Nine current interns and residents in the Department of Medicine at Stanford were present on one or both evenings to answer questions and impart their wisdom on the topic of interviewing at medicine programs.
The general concensus of the "experts" was to keep three things in mind:
We also provide some questions they may ask you along with questions for you to ask them and a checklist of what may be important to you and/or your family in making this important decision.
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Remember your accomplishments and how far you've come! You're graduating from one of the best medical schools in the world. You will bring a great deal to their program. |
Worry! You will be judged based upon your credentials and qualifications, not on your interview. The interview won't make or break your acceptance to a program. |
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Be yourself: confident, comfortable, genuine, and courteous -- all day long. You'll have a name tag on all day, and people will take some note of you. |
Give into the temptation to let your guard down and share "dirt" about any program or anyone; you never know who's listening (and maybe even taking notes)! |
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Enjoy it! You're traveling to world-famous programs with fantastic faculty. Attend conferences, rounds, report, and journal club even if they're not on the interview schedule. You may meet people you've read about for years, and will probably learn something besides. |
Leave early. You've come all this way for the interview anyway, so what's another half hour or so. Stay for the closing remarks; there may be only 2 or 3 of you and you'll both make a good impression and probably have a great chance to speak informally with the program director. |
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Remember the primary purpose of the interview: it's a chance for the institution to recruit you and put a "face to the file". Your job is to learn as much about the program as you need to decide, not to sell them on how wonderful you are. |
Make too strong an impression. The goal is to blend in with other applicants and leave a positive impression (which doesn't have to be a lasting one). Don't try too hard to do this, though -- it'll be obvious. |
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Stay a second day or schedule a return interview if you're really serious about a program. |
Limit yourself to a small number of interviews, if you can avoid it. You'll gain calm and confidence with each interview. |
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Take notes all day long, then review your notes and write up a summary at the end of the day. By interview #3 or 4 they may become indistinguishable, and by the end of your interviews it will be impossible to remember important details. |
Be afraid you'll be treated differently if you're applying to preliminary medicine. They know that's what you're doing, you're not trying to pull one over on them. What they most want to know now is that you'll work hard for them during that one year! |
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Talk to lots of people, especially housestaff, one-on-one. This was considered to be most important. Your best sources of honest feedback may be former Stanford students who are at that institution. Ask them why they chose that particular program over others. |
Forget your mom's advice: get plenty of rest, eat right, and take your vitamins. No matter how great you really are, and how wonderful the program is, your interviews will drag by if you're sick or falling asleep. |
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If someone offers, take down their pager or telephone number and call them later. It may help you at decision-making time. |
Try to be the candidate you think they're looking for. This can only backfire on you. To thine own [wonderful] self be true! |
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Avoid burnout! Plan carefully and wisely. |
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Take breaks if you need them; even if it means missing the ER tour, step outside for 30 minutes to get some fresh air. It's better to skip something non-essential than to fall (or look) asleep later. |
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Interview with friends when possible. You can share some costs and have someone with whom to check out the local hot spots. |
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Find out in advance, if possible, how to pronounce the names of people with whom you'll interview. |
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Before you go for any interviews, do a careful self-assessment first. What's important to you in a program or city you choose? Prepare a checklist. |
Leave that day until all your questions have been answered and you know all you need to know about the program to make a decision. |
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Stay with a resident in the program, if this is offered. It may be a great opportunity to get "inside" info. |
Forget the administrative assistants: they do a lot of work during interview season and are very powerful. Bringing flowers or gifts is way over the line, but acknowledging their hard work can go a long way. |
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Review information on your CV and personal statement on the plane and again each morning of an interview. |
Schedule 5 or 6 interviews in a row -- can you say "burnout"? |
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Prepare to discuss your interests. Many programs have "matched interviews", where your interviewers will share interests with you. |
Schedule the best programs as your first interviews; schedule them instead between halfway and two-thirds through your interviews. Early interviews are a good way to "break in" your interview style and gain confidence. You may be exhausted by the later interviews. |
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Anticipate possible questions. Clear ideas and well-thought-out responses will impress interviewers most. |
Worry about questions they'll ask you -- just prepare for them. They won't present a patient to you for differential diagnosis! |
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Bring a folder to hold all the materials given you during the interview day. |
Re-tell your life's story at the interview. They will have reviewed your files (often very carefully) before the interview. |
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Bring copies of your CV, personal statement, and publications with you to each program. |
Ask trite questions at the interview (e.g., how the HIV+ population affects San Francisco hospitals). Remem-ber how many hundreds of interviews they're doing this year and let others ask the obvious and trite. Prepare good questions and you'll be remembered positively. |
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Dress up, but dress conservatively: the goal is to blend in with other applicants. Today is not the day to make a fashion statement with your yellow suit or stilettos. |
Discuss your interview schedule with other applicants on interview day, no matter how tempting it may be. You don't need to spend your time there talking about other programs! You're there to learn about that program. |
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Prepare several questions to ask them at the interview. This was universally the toughest part of interview-ing. Some people may only ask you "So, what do you want to know?" |
Share or spread gossip about Stanford or other programs during the interview. This shouldn't need an explanation. |
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Send post-interview thank-you notes, if that's your style, to anyone who made a special effort for you on interview day. Don't send one to everyone you met with, and especially don't send the same letter to everyone (they end up in the same file). Personalize it: include something from the conversation in your note. Not sending a thank-you, though, will not be interpreted as lack of interest; do it only if there's something you really want to thank them for, and only if it's your style anyway (not a bad habit to get into, by the way). |
