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Preparing for your residency interview can be stressful, especially if you don't know where to start. Many times, students and applicants underestimate the amount of time and effort they should put into their residency interview preparation. The interview is arguably the most important aspect of the residency application process. If you've received an interview invitation, the residency program already thinks highly of you and your candidacy. You've already got your foot in the door. But, in a sea of applicants, how can you make an exceptional lasting impression?
In this guide, we'll go over the most important topics you need to know to ace your residency interview preparation. We'll cover major topics like Q bank questions, the different aspects of virtual and in-person interviews, thank you emails, and so much more!
So let's dive in!
Virtual Residency Interview Preparation
Doing a virtual residency interview can pose different challenges than in-person. Some of these challenges include your internet network, your background, your environment, lighting, eye contact, and audio. In this section, we'll teach you how to prepare and prevent any hiccups.
Wi-Fi & Network Connection
One thing that is imperative to a virtual residency interview is ensuring your network connection. While network issues are not entirely preventable, it important to have a plan in place if something does happen. In your virtual residency interview preparation, it's important to ensure your network connection well in advance of your interview. You can test this on the device you plan to use for the interview. You should also come up with a game plan for the day of your interview. For example, testing your internet connection an hour in advance of your interview. Additionally, you should have a back up plan in place for a location you can go to have the interview in case you experience an internet outage. That could be a trusted friends house, a family members house, a library, a private room at your university, or anywhere you can be sure you'll be uninterrupted. Lastly, have a backup device in case the device you plan to use is not working or has any lagging issues.
Background & lighting
If you've received an interview invitation, you understand how important it is to make a good first impression on the interviewer and program. Your background and lighting can play an integral part in the way programs perceive you. For example, if you have dirty laundry on the floor or large band posters in your background, it can be distracting to the interviewer. This can draw attention away from you and your interview answers. Additionally, the way you present yourself is a big part of first impressions. If your lighting is poor and the interviewer can't see you well, it may negatively impact you, even if you perform stellar in your interview. Additionally, poor lighting could affect the interviewers perception of your body language, eye contact, and confidence. These are all important indicators to residency programs as they want residents that they feel will be confident and organized in their program.
Your Environment
Having a distraction free environment allows you to fully focus on your interviewer which can be imperative to your performance. Distractions such as other family members, roommates, phones, televisions, music, or notifications on your devices can impact your interview performance. To have a distraction free environment, some advice includes turning off your phone for the duration of the interview. Unless it is entirely necessary for you to have your phone on you, it may be better for you to turn your phone off during the interview so you won't be interrupted or distracted by it. Separately, you may also choose to leave it in another room during your residency interview. However, the most important tip is to turn the sound off. You do not want to be in the middle of an interview and have your phone go off. This distracts from the interview and can cause an awkward situation and throw you off your game. Have a game plan for yourself. This can be informing your family or roommates to be quiet or leave during your interview time so you can ensure you'll be uninterrupted and have a quiet space. It also include turning all notifications off or putting your devices in "Do Not Disturb" during the meeting. No matter what, you should have a plan in advance so that you can ensure your environment is quiet and distraction free for you to be able to focus on your performance.
Eye Contact
Making eye contact is much different virtually than in-person. Since you're not actually in person, this can be tricky to portray. It's common sense that looking into someone's eyes is how to make eye contact. However, virtually, looking into the eyes of your interviewer can actually seem as though you're not making eye contact with them. To the interviewer, it can look like you're just looking or gazing down. This is because the camera is actually what is capturing you. Before the residency interview, you should practice looking into the camera to make eye contact. Record yourself to see what it looks like so you can replay it back to yourself. This can feel a bit awkward since you're not actually looking at the interviewer. This is why practicing this beforehand can help you be more comfortable. However, it is important to note that you can, and should, still look at the interviewer to read their body language and social cues during the interview. Just make sure that you're not gazing down at the screen while you're answering interview questions.
