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"Eighty percent of success is showing up" Woody Al
"Eighty percent of success is showing up" Woody Allen
Here is a subject that hopefully will help a number of you present
yourself in an extremely positive light. The first four items are your homework - things to prepare on prior
to the interview. You need to know your answers before you are
sitting in the hot seat, in front of the program director that you
want to work with. The last four work with your behaviour during an interview. Again,
you need to them answers and behaviours to seem like they were born
inside you and not learned. Self: Who are you, what are your ideas about life? What do you want,
where are you going. This is about you NOW. History: This is your personal history. Think about how you came to
be where you are in life up to now. What made you become who you are. Originality: What makes you different from the other candidates that
the program director will be interviewing - what can you pull from
your history that was importante and makes you unique? Philosophy of Lif How do you describe what you feel about life?
(Please don't bring up that you want to serve the poor and indigent
because that isn't different from the other candidates...). The above is your homework before the interview - you need to have
the answers right there - no thinking, no "eers" and "ummmms" in the
conversation please!! Now - when in the interview, you will be asked questions, sit tall in
your chair. Gentlemen, undo the button of your jacket. Ladies,
cross your legs at the ankles and place your purse or bag on the
floor. The chair is your world. Don't share it. Own it. Tell: Answer the questions to the best of your ability! Illustrat Use gestures, speak eye to eye (don't try and look in
both eyes as you will be looking between the two of them. One of my
residents told me that he looks for about 10 seconds at the left eye,
then 10-20 seconds at the right - and switches back and forth. Makes
it look like you are really interested). If you use hand gestures,
keep them consistent through the whole interview. Manag Match your enthusiasm level to the same level as the
interviewer, but somehow show your interest. You don't want to be
the low person on this one. (We still refer to one applicant as
the "starer" because he didn't blink, show any enthusiasm and in our
post interview meeting, the PD wanted to know if a code should have
run on the applicant because of his lack of response). Engag Offer contact (eye contact and physical). Shake hands at
the beginning of the interview and the end. Don't have a wimpy or
weak handshake. Don't have a wet handshake (yes, a weak wet
handshake might get the comment "fishy handshake") on your interview
score sheet. Firm, but don't break bones. One shake is plenty. Ladies, the same goes for you. Not a polite tea party handshake,
please. I know that certain religions prohibit contact between males
and females who are not married or related and I don't want to offend
anyone, but a PD who puts his hand out to shake with you, and if you
pull back and say that you can't because of religious reasons; the PD
is going to wonder how you will be able to work in this country and
not touch a male patient. Will you shake hands with a male patient
who comes to see you professionally? (If this is your case, your best
defense might be to explain that although you can't touch a man in
the social area, but that won't reflect on your abilities as a doctor
because the rules are different.) Conclude the interview with a quick overview of why you want to work
in this city. Make it strong. Remember, that while you are
interviewing you are on sale - and you are the best salesperson that
you could have. Good luck.
yourself in an extremely positive light. The first four items are your homework - things to prepare on prior
to the interview. You need to know your answers before you are
sitting in the hot seat, in front of the program director that you
want to work with. The last four work with your behaviour during an interview. Again,
you need to them answers and behaviours to seem like they were born
inside you and not learned. Self: Who are you, what are your ideas about life? What do you want,
where are you going. This is about you NOW. History: This is your personal history. Think about how you came to
be where you are in life up to now. What made you become who you are. Originality: What makes you different from the other candidates that
the program director will be interviewing - what can you pull from
your history that was importante and makes you unique? Philosophy of Lif How do you describe what you feel about life?
(Please don't bring up that you want to serve the poor and indigent
because that isn't different from the other candidates...). The above is your homework before the interview - you need to have
the answers right there - no thinking, no "eers" and "ummmms" in the
conversation please!! Now - when in the interview, you will be asked questions, sit tall in
your chair. Gentlemen, undo the button of your jacket. Ladies,
cross your legs at the ankles and place your purse or bag on the
floor. The chair is your world. Don't share it. Own it. Tell: Answer the questions to the best of your ability! Illustrat Use gestures, speak eye to eye (don't try and look in
both eyes as you will be looking between the two of them. One of my
residents told me that he looks for about 10 seconds at the left eye,
then 10-20 seconds at the right - and switches back and forth. Makes
it look like you are really interested). If you use hand gestures,
keep them consistent through the whole interview. Manag Match your enthusiasm level to the same level as the
interviewer, but somehow show your interest. You don't want to be
the low person on this one. (We still refer to one applicant as
the "starer" because he didn't blink, show any enthusiasm and in our
post interview meeting, the PD wanted to know if a code should have
run on the applicant because of his lack of response). Engag Offer contact (eye contact and physical). Shake hands at
the beginning of the interview and the end. Don't have a wimpy or
weak handshake. Don't have a wet handshake (yes, a weak wet
handshake might get the comment "fishy handshake") on your interview
score sheet. Firm, but don't break bones. One shake is plenty. Ladies, the same goes for you. Not a polite tea party handshake,
please. I know that certain religions prohibit contact between males
and females who are not married or related and I don't want to offend
anyone, but a PD who puts his hand out to shake with you, and if you
pull back and say that you can't because of religious reasons; the PD
is going to wonder how you will be able to work in this country and
not touch a male patient. Will you shake hands with a male patient
who comes to see you professionally? (If this is your case, your best
defense might be to explain that although you can't touch a man in
the social area, but that won't reflect on your abilities as a doctor
because the rules are different.) Conclude the interview with a quick overview of why you want to work
in this city. Make it strong. Remember, that while you are
interviewing you are on sale - and you are the best salesperson that
you could have. Good luck.
