1. Interviewing for Medical School Office of Career Services, Harvard University

3. Why do medical schools interview?

4. Advice from a Dean Stanford Dean of Admissions’ instructions to interviewers:  Does your interaction with the candidate conform to the expectations you derived from reading the application?  If not; what are the discrepancies?  What is missing?  Do you detect any characteristics that cause you to question the candidate’s suitability for a career in medicine or the ability to think logically and critically?  Does the candidate have a realistic expectation of life as a physician?

5. Advice from a Peer The interview was the least stressful and most enjoyable part of the application experience.

6. Preparation: Travel arrangements  Travel  Lodging—student hosts  Scheduling

7. What to Wear—Business Attire

10. Beyond Your Clothes  Silence your phone  Bring breath mints  Remove facial piercings, tongue studs if possible  Cover large tattoos

12. Preparation: Specific School Info  Review the school website  Know what makes them special

13. Preparation—OCS and your house  House mock interviews  Workshop materials  Interview stream  Alumni evaluations http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/careers/medicine.htm

14. Preparation: Preparing yourself  Know your own application  Take a copy of your application with you  Practice in front of a mirror  Prepare answers

15. Interview day: tips 1.Be yourself 2.Be nice to everyone 3.Be prompt 4.Be confident 5.Be prepared but do not over rehearse. Be flexible.

16. Interview day: tips 6.During the interview: Non-content areas  Smile. Shake hands. Eye contact.  Actively engage. Be positive and upbeat.  Posture and body language  Expect the unexpected  Give direct, thorough answers. Do not ramble.  Take your student interviewer seriously  Do not over analyze or second guess the questions.

17. Interview day: tips  Problems in your record? BE ready  Anything else you want me to know?  Do you have any questions for me? (Sadly, yes, there are stupid questions!!)

18. Interview Format  Traditional  Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)  Group  Skype/Virtual  Open vs. Closed File  Who are the interviewers? Google is a wonderful thing.

19. Interview Format How can I learn more about each school’s interview format?  School websites  MSAR  OCS website  Studentdr.net—Approach with Caution!!

21. the MD-PhD Interview  Come see us!  House mock interview  Elevator Speech

22. Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)  6-10 stations, 2 minutes to read, 6-8 minutes to answer/execute (120 min.)  Scenario based questions  What you are being evaluated on may not always be obvious

23. Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)-- formats  Some MMI mixed with traditional  Actors  Partner work  Rest stations

24. What does the MMI look like? http://youtu.be/SYZc-rItyRw

25. Sample MMI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOVbDD9 lNjE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOVbDD9 lNjE What do you think?

26. Practicing a Group Activity Volunteers???

27. Let’s PRACTICE!

28. Post-interview Follow-Up