The Number One Strategy for Crushing Medical School and Residency Interviews

 Google had a problem. As a 2012 New York Times article described it, Google executives were growing increasingly aware that they were not hiring enough women. Worse still, they were attracting negative attention about it. So, Google did what Google does best: They amassed data and mined it.

In their analysis, among other findings, Google concluded that the company was overlooking women who tended to be more modest than comparable male applicants during interviews. The interviewers inappropriately perceived the women applicants to be less accomplished, and the candidates were not offered jobs. (Once they understood the problem, Google reported that they altered their internal hiring policies, accordingly.) 

No matter what your gender, the story is instructive in understanding how to strategically approach your medical school or residency interview: I call it, Let Your Story Show Your Glory.

Let’s start with this overarching strategy, one that can be gleaned from the Google story: The interview process is a persuasive one. Your role is to convince medical schools or program directors you deserve a slot at their institutions. The best way to persuade is with facts, just like a lawyer does when s/he is trying a case in front of a judge. Saying you are compassionate or hardworking is not convincing, and it doesn’t distinguish you from the scores of other candidates the interviewer is meeting. You need to prove your worth by highlighting your academic, clinical, research, community service, leadership, international, and teaching achievements.

When mentoring applicants, I hear them ask: Michelle, if I showcase my accomplishments in my interview, doesn’t that mean I’m being redundant? My answer: Absolutely! Think of the medical admissions process like building a house. Your AMCAS/ERAS/ResidencyCAS and letters serve as one layer of that house – like scaffolding. In other words, your accomplishments are conveyed simply and succinctly there. The personal statement is your opportunity to apply a thicker layer, one in which you flesh out your achievements, thus persuading the reader of your distinctiveness (plumbing, pipes, electrical). Finally, the interview is your chance to add on the thickest peel (exterior, roof).

Discussing your accomplishments in detail can seal the interviewer’s positive impression of you. 
If you still feel shy about drawing attention to your achievements, I can assure you that, occasionally, interviewers do not leave adequate time to review materials for the candidates they will ultimately judge, or they are asked to interview such a large number of applicants that they might understandably get candidates confused. If you treat every interview as though it were a “blind” one, you address these obstacles. Determine in advance how you want your interviewers to remember you when they represent you to the committee, and tailor your interview to leave that impression. At the end of the week, when your interviewer asks what others thought of the "young woman who volunteered with Mother Teresa while doing malaria research and competitive hammer-throwing," all the other admissions officers will know immediately she is referring to you.

Remember: You can say you are smart or caring or that you want to heal the world, but to admissions committees and program directors, who you are is what you’ve done...and what traits and skills you’ve honed accordingly.

[A version of this blog was previously published on the Varsity Tutors website, where I was part of their Admissions Expert Series.]

What is ResidencyCAS?

ResidencyCAS is a centralized application platform that replaces ERAS for OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine (EM) and EM's dual programs. It's less expensive than ERAS for applicants, includes an optional "experience essay" for special circumstances, and has a more limited personal statement character count of 4000. 

There are advantages to ResidencyCAS, but if you're applying in two specialties, you'll likely need to manage two platforms (unless you happen to be applying in OB/GYN and Emergency Medicine). Here's more information about ResidencyCAS.

For help, please contact me ASAP.

Residency Applicants Have a Looming Date Ahead

Here's a quick reminder for residency candidates: Programs can start reviewing ERAS applications and MSPEs at 9 am EST on September 24.

There is an advantage to submitting your ERAS so that it's in the first batch program directors (PD) see. As one of my PD friends wrote to me, since the residency application is arguably one of the biggest steps in one's medical career, getting the application in as early as possible should be a given.

On the other hand, if your application is not in its optimal form, waiting a few days is preferable to submitting an inferior ERAS that will be tossed into the "do not invite" pile. 

Contact me ASAP for help with your residency application.

How to Turn that Elephant in the Room into a Cuddly Kitten

No medical school or residency application is perfect: That's why it's important you have a well-considered strategy for managing interview questions about gaps in your candidacy. Addressing a bumpy freshman year (pretty common) or a suboptimal Step 2 score with aplomb can make a big difference in how an interviewer, admissions committee, or program director perceives you.

Check out this KevinMD article I wrote a few years back about how to be upfront regarding a major deficiency in your candidacy and how to demonstrate strategically — with evidence from the remainder of your application — that the weakness is not representative of your abilities.

Avoid the Trite

The goal of your written materials (and your interview) is to distinguish yourself from everyone else to demonstrate that you are worthy of a competitive medical school, residency, fellowship, or postbaccalaureate slot.

Therefore, it's critical that you avoid flowery or trite language: Using it does the opposite of making you distinctive. When I'm editing, I often reference a piece by Lisa Miller called, "When Did Everything Become a 'Journey'?" about the overuse of the word. Miller cites linguistics professor Jesse Egbert who notes that "journey," as a noun, has almost doubled in American English since 1990. 

In her piece, Miller also includes a wry quote from a Los Angeles clinical psychologist who describes the word "journey" as "eye-rollingly cheapened." In editing personal statements, I see the word used frequently – maybe once in every four essays I revise.

Good writing takes a lot of time - brainstorming, outlining, and many drafts. Make sure your written materials are the best they can be by being diligent about your process (and by getting help).