Virtual Interviews Aren't Perfect but the Benefits Unquestionably Outweigh the Downsides

The AAMC recently published a piece about the post-pandemic persistence of residency virtual interviews. While some programs still encourage in-person interviews, most now standardly conduct online ones. The AAMC article points out important benefits including financial and environmental.

Something the AAMC article doesn't specifically touch on is that virtual interviews have likely softened the sting of systemic sexism in the application process. The potential (albeit remote) for a candidate to record an interview or even have another person listening in diminishes the risk of sexist questions. 

What happens in the room between an applicant and faculty member may no longer necessarily stay there. 

Check out the Doximity piece I wrote, "How Virtual Interviews Might Mitigate Systemic Sexism in Medicine." (Unfortunately, the story I tell at the beginning of the article is only one of several inappropriate questions I got from faculty interviewers when I was a student.) 

A Valuable Tool: AAMC Webinars

The AAMC offers a variety of recorded premed webinars on their website here, including current topics like "2025 MCAT Testing Year Update for Examinees," "Preparing for the MCAT Exam," and "Learn about the 2024 AAMC Fee Assistance Program." 

They also have comprehensive information about the Fee Assistance Program (FAP) here. Please remember that the AAMC recommends applying for an FAP waiver prior to taking the MCAT.

With regard to my services at Insider Medical Admissions, premed applicants demonstrating financial hardship through a current AAMC FAP grant may be considered for reduced rates. Please contact me for more information.

Taking the Fifth

The goal of every medical school, residency, and fellowship interview is to distinguish yourself from everyone else to demonstrate you're worthy of a competitive spot. So what happens when you get this (ugly) question:  

If there were one reason not to accept you, what would it be?

When a (salty) faculty member asks you this interview question, her motivation might be to determine whether there's a weakness in your application she's missing. Or she may be assessing how you manage stressful situations by posing a question that is unpleasant.

While you need to be honest throughout the entire application process, you do not need to volunteer information that might harm you. So, for a charged question like this one that conflicts with your goal, you might answer, “While no candidacy is perfect, I have a strong application, and I don't see a reason not to accept me." Then you can leverage the question as an opportunity to mention the strengths of your candidacy. Remember: You have a duty to further your application, not damage it.

Contact me for mock interview help. I still have some October slots open, as of this writing.

Suicide Rates are Significantly Higher for Female Physicians

The British Medical Journal published a meta-analysis last month by lead author Claudia Zimmermann looking at studies published between 1960 and March 2024 that found physicians were more likely to die by suicide than the general population and that female doctors suffered from a rate that was higher than their male counterparts. While male doctors had a suicide rate ratio of 1.05 across all studies, female physicians faced a rate ratio of 1.76. The findings suggest that female physicians have unique challenges and need targeted interventions.

A few months back I read about a nonprofit organization that offers free and confidential counseling for physicians and medical students, using volunteer psychiatrists. The organization is called Physician Support Line and their number is 1-888-409-0141.