Although I have been on a few interviews, I already feel like it’s a bit draining to talk about myself and expand on what I’ve written in my ERAS application to 4-5 different people in the course of a single day. And then I have to do it all over again in a few short days. Yet, it has been valuable to engage faculty members and It’s a long and grueling process, but I am determined to find a program that fits me where my passions and endeavors will be well-supported through the learning environment and curricular structure. Here’s some advice in my limited experience:
- Always be yourself. This is the best piece of advice I ever received. You know yourself better than anyone else. It doesn’t make sense to project a different representation of yourself, just because you want to somehow heighten someone else’s perception of you. I find that it’s much more fluid to be myself and the rest will fall into place. I definitely don’t want to go to a program and train with people where I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin!
- Have lots of questions. I like to ask questions about call, the food, the curriculum, etc. Whatever seems to strike my interest in the website or even during the presentation is fair game. I also think it’s good to ask the same question to several people to see what different perspectives are.
- Be professional and stay connected to programs you really like. Even if it can get overwhelming, I think communication to programs you really enjoy shows your interest and it’ll help them remember you once rank lists are being made.