In-person Residency Interview Preparation
Like virtual interviews, in-person interviews offer their own unique sets of challenges. Some of these factors include how you present yourself, your body language, eye contact, punctuality, and social cues. While a lot of these topics will probably come to no surprise to you, there are some aspects of this you should consider in your residency interview preparation.
Appearance & Attire
One thing that many applicants worry about is how to dress. You want to strike a perfect harmony of looking professional and being comfortable. It is an important first impression in the interview process. The reason for this is you want the focus to be on you and your qualifications - not your clothes.
You should wear an ensemble that is clean, neat, and detailed. Consider ironing your suit, dress,, blouse, or outfit beforehand. Your hair, including any facial hair, should be trimmed and neatly styled. Try to steer away from loud and distracting colors or patterns. Aim for solid and neutral colors.
For men, a nice fitting suit with matching dress shoes and a neutral tie are a good option.
For women, a nice pantsuit or a blouse and skirt with dress shoes or a neutral heel.
Try not to go over the top with accessories, such as jewelry or makeup, that might make your interviewer, or even you, feel distracted. As mentioned, you want to look presentable and be comfortable, but also have the focus be on your candidacy and performance. Additionally, you should stay away from baggy, overly tight, or ill fitting garments.
Lastly, avoid strong or overpowering perfumes and colognes. Interviewers want to know that you will be an attentive resident who pays attention to detail. This can be portrayed to program directors or interviewers in the attention you put into your appearance.
Dress Comfortable
Another part of dressing for the residency interview is wearing something that you are comfortable in. Wearing something that is uncomfortable can be distracting and could even make you more nervous during the interview. With that said, you still want to look presentable. Look for clothing that makes you feel confident. Clothes that you can still easily move around in and that you would be okay wearing for at least two to three hours. Think about wearing layers. If you get too hot or you get cold, you can always remove or add some layers to make yourself more comfortable.
Being on time
Being punctual for your residency interview is simple, yet crucial, to making a great first impression. In a virtual interview, you can just log on and begin the interview at the start time. However, for in-person interviews, there are a number of factors that can affect your punctuality. First and foremost, you should find out how long it will take you to get to your interview destination. You should consider leaving early in case of traffic and checking drive times a week before on the same day and time to understand traffic. Keep in mind of any special events going on like concerts or parades, that may affect traffic. Consider other things that may add time such as finding parking, walking to the destination, or finding the place where the interview will be conducted. The more time you give yourself, the less likely you are to feel rushed. This will help you to avoid any unnecessary and additional stress before the interview.
How do i stop being so nervous?
Given the high stakes of residency interviews, its obvious you're going to be, at least, a little nervous. Program directors and interviewers understand that you may be nervous. However, it's important to not let the anxiety take you over and detract from your candidacy and qualifications. Here are a few things you can do to calm your nerves before your interview.
Be confident in your interview preparation
Being well-prepared for the interview not only gives you the tools to do well, but also the confidence in yourself. Practicing common interview questions and perfecting your responses are key in building your confidence. You should be thinking of ways you can incorporate things from your CV and application into your responses. Think of ways to make your answers unique to you rather than generic responses that anyone could claim. You should also understand how the same question can be asked in different way, this way you can be prepared for anything thrown your way.
Practice Calming techniques
Learning various calming techniques can help you control your anxieties before, during, and after your interview. Such techniques like meditation, controlled breathing, and practicing grounding can help you feel in control when your anxiety rises.
Through meditation, you can help clear your mind of negative thoughts and release any tension from your body. Personally, I have used this method just in regular, everyday life to be more mindful and connect with my body on how I'm feeling. It's useful in lowering your heart-rate and calming the sympathetic nervous system.
Practicing breathing techniques is another great way to help your nerves. You can practice by doing the box breathing method. To do this, you inhale, hold, exhale, and hold, all for 4 counts. So, you'll slowly inhale for 4 counts, hold in that breath for 4 counts, slowly exhale that breath for 4 counts, and then hold at the end for another 4 counts. You can repeat this until you feel calmer. This can help you to slow your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and increase oxygen intake. You can also find video guides for this technique on YouTube to help you.
