Acing Your Medical School Interview

The following sponsored post discusses important considerations for an outstanding medical school interview. 

Going to medical school is no laughing matter. Not only do you have to be smart and hard working but you also have to be determined, patient, strong etc. On top of that you need to have resources or the money to pay for the tuition fee, expensive books, and all the other requirements you'll need. Furthermore, you have to think a hundred times if you really want to be a doctor so that no matter how hard it gets you won't easily give up. You should also be the type who doesn’t complain when they're swamped with homework and would do every single one of them with enthusiasm. Otherwise, you'll end up like those medical students who purchase assignment just to be able to survive med school.

Having said that, you definitely won't be able to enter medical school with only good grades in hand. You must ace the interview or else your chances of getting accepted will be greatly reduced. Interviewing applicants is very important because this is where you'll get essential information that won't appear in any test and academic records. It provides interviewers with an insight on how these students carry themselves in the patient room. Their answers let interviewers know how good and comfortable you sound when interacting with other people which is very important. Since you don't want to fail, there're steps that you can take to ace the interview.

To prepare for an interview, the student should know and understand the different types of interviews. A panel interview is where you'll meet several interviewers in a single meeting and is usually a cross section of the medical school faculty and may include a medical student. A stress interview determines how an interviewee would behave under pressure and often involve personal and sensitive topics. In an open interview, the interviewer may choose the specific information to which he is acquainted with. In a blind interview, the interviewer doesn't know anything about the student and would ask him to say something about himself. Behavioral interviews operate under the theory that past performance is often the best indicator of how you’ll perform in the future.

Being well prepared is a must in any type of medical school interview. Learn and study the usual interview questions, give good answers, and practice the way you'll answer them. In preparing, you must know your strengths and weaknesses and prepare to address them. Get ready to be asked with ethical and moral questions. You should also try your best to make a good first impression. Furthermore, get ready to answer questions as to why you want a career in the medical field.

It's also essential to know the mistakes they’re usually committed so as not to make these mistakes such as answering questions too fast and not staying on topic. You should also stay positive and professional at all times. Always remember to relax and don't give out robotic answers. It's likewise important to listen very carefully to the interviewer so as to get a hint of what they're interested in. Learn about the specific programs and medical specialties the university offers and while you're on campus, talk to medical students and ask them about the program.

Radu Anthony is a blogger who writes about education, travel, health, finance and technology.