Nailing the Medical School Interview is available now!

I am very pleased to announce the publication of a new book:

Nailing the Medical School Interview: A Harvard MD's Comprehensive Preparation Strategy

Did you know the interview is the most important factor used to decide which applicants get in to medical school? THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR! Fortunately, interview techniques can be learned and improved with practice. Drawn from Dr. Suzanne M. Miller’s nearly 15 years of experience as a Harvard pre-med tutor, admissions interviewer, and CEO of MDadmit medical admissions, Nailing the Medical School Interview provides a detailed, step-by-step plan for how to tackle every aspect of traditional medical school interviews while giving you a head start on Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) preparation. Book highlights include: 1. 250+ interview questions with answer examples and explanations. 2. Detailed system for how to approach ethical/behavioral questions. 3. Entire chapter on health policy topics. 4. Strategies for group and essay questions. 5. Post-interview strategy with example thank you notes and letters of intent/update letters 6. Tips on scheduling and style prep 7. Special sections on DO and Caribbean schools interview preparation.

Medical School Admissions (2013-2014 Cycle): Why does every pre-med bring a fancy portfolio and legal pad to medical school interviews?

If you have already undergone a medical school interview, you will have noticed that everyone brings a fancy, leather portfolio with a legal pad inside. You probably did too. But did you, or any other pre-med in attendance, actually use the portfolio? What's the point of bringing a portfolio if no one uses it?

I may surprise you by advising you DO bring a professional-looking portfolio with a legal pad. But I also suggest you actually use it to store some important items and take notes. Here's how a porfolio should be used in the medical school interview scenario:

1. Store a copy of your AMCAS application, secondary application for the school you are visiting, and any publications/abstracts in the inside folder. This will allow you to review these items prior to the interview or during breaks in the interview day. It is unlikely any interviewers will ask to see your publications, but it's not unheard of - so best to be prepared.
2. Put a small roll of dental floss into the pocket as well. I can't tell you how many times I've seen pre-meds with food stuck in their teeth when interviews occur after a meal. Having floss might just save you from an embarrassing situation.
3. Take notes! There is no need to take notes during the interview, as that may seem pretentious. But definitely jot down your thoughts after each interview making special note of:

Interview date

Interviewer name and title spelled correctly

Topics discussed

School positives

School negatives

Overall gut reaction

Taking five minutes to log your thoughts will be helpful in keeping the details of each school straight in your mind and remembering specifics to put in thank you notes. As schools start to blur together on the interview trail, these notes will be very helpful.

Good luck and get in!

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP
Emergency Physician
CEO, MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com
415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Medical School Admissions (2013-2014 Cycle): It's not too late to receive an interview

I am receiving many anxious e-mails, calls, and tweets from pre-meds who have not yet received a medical school interview invite. Though it is a bit late in the cycle, there is no need to panic yet. Most medical schools still have some interview invites to hand out.

However, there are a few things you can do to determine if there is a problem with your application requiring immediate action:
1.  Review your AMCAS and secondaries with a medical school expert, such as your school's pre-med advisor or a medical school admissions consultant. I just had a client who realized certain classes had been categorized incorrectly on the AMCAS application, making the science GPA inappropriately low. This is the kind of issue that can sink a medical school application and needs to be addressed immediately through the appropriate AMCAS channels, such as submitting an official academic request form.
2. Call each school that you have applied to and returned a secondary application. Ask if your application is complete and if all interview invites have been given. You may find a secondary you submitted was never received. You will also learn if some interview invites remain.
3. Call each school that you have applied to and not received a secondary from and ensure the school has everything it needs prior to sending a secondary application. Also inquire about whether any more secondaries will be sent out (quite unlikely at this stage in the medical school cycle but it doesn’t hurt to ask).

The key here is to look for help and ask questions. Ignoring the situation because you are too busy or afraid of the answers is not the way to go. Get informed and fix any errors. You never know, asking for expert advice and making a few phone calls to medical schools could mean the difference between medical school acceptance and rejection.

As always, let me know if I can help!

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP
Emergency Physician
CEO, MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com
415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Medical School Admissions (2013-2014 Cycle): Interview preparation for inevitable Obamacare questions

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Fall is in the air and the medical school interview season is upon us! 

With all of the shenanigans happening in Washington, DC these days, the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is on the forefront of many minds - including your interviewers! This means you are very likely to be asked at least one question about Obamacare. In fact, the majority of my clients tell me they have been asked about Obamacare in their recent interviews.

So this leads to the query I am receiving almost daily from premeds around the country: "How do I prepare for an Obamacare question?

