By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

After months of chasing down transcripts, filling out applications and checking to make sure that your letters of recommendation were finally sent, you are ready to hear something – anything, back from the schools. News could arrive as early as the coming weeks since some schools begin notifying applicants about invitations to interview in early to mid-August.  If you submitted your primary and secondary applications early in the cycle, you could be hearing some news within the next month. If you don’t, don’t panic; it is still just the start of the season and schools can take months to review applications, with the pace of interviews picking up in the fall and on into winter. The good news can come in the form of an e-mail or regular mail and will either state a specific date for the interview, offer you a choice of dates or instruct you to contact the school to schedule your interview.

This part of the application process is actually pretty enjoyable. You will have the chance to visit the school, possibly see a new city and to imagine what it would be like to attend the school as a med student in the fall of 2011. Even before you have that first interview in hand, there are steps you can take to prepare for when it does arrive. In a lull between waves of secondary applications, take some time to do the following:

- Familiarize yourself with each school and be ready to explain to an interviewer why you are interested in the school.

-Review your application and formulate a response to address any weaknesses on the application you may be asked about.

-Be ready to discuss any part of the application, no matter how minor. An interviewer may just gloss past the senior thesis you recently completed and focus on the pottery class you took four years ago.

-Practice your interviewing skills with a mentor, advisor or friend.  By doing a practice interview early on, you have time to address any weaknesses in your presentation or verbal tics like saying “um” during every silence. Then, closer to interview day, you can put the final polish on your responses.

Once you see the long awaited words “Congratulations, you are invited to interview at ___ School of Medicine” you should go out, have fun and enjoy the moment.  When you are done celebrating, then it is time to do some shopping.  After all, the interview is the one step of the application process that can’t be completed on your computer in your most comfortable jeans and a t-shirt.

By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

The interview day tour is exciting. Walking the halls of the medical school, you really start envisioning yourself as a med student, short white coat swishing behind you (okay, so the short coats don’t “swish” the way the long ones the doctors wear do, but it’s a start.) The med student tour guide points out the anatomy lab, the library, and of course, the hospital cafeteria, encouraging the group to ask questions all the while. You figure you should ask a question and are about to go for it – when another applicant pipes up and “takes” the single good question you had ready to go.

The problem is, you spent all of your time preparing to answer questions and didn’t think about what to ask. After all, you just want to get in somewhere and aren’t too worried about the details as long as you get an acceptance letter.

However, there is something you might have overlooked:

You may get multiple acceptances.

This thought may seem truly amazing right now, since one acceptance seems nearly impossible. The admissions process breeds insecurity: thousands of applicants, much waiting and many rumors. However, if you are a strong applicant and applied to a wide range of schools, you could have some have some serious decisions to make and you are going to need the information you have gathered on interview day in order to make the best choice.  Unless you fly around the country for a second look at the programs, interview day may be the only time you visit the schools.  This means that you need to think seriously about what it would be like to spend four years at a school. Which one is going to the best place for you professionally and personally?

To figure this out, here are a few questions to ask yourself, the med students, your interviewer or the admissions office:

Do the medical students seem happy?

Is there a sense of camaraderie, or one of competition, among students?

Are med students assigned an advisor or mentor?

Is there a convenient, safe area nearby where students live?

Are the clinical sites busy enough that students can get plenty of hands-on experience?

How are students evaluated during the clinical years?

What kinds of support services are available to students?

Does the school emphasize primary care? Research?  Particular specialties?

What settings are available for clinical rotations?  Private hospitals, county hospitals, VA facilities?

And anything else that would impact your decision about where to go.

Besides giving you valuable information that will need in the near future, having these questions in mind will give you something else to think about besides “Will I get accepted?” as you stroll through the halls of the school.   And one last thing - checking out the med schools can be pretty fun ( yes, I know “fun” and “applying to med school” don’t sound like they go together) so try enjoy yourself at least a bit!

By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

“We spent forty-five minutes talking about fly-fishing!” Sound like a med school interview?  When I hear from applicants that the interview digressed into a discussion of basketball, ballet or bird-watching, the next thing they usually say is: “I didn’t get to tell the interviewer about ___” (fill in the blank: my idea for a cure for AIDS,  my poster presentation on gastroenteritis in chinchillas…you get the idea).  Knowing your stuff is absolutely necessary, but don’t be surprised if the topics don’t stick to “typical” interview fare. If the interview is going in a different direction, well then, just go along and enjoy the ride. After all, you’ll be more excited talking about fly-fishing than reciting your clinical experiences for the tenth time, and the interviewer will still get the information they need. Here’s a rundown on how to be ready for any interview:

Buy a nice suit – and wear it to the interview – After telling me of their plans to wear khakis with a polo shirt or a casual skirt with a cute top, applicants explain that suits are too stiff and boring, it’s not their style, etc. My simple fashion advice:  “Wear a suit!” A suit looks polished and professional and helps the interviewer to see you as a future physician.

Know your application – You’ve spent the last four years taking chemistry, physics and bio, so what does the interviewer ask you about? The “C” you got in the “Intro to Synchronized Swimming Course” that you took your freshman year and hoped to forget. You could be asked about anything on your application. Be ready.

Keep on top of current events affecting healthcare – Proposed reforms to healthcare, the swine flu, the aging of the population; you should know at least the basics about topics such as these.  Read news sources on the Internet or newspaper or watch the news, and dig a bit deeper, just in case.

Know the school – Be prepared to explain why you want to attend this school. Research the school and talk to current medical students or alumni if you have the opportunity. Does the school have problem based learning or a traditional lecture format? Do they emphasize primary care or specializing? Is it a major research center? The answers to these questions can help you convey your interest in a particular program.

So you’ve done all this and you’re ready to go. You show up looking sharp in your new suit, smile confidently and are ready to discuss the nuances of healthcare reform. You shake the interviewer’s hand, take a deep breath ….and get asked about the bird-watching hobby you had listed on your “Work/Activities” section.  Great! Use your response to show that you are poised, personable and would have a fantastic bedside manner. Be prepared, but be ready to change course and succeed in any situation.