If you didn't already know, this is a pretty big deal (at least to me!). Many schools receive thousands and thousands of applications and only interview between 3 and 500 of the applicants. Only about 60-170 students are admitted per med school. Pretty rigorous stuff.

Just got invited to interview at military med school in Maryland. Any doctors or good-vibers that have some real words of wisdom?

I never interviewed at a military-affiliated medical school. I would expect that questions there might be a bit more straightforward than what one might get a a garden-variety medical school.

Usually I was interviewed by a panel. The members generally assumed that MCATs stood for themselves, though an occasional academic question would be thrown in. Panel members typically wanted to know how hard you were willing to work, how well you worked with others, and if your family background gave you any sense of entitlement. They didn't just ask us these questions, of course. They went about it in a very round-about way.

Several of us found panel members who were intent upon determining whether or not we had padded our Curriculum Vitae. I was asked to play both violin and piano at more than one interview.(I didn't bring my violin, and I certainly didn't bring a piano; the panels had the instruments ready.) A classmate pf mine was asked to juggle in front of the panel. He had listed it as a hobby.

While standardized test scores tend to stand on their own (I'm not saying that no one has ever successfully cheated, but it's rare) neither GPAs nor essays do. Anyone could have written an essay that was submitted by a particular student. Sometimes the panel members are comparing the language used in the essay to that used by the student in the interview. At other times, they're looking for things that might be in the essay about which the interviewee knew nothing because he didn't write it and may not have even bothered to read it carefully.

At other times, they ask canned questions because they've done little to nothing to prepare for interviews.

For the most part, they're doing their jobs. They want to assess the sincerity of a candidate's desire to enter the medical field, and their picking up on any little clues they may find that a person may be an excellent or a sub-par candidate. Furthermore, they're looking for a student's ability to communicate effectively and with confidence. Verbal ability is important in medicine. For the most part, they have far more applicants than positions to fill. They're in the position of having to reject a really good candidate in favor of a great one, and they're trying to decide which is which.

With the school being militarily affiliated, the interviewers might possibly be looking for conformity and ability to follow rules to the letter more than would be the average medical school interviewing panel, but I reaall don't know about that,

paragraph six, line one: they're, not their

Plan a full day of travel each way. Inform BYU profs where you are going and why. I assume this is the Uniform Health Sciences Med School. Do not underestimate the quality of training you will receive. Do not underestimate the commitment required thereafter. One thing to carefully clarify is residency and fellowship training and how that commitment can effect your opportunity. If you had a specialty or sub specialty in mind keep that interest in the conversation. My suspicion is that the military doesn’t need a lot of neonatologists like myself. Training may be weighted towards adults and a substantial amount at Walter Reed and the NIH. That is big time medicine.

Be yourself. Given the infiltration of LDS in the military and government service there is a good chance you may even be interviewed by either an LDS physician or one who is familiar with LDS. Especially since they may drive by the beltway temple frequently.

The military likely has a more standard interview process and set of questions. Still prepare for the “gotcha” questions we have talked about earlier.

Above all return and report.

Gatorman

Demonstrate your passion for the work, not just with your words but with your whole attitude. Have some good anecdotes ready about why you want to be a doctor and what in your life caused you to love medicine.

Because this is a military school, make sure you know something about the military (ranks, career paths) before going in.

Passion and enthusiasm are contagious drivers. Sincerity will make you believable.

This is exactly what I scrolled down to say from a short period I spent in Human Resources In any job interview, showing that you don't just want a job, but you want *this* job with *this* company--that it is your dream, will take you along way.

Lean forward. Be bright eyed. Show your hunger for knowledge and empathy. Listen with thirst to anything that is said to you, any advice given. Your grades have already done all they can do.

Be honest about yourself.

Phd in Chemistry here......

If you have applied to Georgetown, George Washington, the University of Maryland or other schools in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, I would suggest giving them a call and letting them know that you would be in the area. If they would like to interview you, they could. This could save you on future travel expenses. Nothing is worse than getting home from one of these trips, and finding an envelope with an invitation to an interview to a place that you just left.

Also, don't rent a car. Fly into National Airport, take the Metro to some stop near where you are staying and then take bus/taxi/Uber from there. A car in the District is more handicap than blessing. The streets aren't necessarily logical and parking can be almost impossible. It is also probably cheaper to forgo a car in the District for a short visit.

Yeah I did this and GW invited me for a personal tour but no interview quite yet! Maybe to see if I'm serious first?

Go on the tour. Be as nice and as interested as possible. Treat it also like an interview, both for practice and to stay on your toes. Something good may come from it.

You want the interviewing panel to remember you.

Light up a cigarette during the interview and ask for an ash tray.

