Taking the MCAT (and the requisite MCAT prep class), filling out applications and writing essays can be a mind-numbing process. However, the process for gaining MD-PhD admissions is not done. This application and your scores only gives a small sense of who you are, and your potential for success. But who you are on paper is only a small part of who you are. Stellar students on paper don’t necessarily have what it takes to go down this path. Next step is the interview, and this is your chance to shine. This helps admissions committees weed out bad personalities, or those with unclear goals and motivations. In our post, we’ll give you a sense of what this process is like, and tips to help you master the interview.
Structure of the Interview Day
Your interview days are longer than your medical school counterparts, so you need to mentally prepare for a marathon of introductions, shaking hands, and smiling. So what happens exactly?
- Medical school interview
This is the same as your medical school counterparts. Luckily, as an MD-PhD candidate, you get a little more attention after potentially flying in from all parts of the country. - Research Interviews
These are interviews with faculty members who you’ve requested based on research interests. Some of these individuals may be faculty members who are on the admissions committees who have similar research interest. Some of these may be interviews with current students. - Lunch with current students
- Dinner with current students
So, what happens in the research interview?
Well, this interview can take a few forms. But more often than not (and this is from personal experience having interviewed) these interviews are relaxed conversations. The main purpose of this is to assess several things:
- Why do you want the combined degree as opposed to just one or the other?
I suggest that you think long and hard about why you feel you need both degrees to reach your ultimate goals. - Your understanding of the work that you’ve done in the past.
This includes the bigger reason for carrying out this research, how you contributed to the project, and how you dealt with obstacles during this process. This last piece is extremely important. Graduate school is full of obstacles, setbacks, and failures. If you can come to the interview with an instance where you experienced a setback in your research, and how you dealt with it, this will indicate to the admissions committee that you can deal with the pressures of graduate school. Some may ask you if you have any questions about their research or why you asked to speak with them. - Career goals.
It's understandable that you don’t know exactly what you’re going to do, and even if you think you know, its probably going to change. But what is important is demonstrating that you are thinking about it. How will you balance clinical work and research? Will you be in academia? How will you leverage both degrees to make a successful career.
What you say and do at lunch/dinner matter!
Many individuals think that this is the time to let loose, and do whatever/say whatever you like. You should absolutely be yourself, and see if you fit in with the culture of the program. But, do think about the things you say and do around the other students. While this is not an interview, how you interact with the current students will get back to the higher ups. Making a good impression with the students (and this doesn’t mean talking about microscopes throughout dinner) can actually be a help to getting you in.
So what do I do to ace the interview?
Well, here are just a few tips that, in my time working closely with the admissions process, can help increase your chances for MD/PhD admissions:
- Be enthusiastic.
I get it. It’s a really long day. But each interviewer is meeting you for the first time. Enthusiasm is infectious. When you’re excited, we get excited. So infuse joy into the conversation when you’re talking about research or the old woman you hung out with when you volunteered in the ER. In my experience, enthusiastic, excited students are more memorable, and getting them to remember you is half the battle. - Ask questions.
Throughout the day, you’ll be asked “do you have any questions?” After hearing it so many times, it can start to be nausea inducing. However, its important to show interest. During your research interviews, faculty members may ask this question. There should be a reason why you wanted to speak with them. My suggestion: Read up, and come in with a single question ready to go. - Be prepared to talk about your research.
Talk to someone who is unfamiliar with your research. Even better, talk to someone who has nothing to do with science (now’s the time to call your Mom!). If you can explain your research and why it’s important to those people, you’ll have no problem telling your story to your interviewer. - Don’t get flustered if you are challenged.
Some interviewers are going to challenge you, either in your decision to pursue an MD-PhD or in your research. Do not get freaked out. Remain calm. You know enough about your research and your motivations. Stand firm in what you believe, be respectful, and you can’t go wrong. In my own experience, during my own interview process, I was challenged about my decision to pursue a career blending the two professions. Rather than become disturbed by it, I remained calm and was able to re-iterate in a clear way that while this career choice can be a difficult balancing act, I had confidence in my abilities and desires and that this would allow me to blend these two careers in an effective way. I’m currently a student at that school.
So there you have it. The ins and outs of the interview process.
Most importantly, be yourself and be enthusiastic. Good luck!
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