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Most schools say that the interview is is a very important part of the application process.  It is an opportunity for you to tell the admissions committee those things which just didn't come across clearly in your application.  Try to look at an interview as your chance to let your best qualities show through.  

Please schedule a mock interview with Career Services; contact Lisa Kastor at ext. 2496.

• Don't try to BS your way through a question.  Though I was never asked any really difficult questions, I have heard of this happening to other applicants.  Some interviewers try to see if you're the kind of person who will pretend you know something that you don't.  The best thing to do if you don't know the answer to a question is to be honest and admit ignorance.  Don't dig yourself into a hole!

   

• Be relaxed!  Don't be intimidated.  The interview is an important part of your application, but it's not the only part.  Just remember that the interviewers were once in your position so they know where you're coming from.  Try to be your normal self and, if you feel like an interview has gone badly, don't dwell on it.  What's done is done and you need to move on to the next one.

   

• Be prepared to talk about medical issues.  Many of my interviewers asked me what I thought of the "current health-care situation."  I had read up a bit on the topic, but would consider myself far from an expert.  Basically, I responded by talking about the differences I had noticed between the way I received health care when I was younger and the way my current health plan works.  I don't know if that's the best way to approach the situation, but at least I was discussing something I understood clearly.  The last thing you want to do is try and pretend you understand something better than you do.  A few interviewers asked me how I thought I would improve the situation when I became a doctor.  To this question, I usually responded with a few basic ideas but basically admitted that, since I'm not yet a doctor, I don't understand the system well enough to give a truly meaningful answer.  I also took this opportunity to ask my interviewers (if they were practicing physicians) how the changes in the health care system had affected the way they practiced.  I found that most of my interviewers were happy to answer my questions and I learned quite a bit from this!

   

• Be prepared to talk about your application.  Several of my interviewers asked me specific questions about things I had written in my personal statement.  These usually aren't too difficult to answer, but it's a good idea to go over your application before you interview at a school, just to make sure you aren't caught off guard.

   

• Arrive early.  You don't want to be late to an interview.  When I interviewed at UMass, there was one applicant who didn't show up on time.  After waiting a few minutes, the admissions director went over some basic information with us and gave us our schedules for the day.  As she left the room, she said "If so-and-so ever shows up, just tell him my office is around the corner."  I don't think his interview day started off well at all....

   

• Ask questions.  Most interviewers will ask you if you have any questions at the end of the interview.  Make sure you do.  This shows that you have a serious interest in the school, which is quite important.  Georgetown, for example, truly seems to prefer applicants who demonstrate a genuine interest in attending Georgetown.  If you've just driven half-way across the country to an interview and you don't have any questions about the school, it's hard to convince your interviewer that his or her school is one of your top choices.

   

• Be prepared for student interviewers.  About half of the medical schools have students who do interviews.  This can be interesting, especially if you've been out of college for a few years and end up being interviewed by a student who is younger than you.  Just remember that the students were being interviewed themselves not too long ago, so they tend to understand your position better than some faculty interviewers.  Try to view a student interviewer as an opportunity to find out what a school is really like.  Some will quote the official line, but others will be candid and tell you exactly what they think.  I had one student interviewer from UPenn who didn't seem too friendly (he asked me some very pointed questions about my personal statement that he could have answered himself had he bothered to read the whole thing carefully) and another at Harvard who was very encouraging (he seemed genuinely interested in learning what I thought about my job as a high school biology teacher).

In any case, different schools have different types of interviews.  Some try to be friendly and some try to weed out the "weak" applicants through an intimidating interview process.  In any case, once you've finished your interview at a certain school, try to reflect on what went well and what did not so you can be even better prepared at the next school you visit.

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This page was taken from this address http://members.aol.com/TerryBrons/interviews.htm
 

bronson.terry@umassmed.edu