BS/MD Interviews - yours to lose!
- By @NoviceDad
- •
- 23 Jan, 2019
- •

BS/MD Interviews: Yours to lose!
By @NoviceDad,
Executive Coach, Ritvik Coaching, a division of Ritvik Consulting, Inc.
Getting an interview call = achievement!
Congratulations if you are one of the selected candidates for BS/MD or BS/DO interviews.
You are part of select
students who charmed the admissions reviewers at the undergraduate university
who forwarded your application to the medical school and they also agreed with
your application, your story, your essays, your teachers recommendations and that
you may be the candidate they are looking for. Here are some statistics to
indicate how selective this process: The two diagrams show the numbers for 2018
cycle for 2 programs: Penn state/ Jefferson and Rice / Baylor. If you notice,
you probably are among the ~100 students if you get an interview call from Penn
i.e. among ~3% of all who applied. For Rice/Baylor, that ratio is ~1% of all
who applied.

What interview means
Interviews
means they want to know more about you so that they can give you admission.
Interviews are focused towards acceptance and not rejection. The process
reaching up to interviews may have a focus on elimination since only ~ 1% to 3%
of the candidates get called for interviews. But, I repeat - Interviews are
focused towards acceptance and not rejection. Look at the data shared above.
Post interview, you have >25% to 60% chance of getting an acceptance! The
end result may be a rejection due to number constraints but the interview focus
is towards acceptance.
Types of interviews
The following schematic highlights the common types of BS/MD interviews and example colleges which utilize them:

(Source: Ritvik Coaching, a division of Ritvik Consulting, Inc.)
One-on-One interviews are what I would call “traditional” interview format. The interviewer and student have a conversation for about 30 min to 1 hour on the knowing more about the student, his/her achievements, weaknesses, maturity and why he/she wants to pursue this path of medical education.
Group interviews introduce group dynamics into the interviewing process and colleges attempt to see how you think and operate with a set of “strangers.” This aims to highlight your communication skills, your group dynamics and other aspects of your personality i.e. in essence this is focused on your softer skills.
MMI format involves short <10 minute interviews with multiple interviews at various (7 to 10) “stations.” There are a number of situation scenarios where you are required to have a meaningful discussion.
There is a trend towards MMI format. One key reason is that MMIs allow the colleges to see the students’ thought process when presented with different scenarios. It also minimizes interviewer bias and can be structured and scored relatively uniformly. Another effect of MMIs is that students will know that they did “well” in the interview or not and thus are less likely to question the admission process. The advantage for you as a student is that there are 7 to 10 occasions where you can show your strengths and shine.
Want to crack your interview? Keep useful interview tips in mind:
1) Know yourself and why you want to do medicine and why do you want to do at this BS/MD program…. this is really the key. Questions like “Tell me something about yourself”, “why do you want to pursue medicine?” and “what makes the program attractive to you?” are very common in interviews.
2) Know your application - even if no questions are asked from your application, you should know what you have written. More often than not, you will be asked details which you have to substantiate. Example: You have listed you have done research on impact of curcumin on cancer. Why did you chose this research? What challenges did you face in this research?
3) One-on-one interviews by nature are conversational- so have a conversation. Very few questions will be yes/no questions and hence you have the freedom to expand and “steer” the conversation towards your strengths.
4) “Will this person be my future colleague?” is something on the back of the mind of the interviewer when they interview you. How you project yourself, your calmness, your maturity and your knowledge is crucial.
5) People can see through fakery - so be yourself. Occasional “I do not know” is ok in the interviews.
6) Passion and confidence will take your far. Overconfidence will “kill” you. And arrogance is one-way ticket to rejection.
7) Dress professionally. In my line of business work, I have seen people rejected for being dressed casually and unprofessionally. Keep enough mints and drink enough water to avoid getting your mouths dry.
8) Be there on time. Plan for delays and getting lost despite having a GPS. Ask for directions if lost.
9) Many interviewers ask you - “Do you have any questions for me?” Prepare for this - you should have at least 3 targeted questions for this. You can ask about their research program, ask the interviewer why he/she chose his/her specialty or what should one do over summer (depending on the conversation). Do NOT ask about will I get AP credits or will I get in.
10)Seek blessings from your GOD, your parents, elders and well-wishers. You want “the force to be with you” and on this earth, these folks are the force.
In conclusion
Interviews are your chance to shine. You have >25% to 60% of getting an acceptance. It’s yours to lose!