Just some words of advice for those interviewing this year. The following are some things I learned along the way.
1. Keep your eyes wide open.
* No matter what you're interested in (academic vs. community) or where you're from (Big Honkin Prestigious U. vs. State College U.)...go into every interview like you want to go there. Drop the ego, respect the program, and be honest with yourself.
2. Keep your eyes on the prize.
* Ask questions that matter to you. Don't worry about impressing the status quo. The pressure has been on all of us for the past 3-4 years. The next 5-6 years of our lives are about becoming a competent surgeon and realizing our strengths and many weaknesses. Be honest with yourself and interviewers. Trust your gut feeling.
Nine out of ten places will train you to be a great surgeon. You will not have difficulty securing a fellowship. Be honest with yourself. Weigh the pros and cons. Will it really affect your career if you don't train at "Most Outstanding University"??? Probably not. Look for what is most important to you.
3. You will learn as you go.
* To be honest, I didn't know crap before I went on interviews. I read the posts on this board and had a general idea of what to expect. I read about many programs and rotated through a couple. You will learn very quickly what you like in a program and what is important to you.
No one can truly prepare you for what is ahead. This isn't something that you can learn from a book or friend. Oh, and by the way, DO NOT be intimidated by anyone. Most of us come from humble places.
4. If you get the interview
* DO NOT worry about scores and grades. Everyone is a stud, including yourself. You probably WILL NOT be asked anything about them. I went on 15 interviews (Hugely academic to tiny community)
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and was never once questioned about academics.
5. I HATE to sound like your dad. However, these are a few things that I learned while interviewing.
Any questions??
