Interview Season
from Medscape Med Students
Posted 01/22/2003
Daniel Egan, MD
It is hard to believe that interview season for next year's crop of interns is already here. About a month ago, the program director for my residency mentioned at our weekly conference that the process was starting and asked for feedback on last year's process. My co-interns and I looked at each other in disbelief with the sudden realization that the next group of interns to replace us is not that far away.
So far this season, we have had 2 interview days at my program. One of the faculty members pointed out that the medical students we have seen are dying to be in our position. I laughed to myself as I thought of the previous columns I had written regarding the often difficult life that we lead as interns. However, at the same time, I can remember being on the interview trail, meeting all of the residents and envying their "match" and success in the field. Now as I sit on the other side of the informal dinners and lunches with the candidates, I hear all of their questions. I recall the anxiety I had at that time wondering if it would be possible to make the right decision. I wondered, as I am sure many of them are wondering, if the match would actually work in my favor as it was reputed to do.
I thought that this month I would talk about the application process and give some pointers. The question that has plagued all of us who have finished medical school and are ready to embark on residence training is how to figure out the ideal program. Where do I really want to go? Will I fit in there? What will they think of me, and after my interview what DID they think of me?
As you go through this several-month process, take advantage of the opportunities to see residents outside of the formal interview day. Dinner or drinks the night before an interview are key chances to see how we get along with each other. You can ask the questions you've memorized and expect honesty in return. Be wary of programs in which residents are overly enthusiastic with nothing bad to say, as well as those that come off completely negative. In addition to your questions, this is the chance to see if the people you will be spending a good portion of your life with are normal outside of the hospital. A restaurant or bar is the place where it is most unlikely for anyone to be putting on an act.
The interview day creates enormous anxiety. You never truly know what questions people will ask behind closed doors. You surely have no idea what is said about you when the committee meets later in the day. With that in mind, I think the healthiest thing to do is be yourself. There is no reason to put on a facade in your interview suit. The true you is the person that a program should rank and expect to get.
How do you make the final decision? You will find yourself having interviewed at between 10 and 20 programs depending on your specialty. Many advisors will recommend making a spreadsheet listing pros and cons and the details of each program's curriculum. Some of my colleagues created their own ranking system, delegating scores to various aspects of each program. Others insisted on going for a second look to get that further impression. Believe me, I did most of these things. But in the end, everything fell apart and I realized that this could not be a pure science, as many of us would like it to be.
On one of my interview days, the chairman sat down and told us how to make our match list. He said that when all is said and done, we would go home and recall each of the programs and how we felt during our day there. He insisted that at least 1 place would have the right fit, using the analogy of a glove on your hand. I didn't believe it at the time but in retrospect it was true. Somehow, much like the situation you encounter with the medical school application process, certain places will stick out in your mind. Ultimately, I imagined opening up my envelope on match day with each of my programs. There were clear differences in my reaction -- some made me feel elated, while others gave me that pit-in-the-stomach feeling that is typical when receiving bad news.
My Dean for Student Affairs in med school suggested putting Post-it notes with each of the programs on the refrigerator or wall in order of rank. You will be amazed how many times a week you will look at that and rearrange it based on the "gut" reaction. Your #1 choice will become clear, but sometimes the hardest decision is deciding which follow. Everything will work out. Do not be swayed by those who call you to convince you to join their program -- most certainly will. There are too many games to try and figure out regarding how to break the system. Go with your dreams and what you want. In the end, a program that really wants you is where you will wind up. Regardless of where this program fell on your list, there is comfort knowing that they sought you -- it's nice to be wanted.
Daniel Egan, MD, 2002 graduate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and first-year emergency medicine resident, Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency
Medscape Med Students 5(1), 2003. © 2003 Medscape