Your application is compelling enough for a program to spend the time interviewing you- congratulations! Many residency programs conduct interviews, and it can be a significant variable in the decision making. Sometimes these are by phone, sometimes by video, and sometimes in person. Obviously, you should follow the general guidelines for each of those interview types as well as prepare so you can present your best self. More specifically, here’s how to make the most of your residency interview experience.
This is not only a chance for them to learn about you but for you to learn about them. If you get matched for a program but will be miserable, you may not finish. Every year there are residents who drop out of their long-dreamed-of specialty because the program wasn’t a good fit for them. You need to make sure this is somewhere you can be happy for three or four years. Here are some questions to ask the program directors or existing residents to help you decide:
Both program directors and existing residents:
- What’s it like to live here? What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it?
- What are the students/interns like? What are the interaction with them and the residents?
- What are the responsibilities of the residents? Do they do general ER duties or call or only do specialty emergency duties?
- What is the interaction with other specialties like?
- What is the strategy for ensuring residents successfully complete a research project? Are there opportunities to do more than the required project?
- Are there opportunities or requirements to teach in lab or classroom or rounds room? What kind of support is available to help nurture resident teaching skills?
- If you could change anything about the program, what would it be?
Program directors:
- What do you do to ensure resident success?
- What are the plans for program improvements?
- What have you learned from previous residents that has caused you to change the program?
Existing residents:
- What have been your challenges with this program? What did you like about it?
- Would you have chosen this program if you knew then what you knew now?
- What would you change about this program?
Asking incisive questions will ensure that the program knows you are serious and engaged. What else can you do to impress them during your short interview time? Remember, their goal is to determine if you will be successful in their program. You want to assure them you are competent, dedicated, and enthusiastic.
You need to have examples from your experience that demonstrate your best characteristics. Are you willing to come in odd hours- tell a story during your clinical year or internship when you did and had a great time. One of my best days in vet school was 22 hours long and started with a hemilaminectomy and ended with a GDV. The resident on duty said excitedly, “Well, what else would we be doing on a Friday night?” and I was in enthusiastic agreement. Just saying, “Yes I work hard and I would love to be your resident” is not enough. Demonstrate you have those characteristics with stories.
Each residency program is different, but characteristics that are generally looked for include (in no particular order): curiosity, willingness to work hard and long hours (no laziness or cutting corners), detail oriented, compassionate, humble, teachable and willing to accept and use feedback/criticism, able to handle setbacks, good at managing stress, pleasant to work with/positive, ethical, good critical thinking skills, knowledgeable, effective at communication, enthusiastic, dedicated, and cooperative and helpful.
The residency interview is a difficult experience to navigate. You need to get information to make sure you would be happy there while assuring them you would be happy there and a great catch for them in a very short amount of time. Have a plan ahead of time. If you fumble asking questions or coming up with examples of how you’re awesome, you’re sunk. It’s a fairly high stakes experience. You spent undergrad, vet school, and maybe an internship to get here. You can’t just hope it will work out. You must prepare.