- Today I'm going to talk about how to best answer the
"Why us?" medical school interview question.
If you're watching this video,
you've likely made it to the interview stage,
which is a massive milestone in your application process.
You might be nervous and unsure
of how to best prepare for your interview
to give you the best shot at getting into med school.
You are certainly not alone.
We're here to help.
To excel in your interview,
you have to be prepared to answer a wide array of questions.
And while that may seem daunting,
several questions like why us,
or why are you interested in our program
are so frequently asked that you can expect them
and prepare your answer accordingly.
A strong answer to the why us question
is a massive opportunity
for you to stand out as a candidate.
(keyboard clicking)
I'm Dr. Eve Bishop, medical school admissions expert
with Shemmassian Academic Consulting.
In this video, we'll break down how to best approach
the why us medical school interview question
so you can avoid common mistakes.
Then, we'll talk about how to find the information
that'll help you develop the strongest possible response.
We'll also take a look at a solid example response
and discuss why it works.
After watching, you'll feel confident
in your ability to answer this question
and ultimately make an exceptional impression
on your interviewer.
Let's get started.
If you've made it to the interview stage
that means the school has already determined
that your academic and extracurricular achievements
have met their standards.
That alone is a big deal.
Congratulations.
At this point,
medical schools are not only looking to determine
whether you have the attributes and competencies
to excel at their particular program,
but they also want to know
if you are as compelling in real life, as you are on paper
and whether you will be a great addition to their community.
Your interview will likely be an MMI
or a traditional one-on-one interview.
One-on-one interviews are where you might get questions
that focus on gauging who you are
and diving deeper into your area of interest.
Medical schools want to admit a cohort of students
who will be a strong fit for their programs offerings
and values.
This is where the, why do you want to go to the school
or the why us question fits in.
Many people make the mistake of assuming that,
in answering this question,
they should just recite a laundry list
of the school's positive attributes,
but that's actually not what the interviewer is looking for.
They already know what their school has to offer.
In reality, this is a question about you,
because they're not really asking why us
what they're actually asking is,
why would you be a great fit for us?
In other words,
your answer to this question, should be more about
why you are a great fit for the school
rather than why the school is great objectively.
To really stand out,
you want to show that you're not only familiar
with the programs offerings and culture,
but that you understand how you would fit in at the school.
But how do you develop an answer to the why us question,
that showcases both your knowledge of the program
and demonstrates why you would be a good fit?
The school you're interviewing for
might be your dream school,
and maybe you know every possible detail about it.
From extracurriculars
to the research opportunities they offer.
If that's the case, you're likely already aware
of what excites and engages you most about the program
and can build your answer from there.
But if you're like many candidates,
you may have sent out applications to schools
based on generic criteria, like small class sizes,
medical school rankings, or a strong research focus.
Because these attributes are common
among top medical schools,
you'll want to find more specific things to include
in your response to the why us question.
When developing your answer,
you'll want to use specific information
about the program that you relate to,
and that you can use to highlight
how you'd fit in at the school.
To that end, you'll want to try your best
to include things that couldn't be easily said
about other schools.
To find that information, you'll have to do research.
To start,
you'll want to take a look at the programs website.
Usually you can figure out quite a bit of information
about the school's culture, values and various offerings.
Keep in mind,
it's not enough to just read the about us section.
Because the point of this question
is to assess if you'd fit in well at the program,
you want to demonstrate a knowledge
that goes beyond what you might learn from a passing glance.
Be sure to explore the site,
clicking through several pages of content.
As you look around the program's website,
pay attention to any words or phrases
that are repeated or emphasized.
These phrases can be a strong indicator
of the program's values.
For example, if the phrases community
or diversity come up quite a bit,
those might be things you try to emphasize
in your interview response.
You should also be sure
to look at the program's social media accounts.
A medical school's Twitter, Instagram or Facebook page,
can provide you with more up-to-date information
of any ongoing research, events or community activities
that the school is interested in publicizing.
You might spy for example,
an Instagram posts featuring students
working at a local food drive.
This suggests the program value
students who give back to their communities.
In your interview answer,
you would bring up your own history of volunteer work
and describe how important it is
for you to attend a program that shares those values.
You can also research the school's faculty.
In learning more about their projects or research,
you could find something that aligns
with your specialty or experience.
By incorporating this in your interview,
you can both highlight your past accomplishments
and assert the ways that you're looking forward
to contributing to the school's research priorities
or specialties.