I know about that school. I am from the area. Let me know how that goes. In the event you are accepted, I can pass my contact information along to you so you have a friend in the area. I am a no-mo, but I have closeted ex-mo friends and friends who have formally resigned from LD$ Inc.

NevermoJon, are you also from the area? And from your screen name, I am assuming your wife is a Mormon?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2017 08:34PM by helenm.

I lived in DC for 4 years. Luckily no Mormons in the family.

Thanks helenm I will definitely get an update on here after the interview. Been prepping a ton for this. Your kindness is much appreciated!

You're welcome.

NevermoJon, how did you stumble upon the church? R u an investigator or did I misunderstand your screen name because it sounds like you were never Mormon. I'm a no-mo and I learned about the church when my closeted and ex-mo friends share their doubts with me years ago.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2017 02:39AM by helenm.

I grew up with Mormons (very much a minority in the Bay Area) who really weren’t much of a problem. I got interested as a result of Prop 8. Understand your enemy sort of thing.

Mighty Buff

Do you have a plan B as we discussed in prior threads?

Gatorman
1-0

Sure do gatorman

First off, I applied to 40 schools.... hopeful this isn't my only interview. But as a back up plan for not getting in to school at all, I am going to take a year to work (preferably in a hospital or clinic) then reapply for next year.

If i don't get in again, I am thinking of PA school or getting into pharma sales with my pops.

Thoughts?

It sounds like you've thought everything through, and have a good plan, Mightybuffalo. I wish you the best of luck.

I applied to med school in 1973-4 and again in 1974-5. MCATS were very high but not completely supported by grades. Also I was a little older than the average applicant. Anyway I didn't make it either time; worked for a year at a well-known cancer research hospital--you'd recognized the name--and then went to regular graduate school to get my first Masters.
In 1983 I wound up in medical school after all as a graduate student. It was an absolute disaster from day one, as described in a separate post here several years ago. To make a long story short, I washed out in slow motion; switched to a separate PhD program in the same university; got the world's biggest idiot as a dissertation director; and eventually settled for a second Masters. If I had quit that one and just walked away at any point, it would probably have been better academically and financially, although perhaps not socially. And at least I wasn't a medical student, up to my eyeballs in debt.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1247461,1247581#msg-1247581

So what can I say at this safe and remote distance about medical school interviews? Pretty much the same as any other job interview: be yourself, be sincere, and don't take it too seriously.

In closing, here's a graduate student joke about pre-meds:
How can you tell a pre-medical student in a college chemistry course?
They'll make a 98 on a test and come argue with you about it.

There are medical schools in other countries, that teach in English, such as one in Georgia (country of Georgia south of Russia), and several others. Also, there is a school in Granada which teaches in English, also one in Guyana which teaches in English, which are cheaper than U.S. schools, but NOT SURE if you can get loans/grants for this other schools (probably not).

mightybuffalo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you didn't already know, this is a pretty big
> deal (at least to me!). Many schools receive
> thousands and thousands of applications and only
> interview between 3 and 500 of the applicants.
> Only about 60-170 students are admitted per med
> school. Pretty rigorous stuff.
>
> Just got invited to interview at military med
> school in Maryland. Any doctors or good-vibers
> that have some real words of wisdom?

I don't know if you're coming back to this thread, Buffalo, but this is terrible advice.

There is a very excellent chance (75%) you will not have a career in medicine if you go to a foreign nation, but will have all of the debt.

Don't do this.

Haha no worries You don't know me, I could smell this one a mile off

I don't know which military medical school you're referring to in Maryland; I only know of Annapolis Naval. Are you thinking of joining the military after medical school? I think they pay for your schooling if you do. The ROTC on a campus that has it, or a military recruiter can explain it all.
I don't know how long you'll have to commit to. They have hospitals on most military bases, you might even get overseas.
The only down thing is you don't stay at assignments as long as enlisted ( you'll be an officer when you go in, after medical school)
When my husband and father were in the military, we had doctors we really liked, but they don't stay at each assignment that long, you can get deployed overseastoo though ( Iraq, Afghanistan, etc)
Orthopedic doctors are needed a lot because people being injured a lot, on jumps, exercises, employments, etc
A physical therapist can be a good field also.
Some of what Alexis mentioned sounds like some of the tactics they might use to catch you off guard, see if everything you're saying is the truth, try to see if you get irritated easily, can work well with others.
One of there favourite words is " teamwork "
They will ask you why you picked the military.
Be polite, say " sir" and " ma'am"

https://www.usuhs.edu/medschool
Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda hospital was the nicer out of the 2 major military hospitals in that area. I was in Walter Reed for 2 weeks. It was weird because I was just there for test, but since we lived a long way from it, they admitted me, along with lots of other people. We got to wear our regular clothes, even leave the hospital for a couple of hours if we had nothing scheduled at that time. We just had to check out and back in,
Most of the x rays snd MRIs were done around 1: 00 AM , because regular people who weren't admitted had appointments, so we all had our test then. It was nice riding the Med vac plane back to the base we were living at.
They closed Walter Reed , so everyone goes to Bethesda now, well it's kind of a joint hospital now, like a lot of bases are now.
My husband went to Andrews AFB and Bethesda when he was at the Pentagon; Walter Reed was closed by then.

