Residency Interview Tips
Congratulations to all of the medical students who have recently submitted their residency applications this week. Now that your applications are in, it is time to start preparing for what is arguably the most important part of the application cycle, interviews! While interviews can be nerve-wracking they are an opportunity to share more about yourself with the interviewers. In this article we will cover things to do, things to avoid, as well as tips for the new arena that is virtual interviews. Generally speaking, if you have been offered an interview then everything in your application has been looked at already and you have passed the requirements academically, or in other words your board scores, grades, research, etc is all acceptable to the program. Now, since you have passed all of the academic requirements of the program they are seriously considering you to become a part of their team and need to meet you face to face. So if you have done well academically and can pass all the tests why even have an interview?, why not just send you an acceptance right now? Well let’s look at some of the major reasons interviews are conducted because I believe in order to do well in an interview you should first understand why interviews are a thing in the first place. Here is a list of what we have chosen to be the most important reasons for an interview.
It is a chance for the interviewers to get to know you better.
The interviewer knows all of you accolades as they are listed on ERAS, but now they want to know more about who you are outside of school. What are your goals to practice medicine? What are your hobbies? Why do you want to go to their program?
It is a chance for you to get to know more about the program and the faculty
You should be interviewing the program just as much as they are interviewing you, as you will be spending at least the next 3 years with these people after all!
The interviewer wants to see if you are someone they can stand to be around for the next several years or if you will be an annoyance at every turn.
It serves as a chance to ask questions that cannot be found on their website.
It is an opportunity to explain some of your short-comings in person.
Whether or not to bring up some of your red flags such as board failures or poor pre-clinical grades is a debated topic. Here at TheOMMedicine we tend to recommend that students not mention any red flags unless they are specifically asked about it. After all, if the interviewers really cared they would ask you about it directly. Remember, if you were offered an interview they already liked what they saw from you on paper (academically) so no need to bring up old news unless specifically asked.
Things you should do in an interview
Dress well, even for virtual interviews.
This means button down shirt, jacket and tie for the gentlemen. Formal wear for ladies, blouse, jacket, or other business attire.
Have good body language.
General Advice
Avoid any form of fidgeting such as tapping your feet, playing with your fingers, cracking your knuckles, etc.
Good body language would include sitting up straight in your chair and not slumping. Maintain eye contact with your interviewers with occasional breaks in eye contact or transitioning between looking at each of the different interviewers if there are multiple.
Additional advice for virtual interviews.
Eye contact. In the new-era of virtual interviews it is important to maintain eye contact to show you are not looking at other items in your room or at other tabs on your computer. We suggest you move your interviewers video box on your computer screen to be directly under your camera so that you can be looking at their video box and still appear to be looking directly into the camera.
Other Tabs. Do not have other tabs or browsers open while interviewing, especially if you wear glasses as the computer screen is easy to see in the reflection of your glasses.
Background:
Make sure you have a neutral, non-distracting background. Generally I suggest not having anything with writing on it in your background, so no posters, whiteboards, signs, etc. Simple artwork is generally ok.
I would also advise that you have something in your background. If your background is just 2 white walls it may look like you are trapped in your basement on zoom. Try to have a shelf with a plant on it, a small piece of art or some other simple item to make your background more attractive.
No zoom filters. You may think it is cool or funny to have your background look like you are on a beach in Tahiti. From the interviewer’s perspective it looks like an auto-reject.
Know the program you’re interviewing for.
Having a running knowledge of the program you are interviewing for is a very important way to show interest in the program. If the program recently built a new addition to the hospital, added a research track, got a big research grant, opened a resident run free clinic, etc. then make sure you have read about it and can mention it in your interview. Keep in mind the topic does not have to be about a tangible addition to their program. If their website mentions they focus on rural care then talk about how you are also interested in these topics and how your experiences up to this point have demonstrated this. The reason this is suggested is because it shows that you are interested in this program specifically and have done your homework.
Put it this way, you are an attending physician at an IM program who just opened a new, resident run, free clinic. The program website has a picture of the clinic and an article in big bold letters about its grand opening. Then in the interview they ask you what you think about the clinic and your response is “What clinic?” Those 2 words just told the interviewer that this applicant is not really interested in your program because they did not even put in the bare minimum effort to visit your website.
Know your own application.
It is a great idea to download your ERAS application and CV to review the night before your interview. Make sure you are familiar with the research projects, volunteer experiences, hobbies, etc. that were listed on your application AND be able to talk in detail about what each of them entailed. If asked about a paper you published, you should be able to discuss the topic being investigated, why you chose that topic, the methods used to investigate, any trouble you had along the way and what the results were. It is also important to be able to articulate these items in a clear and concise manner. Most interviewers will not care about the rare protein ABC that you investigated, but rather want to know that you can talk in an educated manner about something you likely spent years working on. In addition, many people tend to get excited when asked about something they are passionate about. It is great to show your passion, just make sure you’re not talking for 30min about your experience because the interviewers will lose interest and there will not be much time left for other questions. Keep the answer clear and concise.
