How To Prepare For Medical School Interview

Being a Medical Doctor is one of the most difficult yet rewarding careers there is. Medical School is a long, hard process that requires lots of hard work and perseverance, but if you’re dedicated and passionate about becoming a Doctor, you should come out the other end with all the knowledge you need to make a fulfilling career out of helping people and saving lives.

So, you’ve got your qualifications and you’re ready to start applying to Medical Schools, and of course, you’ll need to begin preparing for the interviews you’ll be required to take to get into one of your desired schools.

Interviews are normally pretty daunting, never mind Medical School interviews where the stakes are a little higher. But as they say: fail to prepare, prepare to fail! Our guide will help you to tackle the interview process with confidence and an open mind.

Before we dive into some great tips on how to prepare for your Medical School interviews, take a look at some of the common interview questions you might come across as a Medical School interviewee, so you can better prepare for your interview.

Common Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why do you want to become a doctor?
• Why do you want to go to our school?
• Which area of medicine are you most interested in?
• What do you look for in a medical school?
• What makes you a good fit for our school?
• How does your experience fit our school?
• What research interests do you have?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• Why should we choose you over other applicants?
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Now that you’ve been through some of the common interview questions you might come across as a Medical School candidate, let’s look at some ways you can prepare for them before your interview date.

How To Prepare For Medical School Interview Questions

• Prepare some answers to common interview questions
• Research the program, the institution, and the campus.
• Think about why you want to become a Doctor, and what qualities would make you a good fit for the career.
• Revise your application papers as you will probably be asked about them.
• Try to exert a confident manner. Practice answering questions in the mirror and try out some power poses you can use to increase confidence before the interview. Keep your body language open and composed.
• Try out some mock interviews.
• Search the internet for other peoples’ experience of Medical School interviews and check out their advice.

Practicing these methods in enough time before your interview is important in helping you to feel more prepared and stay calm and collected on the day. The more prepared you feel, the calmer you will be.

Another part of having a successful interview that many of us struggle with deciding on is what to wear. Here are some ideas to help you style your perfect interview look.

What To Wear To Medical School Interviews

• Dark, conservative, basic tones such as black, grey, or navy. Avoid anything too outlandish or colorful.
• Make sure that your suit or dress is a tailored fit and isn’t too big or small. You also need to make sure you’re comfortable to prevent any distractions throughout the interview.
• If you’re wearing a skirt, make sure it is knee-length or longer and wear a matching jacket.
• If you’re wearing heels, make sure they’re not too high and you can walk around comfortably in them.
• Brush and tidy up your hair, have a shave if you need to.
• Avoid any flash jewelry – if you decide to wear some, it should be subtle.

Now that your interview outfit is sorted, you might be wondering how you should behave at the actual interview. Read on to find out more.

What Should You Do On The Day Of Your Interview?

• Be kind and respectful to everyone you meet on the day.
• Practice some power poses before your interview to decrease anxiety and increase confidence.
• Think of the interview as a conversation, the more original you sound, the more comfortable the interviewers will feel.
• Have some answers ready. Don’t memorize too much as you may have a few curveballs, but have a few basic guidelines in your head of what to say if you’re asked certain questions.
• Ask questions and engage fully with the interviewer.
• Adapt and change to how the conversation flows.
• Increase and decrease the length of your answers as required. You will be able to tell by how the conversation flows and the responses from the interviewer.
• Smile and show your interviewer that you are happy and excited to be there. Show positive emotions to build a rapport with the interviewer.
• Stay calm – shake the interviewer’s hand confidently and maintain eye contact.

You’re just about ready to prepare for your Medical School interviews. But first, let’s have a look at some of the things you should absolutely NOT do at a Medical School interview.

What Should You Not Do At A Medical School Interview?

• Do not be late for your interview
• Do not be rude to anyone.
• Do not have your phone on loud.
• Do not walk around campus constantly looking at your phone.
• Do not walk around campus with your head down.
• Don’t gossip about anyone.
• Do not talk too much or too little.
• Do not incorrectly answer the questions, think about your answers.
• Do not wear strong fragrances.
• Do not lie about your experiences.
• Do not forget to ask questions at the end of the interview.
• Do not show negative emotions.
• Do not go off-topic.
• Do not forget to thank the interviewer and shake their hand.
• Do not forget to send a thank-you email.

Conclusion

It’s a long road to becoming a Medical Doctor, and it starts with a tough interview to get into Medical School. Medical Schools want the best possible applicants because places are normally in high demand.

If you’ve got a passion for Medicine and are prepared to put the work in, then Medicine can be one of the most rewarding careers a person can have.

Remember, an interview is your chance to show interviewers your best self and why you know you are a great fit for a career in Medicine.

You’ve come this far and bagged a few interviews, so you’re definitely capable of getting that acceptance letter – just stay calm, practice your interview technique, and enjoy the first step of a long and enjoyable career as a Doctor!

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