Advice for medical school applicants — Blog — Apply Point Admissions Consulting

If you're doing interviews with multiple schools, you'll inevitably encounter an interviewer who has gone rogue. They might ask something completely bizarre because they're new at this or (and this is rare) in a terrible mood that you must ignore and overcome. Try not to visibly react to either. Instead, try this:

"Can you repeat that?"

If you're unclear on what they are talking about, ask for a repetition. Often, they won't just repeat what they've said but explain it differently, more clearly. If they repeat it verbatim, at least you'll have had 20 seconds to absorb it. If you did understand the question, you can ask for a repeat to give yourself that 20 seconds. Travel back to that childhood spelling bee. Sometimes you asked for the judges to use the word in a sentence because you were looking for contextual clues. Other times, you were buying yourself some think-time. Revisit that strategy.

You could also respond with: “That's an interesting question. I want to think about that for a moment.": Slight flattery, followed by a second to gather yourself. We had a client who was asked what she would do if she did not become a doctor. She took a beat and confidently answered a question she had not seen coming.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Interviewing is a nerve-wracking process. Ninety-nine percent of interviewers will encourage you to relax. They want to know you, not grill you. Then there is that one percent…

An interrogative interviewer might be testing your ability to maintain your composure. Or they might be a jerk who loves being a jerk. It doesn't matter. What matters is your focus on why you'd be an excellent addition to their school and a top-notch physician.

Once, an interviewer interjected as a client shared a college experience to say: "I've never even heard of where you went to college." Without displaying any negative emotion or slamming another school to praise her own, she explained that it was the college that offered her the most academic scholarship money and that she'd had so many hands-on experiences there. She was even credited on a professor's academic paper. Her response was calm and detailed because she'd utilized her brainstorm notes about her formative experiences so often when preparing her application. She nailed it: She was able to naturally remind this guy of her academic scholarship, prove her practicality, and mention a noteworthy accomplishment. Even her interview adversary had nothing negative to say about this response.

The Medical School Interview: Don’t Forget, You’re Interviewing Them Too.

Your Medical School Group Interview: A Team Sport

If you're going to dedicate your life to healthcare, start at home. Medical students have a significantly higher rate of mental illness than similarly aged postsecondary graduates, according to a 2019 study in Academic Medicine. One harrowing quote: "Higher rates of distress and burnout in physicians and medical learners have been linked to poor academic performance, increased thoughts of dropping out of medical school, lower levels of professionalism, decreased empathy, increased medical errors, increased substance abuse, and increased suicidal ideation."

Despite the intensity of the medical school application process, preparing yourself for the stress of attending medical school is important. Practicing mindfulness, getting rest, and being a person in the world are part of being ready for a rigorous academic environment and career.

Stay social. This is not to say that you should be partying the night before a medical school interview. But you do need to leave your desk—or at least have interactions beyond your study group. Keeping your relationships strong also provides a safety net in hard times and helps you to be empathetic.

Sleep. When sleep is in your control, try to maximize the opportunity. A study published in the December 2021 Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found that anxiety and stress directly impacted medical students' sleep during the second wave of COVID-19. One thing that you can do to combat that right now is to put away your phone every night. You've heard it before—but it's especially relevant to you. In a study published in the January 2022 Journal of Affective Disorders, medical students’ anxiety was associated with problematic smartphone use and sleep deprivation.

Move. Do whatever you comfortably can do in terms of a regular exercise regimen. You don't need to run a six-minute mile to be a strong candidate for medical school —exercise is just another way to relieve stress (and reduce your risk of a meltdown). A study published in Academic Medicine in 2017 surveyed 12,500 medical students across the country and found that those who met the CDC's exercise recommendations had a lower risk of burnout and a higher quality of life.

Get professional help. Even if you're not feeling extreme turmoil right now, this could be something to explore. "Studies suggest medical students experience high levels of mental distress during training but are less likely than other students to access care due to stigma and concerns regarding career progression," according to a 2020 study published in BMC Medical Education. The University of Cambridge developed a mental health program for medical students. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy, or Cognitive Analytic Therapy was provided to 189 students. Stress, anxiety, and suicide risk were "significantly reduced" and students' functioning "significantly improved."

Meditate. This is just a suggestion, if it's not for you, it's not. But you could try it. (And cynically speaking—schools might be into it if you mention meditation during your interview. It shows both openness and dedication.) Meditation isn't about having a blank mind; it's about acknowledging and letting go of intrusive thoughts and accepting what is happening at the moment. This can aid performance, according to George Mumford, a mindfulness coach who taught Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan how to meditate. "Mindfulness is the process of making yourself flow-ready," he says. And don't all doctors want to be ready for whatever happens next?

Another benefit of incorporating these healthy behaviors into your life is that they can strengthen your tolerance for ambiguity. Studies have measured this quality in medical students and physicians for years, and they have shown that a physician's ability to tolerate ambiguity correlates to their level of psychological well-being. Those with a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty "tend to report a higher rate of referrals, burnout, and anxiety, and lower level of satisfaction, less comfort in dealing with dying patients, and higher levels of dogmatism, rigidity, and conformism," according to a 2017 study in Medical Teacher, which utilizes many others' findings as well as their own assessments.

The Medical School Admissions Process is Long and Stressful. How are you Coping?

Your Medical School Interview: Ways to Wing It

Medical School Applicants: Are You Taking Care of Yourself?

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