Make the interview a conversation as much as possible.
When interviewing it can be very easy to just answer the question quickly and move on to the next question. However remember that one of the main reasons for an interview is to allow the interviewers to get to know you better as a person. So, anytime that you have the opportunity to involve the interviewer in the question they asked is a good thing and will make the interview feel more like a natural conversation rather than an interrogation.
For example:
Interviewer: What was the last book you read?
You: The last book I read was Into the Wild. Have you heard of it?
Interviewer: No I have not.
You: Oh it is a great book that I would highly recommend. Do you happen to have any interest in the wilderness or survival techniques?
Interviewer: Yes I actually love to camp in my free time as well as go hiking and hunting..
You: Oh that’s awesome. Where do you go hiking?….. and so onBy simply asking 1-2 short, innocent counter questions (underlined above) it can help disarm your interviewer and open them up to a conversation. This conversation is what will leave a strong lasting impression long after the interview is over. The more the interview is a conversation and not an interrogation or silence, the smoother it will go and the better impression you will have.
Ask questions.
At the end of the interview there will likely be time reserved for questions you may have for the program’s faculty. Not having any questions to ask tends to allow for an awkward end to the interview, which is obviously something you would prefer to avoid. Preparing at least 2 questions to have at the end of the interview is a great way to finish strong. Remember that these questions should not be about things that can be easily found on the website. Ask questions about the program specifics such as their lecture formats, or how many electives are included in your schedule.
Things not to do in the interview
Do not ask about things that can be easily found on their website.
This is a poor question to ask for several reasons. First most of the technical aspects in residency (such as number of days off, pay, etc) are standardized and will only slightly vary based on location. Asking what the salary is for a PGY-1 resident, when it is clearly listed on the program’s website is an indirect way of telling the interviewer that you didn’t even bother to look at their website before interviewing. Questions should be better spent asking about program specific details.
Do not talk poorly about other applicants or programs.
During an interview there will likely be 1-2 questions that give you the opportunity to talk down on other applicants or programs. These questions are typically asked something along these lines:
“We have 100 other people we are interviewing, why should we choose you over one of them” or “Why do you want to complete residency here and not at another program”While it may seem very easy to say I did not like program X because the residents were not friendly, or the other applicants didn’t score as well as I did on my boards, this is a common mistake. The aim of answering this question should be to stress the strengths of yourself or the program you are applying to and not the weakness of others. I also advise that if you are asked the first question that you should stress your experiences and how they relate to the program’s mission. Many applicants have great board scores and preclinical grades but your experiences are unique to you. Being able to articulate how your past experiences have helped you be where you are today and how they can further the mission of the program you are interviewing for is crucial.
Avoid using filler words to start a response
A common mistake applicants make, and one that they are typically unaware that they do, is start a response with a filler word. This may be hard to explain so lets look at an example:
Interviewer: “Can you tell me about your volunteer experience?”
You: “So yeah, I have volunteered at program XYZ for many years…”
OR
Interviewer: “Can you describe why you chose to apply to our program”
You: “Of course. I really liked that your program has multiple electives in the curriculum.”In both of the examples above the applicant starts their response with filler words (“So yeah” and “Of course”). It would be a much better response if the applicant were to just start their answer without using these terms. Another similar item that applicants commonly do when answering a question is start off by saying “That is a great question.” I would suggest that you avoid using this phrase altogether but if you are going to use this phrase, only use it once. The reason I prefer that applicants avoid using this phrase is twofold. First, it comes off as if you are judging the quality of the interviewers questions. At the end of the day you are interviewing for a spot at THEIR program of which they have the ultimate say of whether you get in or not. By using a sentence like this is gives off the vibe that you are grading them based on the quality of the questions they give you. The second reason I suggest not using this phrase is because it doesn’t mean anything. This is a common filler phrase like those we mentioned above, but for whatever reason it has been considered acceptable whereas using “um” or “so yeah” is considered unacceptable. After all, if the interviewer asked you a bad question, would you start your response off with “Ya know that is a really bad question.” Probably not, so if the phrase does not mean much I would suggests you keep its use to a minimum.
Do not lie
Interviewers have all of your information and can easily contact your school or other individuals you have worked with to confirm the accuracy of information. One area where many students tend to get caught is with research. It is easier now than ever to search for a paper and check who is an author, or who attended a conference. Additionally, interviewers can typically tell when a student is making up information as their body language and affect will change from what it was when answering previous questions. So, do not lie about these parts of your application because interviewers will likely find out.
