Samir P. Desai - The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty

FROM THE AUTHORS OF SUCCESS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL

PUBLISHED BY
MD2B
HOUSTON, TEXAS

www.MD2B.net

The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty is published by MD2B, PO Box 300988, Houston, TX 77230-0988.

www.MD2B.net

NOTICE: The authors and publisher disclaim any personal liability, either directly or indirectly, for advice or information presented within. The authors and publishers have used care and diligence in the preparation of this book. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information contained within this book. The reader should understand, however, that most of the books subject matter is not rooted in scientific observation. The recommendations made within this book have come from the authors personal experiences and interactions with faculty and students over many years. There is considerable variability in the admissions process from one medical school to another. Therefore, the recommendations are not universally applicable. No responsibility is assumed for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any false or misleading implication that may arise due to the text.

2014 by Samir P. Desai and Rajani Katta

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

9781937978013

To all of the individuals who have taught us important lessons and helped us throughout our careers: our mentors, our teachers, our students, and our patients.

The authors would like to thank Brian Clinton, Biological Sciences Advisor at the University of Rhode Island, for his contributions.

Dr. Samir Desai serves on the faculty of the Baylor College of Medicine in the Department of Medicine where he is actively involved in medical student and resident education. He is a member of the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine, and the recipient of multiple teaching awards. He is an author and editor, having written fourteen books that together have sold over 150,000 copies worldwide.

His book Success in Medical School: Insider Advice for the Preclinical Years provides preclinical students with detailed knowledge and guidance to excel and position themselves for match success later in medical school. In 2009, he co-authored The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, a well-regarded and highly acclaimed book that has helped thousands of residency applicants match successfully. He is also the co-author of Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success. This book has helped thousands of medical students make the difficult transition from the preclinical to clinical years of medical school. Success on the Wards is a required or recommended resource at many U.S. medical schools, providing proven strategies for success in patient care, write-ups, rounds, and other vital areas.

As a faculty member, he serves on the medical school admissions and residency selection committees. His commitment to helping premedical and medical students reach their professional goals led him to develop the website TheSuccessfulMatch.com. The websites mission is to provide medical school and residency applicants with a better understanding of the selection process. Dr. Desai keeps applicants abreast of key information at The Successful Match blog. (www.TheSuccessfulMatch.blogspot.com).

After completing his residency training in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Dr. Desai had the opportunity to serve as chief medical resident. He received his M.D. degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, graduating first in his class.

Dr. Rajani Katta is Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine. She has authored over 50 scientific articles and chapters, and lectured extensively both nationally and locally on dermatology and contact dermatitis to students, residents, and physicians. She serves as the course director for dermatology in the basic science years, and has served as the clerkship director for the dermatology rotation. In these capacities, she has seen firsthand the importance of outstanding clinical evaluations in securing a position in a competitive specialty, and her insight in this area has helped students seeking these types of competitive positions.

Having advised many students over the years regarding the dermatology match process, she was determined to become expert in this area and share her knowledge, insight, and perspective. In 2009, she co-authored The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match. This book has quickly become the best-selling title in this field.

She is also the co-author of Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success. This book has helped thousands of medical students make the difficult transition from the preclinical to clinical years of medical school. Success on the Wards is a required or recommended resource at many U.S. medical schools, providing proven strategies for success in patient care, write-ups, rounds, and other vital areas.

After graduating with honors from Baylor College of Medicine and completing her internship in Internal Medicine, she completed her dermatology residency at the Northwestern University School of Medicine.

Why do you want to be a doctor? Why did you choose to apply to our medical school?

Many interviewers will ask variations of these basic, standard questions. And many applicants will have prepared answers for these. Many applicants, though, will get it wrong.

Weve interviewed hundreds of applicants. Some weve grilled and some weve coached. And from these hundreds of applicants, weve learned one thing: almost every single one could have been better.

Write down your own answers to these questions, and then take a look at our approach.

Why our school?

You may be asked a number of variations of this same question:

• What qualities are you looking for in a school?
• Describe your ideal medical school.
• What interests you most about our school?
• Tell me what you know about our school.
• Why do you want to be a student here?
• What two or three things are important to you in a medical school?

While the question asks about the school, the best answers highlight the applicant. You need to make a strong case that YOU are the perfect fit for this exact school. Few applicants are able to do that well.

Here are examples of the typical responses that we've heard over the years:

Well, I've lived here for three years so I know that I would want to live here. One of the things I like is the diversity and clinical opportunities you offer. I know I would see all kinds of different patient populations. The school has a good reputation which I know would help me get into a good residency program. The atmosphere is excellent, students help each other, and this is a place which will challenge me but not bring out the worst in me.

Im really looking for two things. First, a program that really integrates the clinical with the basic sciences. My impression is that [your school] does a good job with that. The second thing is the breadth of opportunities here. All the research thats going on. I cant imagine that it would be difficult to find many people I would be interested in working with.