I recently had the pleasure of being invited to two separate interviews for two different medical schools. While the experiences were definitely nerve-wracking, I can say without a doubt that I had a lot of fun in both of these interviews. I also picked up a few things here and there that I know these interviewers are looking out for, and thought I’d share them with all you pre-meds!
First off, if you get invited for an interview, you pretty much already have the grades to get into that medical school. A lot of schools’ primary applications filter out the students with average-to-top MCAT scores and GPAs, so if you ever get invited to a school for an interview, congrats! You don’t have to worry about your grades anymore; that chapter of the journey is over.
Second, now that the medical school knows you’re capable of keeping up with their rigorous curriculum, that only means one other thing… they want to see your personality; how you are socially! That’s right, when you get invited to a medical school for an interview, it basically means that the admissions committee knows you can handle the gig, but want to see if you think you can handle it. Personality plays a HUGE factor in medical school interviews. It’s your chance to shine brighter than any star you’ve ever seen, except for, well, maybe the sun.
But really, you need to show off your personality. The interviewer needs to see how amazing you are, and how dedicated and passionate you are when it comes to your one true profession: medicine. They want to see the fire in your eyes when you talk about the school. They need to hear that persuasion and determination in your voice when you describe to them a turning moment in your life that made you realize you want to pursue medicine as a career. They are looking for someone who is hardworking, ambitious, and most importantly, confident. The confidence in your body posture and tone are key staples to opening the door to medical school.
Lastly, interviewers want to see that you are interested in what their school, in particular, has to offer. It’s obvious to every interviewer ever that the vast majority of future medical school students apply to multiple medical schools with the hope of getting an acceptance to at least one school. If your grades and MCAT scores fall in line with 90% of the students applying to that school, you bet your sweet cutie patootie with a booty that you need to stand out during your interview.
The key to making a school want to choose you is making them think that you are extremely interested in their school, whether it is your first choice or last. If you interview at a “safety school,” doing your research about the school to ask questions during the interview could seriously be the difference between an acceptance, and an acceptance with a scholarship. When interviewers see that the interviewees are genuinely engaged with what the school has to offer, they know that this isn’t just another typical medical school interview. I asked questions about campus life and student struggles for my interviews. I asked about the diversity on campus, whether I can find halal meat nearby, and even if there was access to Red Bull and Monster energy drinks on campus.
Yes, I said that.
Be wild, be yourself, be interested, and be passionate. If I can get through this, so can you.