Interviews and New Extra Currics.

[Helpmemedstudents]

Since the interviews are months after the applications, can you talk about new endeavors in the interview that were not on the application because they happened after submission?

 

Thanks.

[Alastriss]

Since the interviews are months after the applications, can you talk about new endeavors in the interview that were not on the application because they happened after submission?

 

Thanks.

 

Absolutely! you can absolutely talk about new endeavours during the interview and you should do so if they mean a lot to you.

 

I should also add that the interview, to my knowledge, is closed file. Which means they know nothing about you other than your name. So be mindful of this fact when you proceed to the interview, draw on as many experiences as you can and don't assume that they know the activities you've done when you talk about them!

[rmorelan]

Absolutely! you can absolutely talk about new endeavours during the interview and you should do so if they mean a lot to you.

 

I should also add that the interview, to my knowledge, is closed file. Which means they know nothing about you other than your name. So be mindful of this fact when you proceed to the interview, draw on as many experiences as you can and don't assume that they know the activities you've done when you talk about them!

 

yeah as far as I know it is still closed file - that is really important to know. If you don't tell them something it didn't happen basically.

[impossible910]

have people ever gotten accepted to UWO meds in the past with weak ABS/ECs??

 

i have been getting involved in a bunch of stuff but none of them will be long term (only ~9 months - 1 year) by the time of application submission in September

 

should i just focus on strengthening my ECs and such for one more year before applying for the 2014/2015 application cycle?? or should i still apply for the 2013/2014 application cycle and hope for the best??

[rmorelan]

have people ever gotten accepted to UWO meds in the past with weak ABS/ECs??

 

i have been getting involved in a bunch of stuff but none of them will be long term (only ~9 months - 1 year) by the time of application submission in September

 

should i just focus on strengthening my ECs and such for one more year before applying for the 2014/2015 application cycle?? or should i still apply for the 2013/2014 application cycle and hope for the best??

 

personally I always say this (always) - if you met the traditional cut offs for western apply. You have very little to lose and everything to gain. It just isn't logical to sit on the side lines. Everyone applying to medical school has to plan that they won't get in on their first try anyway.

[nosuperman]

have people ever gotten accepted to UWO meds in the past with weak ABS/ECs??

 

i have been getting involved in a bunch of stuff but none of them will be long term (only ~9 months - 1 year) by the time of application submission in September

 

should i just focus on strengthening my ECs and such for one more year before applying for the 2014/2015 application cycle?? or should i still apply for the 2013/2014 application cycle and hope for the best??

 

Here's some perspective - I considered my EC's to be pretty strong. Half of them, including one I considered to be my best, I didn't even talk about. Most of the time we talked about cooking, running, and some anecdotes from pop culture (Dr. Oz came up) and then rehashing some conversations with friends ("Oh yeah actually that question is really interesting to me because I have this funny story about a friend who...").

 

Its not about whipping out a laundry list of things you did, its about seeing how you communicate, how you think, and then a couple of stock questions that you'd see at any job interview ("Tell me about the importance of teamwork / leadership / innovation" etc.). Just go there and try to come across as natural. If you focus too much on proper EC's, as opposed to the general life interests of a human being, you'll sound at best insincere ("My thoughts on socialized medicine? Well I volunteered in Africa so I appreciate socialized medicine") and at worst robotic.

[Alastriss]

Here's some perspective - I considered my EC's to be pretty strong. Half of them, including one I considered to be my best, I didn't even talk about. Most of the time we talked about cooking, running, and some anecdotes from pop culture (Dr. Oz came up) and then rehashing some conversations with friends ("Oh yeah actually that question is really interesting to me because I have this funny story about a friend who...").

 

Its not about whipping out a laundry list of things you did, its about seeing how you communicate, how you think, and then a couple of stock questions that you'd see at any job interview ("Tell me about the importance of teamwork / leadership / innovation" etc.). Just go there and try to come across as natural. If you focus too much on proper EC's, as opposed to the general life interests of a human being, you'll sound at best insincere ("My thoughts on socialized medicine? Well I volunteered in Africa so I appreciate socialized medicine") and at worst robotic.

 

I actually had some significant volunteering abroad and it never came up in the interview as well. Exactly what nosuperman said, just go there and try to come off as natural and yourself.

 

I think from my personal anecdotal experiences, when people say "be yourself" they really mean that you want to come off as someone who is real.

You want them to feel like they got to know the real you at the end of the 45 minutes or so.