Preparing for your undergraduate interview is likely to be a nerve-wracking concept. This is likely to strike even more fear in many students as it may be their first-ever professional interview experience. In the UK, the average age at which people start working part-time is getting later, with some not choosing to get a job until 18.
Getting ready for your medical school interview involves many areas of research, which can, for some people, mean the most basic of questions cause their downfall.
How do you introduce yourself in a medical interview? Our expertise at The Future Medic means we know exactly how prospective students need to represent themselves to start an interview correctly. Keep reading to find out what information and body language you need to share to make the best first impression.
What Are Interviewers Looking For?
No matter what interview you participate in, those dreaded words “Tell me a bit about yourself” are enough to strike fear into even the most experienced professionals. Finding the right balance of self-promotion and knowledge sharing is a complex process, and the reality is that the level of information you need to share will be different in every situation.
When asked in a medical interview, the question is designed to open a dialogue with the interviewer that promotes further questions about your overall suitability. This needs to further illustrate your personal statement, providing more insights into you as a candidate and your overall emotional intelligence.
Self-reflection has a key part to play in any interview, as when someone is at their most nervous, honest details are likely to emerge. When asking this question, the interviewer is not trying to catch you out but instead find out details about who you are, what makes you ideal for studying medicine, and what is unique about you that deserves one of their limited places.
Therefore, in a medical interview, interviewers are just looking to ascertain more about you, not just your medical knowledge or experience.
What Should You Include in the Tell Me About Yourself Question?
One of the most common mistakes we see is people trying to overcomplicate this question.
This is usually the opening question designed just to get the conversation flowing and provide a simple question to help the candidate relax. After the topic has been passed, more complex and investigative matters are discussed, which create the full picture of whether you are a medical student for them.
Even though you may find this an intense way to start a conversation it gives you an easy way to start talking and settle into things. You are completely in control of this answer and should be able to use your many years of dreaming about securing a spot at medical school to inspire your response.
You will want to cover the following points in varying amounts of detail. This is because each of these topics can give the interviewer insights into your character and still align with the details included in your application to ensure consistency in your responses.
Background This should cover a broad overview of where you are from, family influences, and what makes you unique. They do not want to know your academic or medical background at this stage but just about you as a person.
You can share as much or as little as you would like about your personal story, but just be aware that this information informs the decision they will make about you. The interviewer is not looking to judge your background or compare it to other students. Instead, they want to see how you see yourself, understand your influences, and gain an initial understanding of your personality.
Values Your own values play a big part in the success you will have within the medical industry. This is one reason the UCAT exam is such a pivotal part of the application process. Your values indicate what kind of a medical professional you would be and how you will interact with others and showcase what areas you might want to specialise in as your career progresses.
Motivations Studying for any medical degree is a timely task that requires lots of hard work and dedication. The interviewer wants to know that you are taking part for the right reasons and that you have a strong enough drive to persevere even when things may be challenging.
You may want to talk about a personal experience, a family member who is also in the medical field, or your desire to work in the medical industry.
Personality Traits Gaining an idea of how self-aware you are also a goal of this question. Alongside your own application materials, you will likely have been asked to provide character statements from others.
The interviewer is looking to make their own decision about your traits and to see if you recognise how others perceive you. Emotional intelligence is a huge part of working in the medical industry, as you need it to resonate with the wide range of patients and professionals you will come across.
Passions This could be anything from a hobby to volunteer work. The answer doesn’t have to be medical related and should give the interviewer further insight into you as a person and prospective student.
What Format Should I Use to Introduce Myself?
Your answer should be anywhere between 1 minute 30 seconds and 3 minutes. This ensures you have spoken for long enough to get all vital information across but have not started rambling in a nervous state.
Typically, we recommend you follow the below structure to deliver information about yourself:
- Talk about your background, family and where you grew up (at least 30 seconds)
- Share information about your passions and motivations (at least 45 seconds)
- Give insights into your causes and reasons for wanting to student medicine (at least 30 seconds)
- Include a little bit about why you chose this medical school (at least 20 seconds)
- Share some information about your suitability for being a medical student (at least 30 seconds)
- Let the interviewer know what your future goals and dreams are within the medical field (at least 20 seconds)
The answer should flow seamlessly but still provide pauses that naturally move one section onto the other.
An example of this may be that you are talking about your background and a family member who either works in medicine or have a medical issue. You could then transition into talking about why this is a motivation for you and what real-life experience you must illustrate this statement.
In all sections, follow the fact, illustrate, and link method as the best ways to structure your answer. This keeps things relevant and to the point.
What Mistakes Can I Make When Answering?
Not sharing insights about you as a person and just focusing on your suitability as a medical student. The interviewer needs to know about your personality and skills to make an informed decision.
Not adding anything that is not already published on your CV or application. This information has already been read, so make sure you add value that will be remembered.
Talking too much is also not advisable, as you don’t want to play all of your cards in one go. Keep some examples and content back for use when answering other questions later in the interview.
It is also a common mistake for students to answer generically and not show their personality. Make sure you are telling them about what makes you unique and why you should be remembered when they are making decisions about who gets a place to study.
Is Body Language Important?
It is thought that it only takes 7 seconds to make a first impression which means that before you have even started talking about yourself, you have already been judged.
To make the best first impression, you should introduce yourself confidently, both verbally and non-verbally. A nice strong handshake, suitable eye contact, and non-fiddling hands are all signs of someone feeling in control. Our team will be able to give you lessons on how you can come across in the best way, but the key is not to overthink things.
The interviewer wants to see you as a person, not a rehearsed version of what you think you should be.
How can Future Medics Help You Prepare?
Getting ready for a medical interview can be a daunting task but one that we are specialists in. There is no need for the start of the interview to begin badly just because telling someone about yourself can be a scary task. With the right structure and preparation, this question can start your interview in the best possible way which makes you stand out for all of the right reasons.
From helping you craft a stunning personal statement to getting you interview ready, we do it all. To find out more about our services and to get yourself ready to ace every question, contact us today to find out more.
