*Interview questions

[Guest Ian Wong]

Author:*Paul

Date:***9/6/2000 8:58 am*PST

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I was wondering if someone could tell me what kind of questions are often asked at interviews and tips on the do's and don'ts of answering them? Also, Ian what kind of volunteer work do you think is the best for a male at a hospital that will; fullfill the volunteer requirements for medical school, make it worthwhile and enjoyable, and maybe a chance to talk to doctors? I hear also about people having unique majors for medicine and maybe the possibility that it may help them on their application, but I think that really can't have any bearing on your chances of getting in to med schol since most schools accept you during your beginning of senior year on conditions so they don't know what your major is and some are accepted before they get a B.S OR B.A and it seems like for the most part they don't care, right?

[Guest Ian Wong]

Author:*Jeff S, UG2

Date:***9/6/2000 10:54 am*PST

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http://www.interviewfeedback.com is probably the best site to go to. Also, check out some of the other links on Ian's site... the Western meds site also has lots of interview questions.

[Guest Ian Wong]

Author:*moo

Date:***9/6/2000 6:40 pm*PST

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No they will know what your major is, based on your transcript and I think on the app forms you have to indicate your major (I know on the AMCAS forms you do). When people say that unique majors will help them on their apps, they mean that they will have something they can be proud of and something that they can talk about on the interview, but for the most part they don't care

[Guest Ian Wong]

Author:*Ian Wong, MS2

Date:***9/7/2000 9:26 pm*PST

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Interview questions: Like Jeff said, head to www.interviewfeedback.com

 

There's also a couple great web-pages in the Links section of my web-site. I spent a lot of time finding most of those sites; there's a lot of really good information there, and all of it comes from medical students. I would set aside a few hours and go visit each web-site to which I have links. I forget the name, but there are at least 2-3 web-sites in that list that have an extensive section on the interview.

 

As for my thoughts, my personal philosophy is that the interview is one aspect of the application that I stay away from advising. This is your opportunity to show yourself to the admissions committee, and not where you answer the questions the way you think they want them answered. As a result, my advice is pretty common-sense: Dress well, be on time, be courteous, and most importantly, never lie.

 

As for volunteering, you need to call up the local hospitals and find out what they offer. At my hospital, we had choices between Candy-striping (bringing cards and flowers and refilling water-glasses), Emerg (greeting people and getting wheelchairs, and folding the infamous puke trays), Nuclear Medicine (talking with people while they were being prepped for X-Rays), Bingo (yes, that's right, Bingo), and Meal Assistance (helping people to eat).

 

Call up your local hospital and see what they have to offer.

 

Finally, the unique major thing: I just met a first-year med student last night who was a Philosophy major. Pretty cool. I suspect that his interview probably touched on some rather interesting questions that the typical science major wouldn't want to handle. At the same time, it probably takes a really high quality student to be able to earn high marks debating Kantian monism, and still score well on the premed courses and the MCAT. So, that might have something to do with the relatively higher rate of acceptance letters, and not the choice of major itself.

 

Finally, I'm fairly certain that med schools have an idea of where your major is heading by the end of third year. Whether this has a direct influence on your application, I have no idea.

 

Ian

Can, MS2