peachy Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi all -- here is a very short list of key ways to succeed at a CaRMS interview. I have been an interviewer for the past 5 years and am consistently shocked by the fact that almost nobody does all 4 of these: 1. Answer the question asked. At least half the time, when an applicant is asked for an example, they list the qualities that an example would show, but forget to give an example itself. 2. Be specific. Don't ramble on with vague platitudes. If you are going to describe character attributes about yourself, be ready with a (brief) story about it to make it concrete. If you are going to describe how residency will change you, give specifics about how that will happen. 3. Be humble. Don't talk about how you made a diagnosis that the entire rest of the team missed because you are so brilliant or connected to a patient that nobody else could get through to because you are so empathic. This makes you sound naive and conceited. If you give an example like that, at the very least qualify it with "As a med student, I have the privilege of having way more time to listen to a patient than the rest of the team" or whatever. It's way better to honestly describe a mistake you made, how you learned from it, and how you did it differently the next time (or will do it differently the next time). Residency programs don't need you to be brilliant; they need to be sure that you can learn from your mistakes. 4. Say something about the school you are interviewing at. Unless this really is ENTIRELY a backup interview and you don't care about bombing it, try to work in at least one line about how X school is appealing to you because of their great Y. It's flattering to the interviewers and makes you look like you want to be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arztin Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Pure gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carazadie Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 I have been an interviewer for the past 5 years and am consistently shocked by the fact that almost nobody does all 4 of these: Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has made a few blunders! Thanks for your tips. I sound great when I sit down to practice, but real interviews are a different story. When I'm nervous, it's easy to get flustered and start babbling, or to forget exactly what question was asked, or to forget to say things that I had planned to say, even "pre-rehearsed" answers....at least I can take comfort in knowing that others have the same problem . I did great on the MMI for my med school admission, but panel interviews are a different beast. Does anyone have good strategies for relaxation before and during the interview, other than the classic deep-breathing/meditation (hasn't worked all that well for me yet). Good luck everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samy Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has made a few blunders! Thanks for your tips. I sound great when I sit down to practice, but real interviews are a different story. When I'm nervous, it's easy to get flustered and start babbling, or to forget exactly what question was asked, or to forget to say things that I had planned to say, even "pre-rehearsed" answers....at least I can take comfort in knowing that others have the same problem . I did great on the MMI for my med school admission, but panel interviews are a different beast. Does anyone have good strategies for relaxation before and during the interview, other than the classic deep-breathing/meditation (hasn't worked all that well for me yet). Good luck everyone! Check this out : http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en It is not about relaxation, but it might me interesting to know. I tried it this week for 2 interviews, worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 There are some yoga things as well - I do neck rolls and shoulder rolls sometimes, or forward folds if nobody is looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carazadie Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Check this out : http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en It is not about relaxation, but it might me interesting to know. I tried it this week for 2 interviews, worked for me. This was really interesting! Thanks for sharing. I'll try it out before the next interview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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