Tips for Plastic Surgery Interviews
Written by Amer Nassar, MD
1) Prepare your answers!
If there is one thing that will certainly happen during these interviews, it’s that you will get asked dozens of questions. Some are generalized questions like “Why plastic surgery?” and “How was your medical school experience?”, while others are more detailed towards part of your resume and application. You really don’t want to be ‘winging’ any answers here, as your future career depends on it! Prepare answers ahead of time, practice delivering them with a loved one, friend or even in front of the mirror.
Bonus tip: Don’t memorize the answer 100% as this can make it seem canned and artificial. Just remember the basic talking points and you’ll deliver a more natural authentic response!
2) Prepare your questions.
Similarly to being asked questions, you will be asked if YOU have any questions about the program. This is both a chance to demonstrate what you know about their program, but also an incredible opportunity for you to really find out if they’re a good fit and have what you’re looking for. Asking questions like “I know that your residents attended XYZ conference last year, and it seems like many presented, can you tell me more about what opportunities we would be provided to attend conferences and if these trips are reimbursed?” A question like this demonstrates that you’ve both looked into their program and are genuinely interested in it.
Bonus tip: Don’t ask questions that they had earlier answered in their introduction talk. It will either seem like you weren’t paying attention or are just asking questions for the sake of doing just that!
3) Know your audience
Or rather, know your interviewer! I used to make a word document with every faculty member’s name, picture, educational track, career interests, and research. I would try to memorize this before going into an interview as this generates great conversation – everyone, surgeons included, loves it when someone shows an interest in them. Ask them pertinent questions that show that YOU know who THEY are. It leaves a great impression
Bonus tip: Read their most recent peer-reviewed article and try to slide this topic into the conversation. Make sure you know what you’ve read the article and understand it otherwise this can backfire real fast!
4) Get to know the residents
Residents generally have a say as to who matches in a program and can potentially even tell the administration if they see red flags. Get to know the residents at the social, ask questions to stand out, and try to figure out if you’re a good fit with that program. After all, these are the people you will be working with side by side in the trenches for years to come – make sure it’s the place for you!
Bonus tip: Ask for their email addresses and stay in touch with 1-2 of them to get to know the program better.
5) Be kind to the program administrators
It’s a story as old as time: They were the perfect candidate, had good scores, did well at the interviews, but were rude to our administrators. This is a major red flag and can easily drop you down the rank list
Bonus Tip: Be kind, genuine and humble to everyone you talk to. You never know who has a say in your future career
6) Keep a diary
No, not a diary of your meals and daily gossip, but rather a structured and organized list of pro’s and con’s from each program. It might seem like you’ll never forget the details, but after the 20th interview, trust me, you will. This helps you arrange your rank list in the future and will make you more likely to be satisfied with the program you end up in!
Bonus Tip: Don’t go too crazy here. Basic things like a 1-5 score for the City, Program culture, Attendings, Residents, Breadth of Training etc.. will make it easier for you to ‘score’ and rank these programs for yourself.
7) Look the part
Please, please, please wear a suit. Women and men should wear suits or similar formal attire to all interviews. If socials are in person, dress up rather than down. Do not wear anything flashy – this isn’t a wedding or your best friends birthday. Keep your shoes clean, your shirts ironed, and your jackets wrinkle free. Look put together, get haircuts PRN, and have good general hygiene. These things leave a very real impression.
Bonus tip: Wear an accessory that might leave a memory but not set a crazy first impression, ie. a pin of a cause you care about. It’ll help the faculty remember you but not think you’re over the top at the same time.
8) Eliminate decision fatigue
Making constant decisions will exhaust you mentally and fatigue your brain. To eliminate this, I used to wear the same exact shirt, tie, suit, shoes, and coat for all the interviews. This meant I never forgot anything, I never had to make any of these small decisions.
Bonus Tip: Make sure if you’re wearing the same outfit that you wash it regularly, keep it clean and crisp!
9) Set a limit
This is hard for all of us to do, but set a limit to the amount of interviews you want to complete. There is no magic number, but somewhere between 10-20 is likely enough for you to match. Any more than that and you’ll find yourself exhausted.
Bonus tip: Set a few ‘trial run’ interviews first which aren’t your TOP programs. This will give you an opportunity to fine tune your answers, work on your delivery, figure out the details and hone in on your responses.
10) Be true to yourself
This is by far the hardest point to follow, which is why I saved the most important one for last. Be true to what you want. No program knows who you are, and nor should they. You are there to tell them about yourself, and learn about them. The common mistake that most medical students make, is they try to ‘appease’ the program by showing them that they would be a good fit, when in fact they might not be. It is much more genuine and productive for your future, to truly find a program where you ARE a good fit. A place where you love what they do, get along with the residents, a city you want to live in, and a future where you see yourself prospering in. You only hurt yourself if you try to force a program unto you or vice versa
Bonus tip: A good way to overcome this difficult step is to confide in a partner or close friend about what you are looking for in a program. That way when you are talking about how an interview went, it makes it easier to verbalize your true feelings.
