Interviewing for Success Or How to Audition for the Role of Your Life

1
Interviewing for Success! Or How to Audition for
the Role of Your Life

• Pierre-Paul Tellier MD
• Director of the Office of Student Affairs
• McGill University

2
Steps to Getting the Right Role

• Get an agent
• CaRMS
• French Universities
• ERAS/NRMP
• CAS/San Francisco Matching Program
• Apply for the role
• Apply to several programs
• You dont have to interview at all of these
• For US positions apply early

3
The Resume for the Role of Physician

• Components
• The Academics
• Good evaluations
• Appropriate electives
• Some research
• The Deans letter
• The CV
• The Personal Letter
• The Reference Letters

4
The Audition/Interview

• All the other components of the application
  process lead to this
• Can make or break you
• More likely to break you than make you
• The interview process starts when you first
  contact the institution you are applying to
• You can prepare and put all the chances on your
  side

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You Got the Audition/Interview Now What?

• Prepare
• Get familiar with the play and how your role fits
  into the plot
• Learn your lines
• Rehearse
• Dress the part
• The audition
• Follow-up

6
Securing the Script for the Play

• The script is held by the receptionist, secretary
  or program coordinator
• Be nice to her/him and you will go far

7
Getting to Know the Receptionist

• First contacts
• Be polite
• Be precise in asking questions
• Dont make a pest of yourself
• Remember if the receptionist is looking forward
  to meeting you because you made a good
  impression, it starts the whole interview day off
  well and vice versa

8
Becoming Familiar with the Play

• Read about the program you are applying to
• Program book/literature sent to you
• Description on the web
• Who are the members of this department?
• What have they accomplished?
• What have they published?
• Where do their graduates practice?
• etc

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More about the Play and Cast

• Prepare question that you will need to ask to
  better understand the play and know the cast
• Make a list
• Write them down
• Have questions for each cast member
• Cast members
• Program director
• Other attendings
• Residents
• Coordinator or secretary

10
Learning Your Lines

• Review your CV, Personal Letters, and Deans
  letter
• Be ready to answer questions
• About what has been included and what may not
  have been included in above
• Evaluation (excellent and bad)
• Comments that may be red flags on your Deans
  letter
• Research
• Extracurricular activities
• Make notes on what you want to emphasize

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Rehearse

• Prepare some answers by role playing ahead of
  time with friends, classmates, residents,etc
• The answers must not be memorized or appear
  rehearsed
• Be natural - your personality must come through
• Schedule your most wanted program as a second or
  third interview

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Dress for the Role

• The role is RESIDENT- PHYSICIAN
• A confident, neat, somewhat conservative
  individual

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Dress for the Role

• Confident
• If you are dressed for the role, you will be
  confident
• Invest in appropriate attire
• Make sure everything fits and has been broken in
• Walk tall and be proud

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Dress for the Role

• Neat
• Wash
• Shave or trim beard
• Use deodorant not perfume or cologne
• Clean nails
• Breath freshener
• NO GUM or CIGARETTES
• Clothes clean and pressed

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Dress the Role

• Somewhat conservative individual
• Men
• Suit (two piece and a dark color)
• Grey trousers and blue blazer
• A white or pale colored shirt
• A tie (silk, no animals)
• Socks that match the suit
• Shoes conservative, polished
• Belt matching the shoes (pot leaf belt buckle at
  home)

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Dress the Role

• Somewhat conservative individual
• Women
• A suit or a skirt with jacket
• A blouse in a matching but subdued color with
  long sleeves or turtleneck
• Blouse buttoned up or a scarf around your neck
• Pantyhose (neutral color not fishnet)
• Sensible shoes matching or complementing the
  outfit, no spikes
• Make-up natural, sparingly

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Dress the role

• Jewelry
• Less is more, none is better
• At most discrete
• Eye brow piercing and tongue stud are funky but
  funky is not what we are going for here. So take
  it out for the interview and put it back in when
  you get the job
• Outer wear
• Coat and boots that protect your clothes - you
  will be interviewing in winter

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Dress the Role

• The Briefcase
• for everyone (for women better than a purse)
• contents
• CV x 3
• Personal statement
• Material not included in application
• Pen/paper/palm pilot to take notes
• Instructions/maps
• Material that is given to you
• Wallet, etc

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Dress the Role

• If you are travelling
• Dont travel in your interview clothes
• Change when you get there
• Once you are dressed correctly, forget about it
• Use a carry-on only - if possible
• Always carry important papers, money, etc on you

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The Audition/Interview

• If you are traveling
• Usually a whole day or at the very least a half
  day affair, so be prepared
• Remember the weather
• Give yourself time before and after the interview
• Arrive the night before
• Go to bed early
• Have a good rest
• Get up early

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The Audition/Interview

• Sensible breakfast
• Go easy on the coffee
• Caffeine a diuretic and a laxative
• Do the math!
• Go to the bathroom before leaving

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The Audition/Interview

• Give yourself plenty of time to get where you are
  going
• Know you are going to get lost
• When you get to the hospital go to the bathroom
  again!
• DONT BE LATE!!!!!

