After doing a fair number of interviews, I figured it would be a good idea to put together some tips for doing well on the interview trail once you get there!
First and foremost, know why you want to go into internal medicine. For most of you, I’m sure you addressed this in your personal statement, but be able to provide a concise coherent description of your inspiration for pursuing IM. After all, you are applying for the residency, you must have a reason for applying to it rather than, say surgery.
Secondly, don’t spend a lot of time rehearsing your answers. You don’t want to come off as robotic and rehearsed. Interviewers want to see the genuine you rather someone who has clearly spent time rehearsing their answers. However, there is a list of questions circulating on the internet, I would look at the hardest questions and come with a general idea of how you would answer them.
Make sure to read about the program before your interview. This does not mean to memorize every little detail about it. Knowing a little about the program will help you figure out some questions to ask residents and the faculty.
Be aware of your environment. While this doesn’t pertain to doing well in interviews, I think this is important. Pay attention to the residents. Do they seem happy? Does the program director have a vision for the program? Is your interviewer asking you inappropriate questions like, “What programs did you apply to?”
I hope this helps!