Remember,
you're not finding this information
just to repeat it back to your interviewer.
The goal is to use this information
to frame yourself as someone who belongs at the school.
So, once you've picked a few standard aspects
of the program to highlight in your interview response,
you want to then use this research to shape the answer
that ultimately frames you as a qualified candidate
and demonstrates why you're a great fit.
For example, instead of just saying how impressed you are
that students attending the medical school in question,
often pursue creative interests
in addition to their medical studies,
you might want to talk
a bit about your own creative pursuits
and explain why you feel
that allowing medical students time and space to be creative
is important.
Chances are the more time you spend researching,
the more likely you are to find something specific
that you can use to highlight your own interests
and experiences.
Don't be tempted to pretend something is important to you
in order to appeal to the interviewer.
You may come off as disingenuous.
When answering the why us question, you want to be sure
that your answer has a clear intention and trajectory.
You don't want to ramble on and on.
Pick two or three specific reasons
why you're excited about the program
and elaborate on why they're relevant to you.
Try to go beyond just talking about one thing.
For example,
if you're excited about a specific research opportunity,
you might also bring up a cultural aspect of the program
that resonates with you and explain why.
No matter what, before you get to the interview,
it's important to take the time to practice
and prepare for these questions.
Planning your response ahead of time,
particularly when it comes to common responses like,
the why us question can be a make or break
to your success in the interview.
Be sure that your response is totally appropriate.
For example, it might be a little off-putting
if you're talking about how excited you are
about a specific faculty member's research,
but you don't sound excited.
You also want to make sure that you're engaged
and making eye contact with your interviewer.
Well, it's important to keep these things in mind
when answering all interview questions.
Using these tips when talking about
how you'll fit in at the program,
can help you really stand out as a candidate.
Now, I'm going to share an example of an effective response
and talk a bit about why it works.
Your responses in your interview may not be as long
and you'll want to keep an eye
on your interviewer's body language
to ensure you're not speaking longer than they would prefer.
In his interview,
Carl is asked why Columbia's Vagelos College
of Physicians and Surgeons is right for him.
He responds,
"Anybody would be lucky to attend Vagelos College.
But my interest in the program originally stemmed
from the Columbia Bassett Track.
I grew up in rural Maine, and whenever somebody was sick,
we'd have to drive miles and miles to get medical help.
I always wanted to be a doctor
so I could go back home and be a real asset to my community.
The fact that something
like the Bassett Track exists to equip future doctors
with the skillset needed to help rural communities,
where there are so few resources and so many people in need,
is so awesome to me.
In undergrad, I spent a few summers shadowing a doctor
who practice about a hundred miles from where I grew up.
I learned a lot, but I also saw how urgently thoughtful
and prepared medical staff is needed in these places.
Even if I don't have the opportunity to participate
in the Columbia Bassett Track, the fact that Vagelos
has created and developed such a program,
really aligns with my beliefs about medicine.
I also really appreciate
that Vagelos College not only encourages,
but expects its students to be well-rounded,
with lots of opportunities to participate
in extracurricular activities.
I have been a pianist my whole life,
and a lot of programs don't offer me the ability
to continue my love of performance within the university.
At Columbia, not only would I be surrounded
by some of the best musicians in the world
by living in New York City,
I'd also be able to continue to foster my own playing."
Notice that
by bringing up the specific program offerings and features
like the Columbia Bassett Track, Carl makes it clear
that he is well-informed about the program.
But best of all,
he spends most of his answer articulating why
that aspect of the program is important to him,
demonstrating why he'd be a strong fit
for the program culturally.
The why us question,
can be more than something to prepare for.
It can also be an opportunity
for you to shine as a candidate.
If you do your research,
bring up specific aspects of the program that you value,
and explain why those aspects are important to you,
you can ace this interview
and be one step closer to your goal.
If you're feeling like you need extra help
preparing for your interview,
check the description for more information
about our one-to-one interview coaching services.
We'd love to help you get into your dream school.
And if you found this video helpful,
go ahead and hit the like button.
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For even more information
on the medical school admissions process,
check out our free guide,
how to get into medical school,
which is linked in the description below.
The guide contains all of the same strategies
that we've used to help students
get into top medical schools like Harvard,
Johns Hopkins, and UCLA.
Thanks again for watching and we'll see you next time.