NewbieEMPA Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 I've got a few EM residency interviews coming up in the next few weeks, and I was wondering what tips anyone could give me to make me more competitive at the interviews. In PA school my GPA was 3.8 and I did two rotations in the emergency department. Before PA school, I was a tech in the ED. I've applied to 7 residencies, so I'm hoping to get into a least 1. Thank you so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudeboyirie Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 (edited) Congrats on the interviews! One issue I’m running into while planning which programs to apply to is that none line up with our graduation date! We’re done in December, Pance early January. Only 3 or so start in the spring, otherwise most start dates for residencies are in the summer or fall. Are you running into this? How long are you willing to wait after graduation to start a residency? Stretching it out unil the summer is the most I think I’d be willing to do, waiting until the following fall seems ridiculous. Edited February 13, 2020 by Rudeboyirie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewbieEMPA Posted February 14, 2020 Author Share Posted February 14, 2020 16 hours ago, Rudeboyirie said: Congrats on the interviews! One issue I’m running into while planning which programs to apply to is that none line up with our graduation date! We’re done in December, Pance early January. Only 3 or so start in the spring, otherwise most start dates for residencies are in the summer or fall. Are you running into this? How long are you willing to wait after graduation to start a residency? Stretching it out unil the summer is the most I think I’d be willing to do, waiting until the following fall seems ridiculous. I decided to apply to residencies that start in the fall as well. I knew that I wanted to do emergency medicine, and in the state where I'm from, it's nearly impossible to find a job in the ED with no experience. By applying to more programs, I have a greater chance of getting into at least one. It also helps that my parents have been very generous and have allowed me to live with them rent-free until a residency program starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dphy83 Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Hope my reply doesn't find you too late. Best advice I can give is to practice your responses. There are certain questions, or variations of them, that are almost guaranteed to be asked, and you should have your replies down pat. I made a list of likely questions typed out my replies, and I literally studied and rehearsed them. Not to the point where I had my answers perfectly memorized verbatim, but to the point where I knew exactly what points to make in my reply and to where it flowed without awkward pauses or without it sounding like I was rambling. Eg: Tell me about yourself. Why are you interested in xxxx field of medicine? Why are you interested in a residency? Why this residency? If you're coming from out of state they may ask about your desire to stay in the area since many programs like to retain residency grads. Tell me your strengths. Tell me your weaknesses. (Cliche and obnoxious, I know. But these questions are part of the game.) Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker. How do you handle conflict in the work place? Why should we select you / why would you be a good fit in our program / what sets you apart from other candidates? What are your careers goals / where do you see yourself in 5, 10, etc years? And prepare questions to ask them when they open the floor at the end of the interview! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewbieEMPA Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 Thank you for your advice! It didn't come too late; I have two interviews coming up. They've both switched to webcam interviews instead which should be interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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