MSIV: Residency interviews

Are you concerned that you may not have received enough residency interviews?

There could be several reasons for this, but you should talk to your campus dean or to Dr. Dorscher to help you figure it out.

• It is possible that there are not a lot of interviews being issued in your field at this time, but they will be coming.
• Maybe you didn’t apply as widely as you should have.
• Perhaps you are not as competitive as you had hoped to be for the programs you applied to.

Are you agonizing over going to all of these interviews, and you don’t know how you are going to do it?

• Consider whether you really need to go to all of them. Is the program somewhere that you can see yourself?
• Perhaps you should be more selective in your acceptances.
• Did you apply to more than one specialty? How do you know? Start with your campus dean or Dr. Dorscher.

Are you feeling unprepared for the interview?

• Be yourself! Your personality and knowledge have gotten you this far.
• Realize that you are interviewing programs as much as they are interviewing you.
• If you feel that the program is prestigious but you would be miserable there, ask yourself “is it really worth it?”
• There really are no right answers or wrong answers in interviews; just go with your instincts and training.

Things to think about before the interview:

• Anticipate hypothetical questions. There are no right or wrong answers; interviewers are looking to see how you think and reason.
• Consider open-ended interview questions. Know your assets, and goals and how they match with those of the program.
• “Behavioral” interview questions? These are designed to see if you have the right skills, attitudes, and qualities for the program. For Example: “Tell me about the most difficult decision you had to make in the past six months.” A superficial “non-answer” is bad. A better answer show you gathering data, considering personal and professional biases, and deciding when to make the choice.
• Or if you get asked: “Tell me about a time when you made a mistake,” never say “I can’t think of any mistakes.” Instead, describe how you addressed the mistake and how you corrected it.
• If you’re asked to speak about your proudest professional accomplishment, be sure to have accomplishments in mind. It’s okay to be appropriately proud, just not arrogant.

Are you having a blast on the interview trail? Send photos, share your experiences with Dr. Dorscher. She will use them to help others have fun too.

Did you find a great way to save money on interviews? Share the information with Dr. Dorscher so she can share it with next year’s class. And don’t forget to enjoy the fruits of your labors—have fun, this is your time.