Luckily, I won't suggest you read the many thousands of pages of the Affordable Care Act. Most politicians who voted on the bill haven't read the entire thing. But I do suggest getting as familiar as you can with the basics of the bill - both positive and negative. This will take some research and reading on your part. 

1. Starting with newspaper media coverage. Go to your favorite major newspaper (New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.) and type 'Obamacare' or 'Affordable Care Act' into the search term. You will see dozens of relevant articles pop up. Look for summarizing articles that explain the bill in layman's terms and opinion pieces that give one point of view. Start a paper or virtual file of the articles and organize them so you can review them later if needed for future interview preparation.

2. Search sources such as The Economist, The New York Times Magazine, and The New Yorker for longer, often more detailed articles on the Affordable Care Act. Soak up the details and pay attention to the pro and con arguments given.

3. Spend thirty minutes a day with your favorite news source - be it network TV news, CNN, Huffington Post, or even Twitter. Pay attention to any comments on Obamacare and think about whether or not you agree with the opinions presented.

After doing your research, it’s time to form your own opinion. Brainstorm what you think are the three biggest positives and three biggest negatives of Obamacare. Determine what you would do to improve the bill if you had the power. Think about what a health care reform bill would look like if you were president.

After this process, you will be ready for the vast majority of questions interviewers with ask during a medical school interview. The key is to be knowledgeable on the subject, see both sides, and be able to state your opinion clearly.

Congrats if you have already received interviews and good luck if you are still waiting.

--Dr. Miller

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP
Emergency Physician
CEO, MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com
415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

MDadmit Medical School Admissions: Testimonial of the Week

Greetings Pre-Meds!

First off, great luck to my MDadmit clients during the interview season. Remember, practice is the key to a great interview. Do mock interviews with your pre-med advisor or an admissions consultant. Sit in front of the mirror and answer questions out loud. Practice, practice, practice!

Second, thank you to everyone who has bought the Medical School Admissions Guide and How to Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA - we have hit record sales!

Finally, I wanted to share this MDadmit Testimonial of the Week with you:

"Dr. Miller,

It was nice to meet you and thank you very much for your help. Your feedback was very informative and I will continue honing my interview answers. I will be in touch soon!"

--MDadmit mock interview client

MDadmit Medical School Admissions: Testimonial of the Week

Another happy MDadmit customer:

“Dr. Miller provided phenomenal advice when writing my personal statement (ie. how to package myself as a candidate), helped me to understand the position my MCAT score would put me in in terms of the schools I was applying to, and assisted in organizing and structuring my activities list on the AMCAS.  Most importantly, she was instrumental in explaining to me proper correspondence with admissions officers (how much to say and when to say it) - one of the trickier/more nuanced parts of the application process. I would recommend her to everyone applying to medical school! She knew the answers to all my questions - whether big or small. Thanks again for the invaluable advice!”

--NYU Medical Student

MDadmit Medical School Admissions: Testimonial of the Week

Greetings Pre-Meds!

First off, great luck to my MDadmit clients as you start the interview process. Remember, practice is the key to a great interview. Do mock interviews with your pre-med advisor or an admissions consultant. Sit in front of the mirror and answer questions out loud. Practice, practice, practice!

Second, thank you to everyone who has bought the Medical School Admissions Guide and How to Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA - we have hit record sales!

Finally, I wanted to share this MDadmit Testimonial of the Week with you:

"Dr. Miller helped me express my experiences, activities, and aspirations succinctly in my interviews. Thanks to working with her on my interview preparation, I felt comfortable, relaxed, and prepared on the interview trail. I'm thankful for her support in helping me gain admission to medical school."

--Johns Hopkins Medical Student

Medical School Admissions: Medical School Interviews - Season Winding Down (2011 - 2012)

This is often the last week of interviews. If you have not received an interview invite from a school at this point, you can consider that a rejection. Many schools, unfortunately, will never officially contact you to provide a rejection.

Now it is time to focus your energies on schools where you have been interviewed and are either waiting to hear or have been waitlisted. By this, I mean writing a letter of intent to your top choice or update letters to other schools that you are interested in (see last two posts for specifics on these letters).

For step-by-step advice on how to get into medical school examples of  update letters/letters of intent from successful applications, check out The Medical School Admissions Guide: A Harvard MD’s Week-by-Week Admissions Handbook. If you’d like Dr. Miller to edit your letter of intent, please visit www.MDadmit.com/solutions, e-mail info@MDadmit.com, or call 415.939.5251.

