An Applicant's Interview Attire Tips

An outstanding applicant of mine who will be attending a top medical school in New York City this fall offered the following tips based on her observations during interviews:

1) Interviews are like first dates. Do people ever go on first dates without any foundation? Always wear foundation.
2) Don't wear chunky, or multiple chunky rings.
3) Velvet jacket. Seriously?
4) Baggy suits. Bagginess went out of style in 1999. Nobody wears a 5 button suit anymore. Consult GQ style guide 2013 for pointers.
5) Texting while walking during interviews. Lame.


Many interviewers are not style mavens so most won't notice if you are wearing something that dates back to the 90s, however, it is important to look and act like a professional; be sure to turn off the mobile device, take off the black nail polish, and any over-the-top fashion accessories. 


What tips do you have?

Medical School and Residency Interviews: The Importance of Practice

It is essential that medical school and residency applicants practice interviewing. While it is fine to practice with friends and family, it is advisable to practice with someone who has actually served on a medical school admissions committee if you are applying to medical school or a residency admissions committee if you are applying to residency.

It is very important not to memorize your answers or to say things that you "think they want to hear." Being authentic and honest during your interviews is essential.

Members of the MedEdits class of 2010 already have medical school interview invitations. But, do not despair if you are not in this elite group. There are still many interview invitations to come and the season is just beginning.

If you are a residency applicant and need help with your written documents, please contact us soon. ERAS applications can be submitted on September 1st and it is ideal to submit as close to this date as possible.

Visit: MedEdits

Getting Into Residency

Read Dr. Freedman's article on the Student Doctor Network, "Getting Into Residency Part 2."

Should you follow-up with programs after an interview? How do you pick someone to write your letter of recommendation? What is appropriate to discuss at your interview? Should you go on second looks?

Click Here to read the full article.

Visit: www.MedEdits.com

Interview Day Tours and Lunches: How To Behave

Many clients ask me about how to behave on tours and lunches during interview days for medical school, residency and fellowship.

1) The bottom line is always be respectful. Whether it is a secretary, residency coordinator or the person who takes away the trash, it is essential to treat everyone well.

2) On tours, be front and center and pay attention. As a tour guide, I could always tell who was lingering, chatting or disinterested and who was really paying attention to what I said. While it is good to ask questions, don't dominate or interrupt the tour guide.

3) Demonstrate good table manners. If you are nervous, stay away from caffeine. Bring a breath mint for after your meal.

4) Be kind to the other applicants. Pretend you are in a fishbowl this day. If you are friendly and personable to all, this can only help you.

5) Read my blog entry on the dinner before the interview day. Click Here.

For advice and guidance on all aspects of the admissions process for medical school, residency and fellowship, visit: www.MedEdits.com.

Medical School Interviews: Tales From The Trail

Interviewer: "So, tell me how you feel about moving to city XXX."

Applicant: "Well. My first choice would be to go to medical school in my home state because that would be cheaper. If I don't get in there, I will consider my other options including moving to city XXX."

Wrong answer.

When visiting schools, read their websites and know, specifically, what about the school interests you. Medical schools are trying to not only recruit the best applicants but are also trying to recruit students who will be a good fit for their school.

Research the city you are visiting. You must convince your interviewer that you are enthusiastic about living in that city.

Never make a school seem like a second choice or your backup. If you do, you are likely to end up on the wait or rejection list.

For personalized help with interview preparation, visit www.MedEdits.com. We are proud of our clients this season who are having great success and will all be valuable members of the medical community in the near future.

Residency and Medical School Interviews: What To Take

I find that many medical school and residency clients are concerned about what they should take to interviews. Here are some tips:

1) Do not bring a backpack to carry around with you. It is too bulky.

2) If you are traveling and must bring a suitcase, this is acceptable. You can ask where to leave your luggage during your interview. It was commonplace, when I interviewed applicants, to have one or two people do this each day.

3) Bring a pen and folder or portfolio. You should take notes during program or school presentations so, be prepared. Most programs will give you folders with literature about the school/program. Do not take notes during your actual interview(s).

4) It is OK to bring a purse. Just make sure it is small and easy to carry.

5) Bring any recent publications or updates for your interviewers.

I can help you with interview preparation. Visit www.MedEdits.com to see how our clients are doing this season.

Medical School Interviews: Some Actual Questions

My medical school clients are having tremendous success this season. Click Here to see where they are interviewing.

If anyone would like to (confidentially) send me the questions they are asked on interviews, I would be happy to summarize and post these questions periodically on this blog. Email them to: info@mededits.com. Please include your name and email address.

