01-24-2009, 12:32 PM
Before I got into a Neurosurgery program, I have been applying for a residency for the past 4 years without any luck. After 4 years of Interviews, 4 years of disappointment and 1000's of rejection letters. It finally dawned on me, I finally understood what it took to impress program directors and residents in such a way that they will want to call you back for a second interview or a pre-match. The answer is a "no brainer" to most of you, but it wasn't for me.
I had tried every trick in the book to do well in the interviews, I read books, watched interview videos, learned different body languages to express confidence etc.
None of them worked. Why not? Are the authors of these books I read wrong? The answer is neither Yes nor No.
The information they provide you well, will work in an interview only if you are true to yourself and your experiences.
What am I saying with that statement?
I will give you an example. In the last 10 years, I have faced many challenges, financially, emotionally and physically. Instead of being proud of my life experiences, I shunned them away, thinking its a shame to have such negative experiences. I was embarrassed with some of life's experiences.
So in interviews when they asked tell them a little about myself, I just told them all the good things that happend in my life, ignoring the bad.
Well this year, I tried something different, I was myself, comfortable in my own skin. When they asked me to tell about myself? I told the truth, I said all the good things and bad things in a summarized form and how I overcame those challenges with good positive attitude, determination and focus. I told them that these are the attributes I will be bringing to their residency program. From that very moment my interviews changed.
People actually heard me and I realized that I was now presenting them with a wholistic balanced picture of me, nobody wants to deal with a perfect "anyone" people actually want to deal with someone "human" and if on your path to being brilliant you stumbled, they want to know, its not the failure they hear but how you overcame that to move beyond and keeping on achieving....
In any interview people relate to the "human" approach, and the person conducting your interview is very much a human with probably just as many trials and tribulations, if you are perfect then they might as well get the text book, because people recruit people, not text books....
So you are not perfect, so you flunked and then you had a sudden awakening that kick started your progress; so you had many crisis even the unthinkable has happened to you, trust me it has happend to us all, and that is what people want to hear the you that has handled success and failure, and the "madness" in each of your methods that helped you get through the diffcult times.
Thereafter every interview I went to, I was totally myself, and in that state I also realized that you get a inner confidence in you which then automatically translates into positive and confident body language. You see my friends, you dont need to PREPARE for an interview, you need to REPAIR for an interview. You need to fix yourself, mentally & spiritually, then and then only will all the right actions and words will come out of you without any effort.
I wrote this because I understand the frustrations faced by many medical students & IMG's who are going through the match process. All I can say is, remove the "want" in you. "Want" only creates more "Want" which translates into Neediness and Desperation which both are negative qualities picked up easily by the interviewer. Like the spanish saying goes "The Hungry man dosent get to Eat" So dont be hungry for the residency, let go of all wantings and just be true to yourself. "If you gave me the position, wonderful but if not, I am still happy, I have a great family, good health and food three times a day". I have everything I need already.
Go to an interview without fear of getting rejected. You know who you are, the interviewer knows you have the qualifications so now let them know the person.
Professionals across various professions have the same dilemma, we all assume we got to this point without having stumbled or fallen, but the most important fact is that we picked ourselves up and moved on, and that is what an interviewer wants to know, they're not interested in a book, they know your paper worth they want the tangible value of you in that interview.
With this attitude from gratitude you will attract everything you ever wanted. I wish you the best.
With Love,
Trishul Reddy M.D
Step 2 CS Workshops
drtrishul
I had tried every trick in the book to do well in the interviews, I read books, watched interview videos, learned different body languages to express confidence etc.
None of them worked. Why not? Are the authors of these books I read wrong? The answer is neither Yes nor No.
The information they provide you well, will work in an interview only if you are true to yourself and your experiences.
What am I saying with that statement?
I will give you an example. In the last 10 years, I have faced many challenges, financially, emotionally and physically. Instead of being proud of my life experiences, I shunned them away, thinking its a shame to have such negative experiences. I was embarrassed with some of life's experiences.
So in interviews when they asked tell them a little about myself, I just told them all the good things that happend in my life, ignoring the bad.
Well this year, I tried something different, I was myself, comfortable in my own skin. When they asked me to tell about myself? I told the truth, I said all the good things and bad things in a summarized form and how I overcame those challenges with good positive attitude, determination and focus. I told them that these are the attributes I will be bringing to their residency program. From that very moment my interviews changed.
People actually heard me and I realized that I was now presenting them with a wholistic balanced picture of me, nobody wants to deal with a perfect "anyone" people actually want to deal with someone "human" and if on your path to being brilliant you stumbled, they want to know, its not the failure they hear but how you overcame that to move beyond and keeping on achieving....
In any interview people relate to the "human" approach, and the person conducting your interview is very much a human with probably just as many trials and tribulations, if you are perfect then they might as well get the text book, because people recruit people, not text books....
So you are not perfect, so you flunked and then you had a sudden awakening that kick started your progress; so you had many crisis even the unthinkable has happened to you, trust me it has happend to us all, and that is what people want to hear the you that has handled success and failure, and the "madness" in each of your methods that helped you get through the diffcult times.
Thereafter every interview I went to, I was totally myself, and in that state I also realized that you get a inner confidence in you which then automatically translates into positive and confident body language. You see my friends, you dont need to PREPARE for an interview, you need to REPAIR for an interview. You need to fix yourself, mentally & spiritually, then and then only will all the right actions and words will come out of you without any effort.
I wrote this because I understand the frustrations faced by many medical students & IMG's who are going through the match process. All I can say is, remove the "want" in you. "Want" only creates more "Want" which translates into Neediness and Desperation which both are negative qualities picked up easily by the interviewer. Like the spanish saying goes "The Hungry man dosent get to Eat" So dont be hungry for the residency, let go of all wantings and just be true to yourself. "If you gave me the position, wonderful but if not, I am still happy, I have a great family, good health and food three times a day". I have everything I need already.
Go to an interview without fear of getting rejected. You know who you are, the interviewer knows you have the qualifications so now let them know the person.
Professionals across various professions have the same dilemma, we all assume we got to this point without having stumbled or fallen, but the most important fact is that we picked ourselves up and moved on, and that is what an interviewer wants to know, they're not interested in a book, they know your paper worth they want the tangible value of you in that interview.
With this attitude from gratitude you will attract everything you ever wanted. I wish you the best.
With Love,
Trishul Reddy M.D
Step 2 CS Workshops
drtrishul