#premed interview

Read, read, read! 

Remember to practice an get a sense of what two minutes is! 

Relaxe! A conversation is more memorable then answering questions like this is a formal exam! 

Links I used:

http://harvardmedgirl.blogspot.com/2009/06/practice-interview-questions.html - Questions 

https://www.reddit.com/r/premed/comments/1ky7bi/i_am_an_interviewer_for_a_top_10_medical_school/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLxz4pCBXKo - Great video on answering questions, managing perceptions, and qualities to demonstrate 

http://www.mockquestions.com/graduateschool/Harvard+Medical+School/Medical+School/interview/ - Questions 

http://www.colorado.edu/advising/sites/default/files/attached-files/Med_100%20intquest.pdf - Questions 

http://www.prospectivedoctor.com/10-articles-to-prepare-for-med-school-interviews/ - Reading 

http://www.kaptest.com/blog/med-school-pulse/2014/10/14/medical-school-interview-tips-tricks/

Questions to ask at the end: http://www.colorado.edu/advising/sites/default/files/attached-files/med-%2035%20int%20quest%20for%20schools%20Dec13.pdf

Resources- http://www.colorado.edu/advising/sites/default/files/attached-files/Interview%20Reading%20List%2012%202014.pdf

tips - http://web.jhu.edu/prepro/health/Applicants/interviewing.html

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2014/10/21/prepare-answers-to-frequently-asked-medical-school-interview-questions

Current Events:

Politics: http://www.politico.com

Medical: http://www.amjmed.com/current and http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/home/?u=7083614091dfc79fe67f0833f&id=31f2fd6dfd

Affordable healthcare act: http://obamacarefacts.com/affordablecareact-summary/ and http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001830 and https://thestethoscoop.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/kaplanpulseaca/

HIPPA with adolescents: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3608004.html

September's almost over, which means its pre-med interview season. Time to dust off the good old How to Dress Like a Fake Grownup post.

You want to look like a grown up. That's a good thing. It's also confusing. How to do that without looking "slutty" is difficult when we're raised on TV shows that teach us all lawyers and doctors show off their fantastic cleavage and tiny butts with tight, revealing clothes. But, um, don't do that.

ABSOLUTELY 100% NO cleavage, no bra straps, no visible bra due to button-up shirt gapping, no flash of skin or panties between your skirt/pants and the hem of your shirt. 

Google will lie to you. Blogs about "what to wear to an interview" also seem to push too much sexy, not enough conservative. While shopping, try to remember you don't want to look sexy. Sexy bad.

What SHOULD you wear? As covered pretty in-depth by WayfaringMD, your options are to go with a dress, blouse+skirt or blouse+pants.

Dress Tips

Go for sleeves over straps. Cap sleeves, short sleeves, long sleeves, doesn't matter. Avoid strap dresses unless you're going to wear a suit jacket or blazer with it. A bare shoulder is not conservative. 

Do the Catholic School test - if your hemline doesn't stay near your knees when you sit you are moving into non-conservative territory.

Stick with solids or very subtle prints. Avoid patterns, and definitely do not go for the sultry red. Red is too aggressive. Navy, grey, pinstripe are all good choices. Neutral colors in tan and beige can work, but be sure they look professional.

Avoid anything that reminds you of a summer picnic, going out clubbing or cocktail parties. And no sequins. I saw this ONCE and my jaw dropped and was difficult to put back in place.

General tips

Interviewers are bored. Please do not dress in black - this is an interview, not a funeral. You will not stand out, you will look mournful and that is not memorable. (see also AspDocs post on this)

Interviewers are still conservative. Your suiting should be navy, gray, tan or similar. Avoid bold colors in your suit - save it for the blouse.

Where to Shop?

Start online. Browse Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and similar stores for ideas. Find less expensive ones at Macy's, JC Penney's or similar stores. If you're larger than a size 10, definitely check out Lane Bryant, but keep in mind they tend to go more casual than conservative lately. I like to look at places like Nordstroms, but will never be able to afford such clothes, so don't go looking and decide you HAVE TO HAVE a suit that costs $2000. You don't! I got two suits for less than $150 each, then spent nearly as much to get them professionally tailored. Tailoring makes a 'meh' suit into a great one.

I discovered something amazing a few years ago, which helped me prep for med school interviews better than anything else. The awesomeness of department store personal shoppers.

Not all stores have these, but when they do it's a free service. You call and ask for them, give them basic info like your size (give them a range, "10-14 depending on the brand, usually a 12") and what you need ("professional clothes for conservative medical interviews") and they schedule an appointment. Some want more information, such as color preferences, spending budget or whatever.

The important thing is you get to show up to that appointment and the personal shopper has picked out a little bit of everything for you to try on. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO LOOK. Then you can discuss what you do and don't like, and if it goes well you just decide what to buy.