Interview Tips for Prospective Residency Applicants

As a prospective resident, the interview process can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming. With the rise of virtual interviews, it's more important than ever to be prepared and make a great impression. Here are five tips to help you ace your residency interview:

1. Keep Your Responses Brief and Specific: During an interview, it's important to keep your responses brief and to the point. Use concrete examples that are relevant to the profession to illustrate your point. Avoid tangential or generalizable examples, as the interviewer may lose interest. If the interviewer needs clarification, they will ask.

2. Ask Good Questions: Be prepared with thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer. Examples of good questions include "What differentiates the best trainees from poor performers?" and "What do you suggest for preparing for residency?". Avoid asking poor questions, such as "Do you have questions about my application?" or "Will the growing practice mean more work for residents?".

3. Be Authentic and Spontaneous: While it's good to have an idea of what to respond in terms of common questions, try to be spontaneous and authentic with your answers. Don't over-practice or read off a screen during virtual interviews, as the interviewer can tell.

4. Minimize Distractions: During virtual interviews, it's crucial to minimize distractions. Make sure you're in a quiet, well-lit space with limited background noise. If you have pets, try to keep them out of the room.

5. Do Your Research: Before the interview, take the time to research the institution and learn about it online. If you're really interested, visit the institution. Being able to articulate why you're interested in the specific place can set you apart from other applicants. Personal responses that include having vested interest in the area due family, friends, connections to the institution, or recent visit to the area, or relevance to your interest and aspirations are good examples of illustrating genuine interest.

By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to acing your residency interview. Good luck!

Acknowledgment: #ChatGPT helped me put this together (I gave a summary of key bullet points I wanted in the blog, and then asked it to put it together; and then, I edited it).