Medical School Admissions (2010-2011 Cycle) – Be On Your Best Behavior

This is the time of medical school admission decisions. You likely have and will continue to hear from schools regarding your acceptance status. Every school has a different time line for reviewing applications and offering acceptances. Naturally, you may feel inclined to check in with certain schools to see when final decisions will be made. Even though this is a time of high anxiety, please be sure to be polite when contacting schools. Angering the assistant answering the phone is a very easy way to sink your application. Also, remember to avoid slang, acronyms, and text shorthand in e-mails to schools. Every phone call and e-mail should use formal language.

Haven’t heard from schools yet and wondering what to do? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to set up a consulting session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions insider.

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Interviews - Season Winding Down

This is often the last week of interviews. If you have not received an interview invite from a school at this point, you can consider that a rejection. Many schools, unfortunately, will never officially contact you to provide a rejection.

Now it is time to focus your energies on schools where you have been interviewed and are either waiting to hear or have been waitlisted. By this, I mean writing a letter of intent to your top choice or update letters to other schools that you are interested in (see last two posts for specifics on these letters).

This stage in the medical school admissions process is often a painful waiting game. It can be very difficult. Hang in there!

Need help getting off the waitlist? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to set up a consulting session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions insider.

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Interviews – Avoid Burnout

Are you one of the few who have more interviews than you know what to do with? Are you finding school or work slipping because you are always flying off to an interview? Do you think your performance in interviews is slipping due to fatigue? If so, you should be very grateful. And you should also think about canceling some of the interviews to avoid burnout. Look at the list of interviews that you have left. Be sure to only attend interviews of schools that you will seriously consider attending if accepted. For example, you have already been accepted to one of your top choices and have a few “safety school” interviews in February. Do yourself and the admissions committees a favor and call to cancel those interviews.

Need help deciding which interviews to attend? Call 415.939.5251 or email info@MDadmit.com to set up a consulting session with a medical school admissions insider.

 

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Interviews – No Interviews Yet?

 Are you still waiting for a medical school interview invite? If so, it’s time to get to work. Here are some suggestions:

1. Call each school that you have applied to and returned a secondary application. Ask if your application is complete and if all interview invites have been given.
2. Call each school that you have applied to and not received a secondary from and ensure the school has everything it needs prior to sending a secondary application. Also inquire about whether any more secondaries will be sent out (quite unlikely at this stage in the interview process but it doesn’t hurt to ask).
3. Contact your undergraduate or post-baccalaureate pre-med advisor and update him/her on your situation. If there is a particular school that you are interested in and have not received an interview, some pre-med advisors will make a call on your behalf.

Worried about not receiving the interviews you want? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to put a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert to work for you!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Interviews - Season Winding Down

This is often the last week of interviews. If you have not received an interview invite from a school at this point, you can consider that a rejection. Many schools, unfortunately, will never officially contact you to provide a rejection.

Now it is time to focus your energies on schools where you have been interviewed and are either waiting to hear or have been waitlisted. By this, I mean writing a letter of intent to your top choice or update letters to other schools that you are interested in (see last two posts for specifics on these letters).

This stage in the medical school admissions process is often a painful waiting game. It can be very difficult. Hang in there!

Need help getting off the waitlist? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to set up a consulting session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions insider.

Medical School Interviews – Thank You Notes

Thank you notes often raise many questions for medical school applicants:

*Do I have to write thank you notes to every interviewer?

Yes, if you would attend the school if accepted.

*Should I write hand-written notes?

Yes.

*Can an e-mail serve as a sufficient thank you?
No. Such an important communication should not be sent to someone’s already very full e-mail inbox.

Here are some tips:

1. Bring thank you notes, envelopes, and stamps with you on the interview
2. Take notes after every interview noting interviewer name/title and the most interesting topics you discussed (be sure to get the exact spelling of the interviewer’s name)
3. While traveling home by plane, train, etc., write the thank you notes and then drop them in the mail immediately. If you travel by car, write them in the car before you leave. Leaving thank you notes until “later” means they will never get done. And it’s always best to write them while the interview is still fresh in your mind. 

 

Need help writing thank you notes? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to put a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert to work for you!

 

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

 

Medical School Interviews – Take Notes

 Everyone seems to bring a schnazy leather legal pad on interviews. But have you ever seen someone actually taking notes? Why bring it if you don’t use it? There’s no need to take notes during the actual interview, as that may seem pretentious. But definitely jot down your thoughts after each interview making note of:

Interview date
Interviewer name and title
Topics discussed
School positives
School negatives
Overall gut reaction

Taking 5 minutes to log your thoughts will be helpful in keeping the details of each school straight in your mind and remembering specifics to put in thank you notes. These notes can also be very helpful when you are making your final decision of where to attend medical school.

