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Getting Ready for Residency Interviews

October 17, 2024

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Welcome

Erika Banks, MD

CREOG Chair

Chair OBGYN, NYU Long Island School of Medicine

John L. Dalrymple, MD

APGO President

Dean and CEO, Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

AnnaMarie Connolly, MD

Chief of Education and Academic Affairs, ACOG

Maya Hammoud, MD, MBA

PI, RRR Grant

Chief, Women’s Health Division

University of Michigan

Acknowledgment: Thanks to Dr Alicia Kiszka

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Panelists

Helen Kang Morgan, MD

Program Evaluation Lead

Carrie Champine, DO

Associate Dean of OMS IV and Graduate Medical Education

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Karen George, MD

Associate Dean of Students

University of Vermont

Shireen Madani Sims, MD

Interim Chair & Vice Chair For Education

Associate Dean For Student Affairs

University of Florida

Véronique Taché Program Director

UC Davis

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Agenda

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How to Prepare for Interviews

02.

03.

Advice from Residents and Program Directors

Q and A

04.

Why Virtual?

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Why Virtual?

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Pre-Interview Preparation

Research the Program
Prepare your Answers to common residency application questions
Prepare questions (know your audience)

https://www.insidethematch.com/match-tips/residency-interview-questions

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Outline

The Night Before Event

General Interview Etiquette
Preparing for the Interview and Interview Questions
Optimizing Your Technology
Setting the Scene
How to Present Your “Best Self” on Camera
During the Interview Tips
Video Tutorials
Interview Day Checklist

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The Night Before Event

Most if not all programs will have a resident-led event the day prior to interviews
Always plan on participating; this is your opportunity to meet more residents and get a feel for the personality of the program
Be on time, even in a virtual world, being “fashionably late” is not recommended
Just as in the actual interview, turn off your phone and other applications to avoid distractions

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The Night Before Event

Assume that everyone can always see your facial expressions and read your body language, even when you aren’t speaking. You are always on camera.
Get acquainted with the mute button on the conferencing platform to allow everyone a turn to speak
Be respectful, professional, and not TOO casual; the residents are still evaluating you. They are not yet your peers.
Attire can range from casual to business casual, but err on the side of more professional
Even in the safety and privacy of your own home, do not get intoxicated. Consider this as an extension of the job interview

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General Interview Etiquette

Treat this as the job interview it is, make a good first impression
Remain professional even when the virtual platform makes it feel more casual
Emphasize your personality and unique traits
Showcase your motivations, empathy, team skills
Optimize the time you have to assess the program

Virtual happy hour
Interview day

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Preparing for the Interview and Interview Questions

Practice, practice, practice

Mock Interviews
Group didactics and virtual electives

Practice speaking up, but not dominating the group conversation in group interviews

Record yourself and evaluate:

Body language including any distracting behaviors, eye contact with camera
Clarity of speech and audio
Lighting and background

Have a polished answer to the most common questions, but avoid sounding like your response is memorized
Review your CV and personal statement to refresh yourself
Have program specific questions prepared based on pre-interview research to create more unique questions

Research program websites and social media accounts

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https://students-residents.aamc.org/apply-smart-residency/interview-resources-residency-applicants

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Optimizing Your Technology

Desktop or laptop preferred over tablet or cell phone
Fully charge your device prior to interview day and have a charger available at all times
Check your internet:
Perform internet speed test: www.speedtest.net

Choose the connection with the fastest speed and highest bandwidth
If signal is unpredictable or unreliable, consider relocating to campus

Close all other programs or applications to avoid distractions or notifications
Have a backup plan: another device or cell phone voice call

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Optimizing Your Technology - Camera

Most built-in cameras are usually sufficient
Clean the camera to avoid smudges
External webcams offer more control of positioning, video quality, and color adjustments

https://biginterview.com/video-interview/

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Optimizing Your Technology - Audio

The goal is to optimize the tone of your voice and have the interviewer completely focused on your answer and not the background
Practice with built-in microphone and record and listen for ambient noise
Consider headsets or other external microphones to increase the richness of your voice
Determine which audio output helps you focus on the conversation

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Setting the Scene

You control your environment!
Use quiet, private, distraction-free space
Avoid high traffic areas like the kitchen or common spaces
Have a plan for privacy from the rest of the household (spouse, children, and pets)
Clear your workspace to avoid fidgeting and shuffling temptations
Silence or turn off cell phone
Keep a bottle of water nearby for coughing or dry mouth
Have contingency plan for disruptions: knock on the door, outside sirens, etc.
If you are interrupted, acknowledge it to your interviewer so they are aware of the situation

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Setting the Scene - Lighting

Natural lighting is great, but consider external lighting for those cloudy, winter days or nighttime “happy hours”
Portable and affordable external lighting or desk lamps can be readily found online for purchase
Avoid bright lighting behind you to prevent shadowing on your face

https://biginterview.com/video-interview/

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Setting the Scene - Lighting

If using external lighting, spread out 2-3 feet on each side of you and at the level of the webcam and originating from behind the monitor
Daylight/full-spectrum lightbulbs mimic natural light

https://biginterview.com/video-interview/

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Setting the Scene - Background

Make the backdrop clean and organized-plain wall or bookshelf
Plain, solid curtain also an option
Avoid doors , windows, or mirrors in the background
Beware of virtual backgrounds as they can sometimes be more distracting. If you do choose to use one, keep it simple.
Try to have at least 2 feet between you and the background to avoid shadowing

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Presenting Your “Best Self” on Camera

Be sure to look at the camera when you speak and not at the screen
Center your head and shoulders on the screen
Keep the camera at slightly above eye level
Sit approximately an arm’s length away from the camera to not distort facial features
Remain enthusiastic and engaged throughout the interview to avoid sounding “flat and disinterested”

