Interviewing ~virtually~
It may come as no surprise that most, if not all, of your interviews may be virtual. Although virtual interviews may seem less natural it has several pros. To highlight a couple, you save money and time and as a result, can interview at several more schools than initially thought. So stay positive, and get ready for this interesting journey of getting to know others on a similar path and discovering where your true passions lie. Because we are no experts in virtual interviewing we have asked our friend Tiffani, a 1st-year medical student at Stanford School of Medicine to help us out! She interviewed virtually last year so will be a great resource for you as you prepare for your upcoming medical school interview.
1. Best Place to do a virtual interview is somewhere quiet, with bright light, and a professional background. Personally, I did my interviews at my office which has a tidy and professional background— My background had bookshelves with many of my favorite books which I believed was a professional feel! I also bought a ring light from Amazon which served me well. I think presentation of your background is important! Avoid clutter, make your space/background as tidy and professional as possible! Also, make sure you have great lighting. I know you are going to do amazing!
2. General structure of the interview is an introduction, tell me about yourself, expand on your research/extracurriculars/experiences, questions, closing. I think it is important to solidify the tell me about yourself portion of the interview and have a clear and concise response which reflects your authentic yourself.
3. Next, how to prepare, I think mock interviews are a great way to practice! I practiced with friends and family members and they provided feedback! I also practiced on my laptop’s photo booth and recorded myself and rewatched the video to see what I liked and what I wanted to tweak. Practice makes perfect! Your institution also has mock interviews that you can set up. Practicing with an expert is always a good idea.
4. Dos and don’ts: Do be confident, practice, do your research on the school, know why you are interested in attending the particular school, be personable, and yourself :)
Don’t talk over the interviewer, don’t doubt your abilities to dominate the interview, don’t minimize your accomplishments.
5. In terms of post-interview etiquette, it is important to jot down a few things you and your interviewer connected on, you should send a thank-you note to your interviewers via email and share what you enjoyed discussing and thank them for their time! You can even ask the interviewer a question in the email if you have one!
Hope this helped! You guys are going to kill it! If you have any more questions feel free to email me!
Contributing Author:
Tiffani Johnson, B.S.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffani-johnson-888489b8/
