Top 5 Tips for Medical Interviews

Over time, medical interviews have become increasingly complex and competitive.

The medical interview criteria vary among different universities. The multi-station mini interviews (MMI) format draws shudders of terror from aspiring students everywhere.

So it’s no wonder that many students are often confused - How do you prepare for the medical interview and perform well, how can you prepare for all the different criteria?

Well, here are my top 5 tips to help you succeed.

 

Tip #1: Study smart

I’m sure we all know that medical interviews require thorough preparation. However, that does not mean remembering answers to hundreds of interview questions. That would simply be unrealistic. Fully prepared answers are often at risk of sounding rehearsed. So instead, focus on preparing examples or anecdotes that highlight skills or attributes that interviewers are looking for (leadership, empathy, compassion etc.). Remember to personalize your anecdotes by adding little details as well (e.g. the name of the hospital you volunteered at). This will make your answers more believable and therefore, improve your interview outcomes.  

Tip #2: Give coherent answers

Rambling when answering a question can often occur when we’re feeling unprepared or stressed. The best way I’ve found to prevent rambling is to spend some thinking before answering a question. The method I use to structure my answers is known as “STARR”. “STARR” is a common tool used for interviews and the acronym stands for:

Situation: What is the context of your story?

Task: What were you trying to achieve?

Action: What did you do to achieve this?

Result: What was the outcome?

Reflection: What did you learn from this situation? If relevant, what would you do differently next time?

Using this technique is an easy way ensure that your answers are coherent and easy to follow. Additionally, keeping your answers concise (i.e. 1 to 2 minutes) will also minimise the risk of going off-topic, one of the most common mistakes to make in medical interviews. Keep these things in mind and I’m sure you’ll be able to consistently provide well-structured answers.

Tip #3: First impressions are important

First impressions often set the tone for the rest of the interview. So, make them good! Remember to be appropriately dressed and on time to your interview. If you are carrying documents, make sure to have them in a folder. Walk into the room and shake the interviewer’s hand firmly. Remember to be enthusiastic and attentive by smiling and maintaining good eye contact. These are relatively simple things to keep in mind and can go a long way in making your interview stand out from the others.

Tip #4: Research your university

Finding out what the university you are applying at looks for in a medical student is another simple thing you can do to separate yourself from the crowd. Universities can focus on a wide range of things including tropical medicine, rural medicine, research or service, just to name a few. All this information should be available on the university website. Knowing this can help you provide anecdotes or examples that are more relevant and appealing to the university’s interests, which can further improve your interview outcomes. You can also use this research to ask thoughtful questions at the end of an interview which will show the interviewer your interest in their specific university.  

Tip #5: Be persistent

My final tip is to be persistent. Interviews are challenging, no doubt. But don’t lose hope. Some questions are purposely designed to be overwhelming or stressful. If you believe you didn’t do particularly well on a question, it is important to move on and not dwell on it. This is especially true for MMIs. Performing poorly on a station does not necessarily result in a poor outcome. So, keep your chin up and don’t give up!

And that’s it! I hope those tips were helpful and good luck with all your interview preparation!