S01E05 - Types of residency interviews, and how applicants stand out on the interview trail

The Myers Hurt Method Podcast

This is now season 1 episode 5 - 36 weeks to go until Match Day 2017 - let’s get into it:

First of all thanks to all of you for being patient - I know listening to me alone can get a bit monotonous, so I have arranged for a few interviews with program directors, program coordinators, and residents of different specialties to highlight specifics they recommend. I want to use this as a platform to share more specific, practical value with our listeners. Just like your questions - please feel free to send any suggestions you would like to hear on the show to me via twitter, snapchat, or our website.

Types of residency interviews:

Traditional - 1 on 1, interviewer has access to all of you application and can pull questions from all information

Blinded - typically also 1 on 1, however interviewer is blinded from some objective information (usually school name and USMLE scores) to help eliminate bias against higher scores or school

Panel - group of interviewers (residents and faculty) interview single applicant at a time

Group - “mix and mingle” format where faculty, residents, and applicants all interact - good look into group dynamics, see who functions well in team environments, who is a good listener, etc.

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) - originally Canadian, great at observing “soft skills” and EQ, format similar to USMLE Step 2 CS - 5 to 10 rooms, applicant moves around, questions rage from traditional to very abstract.

Telephone - falling out of favor, typically reserved for IMGs during the SOAP

Video - starting to emerge as an option to help keep costs down, recent studies show more programs offering it as an option, California Anesthesia program showed similar match rate for video applicants.

Question of the Day:

What specifics made applicants stand out for the right reasons, and what specifics made applicants stand out for the wrong reasons?

Dr. Olson’s: answer: Poorly coordinated and poorly communicated interview process was a strong negative. Applicants that were engaging, timely, and sincerely interested in program goals are strong positives. Knowing something about the program helps convey genuine interest.

Dr. Hurt’s answer: Emphasis on the disrespect for office staff / program coordinator. The legend of Puff Daddy. Positive standouts I personally remember involve travel stories, and interests outside of medicine.

Closing:

Unfortunately that’s all the time we have for today’s show. Please subscribe to catch each new episode as they are uploaded each week. If you find the content valuable please take a bit of time to leave a review on iTunes to help get the word out to other med students looking for answers. Also feel free to give us some feedback on what you think we could improve on.

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Thank you to everyone for listening, remember to send you questions to us through our website at www.thematchgurus.com, twitter @theMatchGurus, or snapchat. Our book is also now available on Amazon - please take the time to leave a review if you enjoy the material. Take care.