Preparing for Your Residency Interview

Aug 15

6 min

1465 Views

1466 Views

Crush Your Residency Interview!

Performing well during the residency interview is critical in maximizing your chances at being ranked well in a particular program. In order to present the best version of yourself, you must prepare, then practice, practice, and PRACTICE! This cannot be emphasized enough. Below are some tips for what to focus on in your preparations:

Know yourself:

1. Know yourself and be prepared to fluently describe your past experiences (childhood, hardships, personality traits, etc)
2. Prepare ~10 important personal stories that you can apply to behavioral interview questions (i.e. a time you had a conflict with a team member, a time you had a difficult patient encounter, a time you received negative feedback).
3. Obtain a list of potential interview questions and brainstorm answers to these. Residency interviews are peppered with open-ended questions that allow you to expand on your education, accomplishments, and passions. You need to have answers ready and clearly defined since some interviews may be short and those seconds can count!

As a side note–brainstorming may mean different things for different people – anything from simply formulating responses in your head to literally writing out responses to common questions.

At the same time, try to keep at least somewhat of an impromptu style of answering these interview questions such that you do not sound too rehearsed as an applicant and so you can sound more genuine to the interviewer.

Do at least one formal mock interview (ideally with someone knowledgeable about the process).

Know your application:

Know your application!!! This might seem obvious, but anything on your CV/ERAS is fair game, including the abstract you were 4th author on during the summer of your M1 year. Aka–be ready to discuss anything!
1. Our tutors found that research (#1) and hobbies (#2) were the 2 most commonly asked about topics during interviews. Even though the “hobbies” section is easy to skip through and leave blank, please do remember to fill it in as many questions that interviewers have that related to an applicant’s fit for a particular program stem from these hobbies.
Practice answering interview questions about your application (with a classmate, parent, current resident, mentor, etc.) to make sure you can speak about your experiences fluently.

Know the program:

1. Research information about the program and about the key staff at the program you are interviewing at, so that you are knowledgeable about the program and can show specific interest (which you should do regardless since you may end up there for 3+ years!!)
2. Have some specific reasons why you want to go to that program. If there is a particular doctor you really hope to work with, or if there is a certain clinic you want to get exposure to, share this! Be thoughtful in your answers because this is going to set you apart from all of the other applicants.
3. If there are any alumni from your medical school at the program where you are interviewing, it’s a great idea to reach out to them beforehand to learn more about the program, express your interest, and get interview day tips.
4. Especially when interviewing in smaller cities or cities geographically far from your medical school, be prepared to be asked “Why would you move from Chicago to Pittsburgh?”

Ideally, answer with reasons both related to the city and program, but you can always fall back on – “I’m excited to explore this new city, and I am most focused on training at the best possible program, and I think your program could be that for me because….”

Need additional
help with your exam?

Enter your info to hear from a member of our team and discuss if 1-on-1 tutoring is right for you.

Your Name*
Email Address*
Phone Number*
Medical School
What do you need help with?*
How did you hear about us?*
Referral Code
TIME ZONE
How Can we help you?*
4+7 is equal to*
Please enter the correct answer to see the submit button.
Comments
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Alexandra R., MD

After completing her coursework a semester early in December of 2013, Alexandra Rzepecki officially graduated with the University of Michigan Class of 2014 with Summa…

Preparing for Your Residency Interview

Crush Your Residency Interview!

Related Articles

Questions You Should Ask Your Prospective Residency Programs

How to Write a Personal Statement Hook

Need additional help with your exam?

Alexandra R., MD

Featured Articles

How to Make Memory Palaces in Medical School

How to Study for the Internal Medicine Shelf Exam

What are Memory Palaces?

5 More New NBME Practice Exams Are Coming

Everything About UWorld’s ABFM QBank

Dealing With Test Anxiety During Medical School

5 Biggest Mistakes Students Make While Studying for USMLE Step 1

How To Triage Reviewing for ABSITE and USMLE Step 3

Things IMGs Can Do to Improve Their Chance of US Residency Matching

Aim High or Just Pass USMLE Step 1 in 2021

A Complete Guide to Getting Through the UWorld QBank Twice

Elite Medical Prep Co-Founder Receives COVID-19 Vaccine

What to Do the Day Before Your USMLE Step 1 Exam

Why Basic Sciences Are Still Important During Preclinical Studies

COMLEX Level 1 to Become Pass/Fail!

Common ABSITE Question Types You’ll Encounter on the Exam

How I Used My UWorld Subscription for MS1 and MS2

Options for a Low ABSITE Score

How to Study for USMLE Step 2CS

2021 USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK Score Percentiles

How to Simultaneously Study for Step 2 CK and Your Shelf Exams

5 Things US IMGs Should Know When Applying to Residency

Questions You Should Ask Your Prospective Residency Programs

How to Create an ABSITE Study Schedule

A Quick User’s Guide to Pathoma for USMLE Step 1

How to Write a Personal Statement Hook

When is it Time to Get a USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 Tutor?

UWorld in 30 Days: Making the Most out of UWorld’s Most Basic Subscription

Here’s How Residency Programs Rank Applicants

The Ins and Outs of Virtual Residency Application Season

How to Use the AAMC Residency Explorer Tool

Residency Matching: How to Cancel an Interview the Right Way

Post Interview Communication: The Residency Thank You Letter

So You Want to Be a Neurologist

An Interview with NBME Free 120 Explanation Guru: Ben White

5 Effective Study Tips to Help You Prepare for COMLEX Level 1

What to Look For in a Residency Program

USMLE Step 1 Practice Question Types

When to Start Studying for USMLE Step 1

5 Most Productive Study Tips for USMLE Step 1

Why Spaced Repetition is SO Important for USMLE Studies?

Taking USMLE Step 1 with Step 2CK After Rotations

How to Study for COMLEX Level 2-CE

My Experience Taking the USMLE during COVID-19

Most Common Reasons for Failing USMLE Step 1

USMLE Step 2CS is Cancelled

How to Manage USMLE Step 1 Test Anxiety

When to Start UWorld for USMLE Step 1

How to Best Use First Aid USMLE Step 1 to Study

WEBINAR: Tutoring Program Best Practices for Institutions

NBME Updates: Free Assessments & Explanations

Without Active Learning, You Could Fail USMLE Step 1

Elite Medical Prep Founder Delivers Grand Rounds at University of Hawaii

WEBINAR: COVID-19 Imaging for Medical Students & Residents

How to Painlessly Prepare for USMLE Step 3 & COMLEX Level 3

Medical School Closed Due to Coronavirus? Remote Learning Tips

Everything Changed – COVID-19 From a 1st Year Resident’s View

Pushing Back your USMLE Test Date Without Losing Knowledge

What COVID-19 Means for Medical Students

All United States Prometric Testing Centers CLOSED

How to Study for the American Board of Internal Medicine Exam

How USMLE Step 1 Going Pass/Fail Will Affect Medical School Curricula

How USMLE Step 1 Going Pass/Fail Will Affect DO students

How USMLE Step 1 Going Pass/Fail Will Affect IMGs

USMLE Step 1 to Become Pass/Fail

COMLEX Level 1 to USMLE Step 1 Predictor

Mistakes Students Make With First Aid for USMLE Step 1

Best COMLEX Level 2-CE Study Resources

Essential Tips for Excelling on the ABIM Certification Exam

Best COMLEX Level 1 Study Resources

How to Score 260 on USMLE Step 1

5 Tips on Studying for Step 3

Need additional
help with your exam?