what to wear to dinner before residency interview
For many residency applicants, the interview is as difficult as passing Step 1. Many applicants have not had a job before, which means their just experience with interviews was iv years ago during medical school interviews.
My neurotic personality led me to "over-apply" in every footstep of my life: from my first job to medical school to, most recently, residency programs. I have had many opportunities to interview aslope some of the all-time and worst applicants during these processes. I volition share what I have learned well-nigh what to wearable and how to present yourself and so y'all too can shine as an applicant. While these tips are geared more than towards residency applicants, they are applicable to medical school applicants besides.
Read our total Residency Interviews Guide, which includes 7 strategies for preparing for residency interviews.
What to Wear to Residency Interviews
Don't exist bold with your fashion choices. I cannot tell y'all how many weird outfits I saw during my interview tour. I get it, sometimes I am a "fashionista" as well, merely a style statement is non worth making a negative impression on an older, conservative program managing director. Call up, medicine is a conservative field in which professionalism is highly valued.
Choose a navy or grey skirt or pantsuit for ladies, with a ii-piece suit of a similar color for men. Invest in at least one tailored outfit—i nicely fitted adapt is amend than buying a few and not having them tailored. Don't forget to test out your clothing in accelerate. Walk effectually in your interview clothing, do sitting and continuing, and see how it feels afterward you wear it for a while. You lot don't want any surprises come up interview solar day, to the lowest degree of all from your article of clothing.
Don't expect y'all can just jump into the conform you wore on the medical school interview trail. A lot can change in 4 years. You lot must try on your clothing over again to brand sure it is still in pristine status and everything even so fits. If you kept information technology simple and classy 4 years ago, you shouldn't have to worry about it going out of manner, just your outfit still needs to fit you correctly. Take your clothing to be tailored if needed or invest in another outfit to make sure you look sharp and professional for each or your residency interviews.
Bring every bit piddling every bit possible with yous since information technology is awkward lugging around a big bag. A folio with several pens and your printed CV is also recommended, only not necessary.
Residency interview attire Dos and Don'ts:
- Do choose neutral colors and shades, such as black, white, navy, and gray.
- Don't wear bright flashy colors to try to stand out.
- Do continue your outfit elementary and professional.
- Don't overdo it with lots of jewelry, accessories, or makeup.
- Do encompass up tattoos and excessive piercings.
- Don't forget something professional to acquit your CV, note paper, pen, etc.
- Do shower and tidy yourself the twenty-four hour period of your interview.
- Don't wear excessive perfume or cologne.
- Do habiliment professional person, comfortable shoes for walking around all 24-hour interval.
- Don't habiliment wearing apparel that are uncomfortably tight or revealing.
We share more helpful wardrobe tips in our commodity: The Platonic Attire for Medical Schoolhouse Interviews.
Pre-Interview
Make sure you test out your article of clothing in advance to ensure it'southward comfortable and everything fits the way it's supposed to. Practice sitting, standing, shaking someone'south hand, and walking around. Make a packing listing and check it thoroughly before you exit.
Information technology'southward important to nourish the pre-interview dinner, equally it is a smashing opportunity for you to come across your future colleagues, get the inside scoop on the program, and see if information technology is a good fit for you lot. Make certain yous have another simple and professional person outfit for the dinner. This dinner is casual, only don't make the mistake of drinking too much. Student volunteers and staff volition be watching you for any potential red flags. You don't desire to exist remembered equally the boozer applicant.
The Interview: Questions You'll Encounter
Interview questions fall into three categories: standard interview questions, personal questions, and applicant directed questions.
Standard Interview Questions
Y'all must be able to describe what y'all did, what you lot learned, and how meaningful each experience on your CV was to you. Remember, an interviewer may ask y'all near that one activity that yous decided to include concluding minute on your application.
After ensuring you tin elaborate on every action or research projection you lot included on your CV, set curtailed answers to the post-obit questions:
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What's the about difficult time in your life and how did you handle it?
- Who was your almost difficult patient?
- How did you handle a disagreement with a coworker or authorisation effigy?
- Why medicine? Why this specialty? Why this program?
- The dreaded "Tell me nigh yourself question" — Your answer should exist nearly 2-iii minutes. Include some personal details and walk the interviewer through why y'all decided to become into medicine and what led y'all to your specialty.
- Where exercise you see yourself in v-10 years? Your respond should match the type of programme you are applying to (due east.g., if applying to a community program, practice non answer that yous want to be doing research 50% of the time.) Make certain you can explain the blazon of practise (bookish vs. clinical) that you envision yourself working in.
Curious nigh what other interview questions you lot'll be asked? Here are 21 Medical School Interview Questions and How to Answer Them.
Personal Questions
These questions are asked and then that the interviewer can ascertain who you are outside of medicine and academics. Be prepared to discuss a trip you took, a book you read, or something that you are looking forward to.
While personal in nature, these questions should non include inappropriate questions about your family background, marital status, or whether or not you plan on having children. Learn more: How to Handle Inappropriate Interview Questions.
Applicant Directed Questions
This is where you, the applicant, have an opportunity to ask questions. I recommend asking no more than four questions, unless it flows naturally with the chat. Gear up 2 general questions that can be applied to whatsoever program. Think of what is important to you. Remember, your questions reflect your values.
The other two questions should be specific to the programme and thus require a flake more research. Start by visiting the program website, then talk to residents either at the applicant dinner or by reaching out to a medical schoolhouse alumnus. This is why going to the pre-interview dinners is a good idea. Ask the residents what sets the program apart and what they are currently working on. Programs love to brag nearly their accomplishments, so this will definitely give you some extra points.
Post-Interview
Congrats, you made it through the interview! Now what? Near programs will tell yous if yous should write a thanks note. I recommend writing a thank you email, unless the programme specifically requests that you lot practise not. A cursory thank you lot note that summarizes your interest in the programme and highlights a specific experience from the interview day volition suffice.
Most applicants are nervous about how much contact to have with the plan subsequently the interview day is done. I recommend emailing your top program to inform them they are your number one choice. This may non make as well much of a divergence, but you may kick yourself if you do not. Alert: simply play this carte if you mean it.
Non every residency program allows give thanks yous notes or emails. Enquiry the specific residency programs you're interviewing at to make up one's mind if cheers emails are accepted.
Learn How to Write a Medical Schoolhouse Interview Cheers E-mail.
Additional Residency Interview Tips
Now that you've nailed the content of the interview, here are a few more tips to assistance set you apart.
- Take notes during the interview. This will make you seem interested.
- Always be positive and enthusiastic, even when you call back no one is listening.
- Do not talk sick of your program or other programs. Do not brag to the other applicants. If noticed, this kind of a social faux pas can impale an otherwise great interview.
- Finally, exist confident, only non self. A lot of interviews are casual, merely e'er err on the side of formal. For example, never call a program manager or banana program director by their first name. (Yes, that really happened during one of my interviews).
Residency Interview Preparation
The almost important part of this process is to savor yourself. Recall, you are trying to find a programme that is a skillful fit for yous; you will get great medical training wherever you go.
If you desire to brush up on your interview skills, participate in mock interviews. Med School Insiders offers Residency Interview Preparation with sometime interviewers that provides diverse simulations you will run across on interview day along with real-time feedback.
Source: https://medschoolinsiders.com/medical-student/presenting-your-best-self-on-the-residency-interview-trail/