Lastly, practicing grounding is a great way to help you feel more in control of your surroundings. Some techniques include honing in on your senses and your physical body. This can be planting your feet on the floor and feeling the floor beneath you. You can also try focusing at the weight of your body in a chair. Take notice of your senses: what you can see, smell, hear, and touch. You can also try visualizing a place that is calm or that you feel safe. Personally, I find grounding techniques to be very helpful in situations where you may feel panicked or out of control. This method can be very helpful in realigning your mind with your body and helping you feel in control of it.
Give yourself positive feedback
We are our own biggest critics. Spending time to give yourself the credit you deserve can be extremely validating and help you build confidence. One way to do this is to say affirmations out loud to yourself in the mirror. Remind yourself of the good things about yourself: your accomplishments, your character, and the things that you're proud of. You may also write a note stating the things you like about yourself or proud of, and keep it next to your bed. Read this note back to yourself every night to remind yourself of your hard work. No matter what, always remember that your interview performance does not define you or your future career aspirations.
Another aspect of this is to treat your physical body well. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat well, get some exercise, and set aside some time for you to relax. The residency match process is stressful. It can be easy to let these simple self care initiatives slip if you're not mindful about them. Being mindful about your well-being is important to your residency interview performance, but, more importantly, your health.
The Thank you Email
After your interview, many applicants feel inclined to make one final impression. In doing so, some students consider sending a 'thank you' email after their interview. While the intent of doing this is good, there are some things to keep in mind before you do.
First, you should consider the programs communication preferences. For example, they may explicitly state on their website that they do not want to receive 'thank you' emails. It's important to understand what the program's policy on post interview communication is before sending the 'thank you' email. Otherwise, despite the good intent you have to send the email, doing so might actually hurt your chances of matching.
Second, if the program you've interviewed at is open to post interview communication, you should highly consider the contents of your email. With so many applicants, residency programs can find it hard to differentiate candidates. By putting something memorable or specific to the program in your thank you email, it can increase your chances of making a last impression. For example, you may choose to add something specific to the program (such as any programs/curriculum they offer that interest you) in your 'thank you' letter. You could also include something that was specific to your interview, such as something personal you shared with the interviewer.
Lastly, remember that timing is key. If you are planning to send a 'thank you' email, you should consider sending it sooner rather than later. This way, the interviewer still has a fresh image of you in their mind. Since programs are interviewing a large number of applicants, it can be hard for them to remember every single interviewee by name. Sending a 'thank you' email within 24 to 48 hours of your interview can help your interviewer to remember you.
Interview Question bank
Small Talk
How was your trip here?
How do you like the weather here?
How has your visit been so far?
How are you today?
Did you have any trouble getting here?
How do you like it in [this city]?
Do you have any family nearby?
Tell us about yourself
Tell me about yourself.
What are your hobbies and passions?
Tell me something about yourself not related to the medical field.
Tell me about [something] in your CV.
Tell me something interesting about you.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Specialty Specific
Why have you chosen [this specialty]?
What excites you about [this specialty]?
What sparked your interest in [this specialty]?
Can you give an event in your life that solidified your interest in [this specialty]?
Tell me about how you became interested in [this specialty].
How long have you been interested in [this specialty]?
What inspired you to go into [this specialty]?
Program Specific
Why are you interested in our program?
Why do you believe you are a good fit for our program?
Why should we choose you for our program?
What do you like about our program?
Future based questions
Where do you see yourself in [X] years?
In X years, where do you see your career in medicine?
What are your plans after residency?
What are your plans for the future?
What kind of physician do you want to be?
Behavioral Questions
Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it.
Tell me about a time where you had a conflict.
Tell me about a time where you were disappointed in your behavior.
Tell me about a time when you faced adversity.
Tell me about a time when you overcame a challenge.
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