The Benefit of Interview Coaching
The Medical School Interview is Vital
The medical school interview is the final major hurdle in the medical school application process. After completing primary and secondary applications, a handful of medical school applicants are granted the honor of being invited for an interview. The interview is perhaps the most crucial portion of the application process. This is because schools often make final admissions decisions based on an applicant’s interview performance. If a school grants an interview, that means that they are willing to offer that applicant admission. The applicant’s performance on interview day will determine whether or not they receive that coveted acceptance letter. Applicants who are serious about attending medical school should schedule interview coaching to prepare for their upcoming medical school interviews.
Interviewing is a Skill
Most people are not naturally good at interviewing. Fortunately, like most skills, interviewing becomes better with practice. Furthermore, medical school interviews generally follow a typical pattern. If you take the time to prepare beforehand, you are likely to give a strong interview. This is the value of interview coaching. A good medical school interview coach is very well versed in the types of questions and the manner in which interviews are conducted. Therefore, they can help you develop the skills necessary to perform well on interview day.
How Interview Coaching Can Help
Interview coaching is a valuable tool for medical school applicants. The ideal interview coach has knowledge about medical school admissions. It is best if your coach is a physician. This is because they have navigated the medical school admissions pathway and triumphed. A strong interview coach will help you prepare for all aspects of your interview day.
Prepare Answers
Although every interview is different, schools tend to ask the same questions. If you pre-prepare the answers to these questions, you will give a stronger and more polished interview. Your interview coach will familiarize you with popular medical school interview questions. In addition, they will help you in preparing thorough and effective responses. For example, one of most deceptively simple interview question is asked at almost every interview. The question is “tell me about yourself”. At first this may seem like a simple question. However, most people become overwhelmed by this open-ended request. Many interviewees, when presented with this question, ramble and provide very little useful information to the interviewer. A professional interview coach can help you develop a concise introductory statement about yourself to prepare for this question.
An interview coach can also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. During your interview coaching session, your coach will identify which attributes and activities you should emphasize during your actual interview. Similarly, the coach will help you develop a plan for managing your weak points. If you have low grades in one or more classes, your interviewer is certain to mention it on interview day. Your interview coach can help you prepare the best explanation for any episodes of academic underachievement.
Interview Etiquette
It may seem obvious that good manners are a must on interview day. However, many applicants make etiquette errors that may reflect badly on their application. Your interview coach will address things you can do to make a good impression. For example, sending thoughtful individualized ‘thank you’ notes after your interview day are a great way to impress an interviewer.
Interview Coaching is a Valuable Service
Interview coaching is a valuable service for medical school applicants. If you are serious about being accepted to medical school, you should schedule an appointment with an interview coach prior to attending your first medical school interview. A one hour interview session can prepare you to earn your acceptance letter to medical school.