Don't try to impress them with Med-Lingo!

I know nothing about med school, other than having a few doctor friends.

I do live in Maryland, so I could give you some advice there.

Yes --- USUHS is my alma mater!!! Yes, it is the Uniformed Serviced University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine. It is phenomenal in every way but do NOT go in blind.

Know that your commitment will be serious. Seven years AFTER completing Residency +/- Fellowship. And those are LONG and HARD years, but worth every second.

They want good scores, excellent grades, but most importantly they want excellent overall people.

They want to know that you are a team-player and they can count on you to be there for your classmates no matter what. You will start Med School with 176-ish classmates and will graduate with 172 of those classmates plus 3-4 who may have been held back. It is a totally different mindset, and it is awesome.

Military needs STRONG and INDEPENDENT thinkers. You WILL be in situations that truly suck. They need to know you are dependable, hardworking, and willing to sacrifice for the better good.

Example, your class will be older (average age of my class was 28) and likely married. Are you willing to live out of your suitcase and rotate through hospitals in Florida, Texas, WA, Ohio, Illinois, and Hawaii so your married-with-kids-classmates can stay in town ?? Would be good to let your interviewer know. Be aware of the 3rd and 4th year rotation lottery for rotations (<50% are in town) -- you will be going out of town (I lived in BOQ and drove my car 20,000+ miles during those 2 years so my classmates married-with-kids could stay in town).

The Military needs doctors who are committed to primary care; Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Family Practice --- good bets you will be looked at and have a better chance. Yes, there are a ton of specialists too, but going in you had better be willing to serve primary care, and be deployed, and volunteer for extra duties (don't be snobby and only talk about wanting Neurosurgery -- believe me, I would have just shown you the door if I was your interviewer).

50% of your classmates will be prior service -- yes, they will be Fighter pilots, Chaplains, Marine Corps snipers, Army Rangers, Navy Seals ------- so why should they choose you instead ? These folks have been in, served, and are willing to take a drop in pay and rank (a few were LtCol level and drop back to 2LT in order to go to USUHS) in order to go to USUHS, so be mindful of this.

50% of your classmates will be civilian like you. Many will be older, with marriage and children, coming in with a depth of "person" that young, right-off-college-grads will be lacking. Think about why YOU should be chosen. Stand out -- think of what makes you a good fit for a cohesive, military unit. Believe me, once a USUSH grad you will have friends and colleagues for LIVE. Put yourself in that position and interview like you are already one of us. Decide ahead of time which service (Army, Air Force, or Navy) you would most enjoy serving in, but consider being willing to take any slot offered.

Please do, no matter what anyone else says:
Get a close-cropped haircut -- then let it grow for a few days so it's not obvious you "just" got it.
Wear a DARK BLUE or BLACK suit with a muted color tie. The more you look like you are in uniform, the better.
Bag or briefcase needs to be black. No backpack (leave it at home).

Be prepared to ask questions (have at least three good ones in mind). And for goodness sake, please study military branch rank and don't accidentally call your interviewer the wrong rank. It's easy, so please do a bit of memory work beforehand.

Yes there is always a contingent of BYU students in every class at USUHS School of Medicine. Sigh. And yes, they were god-awful tight-nit twits, we called them "The Brethren". So BYU does have a good name and they do send USUHS good students - my experience was during years I was trying to leave the church, so I'm quite biased, sorry.. I don't have any classmates from that "clique" who served a full 20 yrs though, so I'm not all that impressed. They seemed to be a very self-serving group only interested in making the paycheck to keep Molly Mormon at home happy --- don't be one of those !!!

Best of luck to you. Would love to talk to you more directly if/when you get in !!!!

Anon for this one,

So cool to hear from you about this! My experience was awesome there! I LOVED the school and the interviews went really well. One was with a 4th year Naval student and the other with a ret. COL in the AF. His got a little crazy (I mentioned in another thread that should be just below this one somewhere....

Anyways, hoping to hear back in a month or so so I'll keep ya posted. Thanks for the excellent advice!

mightyb