As medical school and residency interviews approach, I want to remind everyone about Amy Cuddy, the Harvard faculty member who speaks about the psychology of power, influence, and nonverbal communication. Her research shows that a “fake it until you make it” philosophy and “power posing” practices improve your performance in interviews. Cuddy’s TED talk has been viewed over 48 million times.
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Pre-Meds (and Others): Don’t Make a Promise you Simply Cannot Keep
My mom told me an interesting story recently: She is a retired lawyer – not in medicine – but her anecdote resonated with me:
Years ago, a legal job applicant indicated on his resume that he spoke two languages, in addition to English. Unplanned, the interviewer to whom the candidate was assigned also spoke those languages and proceeded to speak to him in those languages during the interview, only to find that the candidate spoke both poorly at best.
As you can imagine, the applicant was not hired.
I frequently see applicants indicate on their curriculum vitae or their AMCASes that they speak languages fluently. If you do speak a language in addition to English, good for you and great for your candidacy. However, if you indicate that you are fluent, please be ready for your faculty interviewer to conduct your entire medical school interview in that language if s/he pleases.
I Believe
I was recently speaking to a friend who is a law professor at a prominent institution. He teaches first-year law courses and thus, meets students when they are just entering their careers and not yet polished. He was telling me that he is taken aback by how many of his students use “I believe” before their statements in class. The preface “I believe” diminishes the student’s point; my friend is looking for persuasive pronouncements, not thin opinions.
Consider this issue when interviewing. Note the difference between “I’ll make a strong medical student” and “I believe I’ll make a strong medical student.” The latter introduces that inkling of doubt you don’t want to impart.
I have advisees who worry about saying “um” or “uh” during interviews. (I advised a pre-med who, in preparing for interviews, asked his girlfriend to gently slap his hand every time he said “um” so he’d experience negative consequences. Yikes!) As I tell my mentees, I’m not worried about an “um” or an “uh.” (Note President Obama, well-known to be an excellent orator; he inadvertently uses vocal pauses when he speaks.)
Instead, the key to a persuasive interview is to have confident responses that are bolstered by persuasive evidence.
Difficult Interview Questions: Learning to Hit a Curveball Out of the Park
You put your heart and soul into your compelling, charismatic personal statement; you showcased your accomplishments and drive to succeed in your activities section; and you demonstrated the endorsement of respected faculty allies in your letters of recommendation. Now your hard work has paid off and helped you get a foot in the door: You’ve been invited to interview at your dream medical school or residency program.
Like the ghost stories we told around a campfire as children, interview horror stories have a certain inexplicable staying power. I can still recall a friend’s recounting of an acquaintance’s experience in an Ivy League faculty member’s office: The acquaintance was asked to open the window, only to find (after sweating bullets for several minutes) that it was nailed shut. This trick was allegedly this professor’s cruel attempt to assess how the interviewee coped with adversity. Some weeks later, I recounted the tale to a mentor, who told me that the same story had made the rounds 20 years earlier. The power of this terrible tale faded once I recognized it for the myth it was. This ability to demystify the medical school or residency interview is crucial to framing it as an opportunity for showcasing your strengths. Read more…
Women, Make Sure you Practice Before Heading off to your Medical School and Residency Interviews
I found this article about the need for women to be seen as warm in order to be seen as confident troubling, but it’s worth noting the facts so that you can strategize accordingly. Previously, these authors published data that women tended to rate their abilities accurately, while men tended to be overconfident about theirs. All of this is to say, that women (and men!) need to practice interview skills prior to the big day. Growth mindset and power posing are also important concepts to review before you interview.
Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more
As featured in:
Student Doctor Network: Choosing a Medical School? Why Your Situation Matters
KevinMD: Made Mistakes? How to Spin Them for Your Medical School Applications
Doximity Op-Med: The Medical School Admissions Process Is Falling Short
Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on The Visible Voices podcast:
Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:
Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: