Interview Tips [adapted]
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IM Program Coordinator
One of my favorite topics!! The scores are a guideline for the program directors to know that you can pass the exams, and ultimately become board certified in any of the specialties of medicine. Remember that the time that you are in the interview is the time that you have to make your sale - YOU.
"Eighty percent of success is showing up" Woody Allen
Here is a subject that hopefully will help a number of you present yourself in an extremely positive light.
The first four items are your homework - things to prepare on prior to the interview. You need to know your answers before you are sitting in the hot seat, in front of the program director that you want to work with.
The last four work with your behaviour during an interview. Again, you need to them answers and behaviours to seem like they were born
inside you and not learned.
Self: Who are you, what are your ideas about life? What do you want, where are you going. This is about you NOW.
History: This is your personal history. Think about how you came to be where you are in life up to now. What made you become who you are.
Originality: What makes you different from the other candidates that the program director will be interviewing - what can you pull from
your history that was importante and makes you unique?
Philosophy of Life: How do you describe what you feel about life? (Please don't bring up that you want to serve the poor and indigent because that isn't different from the other candidates...).
The above is your homework before the interview - you need to have the answers right there - no thinking, no "eers" and "ummmms" in the conversation please!!
Now - when in the interview, you will be asked questions, sit tall in your chair. Gentlemen, undo the button of your jacket. Ladies, cross your legs at the ankles and place your purse or bag on the floor. The chair is your world. Don't share it. Own it.
Tell: Answer the questions to the best of your ability!
Illustrate: Use gestures, speak eye to eye (don't try and look in both eyes as you will be looking between the two of them. One of my residents told me that he looks for about 10 seconds at the left eye, then 10-20 seconds at the right - and switches back and forth. Makes it look like you are really interested). If you use hand gestures, keep them consistent through the whole interview.
Manage: Match your enthusiasm level to the same level as the interviewer, but somehow show your interest. You don't want to be the low person on this one. (We still refer to one applicant as the "starer" because he didn't blink, show any enthusiasm and in our post interview meeting, the PD wanted to know if a code should have run on the applicant because of his lack of response).
Engage: Offer contact (eye contact and physical). Shake hands at the beginning of the interview and the end. Don't have a wimpy or weak handshake. Don't have a wet handshake (yes, a weak wet handshake might get the comment "fishy handshake") on your interview score sheet. Firm, but don't break bones. One shake is plenty.
Ladies, the same goes for you. Not a polite tea party handshake, please. I know that certain religions prohibit contact between males and females who are not married or related and I don't want to offend anyone, but a PD who puts his hand out to shake with you, and if you pull back (don't pull back, be matter of fact) and say that you can't because of religious reasons; the PD is going to wonder how you will be able to work in this country and not touch a male patient (because, although the PD wants the best people that he can hire, he still has to think about how you will relate to the patient population). Will you shake hands with a male patient who comes to see you professionally? (If this is your case, your best defense might be to explain that although you can't touch a man in the social area, but that won't reflect on your abilities as a doctor because the rules are different.)
Conclude the interview with a quick overview of why you want to work in this city and program. Make it strong. Remember, that while you are interviewing you are on sale - and you are the best salesperson that you could have.
IM Program Coordinator
One of my favorite topics!! The scores are a guideline for the program directors to know that you can pass the exams, and ultimately become board certified in any of the specialties of medicine. Remember that the time that you are in the interview is the time that you have to make your sale - YOU.
"Eighty percent of success is showing up" Woody Allen
Here is a subject that hopefully will help a number of you present yourself in an extremely positive light.
The first four items are your homework - things to prepare on prior to the interview. You need to know your answers before you are sitting in the hot seat, in front of the program director that you want to work with.
The last four work with your behaviour during an interview. Again, you need to them answers and behaviours to seem like they were born
inside you and not learned.
Self: Who are you, what are your ideas about life? What do you want, where are you going. This is about you NOW.
History: This is your personal history. Think about how you came to be where you are in life up to now. What made you become who you are.
Originality: What makes you different from the other candidates that the program director will be interviewing - what can you pull from
your history that was importante and makes you unique?
Philosophy of Life: How do you describe what you feel about life? (Please don't bring up that you want to serve the poor and indigent because that isn't different from the other candidates...).
The above is your homework before the interview - you need to have the answers right there - no thinking, no "eers" and "ummmms" in the conversation please!!
Now - when in the interview, you will be asked questions, sit tall in your chair. Gentlemen, undo the button of your jacket. Ladies, cross your legs at the ankles and place your purse or bag on the floor. The chair is your world. Don't share it. Own it.
Tell: Answer the questions to the best of your ability!
Illustrate: Use gestures, speak eye to eye (don't try and look in both eyes as you will be looking between the two of them. One of my residents told me that he looks for about 10 seconds at the left eye, then 10-20 seconds at the right - and switches back and forth. Makes it look like you are really interested). If you use hand gestures, keep them consistent through the whole interview.
Manage: Match your enthusiasm level to the same level as the interviewer, but somehow show your interest. You don't want to be the low person on this one. (We still refer to one applicant as the "starer" because he didn't blink, show any enthusiasm and in our post interview meeting, the PD wanted to know if a code should have run on the applicant because of his lack of response).
Engage: Offer contact (eye contact and physical). Shake hands at the beginning of the interview and the end. Don't have a wimpy or weak handshake. Don't have a wet handshake (yes, a weak wet handshake might get the comment "fishy handshake") on your interview score sheet. Firm, but don't break bones. One shake is plenty.
Ladies, the same goes for you. Not a polite tea party handshake, please. I know that certain religions prohibit contact between males and females who are not married or related and I don't want to offend anyone, but a PD who puts his hand out to shake with you, and if you pull back (don't pull back, be matter of fact) and say that you can't because of religious reasons; the PD is going to wonder how you will be able to work in this country and not touch a male patient (because, although the PD wants the best people that he can hire, he still has to think about how you will relate to the patient population). Will you shake hands with a male patient who comes to see you professionally? (If this is your case, your best defense might be to explain that although you can't touch a man in the social area, but that won't reflect on your abilities as a doctor because the rules are different.)
Conclude the interview with a quick overview of why you want to work in this city and program. Make it strong. Remember, that while you are interviewing you are on sale - and you are the best salesperson that you could have.
posted by Zhang at 1:46 PM
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