Medical School Interview Questions

Author: Michelle Finkel, MD I frequent get residency applicants asking me if they need to showcase their accomplishments in their residency personal statements if they have already drafted a strong, full ERAS activities section. The simple answer is yes. First, remember that you don't know at what part of your application the readers will be starting. If some start with your residency personal statement , and it's pale, you will have lost those readers from the beginning. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Also, note that the faculty members seeing your application are reading many more ERASes than just yours. If you only mention an important achievement once in your application, the program director might simply forget your accomplishment. After all, she is reading scores or even hundreds of similar applications. Your readers have to be reminded several times of your candidacy's strengths. (You'll mention those accomplishments in yo...

Author: Michelle Finkel, MD You put your heart and soul into your compelling, charismatic medical school personal statement ; you showcased your accomplishments and drive to succeed in your activities section; and you demonstrated the endorsement of respected faculty allies in your letters of recommendation. Now your hard work has paid off and helped you get a foot in the door: You’ve been invited to interview at your dream medical school. But how do you manage the medical school interview questions when you have a gap in your resume? Let’s say , for argument’s sake, that you took a year off after college and moved to Barcelona to pursue an exciting romantic relationship, only to find yourself dumped two months later. You moped the rest of the year and had neither research nor volunteer experiences to show for your time off. Your interviewer asks you that dreaded medical school interview question: What exactly did you do, anyway, during the gap year? A prepared candidate can ...

Author: Michelle Finkel, MD I’m amazed at how many applicants study hard for the MCAT, prepare zealously for tests, and yet don’t spend the time necessary to write a strong medical school personal statement . Of course top grades and competitive MCAT scores are essential for a viable medical school candidacy (you must be this high to ride), but the essay is the admission committees’ clearest window into what you’ve done and what your priorities are. It is your way of distinguishing yourself colorfully. Conversely, it allows the committee a means to screen out medical school applications whose lack of effort or poor judgment is reflected in the personal statement. Writing a great essay takes work and a lot of lead time. Before you hit the keyboard, consider alternate approaches – three or four topics for your introduction, for example. Also, make a list of all of the accomplishments you want to highlight. Moreover, don't overlook the basics: Start with an outline to ensure...

Author: Michelle Finkel, MD In early June of each year (the date varies), you can submit your medical school application. In preparation for medical school interview and for that date, here are a few quick tips for writing your AMCAS activities: 1. Use full sentences. The medical school application is a formal process, and you want to respect that fact. Also, you want to make your written materials as readable as possible. Faculty may have tens or hundreds of these to read. Making their lives easier is to your advantage. 2. Avoid abbreviations. Again, you want to be formal, and abbreviations you think are common might not be familiar to the reader. 3. Make sure you spell out your accomplishments clearly. If your reader doesn’t understand an activity, you will not get “full credit” for what you’ve done. 4. Choose “most meaningful” activities that show a breadth of experience, e.g. one that is related to research, another that is clinical, and a final that is volunteer. ...

Author: Michelle Finkel, MD Having read many letters of recommendation (LORs) as a Harvard Assistant Residency Director, I can tell you that these letters matter much more than I thought when I was crafting my own residency and medical school applications. One little considered fact: Mediocre letters (not to mention frankly bad ones) are a lost opportunity at best and a fast way to bomb your residency or medical school application at worst. It is critical that you get strong letters of recommendation. One major factor in getting those includes asking the right people. Different medical schools are seeking different sources of your letters. Many medical schools require at least two science professors and one non-science professor to submit LORs on your behalf. Some also require a letter from your principal investigator (PI) if you have done research. Many medical schools now prefer a composite letter from a premedical advisor or committee. (For students attending schools that...

Author: Michelle Finkel, MD An important key to preparing for tough medical school interview questions is realizing that a) interviewing is a skill and b) practice improves performance. Every year too many medical school and residency candidates expend tremendous energy assembling fantastic applications, only to undermine their chances by approaching the interview with twisted laws of entropy and enthalpy: They prepare for it with maximum randomness and minimum energy. Once you’ve done adequate groundwork, the medical school interview represents your opportunity to distinguish yourself and impress your interviewers as the type of candidate they’d love to have at their institution. That’s not to say every interview will be full of hugs and puppy kisses. Like the myth of the interviewer whose window was nailed shut, there may be uncomfortable moments and even illegal questions. With a bit of preparation, you can learn to hit these curveball questions out of the park. Let’s exp...