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The Audition/Interview

• From the minute you arrive where you are going
  you are being evaluated.
• Everything counts
• Listen to the presentation take notes
• Be positive/enthusiastic about the program
• This doesnt mean perky
• This doesnt mean sugary sweet

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The Audition/Interview

• The handshake
• Entering and leaving
• Make sure your hands are dry
• If you sweat have a handkerchief to dry your
  hands
• Make sure your hands are warm
• Firm, but dont pull their arm off
• Look at the person and smile

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The Audition/interview

• Remember communication means verbal and
  non-verbal cues
• picking your nails, tugging at your tie or collar
  all mean you are nervous and have difficulty with
  stress
• being overly relaxed shows overconfidence and
  disrespect
• poor eye contact - you have something to hide
• slouching - you lack confidence

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The Audition/Interview

• Lunchtime
• Know which utensils to use
• Dont over eat
• Drowsiness
• Bloating
• Nausea
• NO ALCOHOL
• Little coffee
• The interview is on going
• Be an active listener

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The Audition/Interview

• Make sure you speak to residents
• Make sure you visit the areas which are key to
  you
• Take notes immediately after talking to each
  person

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The Audition/Interview

• Your questions
• Reflect who you are
• Prepare questions in advance
• Timing right question for right person

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The Audition/Interview

• What you may want to ask the interviewer or
  attendings
• Patient population?
• Types of clinical encounters?
• What kind of didactic program is in place?
• Research opportunities?
• Types of evaluations?
• Is feedback given? Is it formative? Is it
  summative?
• Do you have a mentoring program?
• How are mentors chosen?
• Any changes in the program anticipated?
• Where are your graduates?

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The Audition/Interview

• Questions for residents
• What is the level of supervision?
• What is the level of responsibility?
• What is the call schedule like?
• What is the general mood of the people in the
  program?

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The Interview!!!!!

• Wait to sit until the other person sits or you
  are told.
• Wait for them to start - they will usually start
  with something easy to get you relaxed
• Weather, trip, etc
• Be upbeat in answering these questions just as
  the more difficult ones
• You dont want to be seen to be a whiner

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The Interview

• Listen actively
• What are they asking?
• How are they saying it?
• During the interview
• Be consistent in your answers
• Avoid making things up or hyperboles
• Avoid being abrasive or evasive
• Dont blame others
• Look interested at all times

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The Questions

• Tell me about yourself? Or variations there of
• Key words for this answer brief and positive
• Two to three positive sentences and relate it to
  your career choice
• Ask if you should go on at this point
• Makes the interview interactive
• this says See I am a good communicator
• If it isnt what the interviewer wants to know,
  you can take another path

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The Questions

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Key words for this answer confident and humble.
• Your strengths should relate to the specialty
  you are applying for
• Your weaknesses (and you have some) should be
  something that can be beneficial for your job

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The Questions

• Why did you apply to this program (this
  specialty)?
• Key words for this answer qualities and
  abilities
• Talk about what you have learned about this
  program based on your research
• Talk about what makes you suited for this program
  or specialty

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The Questions

• What did you like or dislike about medical
  school?
• Key words for this question Positive and no put
  downs
• You liked everything about McGill
• Emphasize the things you learned that make you
  suited for this specialty
• If you are critical, remember the interviewer
  will interpret this as this candidate will be
  critical of us as well and will be a problem

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The Questions

• What would you like to be doing in five years?
• Key words for this question goal oriented and
  ready for opportunities
• A well-trained physician
• Relate it to what you know about the program
• You are open to opportunities that may arise

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The Questions

• What kind of patients do you have difficulties
  with?
• Key words for this question analytical skills
  and how you have grown?
• Not difficulties but challenges
• How you have dealt with these patients in the
  past
• How you analyzed the situation and solved the
  problem
• What you have learned from these patients

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The Questions

• What are your plans for a family?
• Key words for this question illegal and trouble
• You currently have a family
• So question is Will you be able to manage the
  residency
• Yes you will, because you have already learned
  time management during medical school
• You plan to devote the time that is necessary to
  your residency
• Do you want a family
• No
• Yes but in the future
• Your career is what is important now

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The Questions

• Do you have any questions?
• Yes you do!
• Make the questions relevant
• Dont make it sound like a rehearsed question
• See questions earlier

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The end of the visit

• Dont rush out
• Thank everyone
• Make sure you gave yourself enough time before
  your flight to finish everything you may have to
  do

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Follow-up

• Personalized, typewritten notes to key
  individuals including the secretary who helped
  you
• Brief, to the point, not overdone
• If you took notes after meeting each person, you
  can personalize the notes

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Next Step

• Prepare your rank order list
• Rank only those programs you want
• Always have a back up that is acceptable to you
• If you rank and you match, you have to go!
• Matching to somewhere you dont want to be vs
  taking the year off

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The Happy Ending

• You get the residency position you want!