Health Professions Interviews:Key Resources | Practical Tips | ‘Pard Advice

Presented by:

What We’ll Cover

• Key Elements of the Interview Process

• An Overview of MMIs (Multiple Mini Interviews)

• Advice from Successful Lafayette Applicants!

• Resources Available to YOU

Key Elements:Impression Management

• You are being evaluated from the moment you’re contacted for the interview until after it concludes.

• Timeliness and professionalism in all interactions. • Confirmation• Thank You

(send to each person within 24 hours, consider hand-written to follow!)• Everyone’s “voice” counts: from the administrative support person to

the Chair of the program.• Tour of facilities, lunch with students, conversations with other

candidates, and beyond. • Small details can make a BIG impact, both good & bad • Gratitude at all levels counts!

Key Elements:Interviewing Scenarios

• People You Might Meet:• Admissions committee• Faculty• Administrators• Medical students

• Open File vs. Semi-Open vs. Closed File Interviews• Does the interviewer have access to your application materials?

• One-on-One• Interview Panel• Group Interview• MMI (Multiple Mini Interview)

Key Elements:Interviewing Scenarios Cont’d

Key Elements:Look the Part

• Dress to Impress…Professionally!• Suit is required• Personality is okay• Functionality is critical

• Don’t forget about the little details:• Cologne/Perfume (be careful!)• Socks• Accessories• Pressed/Polished/Trimmed

• One chance to make a positive first impression.• SMILE. • Handshake• Eye contact

Key Elements:Plan & Research

• One of your greatest responsibilities in this process: RESEARCH• The program• The institution• The people (with whom you’re meeting)• Current events• “Hot” topics• Questions for YOU to ask

• Visit in advance – Route? Parking? Building? Room? Sounds simple, but isn’t always. Can reduce stress.

• Ask specific questions about what the day will entail!

Key Elements: The Questions

• Prepare for commonly asked interview questions• Why medicine?• Why this school/program?• Ethics-based questions

See handouts for examples/resources. | STAR format

• Be fresh on all details of your AMCAS application, CV, etc. and be prepared to articulate complete stories

• Anything a bit “fuzzy”? Refresh yourself!• Be able to speak in-depth about your research and clinical

experiences

• Current events and “hot” topics• Questions YOU want to ask. (ALWAYS have these!)

MMI: A Brief Overview

• Created as a potentially more effective way to assess qualities outside of the realm of grades and test scores.

• GREAT opportunity to show what is uniquely you!

• Uses a series of stations (typically 6-10) to assess specific skills and qualities.

• ~6-8 minutes/station

• Assigns the same interviewer to rate ALL applicants at a station.

• May be used to assess: communication skills, problem-solving abilities, professionalism, other characteristics critical to success.

Resource: http://www.studentdoctor.net

MMI: Visual Examples

VTUVMNYU

MMI Stations (Samples)

• Ethical dilemmas or questions about policy or social issues• Interactions with an actor (scenario provided)• Standard interview questions• A task requiring teamwork/collaboration

(with another applicant(s))• Essay writing (more time may be allocated)• Rest station (many MMIs include this!)

Resource: http://www.studentdoctor.net

MMI Preparation

• Cannot predict what you will face• Get as much information from school/program as you can (i.e.

sample questions, format)• Example of program that provides a thorough overview of their process:

http://school.med.nyu.edu/md-admissions/mmi-faqs#

• Develop ability to formulate a logical, thorough response within a strict timeframe

• As with a traditional interview format, prepare by:• Practice expressing yourself verbally to ensure that you can provide

thorough, logical answers within a short time frame• Staying current on events and policy issues• Understanding the approach to ethics issues

Resource: http://www.studentdoctor.net

After the Interview

• Thank you within 24 hours of interview• To all interviewers• Send email thank you communications within 24 hours, then follow-up with a

handwritten thank you

• Letters of Interest(Optional)• Provide updates to the interview committee regarding any changes since you

applied • Make connections between your campus visit and your candidacy• Reinforce how much you enjoyed your visit and why the institution is a

particularly good fit for you• Note: Not all programs will accept a Letter of Interest, but this can be an

important factor when wait-listed applicants are being considered

Josiah Miller ‘19 (Biology)Kaitlin Nguyen ‘19 (Biochemistry)

McKenna Schimmel ‘19 (Neuroscience)

Key Resources

• CareerSpot Marquis’ Favorites• Lafayette.InterviewStream.com• Career Center “Webshops”

• On-Campus Mock Interviews• Lafayette alumni (!)• Handouts (here for you today):

• Commonly Asked Q’s (medically-related, general, behavioral-based)• Behavioral-Based/STAR Interviewing• MMI Resources• Sample “Thank you”• Sample questions for YOU to Ask• Rights and responsibilities

Questions?Thank you!