An important key to preparing for tough medical school, residency, dental school, and fellowship interviews is realizing that a) interviewing is a skill and b) practice improves performance. Every year too many candidates expend tremendous energy assembling fantastic applications, only to undermine their chances by approaching the interview with twisted laws of entropy and enthalpy: They prepare for it with maximum randomness and minimum energy.

Once you’ve done adequate groundwork, the interview represents an opportunity to distinguish yourself and impress your interviewers as the type of candidate they’d love to have at their institution.

That’s not to say every interview will be full of hugs and puppy kisses. Like the story of the faculty member whose window was nailed shut, there may be uncomfortable moments and even illegal questions (although I suspect the latter are rarer with virtual interviews). With a bit of preparation, you can learn to hit these curveball questions out of the park. Let’s explore an example that has come up in the not-so-distant past.

Rehearse Your Elevator Pitch

While most interviewers take the time to read your application materials in advance, don’t be offended by the faculty member who did not prepare, is blankly flipping through your application right there in front of you, and who asks open-ended questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” to be brought up to speed. (A now-attending I helped prepare for residency interviews several years ago recently told me that the best advice I gave him was not to be shocked when interviewers were completely ignorant when it came to his candidacy.) View it this way: These faculty members are offering you the opportunity to define how you’d like to be remembered.

Your goal should be twofold: 1) to persuade them how much you’d add to their institution and 2) to make their job easier by giving them the bullet points they’ll need to persuade their peers about your candidacy’s worthiness. When your interviewer sits around a table advocating on your behalf, steer her to use terms that will be germane to your candidacy. Are you the “global health advocate who volunteered with Mother Teresa and ran his school’s homeless food program?” Or perhaps you are the “first-generation college graduate who held premier leadership positions in medical school?” Help your interviewer help you.

In the end, difficult interview questions are less intimidating if you both prepare well and have an attitude that they are an opportunity to clarify and further your candidacy. For help, secure your Mock Interview slot with me. I’m booking a few weeks in advance, so sooner is better than later.