Years ago when I was an assistant residency director, I interviewed a candidate who asked such a detailed question about our training program that even I couldn’t answer it. I was impressed! After all, that meant she had really done her due diligence. Plus, given how much research she had done, it seemed she was considering us seriously.

Reciprocal liking is the psychological principle that we like people more when we think they like us. One way to demonstrate that you like a residency program or medical school is to show enthusiasm by knowing details about the institution. And then, according to the rules of reciprocal liking, the program or school may be more interested in your candidacy.

As you prepare for your interviews, research the institution thoroughly and prepare customized questions. Know details about the curriculum, extracurricular opportunities, research, funded experiences, geography, patient population, the neighborhood where students/residents live, and anything else especially distinctive to the institution.

Do they have an associated free clinic where you could work? Know the facility’s name. Do they have a funded international opportunity? Know the criteria for qualifying.

In reality, if you’re interested in spending at least 3 to 5 years at a program or school, it’s logical you’ll have many detailed questions you want answered. 

I’ve mentioned my fondness for Your College Bound Kid, a podcast on college admissions. This week I heard a discussion that will also resonate with medical school and residency applicants:

In episode 677, host Mark Stucker (who is famously gentle) mentions that he’s still angry – twenty years later – about the following scenario: A student said that the school Mark was representing was the applicant’s first choice. Mark reports expending significant political capital to get the applicant through committee only to find out later that the candidate had told four schools the same thing. He reports he’s still salty from the experience. (The co-host he’s speaking to gasps when he tells the story.) 

Mark reminds college applicants not to overpromise. “Don’t couch things in definitive terms” is his advice, and I couldn’t agree more. Years ago, during a residency interview, an applicant promised to place my institution’s program first on his NRMP rank list. When we ranked him to Match and he didn’t, my colleagues noted that he had dissembled (although they used stronger language) and promised to remember him if he applied for any positions going forward. Of course, applicants change their minds, but institutions are understandably frustrated by empty promises. Don’t fall into the trap of making promises you might not keep during your medical school and residency interviews.