Kevin's Interview Guide

Preparation

"Be yourself!" This is the standard interview advice we've heard time and time again. Although I am generally in agreement with this statement, I must challenge applicants to really question what this statement means. Often people take it as "since I'm a good person, if I walk into that interview room as I am, and show the interviewers who I am, everything will be fine". If this was your mentality, then you are at a disadvantage. Success in a medical school interview, as successes in all things in life, requires work and preparation. Being good at interviews is a SKILL. Although personality and character can carry you a long way (if not all the way), it's not the be all and end all. You must still keep in mind the fact that as all skills, you can always train yourself to be better at interviewing. Even if you are socially awkward, naturally anxious, or lacking confidence, you can challenge these behavioral/cognitive obstacles and maximize your chances through PREPARATION and PRACTICE. So what does interview preparation entail? I like to break it down into two components: content and skill. Content refers to knowing what you are talking about. So what do you talk about in an interview? It would probably include discussions about you as a person, healthcare issues, ethical dilemmas, etc. To be able to talk about such issues intelligently, you must research into such topics and carefully form your opinions. Skills refer to the way you carry yourself, tone of voice, body language, manners, verbal skills, etc.

Here are few things that will help you to prepare:

1) Know the relevant issues