Preparing for interview

Those who get offered an interview for any of their chosen medical schools should be prepared for a very intense time. Of course universities will do their best to provide a calming and comfortable environment but nothing can take away from the importance of that interview day. For many it is the last hurdle before getting into medicine, for others it’s their trump card for getting into medicine. It’s important to acknowledge that even though you should be amiable to your fellow interviewees, never forget that it is a competition and that generally 1 in 3 of you will be offered a place. Preparing for interviews can be contentious at times, with some arguing preparation is not required, while others claim it is a necessity. It is true that some students will make it through the interviews with little to no preparation but even if you are one of these rare individuals, the preparation will never hurt your chances. For the vast majority however, preparation is key and the main goals should generally be to quell your nerves, identify common questions, work on interview technique and develop an answer structure.
 

Quelling Nerves
Nerves are so very common during the interview and can often cause you to stumble and forget to say things that you normally would. Preparation instills you with a sense of confidence that can’t otherwise be achieved. You will find that even if the things you have prepared don’t come up, the fact that you have prepared will allow you to think that you have done the work and you will be able to handle what comes up. Confidence is always tested in these interviews and preparation and confidence might as well be synonyms.
 

Common Questions
Similar to any exam doing a bulk of preparation scenarios and practice interview questions means you will be able to identify common questions. Don’t let anyone tell you any different because there are definitely common questions and scenarios that will come up every year without fail. It’s at this point that having a good preparation course with a bulk of materials can really be useful. These materials are particularly pertinent because they are produced by current medical students who have undergone the interview process recently. Whether you attempt answering questions by yourself, with friends or at a workshop, finding a way to receive feedback is very important so you can continue to improve.
 

Interview Technique
There is a specific technique to use in order to maximize your chances of succeeding. This technique incorporates small things from how to position your body and how to control body language to bigger things like what types of language to use and the technicalities like clothing and timing.  Both the small and large things play a huge part in the way you are perceived by your interviewer and will influence your chances of performing in the interviews. The first step in improving your interview technique is to identify your mistakes: get quality feedback and keep practicing while filming yourself so you know if you have improved! 
 

Answer Structure
Though commonly associated with interview technique it is such a big skill that I decided it was worth mentioning it on its own. Developing a set way to answer questions is of vital importance during interviews. It will help avoid the awkward pauses during the interview and you will always have something to say if you know your structure well. Finally having an answer structure will also save you time, which is in very short supply as most Unis expect you to answer questions quickly and without delay. Again, a good preparation course will be invaluable in giving you layouts for typical answer structures, as well as providing feedback on your performance. So do your research and make sure you register for the best UCAT preparation course around.