Worry about interviewing too early in their schedule. Most programs will (and should) review all applicants after interviews are completed. If you've made a positive impression on those you met, they'll remember you as they review your file and see your photo. There doesn't seem to be a distinct advantage to being one of the last people they interview. And remember, just as you'll be drained after completing 8 or 10 interviews, imagine how weary they'll be after hundreds! |
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Know the program. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Read their brochures, listen to their presentations, ask lots of questions (it shows you're interested). Ask them questions based on general info. they've presented. |
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Direct (gently!) the dialogue if you're asked for questions. Ask open questions. If the interviewer talks a lot, s/he'll remember the interview as going very well. |
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Find a way to separate yourself from other candidates: be very clear about goals and plan (e.g., specialty) and support these choices well. |
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Read Getting Into A Residency: A Guide For Medical Students, 4th ed. by Kenneth V. Iserson, M.D. Tucson, Galen Press Ltd., 1996. Lane Library Reserves, R840.I78 1996. |
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Keep a checklist of important aspects of each program. Consider what's important to your significant other and/or family as well. |
Rank a program if you're not planning or expecting to go there. If you rank it, it will come (or something to that effect). |
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Go with your "gut" as you decide which programs are the best "fit" for you. If you (and yours) will not be comfortable there for 1-3 years, the program is not for you, regardless of how "great" the program is. |
Let a "name" be the deciding factor. The bottom line is quality of life: can you and your family be happy there for 1-3 years? |
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Most likely, you will be presented with a choice of several equally strong programs. Consider everything, but go with the best "fit". |
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Keep in mind that the "personality" of the program comes from the very top down. |
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Consider programs outside the "A list". For example, UVA is very similar to Stanford. Dr. Sergent extended a compelling invitation to Vanderbilt. |
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Check out other types of programs to confirm your decision. For example, if you're convinced you only want to consider large academic institutions, investigate a small community program -- you may be surprised. |
Why are you applying to our program?
Why have you chosen primary care over internal medicine?
What do you do when you're not in the hospital?
What's the last book you read?
What's the last scientific article you read? (keep in mind that a true learner is always reading)
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
How do you make important decisions?
What will be the toughest aspect of this specialty?
What is your energy level like?
How well do you function under pressure?
So, you're on the Admissions Committee for the medical school. How do you choose from among the applicants? (this is a good question to turn around on them: how do they choose?)
What are your goals at this time? (Remember, you're not locked into anything! The idea is more that you have a clear plan that you can discuss and justify. Academics is a good answer.)
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
How would you run a managed care system? (read the latest NEJM article so you know something about them!)
How do you view the future of internal medicine (primary care, etc.)?
How would you deal with this ethical situation . . . ?
How would you deal with this difficult patient . . . ?
How would you solve the current problems of research funding?
If you could be any cell in the human body, which would you choose to be, and why?
If your house was burning, what 3 objects would you save?
How would you solve the Bosnia (or Middle East) crisis?
If you were President, and had $1 million to spend on either programs for the very old or for newborns, and you can't split the money, where would you spend it?
Teach me something non-medical in 5 minutes.
It is NOT LEGAL to ask specific questions about your marital status, age, or plans for children! How will you deal with it when they do ask?
ATTRIBUTES THEY'RE LOOKING FOR:
Personal: enthusiasm, motivation/initiative, communication skills, chemistry, energy, determination, confidence, humility
Professional: reliability, honesty/integrity, pride, dedication, analytical skills, listening skills
Ask about specific strengths of the program (e.g., the strong teaching focus at Stanford).
Ask about internal medicine as a career. Internal medicine has a rich history; internists are proud of their profession and will welcome the opportunity to discuss it.
Ask about the (?changing/?developing) role of hospitalists.
Ask about impending or rumored changes in the program (e.g., program director changing, new chair coming, hospitals merging). (keep in mind that change is not necessarily bad)
Ask them to give or show specific examples of their answers.
Where are your graduates (both geographically and in what types of jobs)?
How have your graduates done on specialty board exams?
Is there much faculty turnover?
Are there non-clinical responsibilities?
Are there research opportunities?
Is there administrative training?
What type of resident evaluations are done? How often? By whom?
Do you anticipate changes in the program's curriculum?
Is this a pyramidal program?
Have any housestaff left your program?
Do you help your graduates find jobs?
QUESTIONS FOR RESIDENTS:
What contact will I have with clinical faculty?
How much didactic time is there? Does it have priority?
What types of clinical experiences will I have?
Will I have time to read?
What support staff is available.
What is the call schedule?
What is the patient population I will see?
Do the residents socialize as a group?
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IMPORTANT |
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geographic location |
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job market |
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schools |
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cultural life |
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cost of housing |
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moonlighting opportunities |
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distance from friends/family |
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hospitals within program |
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research opportunities |
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opportunities to teach |
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autonomy vs. close supervision |
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collegiality of housestaff |
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prestige of institution (a name isn't everything) |
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on-call schedule |
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salary |
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health insurance |
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parental leave policy |
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vacation |
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book/journal allowance |
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travel allowance |
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workload balance |
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supportive administration (? will they change things if needed) |
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diversity of role models |
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direction/guidance for practice |
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focus of program (e.g., practice-based, evidence-based, or research-based) |
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ancillary services |
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And be sure to send me lots of feedback that I can add to either interviewing or program pages -- we're all counting on it!