International Medical Graduates Match and Scramble Services

IMG Residency®

Medical Residency Interviews

The interview process is usually handled in the form of a relaxed conversation. It is very uncommon to discuss patient cases or specific medical topics during the interview.

Before the interview

Get to know yourself

Make a list of your strengths, accomplishments, and abilities. Use this list as a baseline for all the interview questions. This will help you to present yourself in a consistent way.
Review your Personal Statement, CV, and Medical School transcript.
Review your research projects and publications.
Review your training and career goals.
- Are you going to be looking for a fellowship?
- How much are you interested in research?
- Do you like teaching?
- Do you want to work for somebody or are you going to start your own practice?
- Where do you see yourself in 3, 5, 10 years?

Get to know the program

Review the information that the program sent you.
Look up the program at
- FREIDA www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html
- www.residencyplace.com/PathFinder/ProgramList.aspx
- www.medscout.com
- www.scutwork.com
- Web search using Google or your favorite search engine.
Visit the program's website.
Try to identify residents/interns/faculty from your country. You will most likely get to talk to them.
Review your interview schedule and determine the correct spelling of every name.
Find as much information as you can about the areas of interest of each interviewer from:
- Program website
- MedLine search: http://www4.infotrieve.com/newmedline/search.asp
- Research papers published: www.pubmed.com
- General web search

Get to know the specialty

What do practitioners in the field really do and what types of procedures do they perform?
How are they perceived by other specialists?
Are there any opportunities for subspecialty training (fellowships)?
What are the board exam requirements?

Get a general idea as to how you would answer each of the questions that you may be asked (see below).

Dress Code

Conservative, tasteful, and comfortable
Minimal or no perfume/aftershave
Men should wear a suit: navy or gray, solid or pinstripe
- White or blue shirt
- Conservative tie
- Neat hair
Women should wear a suit, skirt, or pants: blue, black, or gray
- White or muted colored top
- Conservative shoes on low heels or flats with flash-colored hose
- Minimum jewelry
- Simple make-up
Short and clean nails
Briefcase

A list of questions you may want to ask

Tailor your list to the program you are going to have an interview with. Different specialties and different programs have different priorities: community involvement, research, clinical abilities, and leadership. The more you know about the program, the better off you are.

Direct each question to the appropriate person. Consider which questions are appropriate for the interview and which are for lunch with residents.

Faculty

Whatis the philosophy of the program?
Who are the faculty?
Are there research opportunities?
How are residents evaluated?
What do you look for in a candidate?
What is the program's accreditation status? - Tip: Find out the status upfront and only ask this question if a program is not on probation. Check program accreditation here.
What is the ownership of the hospital?
Are there any formal requirements for passing the in-training exam?
Are there medical students doing clerkships that I may have to manage?
Where do your residents come from and where do they go after graduation?
Do graduates have problems finding jobs?
What fellowships do your residents get into?
Where do the program graduates practice after completing their training?
To how many and what types of hospitals will I rotate?
Do you require Step 3 before starting the residency or during what year of training?
What part is elective?
What is the average number of patients I will carry?
Do house officers think this is too many or too few?
Do you have regular medical conferences?
Do you offer pre-match?
Do you expect any changes in the coming years?
Is there a possibility to follow the same patient throughout the course of residency?
How good is the record keeping system?

Residents

What are the program's strengths?
How is the traffic around the hospital?
Do attendings actually make rounds and attend conferences? How are they to work with?
What is the average workload for interns?
Are there any CME/Educational reimbursement plans?
What is the work/call/off schedule?
What is the patient population (socioeconomic, racial, sexual distribution)?
What is a typical service team for each service (how many attendings/interns/residents)?
Is there a senior on call the same day as a junior?
How good is the nursing staff to work with?
Are conferences directed towards typical cases or more as academic sessions?
How difficult is the Electronic Medical Records system to work with?
What software/computer equipment is available for residents (UpToDate, InfoRetriever, Pocket Pharmacology, etc.)?
Was it a good match for you?
What happens if a resident gets sick?
Do the residents socialize outside the program?
Do you offer pre-match?
Do you have any IMGs?
How good is security around the hospital, parking area, and call room?
What is the pass percentage of your graduates on the board exams?
Have any residents left the program?
How good are the school/daycare programs around?
Do you like the geographic area?
What employment opportunities are available for the spouse?

Questions not to ask

Anything that you can find in the program's brochure and/or website. You can make compliments based on the information found there and ask more detailed questions.
Salary, Benefits, Vacation, Competition, Maternity leave (you can find the answers elsewhere like the program's website, FREIDA, and the Hospital Graduate Medical Education office).
You cannot ask about prematch as this is a violation of NRMP rules.

