially nothing left to do afterwards except wait for a decision. You can send update letters or interest letters to the school, but make sure you actually have something substantial to say. Avoid calling the office to see if a decision is made; you'll find out in due time. Most importantly, relax a bit. You got through it all! If all goes well, you'll get that beautiful, wonderful acceptance letter (and often phone call) in no time.
So remember, have fun. It's a long, tedious, stressful process, but if you stay positive and make the most of it, it'll reflect in your application, and good things will happen.
So, how do you make sure you present your best, most tastiest cake? First and foremost, acknowledge that there is a great degree of luck involved. For example, on one interview, my interviewer and I had a lot in common. As a result, the interview flowed nicely from topic to topic, and we both had fun (at least I did). That was the luck factor; so much is dependent on who your interviewer is and how he/she is feeling that day, among other things. Don't despair though! You can still nail the interview by doing a few simple things.
1. Look nice. Make sure you are dressed nicely (suit is highly recommended) and well groomed. Medicine is fairly conservative (at least the interview part), so don't go overboard on make-up or fashion.
2. Be comfortable and relaxed. Okay, realistically you'll be pretty anxious; I was too. Just try not to let it show too much. Do some deep breathing exercises if you find yourself getting too worked up. And don't be afraid to take a second or two to think about a question before you respond. You want your sentences to be of substance; talking more doesn't necessarily mean better. Also, I recommend you wear your suit a couple times before your interview day. You can tell who is wearing a suit for the first time because they tend to look uncomfortable. So dress up to class or work a couple times to get used to the feel.
3. Be polite and positive. This goes without saying. Be polite to everyone, especially the staff and other interviewees. You never know when you are being observed...
4. Be passionate, be genuine, and know your application material. This is crucial. You will probably be asked about your application (some interviews are different, like the MMI). Make sure you can spend at least a few minutes talking about anything you mentioned. Most importantly, make sure you speak enthusiastically. Now, you don't want to go used-car-salesman on your interviewer, but make sure you convey a degree of excitement about the things you mentioned in your application. Look, everyone knows there is a great deal of scut work you have to do to get into med school. Just don't present that way. If you did research, talk about it. If you had a powerful experience volunteering or on a trip, explain how it impacted you so heavily. It's not the smartest, most accomplished people who get into medical school. It's the ones who show that they want it most, that they're willing to put in the effort to succeed. Make damn sure you get that point across.
5. Send a thank you note. For the love of all things good, write down the name of your interviewer(s) so you can send a thank you note. Often times you'll send it to the admissions office, and they can forward it to the person. Very important you do this. It doesn't have to be long (mine was a couple sentences saying thank you and mentioning a specific thing we talked about to make it seem less generic), but it's important you do this follow up.
You can find interview tips just by doing a simple Google search, so I encourage you to look up those general pointers. Honestly, the medical school interview is a lot of fun. It's the closest you'll be to getting into med school. You'll get to talk to students, find out about the curriculum, maybe even sit in on a lecture (if you get the option to stay with a student host, do it. It's way better than staying in a hotel. Just trust me on this one). The interview is the final hurdle you have to get over. There is essentially nothing left to do afterwards except wait for a decision. You can send update letters or interest letters to the school, but make sure you actually have something substantial to say. Avoid calling the office to see if a decision is made; you'll find out in due time. Most importantly, relax a bit. You got through it all! If all goes well, you'll get that beautiful, wonderful acceptance letter (and often phone call) in no time.
So remember, have fun. It's a long, tedious, stressful process, but if you stay positive and make the most of it, it'll reflect in your application, and good things will happen.
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