No matter where you choose to study, the application process for medical school will undoubtedly include an interview, perhaps multiple interviews with admissions personnel and/or other school officials. Questions you’ll be asked can range from the obvious to the seemingly absurd. One student reported to the American Medical Student Association that an interviewer caught her off guard by asking what was in the trunk of her car.
We’re not quite sure what to think about that one. But we can offer help by tipping you off to a few of the most common questions asked during these interviews and providing tips for acing each one:
- Why do you want to be a doctor? Skip vague, open-ended responses such as “I want to help people.” Instead, spell out specific reasons and intentions. If you have an intensely personal reason for choosing a particular specialty – perhaps a close relative suffered or your home community was affected – share that information. Just be careful to keep your emotions in check.
- Why did you apply to this medical school? Officials and admissions personnel will want to know that you’ve done your research when choosing their school. Craft an answer illustrates a familiarity with key accomplishments, programs and faculty.
- Tell me about your biggest weakness or flaw. First, understand that the reason for this question isn’t to give an interviewer a ready-made reason to reject your application. Instead, it provides a way you to prove your ability to quickly and effectively process and react to a situation that doesn’t go as well as hoped or expected. Give an example wherein you were able to identify a problem, assess why the problem occurred and formulate a successful plan to not only address the problem, but make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
- Tell me about yourself: Don’t pour out your life story. Instead, summarize key points, preferably chronologically, that illustrate your character, accomplishments, motives and goals.
- Why did you volunteer where you did? Know that it’s not about the number of volunteer hours you’ve racked up. It’s about the skills you’ve built, the ideas you’ve developed and the quantifiable and qualifiable contributions you’ve made in the lives of those served by your volunteer organizations or projects. Explain not only what attracted you to a particular volunteer opportunity, but how volunteering changed, inspired or challenged you and what you were able to accomplish during your volunteer experiences.
Looking for more ways to help assure your success in medical school? Enroll at St. Augustine, Florida’s WOLFPACC to learn a game-changing approach to the study and practice of medicine, get one-on-one tutoring and gain the knowledge and skill that will guarantee you’ll ace your COMLEX or USMLE exams. Call 904-209-3140 to speak with an enrollment specialist today.
Also read: Three Ways to Set Yourself Apart in Medical School Applications in 2017
