18 Tips to prepare for a medical school interview

If it is medical school interview or any other professional job interview, always remember that your interviewer will look out for good communication skills, leadership skills, intellectual intelligence, competence, ethics, imagination, and energy to perform the daily tasks from a candidate. Besides these things, there are 18 tips to prepare for a medical school interview, which I am listing below:

• Be positive that you will get in that medical school and you will have a successful interview.
• Collect some general and historical info on that particular medical school via online or off-line resources.
• Off-line means that you have to go ahead and visit that school before the interview and collect some info by discussing about pros and cons of that medical school with other college students.
• Online means that you have to collect general info about the medical school from it’s web site mainly all school websites contain ABOUT US part which is very important to go through. Also check achievements of that medical school in the area of medical education and research.
• Next step is to dress professionally as you are going for a medical school interview. Women can wear pantsuit or a nice dress. Men can wear pant coats with ties.
• You should be able to communicate in a clear manner about the life and death situations of your patients. You must know how to manage work and professional life and maintain yourself successfully at the time of stressful conditions. You must have a good ability to interact with people.
• You must learn to demonstrate that you can go a mile ahead than others in helping patients and other people. You must keep yourself free of nervousness and be a healthy and happy person.
• Make yourself prepared when questioned about your specific interest in medical science. Interviewers can also ask questions related to how you will respond in difficult doctor patient scenarios when there is a risk of death.
• You must prove yourself by your answers that you are a responsible person and you are eligible by all means to work in healthcare environment.
• Move ahead with self-confidence. Always be aware of your weak points. Come up with some strong points.

• Listen to interviewer very carefully: Listening is a very good quality. Sometimes when you are unable to decipher some question, then you should ask for a clarification but do not ever interrupt the interviewer. Give him his time to complete his speech and then ask.
• When your interviewer asks about some medical issues, answer appropriately and honestly. Don’t argue with the interviewer. Don’t be nervous. Just relax. After all it is an interview. It’s right that you should be serious but should not be nervous. If at all you do not succeed in that interview, then also you will learn some new things and by learning new things each and every time, one day you will be able to get the best job you desire.
• Try to keep your answers as brief as possible. Don’t try to stretch them. If you will stretch your answers unnecessarily, it might be possible that the interviewer will come up with new questions out of your answers or cross question you.
• Try to only give four- to six-line answers to each question asked but don’t prepare like a robot, be realistic. Also try to avoid yes and no types of answers.
• Your knowledge is your ultimate strength: If you have done some research before the interview, then try to talk about whatever research you have done in depth. Also your answer and research should be goal oriented and logical and should have some benefits. If you have done some medical research with combine efforts, explain the contribution of your’s and other’s in the research.
• You must be aware about different types of studies in medical science like orthopedics, gynecology, ophthalmologic, etc. and the responsibilities of doctors of each area.
• If you have some experience like working in a physician’s office or an emergency room or some clinic, share your and discuss your practical experience with the doctor, staff, and patients.
• Follow up after an interview: Send thank you letters to the interviews within 24 hours of your interview and in that letter, try to emphasize more that you really enjoyed their interview and share some positive feedback about that particular medical school.

Best of luck for your medical school interview, be positive and relaxed. You will definitely get in successfully.