How to succeed in an Osteopathic (DO) Medical School Interview

The Prep

After you have submitted your secondary applications, the waiting will begin. The hope at this point is to be granted a chance to present yourself in an interview. When a school grants you an interview, the work truly starts.

Now that the school has granted you an interview, the in depth research on the school begins. You have chosen to apply to this specific osteopathic school for a reason. For some people that reason is simply that you want to be a doctor. This is not a good enough reason to get you into an osteopathic school. The majority of osteopathic schools were built for a reason. Many new ones have been built in the Appalachian region specifically to provide doctors and medical care to underserved populations.

If your father, mother, uncle or other family member is a DO, then definitely mention that. All schools like legacies. They stick to the profession and often tend to donate generously throughout their lives. This is not the only thing you should bring up. It is not enough of a reason to accept you. It is also important to have some other reason to want to be a doctor.

Each school tends to have an area or population that they provide to. Do as much research as you can on the school you are going to interview at. Some specialize more in rural areas or Native American Populations. Some specialize in inner city or urban underserved populations. Some of these schools put an emphasis on the history and practice of osteopathic medicine. Whatever reason you have for wanting to go to an osteopathic school, be sure to make it fit what the school wants. They want to know that you have a desire to be a physician most of all, but they have a lot of people to choose from and can afford to be picky to fit their desires.

Be sure that you have a full understanding of what osteopathic medicine entails. Understand osteopathic manipulative medicine and how it relates to medicine in a very basic sense. The people conducting interviews understand that some students are just applying because osteopathic schools have lower MCAT averages for accepted students. What they try to do is weed out those who are only applying as a last resort. They do not want to accept students to simply have them turn them down later because they got accepted by an MD school. By learning about osteopathic medicine and its tenants, you can show that you truly have an interest in becoming a DO. This will definitely increase your chances of getting in.

Be prepped for the interview itself. Make sure your clothing is professional and dark colored as this is shown to be taken more seriously. Most interviews start early in the morning. If at all possible, show up the night before so you aren’t late due to traffic, car trouble, bad directions, or the like. Many schools offer opportunities to stay with a student the night before their interview. This is a good idea if you are comfortable with it. The student can provide valuable insight to how the school will conduct the interview and can provide answers to the hundreds of neurotic questions that you are going to have the night before the interview.

The Interview

Arrive early. You want every opportunity to have a good impact and you never know when someone who has a say in your acceptance will be around. Appear well kept. Men should be clean shaven or well-trimmed and women should wear professionally appropriate amounts of makeup and keep their hair simple and avoid things like braids and colorful bands or clips.

The banter with your fellow interviewees should be polite and careful. Don’t say anything unless you would be willing to say it to the professor or doctor interviewing you. At several of the interviews I attended, doctors casually stepped in to say hi to students. You do not want things overheard that might jeopardize your chances.

Since you will be nervous about every detail, you will likely feel a desire to chew gum to keep your breath minty fresh. You don’t want to be chewing gum in an interview. It shows your nervousness and looks unprofessional. Your best bet is to avoid it all together so you don’t forget to take it out.

In the interview or interviews themselves it is important for you to remember a few things. The interviewers will be most likely either doctors, professors, or both. Professors are going to more concerned with your academic abilities and interests. Doctors are going to show more interest in why you want to be a doctor and what you plan to do. Be very familiar with your application. They are going to ask you questions about it and will want you to elaborate on your interests, hobbies, volunteer work, and shadowing.

Some schools perform blind interviews. This is a type of interview where the interviewers do not look at your application beforehand. They have no pretenses coming into the interview and will require you to pick what is important for them to know. This is another reason to study your application and be familiar with your essays and what you expressed an interest in.

The most important thing to remember is that you will survive. Don’t let your nerves ruin the interview. Once you get in, you will get to know these professors and doctors and you will work with them closely. You deserve to be at this interview or you wouldn’t be there. They already know you can perform academically. They want to know you personally, so be comfortable. It’s just a conversation.