Here are some actual questions my clients have been asked this season:

If you had a free day what would you do?
How do you achieve balance in your life?
Tell me a joke.
Teach me something.
What experience made you want to pursue medicine?
Why XXX school?
Who is your best friend?
What is the one thing you pursued on your own without the influence of your parents?
What is the one thing you tried really hard at but it didn't turn out as expected?
Do you have a part time job?
How do you remember everything you have to do?
How will you deal with debt?
Where have you traveled around the world?
What was your greatest challenge?
What is the last book you have read?
Where will you be in 10 years?
What would you do if you could not pursue a career in medicine?
Tell me about your research/clinical work/volunteer experience.
Why are there more women in medicine today?

MedEdits offers individualized preparation and advice for medical school, residency and fellowship interviews.

Visit: http://www.mededits.com/.

Residency: When Should I Interview?

"Dr. Freedman: When is the best time to schedule my interviews for residency?"

I have received this question numerous times even though interview season hasn't even begun! There is no perfect answer to this question and, if you ask 10 people, you will receive 10 different responses. There is one article in the literature that shows no correlation between interview date and rank position: Click Here to read the article.

If you have the luxury of choice, schedule one or two "safety program" interviews early in the season. It is my personal opinion to save the best for last. I always found it refreshing, especially at the end of a long interview season, to have a terrific applicant who was a pleasure to meet and interview. When we concluded our season and ranked applicants, it was easier to remember those applicants who interviewed later in the season and I was often "fuzzy" about applicants who interviewed in the middle of the season.

The bottom line: there is no magic formula here. Stay in touch with programs (especially those in which you are interested) so they don't forget you. Don't "can" or memorize responses for your interviews and do whatever you can to stay energetic throughout the season.

Visit: http://www.mededits.com/.

Client Snippet: Interview Attire

Clients ask me so many questions, many of which apply to a broad population. I have decided to post a weekly -- or possibly biweekly -- client question, concern or comment of interest.

This week, a very talented medical school applicant who already has interviews asked: "Dr. Freedman, I have heard that women should not bring purses or shoulder bags to interviews. Is this true?"

I am always amazed when I read admissions books that suggest women should only bring briefcases to interviews. I think this advice dates back to the 1940's and suggests that successful women should look (and act) like men. My suggestion is to bring whatever makes your comfortable. Colors are in this season. Be bold -- bring a red handbag. As long as your overall look is professional, there is no need to completely blend into the navy blue masses. Just be sure to bring a pen and a folder to hold any important documents.

MedEdits provides interview preparation for medical school, residency and fellowship.

Visit: http://www.mededits.com/

How are interviewees selected?

Understanding the process

The first step in navigating the medical admissions interview is to develop a clear understanding of the interview process. Knowing why you were selected for an interview and what will go on during your interview day minimizes surprises and leads to a calm state of mind and optimum performance.

How are interviewees selected?

For medical school admissions, application screenings are done by a wide range of people; medical students, attending physicians and basic scientists. For residency, one to three people, typically physicians on the residency staff, are responsible for screening all applications and deciding who should be invited for an interview. Some schools and programs have minimum cutoffs for grades and standardized test scores, and if you do not reach these levels your application does not even make it to the screening process. Some schools and programs assign “points” for everything: extracurricular activities, board scores, and letters of recommendation; you are invited for an interview only when your score meets a minimum number. More often, however, a great deal of subjectivity goes into the decision to invite an applicant for an interview. Even though bias does not exist in the ideal world, the screener’s personal interests and outlook often play a part in the review of your application--especially if you are a “borderline” applicant. For example, if reviewer A always had to struggle with board scores yet managed to succeed while reviewer B always had board scores in the top 5th percentile, reviewer A is much more likely than reviewer B to screen in an application with lower-than-average board scores.

The person reading your application might have years of admissions experience or he or she could be a novice, such as a medical student or current resident. Both the level of experience of the screener and their own biases and preferences often determine whether or not you are granted an interview. Also, although the person reading your application might have hours to peruse through all of your materials, it is more likely that she is tired and rushed and has a large pile of applications to review. If your application follows one that is more stellar, yours may pale in comparison. On the other hand, if the pile contains mostly mediocre-to-poor applications, yours may stand out.

For all of these reasons, making your application as distinctive as possible increases the likelihood you will be invited for an interview. If the application bores the person reading it, you will likely end up in the rejection pile. But you must also understand that there are many qualified applicants to both medical school and residency and that many steps in the selection process are out of your control. This is a difficult concept, especially for students who tend to be “type A” and relish control of their fate.

MedEdits can help your written materials stand out from the pile. Visit us: www.MedEdits.com