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Presenting Your “Best Self” on Camera

Less is more: the interviewer wants to see your face and not distractions
Aim for “natural” looking makeup
Prior to the start of the interview, everyone should check for shininess on nose or forehead
Glasses with glare-proof lenses are preferred
Keep jewelry simple

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What to Wear and What Not to Wear

Feel confident and professional in your interview attire-head to toe
Avoid solid white shirts or blouses which can appear too bright; pick a shade of blue instead
Avoid all black outfits as the camera will compensate and make you look “washed out”
Choose solid jewel tone colors instead of busy patterns such as houndstooth, floral, pinstripes
Beware of fabrics like silk or satin which may shimmer when you move on camera

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What to Wear and What Not to Wear

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Tips for success during the interview

Always have your camera ON
Choose a professional portrait and display name
Look into the camera when responding to questions
Avoid watching yourself speak and close the self-view window if needed
Be clear and concise in your answers which allows the interviewer to know when you are finished and avoids awkward pauses
When you are listening, nod and smile to demonstrate full attention
Let the interviewer take the lead when ending the interview.

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Tips for success during the interview

Keep hands in a neutral position to avoid over-gesturing or fidgeting
Sit in a chair with no swivel or wheels
Keep notes to a minimum to avoid paper-shuffling

Consider a Post-It on the side of the screen for reminders

If you lose your connection, stay calm and troubleshoot, your ability to overcome the adversity is a favorable trait

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Helpful Videos to Review – LinkedIn Course�Executive Presence on Video Conference Calls

Video conferencing pro tips

Expectations and preparation
Introducing yourself and speaking up
Keeping it engaging
Enhancing your conversation

Video body language

Perfecting eye contact
Hand gestures on video
Using confident body posture
Wardrobe choices

The technical: preparing your studio

Positioning your camera
Lighting is key
Crisp and clear audio
Backdrops and backgrounds

Conclusion – Practice Run

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/executive-presence-on-video-conference-calls/your-video-conference-presence?trk=lilblog_03-11-20_new-to-working-remotely-resources_learning

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Checklist

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Checklist

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Checklist

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Practice! Practice! Practice!

Mock interviews with feedback
Record yourself

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GOOD LUCK!

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ResidencyCAS Team

Jen Raab

Learning Experience Designer

Stephen Naso

Sr. Director, Education & Knowledge

Mike Margitich

VP of Products

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Interviews

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Interview Portal Use

https://help.liaisonedu.com/ResidencyCAS_Applicant_Help_Center

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Where We Are At Now

As we approach the October 29^th primary interview invitation release date, student accounts in the ResidencyCAS Interview Portal are being set up on a rolling basis, which is why some applicants have been able to register and others haven’t yet been able to – this is not something to be concerned about.

Some programs have been using the Interview Portal to schedule early interviews with their “home” students, so these students will be able to see those programs and their active invitations in the Interview Portal – this is all expected behavior.

Some programs while reviewing applications have been actively moving and sorting them and may have inadvertently made some of their updates temporarily visible to students in the Interview Portal. It’s extremely important to note that this is a very fluid process and students should have no need to log in and review what they see in the Interview Portal until they receive official communication from those programs on or after October 29^th.

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Accessing the Interview Portal

Watch for email invitations from programs.
When you first create your account:

Use the same email address as your ResidencyCAS application.
Set a password.

This account is different than your ResidencyCAS application.
That password will not work, but you can choose to use the same password here.

Find invitations via the My Programs button.

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Accepting Invites and Selecting Dates

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Navigating the Interview Portal

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NOTE: your view may vary… some programs may not use all functions or may not even conduct interviews here.

In the Interview Portal, you can:

Use the My Programs button to accept or decline invitations. Depending on the program, you may be prompted to select interview dates after accepting.
Use the All Programs drop-down to switch between programs.

When participating in a program’s interview day, change the dropdown at the top of the screen to that specific program instead of All Programs. This filters your events and enables a chat icon in the bottom right, allowing you to contact the Program Coordinator during the interview. The chat icon only appears when you’ve filtered to an individual program.

Test Your Hardware and ensure your computer and internet connection are set up properly before interviews.
View the calendar, which displays green dots under days with scheduled interviews.
View your interview schedule by day, week, or, month, and toggle between calendar and list views.
Join an interview. When an interviewer is ready, you'll see a Ready status and a Join button to enter the interview room.

If the interviewer hasn’t marked their status as Ready but you’re prepared, select Checked-in to indicate you're ready and waiting.

Join meeting rooms. Programs may also use virtual meeting rooms for events like pre-interview networking, welcome sessions, or lounges for breaks between interviews.

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Joining an Interview

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Final Reminders

Programs that wish to invite you to interview with them will contact you and let you know the details of the invitation (generally beginning on October 29th), or any changes in your status.

If you have any trouble with any of the tools or do not understand something you are seeing, the ResidencyCAS team is here to help. Please do not hesitate to reach out by email at applicantsupport@residencycas.com or by phone at 617-612-2070.

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Residents’ Advice

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Residents’ Advice

Brittanie Hazzard Bigby, MD

PGY-3, Virtua Health

Savita Potarazu, MD

PGY-1, George Washington University

Anna Chamby, MD

PGY-2, George Washington University

Bukky Akingbola, DO

PGY-4, University of Minnesota

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Program Directors’ Advice

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Program Directors’ Advice

David Marzano, MD

Program Director

University of Michigan

Teresa Byrd, MD

Program Director

Wellstar Kennestone

Véronique Taché Program Director

UC Davis

Vidya Sharma, MD

Program Director

Jamaica Medical Center

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