Guest tirisa Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Hi all, I've been reading some of the links by Peachy and G8M8T in the Ottawa forum and elsewhere regarding the challenges of getting in to med school for people with poor interviewing skills, despite otherwise strong applications leading to many interview invites. Other than being visibly nervous, which is clearly understandable, what are some of the "skills" that people may have learned through experience, after having had some bad interviews. Or what skills do people think they were lacking?? Also, did those of you who think you had poor interviewing skills always have trouble in interviews?? Or is the fear factor in the med school interview simply too overwhelming?? :eek I haven't interviewed yet (nor do I even know if I will this year), and in the past, I haven't been particularly nervous or timid during job interviews, but I have to say that this potential interview is quite different, and would appreciate any thoughts about these specific interview challenges. Thanks a million, Tee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Hi Tirisa, It can be a tough battle when you know that your fate (with respect to medical school at least) rests in part with the person that is interviewing you. Experience has something to do with whether or not you will be comfortable in an interview. You mention that you have not faced duress during job interviews in the past, and granted this interview is a little different, but if you found that you could find ease during those previous experiences, then that's a promising sign. I've been attending a wee workshop recently on public speaking (not intended to be any sort of preparation for meds, but the overlaps are quite striking) and our "teacher" is a rhetorician, i.e., has her PhD. in classical rhetoric. Having spent the past few weeks around her I've been awoken to the talent that it takes to be a good and effective speaker to a public, and the little nuances that may help--whether that public be one other person or many. One of the pearls that she has taught us is that we first need to know our material thoroughly--inside out, backwards, forwards--before we can speak comfortably and well. This teaching lends itself well to the meds interview. Know yourself well; know why you've gotten to the point of sitting in front of someone who is interviewing you for a spot in medical school; mix in a love of talking with people with its concomitant dash of worldly knowledge and you may find yourself within an interaction that is fueled largely by your sparkling personality and wit (two items that have a tough time winning any fight against abject fear and adrenaline). Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Biochem10 Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 I guess everyone has different interviewing "flaws" they need to overcome. Personally, I tried not to think about the outcome of the interview so I wasn't frozen with nervousness. I talked a lot and with relative ease. I think my biggest mistakes were answering the questions too quickly without actually thinking each one through. In the next one, I think I'm going to try and breathe a little between answers. I'm really grateful that I've been given the opportunity to interview twice this year because now I have a better idea of the questions that will be asked (as well as reading the mocks on this forum). You would be amazed at things that you can get "stumped" on in an interview situation. For example I had a hard time with "What are your hobbies?" I mean I started off by staying I like skiing and spending time with friends, but I found myself forgeting all the other things I've been doing lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Hi there, Something you mentioned above, Biochem10, reminded me of a wee experience during one of my UBC interviews that I'd like to share. The interviewer had just finished a rally of questions that were fairly heavy and meds-specific: lots of ethics, situational queries, etc.; he then took the pace off and fired the next one out speedily: "What was the last movie you saw?". (This is where not freezing when you draw a blank really helps.) Even in non-meds interview situations I blank when it comes to the last movie seen as I generally see relatively few and so, the time between each is lengthy. In any case, I took the time to ponder for a moment and then all of a sudden it appeared in a fairly big wallop, as the movie that I'd last seen remains one of my lifetime favourites: "Amelie". "Amelie!! How could I have forgotten", I exclaimed, upon which the two of us got into a good chat about our favourite films, ("Amelie" was supposedly one of his.), and he provided a few recommendations of those that he'd seen recently. So the sum of that wee monologue is to not fear a wee bit of silence while you think of what you'd like to say; it's not an unnatural thing to do. Good luck in your upcoming interview, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McObssession Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Hi Kirsteen, So you thought the interview went well, but you did not get an offer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Hi McObssession, Yes, both my interviews went very well and I did subsequently receive an offer in the UBC MD program. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peachy Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Why didn't you go, Kirsteen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Hey peachy, It's a long and not-so-sordid tale that's already up among the posts in the UBC section of the board, but essentially, I had applied to the MD/PhD program and was not accepted to the PhD program, hence had to relinquish my "spot" in the MD program. It was a bit ironic given that I was accepted to UofT to do the research that I'd wanted to conduct out west (albeit in a M.Sc.). No matter, you make the best of what you've got, and the way I see it, what I'm doing at the moment, I love, and it will only help me in my future career as it will be an elemental part of that career. So it's all good! Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tirisa Posted February 21, 2003 Report Share Posted February 21, 2003 Thanks Kirsteen and Biochem for sharing some of your interviewing experiences, both positive and negative. I continue to learn so much, thanks to all the input and comments I've seen on this board. Best of luck to both of you... and the rest of the readers too. Cheers, T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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