Interviews not going as well as you had hoped? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com for a one-on-one practice session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Interviews – Interview Etiquette

I am sure these tips will seem obvious to you, but you’d be surprised what some people try to get away with. During an interview, please avoid:

1. Chewing gum

2. Swearing

3. Racial slurs

4. Slang

5. “Um,” “like,” “ya know,” and other verbal fillers

5. Ticking anybody off

Be as nice to the receptionist as you are to the interviewer. Rude behavior to any of the medical school staff often gets back to the admissions committee and has been known to sink many an exceptional candidate.

Good luck!

Want more practice? Medical school mock interview sessions are filling quickly. Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com for a one-on-one practice session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

THE Medical School Admissions Guide Available NOW!

Are you looking for affordable expert advice on how to get into medical school? Dr. Miller, CEO of MDadmit: Medical School Admissions Consulting, has written a book just for you.

The Medical School Admissions Guide: A Harvard MD’s Week-by-Week Admissions Handbook contains the weekly, step-by-step plan Dr. Miller used to get into Harvard Medical School. She has since utilized the strategy to help hundreds of applicants gain entry into medical school. Following this handbook’s advice will provide you a distinct advantage in the competitive medical school admissions process as it prepares you for every step and helps create your best application.

Buy it now at:

MDadmit

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Highlights:

*Weekly, easy-to-follow advice on navigating the complex admissions process

*Multiple examples of successful personal statements, AMCAS work/activities, secondary essays, and letter of intent/update letters

*Special sections on reapplicants, non-traditional applicants, DO schools, and foreign schools

Dr. Miller’s Experience:

Harvard MD

Harvard Pre-Med Tutor

Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency Graduate

Admissions Interviewer

George Washington University Faculty

Virginia Commonwealth University Faculty

Practicing Emergency Physician

CEO of MDadmit: Medical School Admissions Consulting (http://www.MDadmit.com)

Medical School Interviews – Current Events

Many interviews now include questions regarding ethics, policy, and current events. During interview season, be sure to stay up-to-date on all current events, but especially those related to health care. Health care reform is again in the headlines given the recent election – do you know the specifics of the debate? What do you think about the healthcare reform bill passed by the Obama administration? What do you think about some of the Republican ideas to change it? You don’t have to be an expert, but you should know the lingo and be able to intelligently express your opinion. Ethics questions on issues such as abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and stem cell research have also become popular.

How can you prepare? I suggest reading your local paper but also browse national papers such as the New York Times. The Economist politics and business in review sections at the beginning of every magazine provide excellent current event summaries. Subscribing to The Economist is pricey but you can read these two sections at the library in less than ten minutes.

Want to practice your medical school ethics and policy interview answers? MDadmit offers mock interview sessions to help maximize your chances of success. E-mail info@MDadmit.com for a one-on-one practice session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Medical School Interviews – Final Prep

It’s game time. You’ve polished the shoes, reviewed the application, and practiced and practiced and practiced questions. Before you leave, remember these final details:

1. Pack all clothes in a carry-on. Airlines lose baggage – frequently. Always carry on your luggage.
2. Bring copies of all publications in case the interviewer would like to see them. You can keep them safe in the pocket of leather legal pad. The legal pad can be used to take notes.
3. Ensure you have all directions or public transit options mapped out. Being late to a medical school interview is NOT an option.
4. Bring:
Blank thank you notes
A snack
Extra pantyhose/stockings in case of runs (if you are wearing hose)
Dental floss (very handy for post-lunch interviews)
5. Ensure a good night sleep not just the night before the interview but the “night before the night before.” Studies have shown that sleep two nights before an event most dramatically affects performance.

Nervous about your interviews? A MDadmit mock interview can give you that advantage. E-mail info@MDadmit.com to put a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert to work for you!

Medical School Interviews – Practice, Practice, Practice Questions

Whether you are preparing for your first medical school interview or your tenth, practice is the key to a successful interview experience. Practice the most typical questions asked in medical school interviews. There are many lists out there on the Internet.

Practice answering questions out loud in front of a mirror. You will be surprised by the habits you will discover, such as playing with a ring, wrying hands, or foot tapping. Practice limiting such distracting movements. Practice by tape recording your answers. Isn’t it amazing how many times your say “like” and “um.” Practice not using those unprofessional, filler words.

Ideally, you should arrange for a mock interview with an admissions consultant or medical school counselor. This mock interview should be as close to real as possible – do everything you will do on interview day including wearing your suit, using an office setting, and answering each question to the best of your ability.

Want more practice? Medical school mock interview sessions are filling quickly. E-mail info@MDadmit.com for a one-on-one practice session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.