How to ace your virtual medical school interview
Discover essential strategies, technical insights, and effective tips to ace your virtual interview
Studying medicine can be the gateway to a rewarding and fulfilling career of helping patients. But first, you must be accepted into a reputable medical school that is accredited by all the appropriate authorities.
Part of the process for applying for medical school will involve an interview. Since these programs are so competitive, you’ll need to take advantage of some virtual med school interview tips to make an indelible impression on the school assessors. Focusing on these valuable tips for virtual interviews can help you prepare and boost your confidence.
Prepare for your med school interview
It’s vital to prepare for your med school interview as if it were an exam. This means you’ll have to research the medical school, and if possible, find out who will interview you. If you are being interviewed by a member of the medical faculty, having some knowledge of their career might be helpful when it comes to asking questions about their professional journey. It’s possible that you will be interviewed by someone who will later become part of your education. So, your virtual medical school interview can be where you start to build rapport and impress them with your enthusiasm.
Compiling a list of points you want to express about yourself, why the school should accept you, and your achievements so far could be useful to keep you focused. Make a clear list and place it in a spot where you can see it easily, but it won’t show up on camera. When you start talking you may not need any prompts, but taking time to organize your thoughts and set them down on paper will help ensure you have intelligent and insightful responses ready. Preparing some questions that you want to ask about the school and the syllabus may be helpful too.
Evaluate your virtual setup
Making sure all your equipment works beforehand is absolutely essential. At a bare minimum, make sure the camera and microphone are working. If possible, the camera should be at your eye level, and this will help make it seem as if you are making eye contact with the people interviewing you. You may need to experiment with the chair height or place a few books underneath the monitor or laptop to make sure everything lines up properly.
Think about where you are doing the interview. If you’re at home, do you have a quiet room or study where you can set things up? The family room with foot traffic or TV background noise is not an appropriate place for a formal interview. Consider where your WiFi connection will be the strongest, and where you have bright natural lighting too, for the best picture.
The setting needs to look professional. Preferably, the room you conduct your interview should be quiet, and free from other people and distractions. Look around at the walls, as these will appear in the background when you speak with your interviewers. Tasteful framed photos and a bookshelf full of scientific publications will convey a studious atmosphere that could help convince the interviewers that you are physician material.
Some virtual interview setups allow you to choose a digital background. Digital backgrounds are not recommended, but if it’s absolutely necessary, then use your judgment here to create a suitable atmosphere. A background that looks like an office or a library, or maybe just a plain wall, may be best. Some setups also provide the option to simply blur your background, which is most recommended.
When it is time for your interview, make sure you will not be disturbed by pets, people, or pinging technology. Make sure all notifications on your computer or cell are silenced, and there are no other programs open that might interfere or distract you in any way. Leading up to the interview, make sure all equipment is charged, plugged in, and turned on as necessary.
Engage just like you’re meeting in person
It’s important to remember that this is an interview just like any other. You don’t want to be fixated on technology and forget to express yourself — your knowledge, your personality, and why you would make a great medical student. And, remember to look at who is interviewing you, not yourself.
If you were going to an interview on campus then you would dress the part and present yourself neatly. It’s important that you do this for your virtual medical school interview too. It is a mark of respect to the interviewer, or possibly panel of interviewers, to be smartly groomed and well-dressed from top to toe.
Dressing well shows that you’re serious about medical school, that you want to make a good impression, and can be relied upon to deliver in a professional manner. Sit up straight, smile, and allow your passion for medicine to shine through.
Practicing your interview technique could be really helpful too. You can’t expect to be brilliant during a virtual interview the very first time you do one. If you can ask family members or friends to do test runs with you, it could give your interview technique a huge boost. Practice interviews will also be terrific opportunities to test out all your technology, maybe give a few outfits a trial run, and just generally get used to the situation and over your nerves.
Following these virtual interview tips and being fully prepared will help your real interview go a lot more smoothly.
Interview with the Medical University of the Americas
The Medical University of the Americas was established more than two decades ago, with the philosophy of providing excellence in medical education. MUA provides compelling one-on-one interaction with professors in small classes to ensure students receive a comprehensive grounding in every discipline needed to take far them in their careers. If you’re contemplating becoming a student at the Medical University of the Americas, then it would be a good idea to make sure that you fulfill the criteria. You might want to find out more about the program of study and the resources offered.
Many prospective students also check to see if there are any events or information sessions where they can learn more about what studying at MUA entails, or what the admissions procedure involves. Finding out as much as you can before applying can help take your medical school interview to the next level, as you will have lots to discuss.
If your dream is to be a doctor, don’t wait to take the first step in making this happen, get in touch with us today. Together we can make your dream a reality and set you on the path to an incredible life and profession.