The Medical School InterviewEddie Hernandez, M.S.

The University of Texas at San Antonio

AgendaIntroduction to the interview: First impressionPreparationAttireQuestion categoriesSample QuestionsInteractive Responses to QuestionsEnding the interview: Last impression

The BasicsThe interview lasts between 20-45 minutesAt UTHSCSA you will be interviewed twice,

usually by a PhD and a MDThe holding room is usually the library or an

auditoriumGo to the restroom before the interviewEat a sensible lunchThe handshake!

AttireBusiness attire.Women: skirts below the knee or slacks are

acceptable. No blouses showing cleavage or excessive jewelry. Makeup should be at a minimum.

Men: black or navy blue suit and tie. Crisp white shirt should be pressed. Tie should be a standard color. Black shoes are appropriate.

No tattoos should be visible, no facial piercings or gauges. Hair should be groomed and nails maintained.

The Medical School Interview

The interviewers job:1. To determine if you fit the profile of a medical

doctor2. To gauge your social skills3. To ascertain your commitment to a medical

career4. To select (recommend) students from a large

group of invitees

The Medical School Interview

The Interviewees Job:1. To convince the interviewer to recommend you2. To showcase your social skills3. To reveal your honesty, sincerity, tactfulness, and

respectfulness4. To demonstrate compassion, empathy, and

objectivity5. To have a clear, finite, and unique reason to attend

medical school

Your AnswersAlthough the questions presented to you are

seemingly simple, the answers are a fantastic exercise in clearly demonstrating your commitment to medicine or they can be vague responses drowning in ambiguity.

My job today is to make sure you are prepared and armed with the information needed to demonstrate your commitment to medicine or even dentistry.

Your Answers2 ways that questions are answered during an

interview:1. Content: your actual words2. Manner: the way you present the words

ContentYour answer in terms of CONTENT should be:1. Clear: organized; disorganization shows disarray and

uncertainty2. To the point: Concise; rambling pointlessly shows

how truly uninformed you are3. Interesting: Anecdotes, experiences, analogies;

lacking these is both narrow and myopicRemember: Do not hold back on what you want to say fearing you might be too sappy or might ramble; do not be so reserved that it’s perceived as being uninformed or that your lying.Just be honest and your CONTENT will make sense.

Manner Your answer in terms of MANNER should be: 1. Polytonic: inflections, and facial expressions; monotonous

speech is indeed boring. 2. Cordial: Courteous, gracious and humble; uncordiality shows

lack of friendliness and warmth 3. Confidence: Eye contact with out staring; shifting eyes could

show unsureness or insincerity. 3. Enthusiastic and Lively: Cheerful and passionate with a smile;

lack of enthusiasm shows lack of interest and motivation. Remember: if you are being honest, your MANNER will confirm

the sincerity with which you speak! Practice your answers and ask for feedback.

Interview Question Categories

1. Ambiguous 2. Medically-Related 3. Academics 4. Social Skills & Interests 5. Stress-Related

6. Situational 7. Personality-Oriented 8. Autobiographical 9. Miscellaneous 10. Concluding

Ambiguous1. Tell me about yourself.2. How do you want me to remember you?3. Convince me that you would make a good doctor.4. What are you goals?5. What makes you better than those other

applicants in the holding room?6. There are 500 applicants invited to be

interviewed. Why should I choose you?Why do you want to study medicine?

Medically-RelatedWhat is the Hippocratic Oath?What are the pro’s and con’s of health care?Do doctors make too much money?What is your opinion of HMO’s and PPO’s?What is the difference between Medicare and

Medicaid?Which specialties are most interested in and why?If you had the power, what would you change about

the the health care delivery system

AcademicsWhy did you choose your present course of studies?Can you convince me that you can cope with the

rigorous medical school coursework?How do you prepare/study for exams?Other than a science course, what course did you

NOT take in college that you wish you would have taken and why?

Why did you make a C in Organic Chemistry?Do you have any academic achievements?

Social Skills & InterestsWhat evidence can you provide that shows you

relate well with others?Give an example of a leadership role you have

assumed.Have you engaged in any volunteer work?What are you hobbies?What is your relationship with your family and

friends?If you could describe your personality in one word

what would that word be?

Stress-RelatedWhat do you do to relieve stress?What was the most stressful event in your life and how

did you handle it?Your father has a heart attack the night before your

Physiology final exam. What do you do? It seems to me you don’t know much about medicine.

Why didn’t you prepare for this interview?Why are you here?As of now, I’m not recommending you for medical school.

You have one more opportunity to plead your case and change my mind.

Situational“magic wand”Questions

A 68 year-old woman has a newly discovered cancer. Her life expectancy is 6 months. How would you inform her?

A 34 year-old man presents with AIDS and tell you, as his physician, that he does not want to tell his wife. What would you do?

You are playing tennis with a friend and the ball hits him in the eye. What do you do?

You are taking a final exam and notice a student cheating. What would you do?

If you were a doctor and an underage girl asks you for the Pill or an abortion and she did not want to tell her parents, what would you do?

Should doctors be allowed to “pull the plug” on terminally ill patients? If a patient is dying from a hemorrhage, would you transfuse blood if you

knew they would not approve based on their religion? Should cloning be legal? Would you clone yourself? Why or why not?

Personality-OrientedHow would your friends describe you?What would your obituary read?If you could change one this about yourself,

what would that be?What are you best attributes?What are your worst attibutes?What is the most important event that

happened to you that you are the most proud of?

AutobiographicalWhere did you grow up?Do you have any siblings?What non-academic accomplishments are you

most proud of?Why did you chose to go to X University?Who is the most important person in your life?

MiscellaneousShould the federal government reinstate the death

penalty? Why or why not?What do you expect to be doing in 10 years?Why do you want to attend OUR medical school?What other medical schools have you applied to?Would you prefer to practice in rural or

metropolitan areas?How did you prepare for this interview?How would you handle a conflict of interest?

ConcludingWhat would you do if you were not accepted to

medical school?How do you think you did in this interview?What is the one thing you have not mentioned that

you want me to know about yourself?On a scale from 1-10, how would you rank yourself

as a candidate?What are you most excited about as a potential

medical student?Do you have any questions for me?

Concluding RemarksBe prepared.Do your homework.Send thank you cards to your interviewers.Wait patiently.Practice with your classmates.

You NEVER get a second chance for a first impression!