Residency Interview Tips
You login in to your ERAS account at the aamc website, and you see that box with red letters stating new messages. Your heart skips a beat as you click on the new messages link and there it is … a message with the subject stating … INTERVIEW OFFER.
Congratulations, you have just made it past the first round of screening for that program. I would advise you to respond no later than 48 hours after receiving this message and schedule your interview. There has been one example in the forums where an applicant delayed replying to the email and lost the interview. Also, if you wait too long it shows a lack of interest. When you reply to this email, make sure that you thank the program for the interview invitation. Also, you should know that if the email was forwarded from ERAS to your email account, a simple reply will not work correctly and therefore will not be sent to the correct email address.
I have just summarized tips from various sites. I have provided links to these other sites later in this article.
Travel
Plan your tickets in advance and try to coordinate interviews in the same geographical areas at the same time to save some money. You can try the following links to purchase airline tickets, car rentals, and hotels if the residency program does not provide this for you.
How to Dress for the Interview
Even though in medical school, they do not stress the importance of how to dress for an interview in comparison to our business student counterparts - it is important that you dress well. Remember this is a job interview. For both men and women, suits are a good choice for the interview.
Prepare for the Interview
You should prepare for the interview by researching the program thoroughly. This can be done by visiting the programs websites. I suggest taking a look at www.scutwork.com for past interview experiences. Look up information on the program director, cheif residents, and attendings. See if they have any published papers and read them. This will show that you have interest in the program and the people you may work with.
You need to be confident, positive, and upbeat. It is also extremely important that you are able to react to tough situations or questions in a mature manner. It is important to show that you have a strong work ethic. It is also important to be yourself. If the program likes you for who you are, the years spent at this residency program will be much easier to handle. Remember to smile and make eye contact. Also, make sure to have a firm handshake.
Questions they may Ask
The following is a list of questions taken from various sources. It is important to look over these questions so that you know what to expect, but do not have prepared memorized answers. You need to be natural when you answer the interviewer.
Click here to go to link of list of questions
Questions you should ask
Click here to go to link of list of questions you should ask.
Links to other sites with Useful Interview Information
AMA: The Residency Interview - Making the Most of It
Georgetown: Residency Interview Skills
UT Houston: Residency Interview Video
Useful Books With Interview Tips
Iserson’s Getting Into a Residency: A Guide for Medical Students, 7th Edition
Interview Expert Reveals All - I highly recommend this ebook. It is not geared toward residencies but it gives you ideas outside the box of the residency interview guides which I feel can give you an advantage.
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