Questions you will be asked

How are you (pay attention to this one)?
Tell me about yourself (don't ramble, start with the present and explain WHY you are well qualified for the position; score some points by matching YOUR skills/strengths with the program's emphasis).
Why are you interested in this specialty?
What do you see as the negative and positive features of this specialty?
What problems do you think the specialty faces?
Tell me about yourself.
What are your career goals?
Where do you see yourself 3, 4, 5 (depending on the specialty) years from now?
Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?
Are you interested in academic or in clinical medicine?
Do you plan to do a fellowship?
What if you don't match?
What are your strengths/weaknesses?
What other specialties did you consider?
Why are you interested in our program?
What are you looking for in a program?
Where else have you interviewed?
Why should we choose you?
Tell me about this item on your CV.
Why did you leave your country?
You were practicing OBGYN/ENT, etc. in your home country; why did you choose IM/FM/PSY? Will you be happy with your choice?
Your last position in your home country was so-and-so. Would you be comfortable in the role of an intern?
What do you think about managed care and the role of insurance companies in healthcare delivery?
Do you have any research experience?
Do you want to do research?
What do you think about the current and future state of healthcare/specialty/type of treatment, etc.?
What differences do you see between the healthcare system in the U.S. and your country?
Present an interesting case that you had.
How do you make important decisions?
Are you prepared for the difficulties of residency?
Is(Are) your husband/wife/children willing to relocate with you?
How do you handle stress?
How do you handle conflicts?
Can you work under pressure?
What makes you angry?
What do you do in your spare time?
How do you unwind?
What good books have you read lately?
Teach me something non-medical in 5 minutes.
What do you think about (any non-medical topic, current event, etc.)?
Tell me a joke.
Can you explain what you have been doing since 2XXX to 2XXX (based on your CV)?
Do you have any explanation as to why you had to take USMLE Step 1 (or 2) more than once?
Why are your scores a bit below average?
What questions do you have?

What you should bring to the interview

Copies of your C.V. or CAF
Personal Statement
Transcripts
List of questions you may want to ask
Materials from the program
A notepad and pen in a nice portfolio
Money to pay for parking and possibly lunch

Right before the interview

Remember, the program you are interviewing with liked what they had seen in your application. Otherwise, you wouldn't be there. Now, it is time to prove that you are who they have seen in your Personal Statement and C.V. Your scores don't matter anymore. Now, it is only about yourself: your personality, communication skills, and how good of a team player you are. You cannot guess what the program is looking for exactly. Your best bet is to BE YOURSELF!

During the interview

Some programs offer an opportunity to stay at one of the current residents' apartment or house. Please pursue this only if you are comfortable.
Most programs invite candidates to dinner the day before the interview. This is a perfect chance to show your social skills and score some points. Don't eat garlic, onions, or anything else that will stink the next day.
In case you get picked up from a hotel by one of the current residents, make sure you understand where you should be waiting and be on time.
Arrive 15-20 minutes earlier than the scheduled time and report to the program coordinator.
Introduce yourself to other applicants.
Start with a firm handshake.
Look your interviewer in the eye and greet him/her by name.
Introduce yourself in a confident and clear tone of voice.
Let everyone else sit down first.
Speak clearly and do not rush, especially if you have an accent. Speaking slowly helps others to adjust.
If your hands are shaky and you are offered coffee or tea, refuse it.
Maintain good eye contact.
Take a deep breath before you answer. This will send oxygen to your brain and give you a second to think of your answer.
Be prepared to answer the same questions 5 or more times. Answer as if you are being asked for the first time.
Don't talk just to fill silence. Be comfortable with pauses.
Listen to the question asked. Make sure you understand what is being asked.
Do not answer a question they did not ask or add too much non-related information.
Watch your body language. Try not to cross your arms and legs.
SMILE
A good sense of humor is always a great help.
Say only positive things about your past experiences.
Show real interest.

Program Evaluation

Rate the following items during or right after your interview. This will help a lot when you make a decision on your rank order.

Area surrounding hospital: safe, well lit, close parking
Diverse socio-economic patient population
Residents are happy
Location acceptable
Cost of living manageable
Accreditation of program unquestionable
Number of hospitals in rotation
How far away are rotations?
Job opportunities upon completion
Acceptable salary
Vacation benefits
Insurance coverage
Impression of faculty
Impression of residents
Overall program rating

Follow Up

You may wish to thank the program coordinator before you leave for the well organized trip.

It is a very good idea to remind about yourself with a thank you letter sent to everyone you interviewed with. It is much easier to write your thank you letter right after the interview while everything is fresh. Touch the subjects you talked about; this will make it more personal and your interest more genuine.

It is also a good idea to ask about the possibility of a "second look" interview.

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Sample Thank You letter

Dear Dr. XYZ:

Thank you for the courtesies extended to me during my interview yesterday. Your program's atmosphere was inviting and warm, despite unusually cold weather. I appreciate the way you made me feel at ease with informal conversation about the program as well as lifestyle in ZZZZZ. The XXXXX has impressed me.

I especially enjoyed learning about research opportunities at your program.

I really liked the rounds with the ward team directed by Dr. YYYYY. Her non-pressing style lets residents think and express their thoughts freely.

I was particularly impressed with the current residents' satisfaction with the program. I feel like I can definitely fit into the team.

I strongly believe I would make an excellent trainee. I really think that the program may benefit from my experience. Even though I had an interruption in practicing medicine, my current position helped to bring my skills up to speed. Anything I could have missed prior to that, I will catch up to through hard work.

I hope to successfully match with your program. Since it was my first interview, I can definitely say that I rank your program number one! But seriously, I will give you an update on my ranking in January. I am sure that your program will be at the top of my list.

Sincerely,

AAAA BBBBBB, M.D.