4 Questions to be Prepared for
While we wish we could look into the future and tell you what questions you will be asked on interview day, there will be no way to know what exactly you will be asked. However for residency interviews specifically we can almost guarantee that you will be asked the following 3 questions in one form or another.
Why do you want to do this specialty?
“What made you pursue internal medicine”
Why do you want to come to this program specifically?
“What do you think is unique about our program”
Why do you want to come to this location/state?
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years”
“What experience do you have working with [insert local population here]”
You should have answers to these questions ready before your interview. Any hesitation in answering these questions will give the impression that you are either unsure about your answer (i.e you don’t actually want to go to their program) or that you did not prepare for the interview. Keep in mind that most questions will not be asked directly, meaning the interviewer will not explicitly say to you “Why do you want to come to Arkansas”, instead they will likely ask questions like those written underneath each bullet point. While the first two questions are rather straight forward, the last question can be a bit hard to interpret so we have included 2 common examples that tie into the questions topic. If you were interviewing in Alaska for example, the interviewer may ask something along the lines of
“What experience do you have working with native American patients”
Alaska has a large native American population which is one of the unique aspects of working in that area. So what this question is ultimately asking is have you shown any interest in serving our area’s population or ultimately have you shown that you want to actually be a physician in our state/area. Notice that shown has been underlined. It is important to answer these questions with experiences you have had in the past. Everyone can answer the previous question with…“I have has a great deal of experience working with many unique individuals from many different backgrounds.”
…and while that is an ok answer it can be improved by you showing the interviewer your experience rather than telling them. A better answer would be…“While in medical school I volunteered at a free clinic that provided care to underserved populations, one of which were Natives to the area.” …and then go on about your experience and how it ties into the program’s mission and area.
Now one question we always receive is what if I do not have any experience with what I have been asked about, so continuing with the previous example you would say you do not have experience working with Native American populations. In this case you should use whatever experience you do have and tie it back to the original question. So, you could say something along the lines of:
“While I do not have any experience working directly with the Native American population I do have experience working at a free-clinic that provided care to other underserved populations such as those with low SES. I have also done a great deal of reading about the culture and needs of the Native American population and would be interested in hearing about your experience in working with this group or ideas on how to make healthcare more accessible to this group.”
This response is great for several reasons. First it answers the question in a way that does not lie about your experience but also uses your prior volunteer work to tie into the school’s mission. You also show them that you have done you homework by talking about the culture (mention specifics if possible) and needs of the population in question. Finally the interviewer has been brought into the conversation by ending your response with a question about their experiences.
What should I do if I do not have an answer for a question I am asked?
One last piece of advice for a question we commonly receive is what to do if you are asked a question that you do not have an immediate answer for. I would advise that in your preparation for interviews that you come up with a vague and general 1-2 sentence response to buy you some time to think. This may look something like this:
Interviewer: “What is your stance on the current state of medicine?”
You: “That is a topic I have thought about frequently over the past year. There are definitely many strong opinions depending on who you ask as well. But personally, I feel that” ….. and so on.While those two sentence may not seem like much to you now, having them ready is a great way to help yourself buy some time to answer questions you may not have prepared for. These buffer sentences also allow you to avoid an awkward silence that would otherwise be present while you are thinking of a response. One other commonly asked question that relates to this topic is “Am I allowed to ask for a minute to think if I am asked a question I do not have an answer for?” While I personally believe it is fine to ask for a minute to think about a response, especially if the question asked is about a serious concept such as your thoughts on the current healthcare system, it should be noted that it will open the interview for an awkward pause. This long and awkward silence when sitting in front of 2-3 individuals just staring at you is also something most interviewers do not prepare for, and in my personal experience I have found myself thinking more about how awkward and quiet the room has gotten rather than what I am actually going to respond to the interviewer’s question. Consider the following scenario:
Imagine you are really hitting it off with your interviewer. Both of you are big golf fans and you just spent the last 10 minutes talking about you favorite professional golfers and your best personal game of 18 holes. Now the interviewer asks you a question that you are unprepared for and you ask for a minute to think about your response.
{Insert long drawn out pause where nobody talks}
Then you finally come up with an answer to their question.
This long, awkward silence has now ruined the momentum you were having with the interviewer before you took a minute to think about your response. However, if you had used a 1-2 sentence buffer to think about your response, it allows you to keep that momentum as well as buy you time to think of an answer.
Remember, at the end of the day an interview is just two individuals talking and trying to get to know each other better. Hopefully you have found the information in this article helpful. Happy Interviewing!
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