Michael G. Kavan, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Student Affairs Creighton University School of Medicine

Interviewing Practice interview Advisor, faculty, friends, etc. Timing of interview Dec/Jan, recency effect, Olympic judging and the serial position effect Arranging your interviews Travel arrangements Follow-up communications Thank you letters to all you interviewed with Hit them again in late January/early February

Attire – see website ml ml For interviews, it is better to over dress than under dress Get feedback from others

Questions to ask and those you will be asked – see handout and go to CiM: s/sampleinterviewquestions.pdf s/sampleinterviewquestions.pdf

Iserson’s Getting Into A Residency: Q & A 1.How are you today? 2.Do you have any questions? 3.Tell me about yourself. 4.What are your strengths and weaknesses? 5.If you could be any cell in the human body, which would you choose to be, and why? 6.If your house was burning, what three objects would you save? 7.What kinds of people are your friends? 8.Who are your heroes? 9.What do you do in your spare time? 10. It says on your resume that … 11. In what situations are you most efficient and effective? 12. To which organizations do you belong? 13. What are your plans for a family? 14. If you could no longer be a physician, what career would you choose? 15. You seem really interested in research. How will you incorporate that interest into your residency and career?

16.In what subspecialty would you like to practice? 17. How do you make important decisions? 18.What were the major deficiencies in your medical school training? 19.How do you explain your … (low grades? leaves of absence? poor clinical narratives?) 20.Have you always done the best work of which you are capable? 21.With which types of people do you have trouble working? 22.With which patients do you have trouble dealing? 23.How do you normally handle conflict? 24.With what subject or rotation did you have the most difficulty? 25.Why do you want to go into this specialty? 26.Why did you apply to this program? 27.What will be the toughest aspect of this specialty for you? 28.Why should we take you in preference to the other candidates? 29.I don’t think you’d be right for this program/specialty. 30.What is your energy level like? 31.How well do you function under pressure?

32.Tell me about the patient from whom you learned the most. 33.What error have you made in patient care? 34.Where do you see yourself in five (ten) years? 35.How do you see the delivery of health care evolving in the twenty-first century? 36.What problems will our specialty face over the next five (ten) years? 37.If a patient just stabbed your best friend … ? 38.What do you think of what is happening in the (economy, Middle East, Congress)? 39.Teach me something non-medical in five minutes. 40.Does the reverse side have a reverse side? 41.Tell me a joke! 42.Where else have you interviewed? 43.What if you don’t match? 44.Can you think of anything else you would like to add? 45.If we offered you a position today, would you accept?

What to Emphasize During the Interview Strong, but no overly so, handshake – “Good morning, I’m Mike Student, it’s nice to meet you.” Good eye contact Sell yourself! Demonstrate your strong communication skills and your ability to get along with others – everyone from secretarial staff to attendings Emphasize your strong work ethic Be assertive – don’t be clingy Be confident, but not cocky

Ways to Interview Poorly Lack of adequate preparation Not answering the questions or being evasive Inconsistency in your answers From question to question From interviewer to interviewer From your record Too loud- or soft-spoken Rambling Showing a discouraging, condescending, or abrasive mood

Ways to Interview Poorly Seeming flat, nervous, or uninterested Rationalizing everything as being someone else’s fault Displaying sexist behavior Whining or complaining about anything – be upbeat! Smoking or chewing gum Disparaging other persons or programs

Five Reasons Interviews Fail (Iserson, 2003) Inadequate preparation Not listening to questions Answering questions not asked Rambling Giving warning signs Inconsistent answers Inconsistencies between interview and application Abrasiveness or any other personality quirk that makes the interviewer uncomfortable A pattern of unhappiness with school/work Blaming others Dullness when responding to questions A pattern of taking advantage of or deceiving others

Remember – the interview is one of the most important, if not the most important, determinant of whether you land a spot in a particular residency program

Ways to Avoid Not Matching Faulty appraisal of your record Faulty appraisal of the competition for the programs you are applying to Poor application No back-up plan Failing to clean up social networking sites

Resources Careers in Medicine Residency and Fellowship.com erview erview