Imagine that you are a college senior who has spent the last few months preparing multiple applications to medical schools and you have an interview scheduled soon. You’re tired and irritable with friends and family and fearful that you will be perceived negatively by the interviewer.
How should you manage the fatigue or burnout in the medical school interview process? Be conscious of nonverbal behavior, as revealing boredom and apathy will hinder your success. The best antidote for burnout is to get your enthusiasm up for the interview, and it will be contagious to your interviewer as well.
Mosby’s Medical Dictionary describes burnout in part as depletion of mental or physical energy after a period of chronic, unrelieved, job-related stress — sometimes characterized by physical illness.
Let’s face it: When you’re on the medical school interview path, you’re on the job. Interviews may take place across many time zones. Time is tight. Questions are intense. And if you make a misstep in a conversation, your career could be on the line. All these variables can be a recipe for disaster.
The following tips and examples can help you manage and hopefully avoid interview burnout.
Sleep Well and Eat Right
Most interviews are conducted virtually and are easier to manage. However, suppose you had an exam earlier that morning and are somewhat sleep-deprived. If you explain to the interviewers that you were preparing for a very important exam, then apologize if you appear a bit sleepier, you will help manage expectations. Immediately follow this by saying and looking attentive, excited and ready to go.
If you can’t avoid the circumstance, let your interviewer know what happened so they don’t imagine you were just partying too late. If you are interviewing in a school in the same time zone as where you’re living, you should look bright-eyed and excited to be there.
To maximize your energy, have a little protein, such as eggs or peanut butter, for breakfast. Avoid high-carbohydrate foods such as muffins and bagels, which can increase your blood sugar and make you sleepy.
[Here are 6 Tips to Ace a Medical School Interview]
Be Aware of Nonverbal Behavior
For standard one-hour interviews, you may be asked some of the same questions at different schools. At some point, because you have recited the answers various times, your responses can come across as rehearsed.
If you add a bit of burnout, boredom or apathy to the mix, the interview will not be as successful as it could have been. Interviewers tune in to nonverbal behavior, and it may do you in if they observe you looking away, yawning or playing with a pen or water bottle.
If you appear bored, the interviewer may assume you don’t want to attend that school. If another interviewer agrees with that observation, you are unlikely to be accepted. At a recent admissions committee meeting, I saw several students rejected for what might have been fatigue, boredom or burnout.
Don’t Curb Your Enthusiasm
Get excited about the school from its website or from contacts you’ve made during the application process. Have a mental and written list of the school’s features that sparked your curiosity.
The best antidote to burnout is to get your enthusiasm up for the interview. Going in with excitement in your voice is contagious, not only for you but for the interviewer. Sitting up straight, smiling and having your eyes open a bit more than usual can behaviorally change your attitude and energy level.
When I practice mock interviews with students, they know they must impress me with their enthusiasm.
[Read: Navigating Ethical Questions in Medical School Interviews]
Practice Mindfulness
To help you focus, be aware of but don’t judge what is going on around you.
When you are in a mindful state, you will stay tuned in to the interviewer and their questions. You may hear each question as if it’s fresh and exciting, and your answers will be more upbeat and inspiring. Even hard questions like weaknesses can be approached as opportunities that you are working on for personal growth.
Learn to be authentic and thoughtful during medical school interviews.
Wear a Visual Cue to Keep Yourself Alert
A favorite trick of mine is to pull something out of my closet that is just a little different from what I usually wear. It might be a colorful scarf or piece of jewelry. Men might choose a special tie.
Maybe you can make by hand a supportive sign or phrase that encourages you and place it on the wall away from the camera. A personal token or memento in a pocket can also be supportive, but I prefer a visual one for which I know the importance and I don’t have to remember to go search for it.
[Read: Determining Medical School Fit: 4 Key Questions to Ask]
Consider Pausing Interviews
If you’re feeling burned out and can’t concentrate on getting excited for one more interview, take a pause, particularly if you have already received an acceptance. If you have an acceptance to a school of your liking, consider cancelling the other interviews.
I recently spoke with a young woman who had applied and been accepted for an early spot. She reflected on how much more energy she had than classmates who were stressing week after week to get ready for more interviews.
Get Help When Necessary
Fortunately, most young applicants don’t experience physical symptoms of burnout. However if that occurs and mindfulness does not restore you to baseline, ask for help from a physician, therapist or counselor for symptoms like new onset panic attacks.
Remember to consider what excites you about a medical career, and be grateful you were invited for an interview. Many applicants were not. Being mindful in the moment — without negative judgments and feeling a sense of gratitude — may be just the winning combination to combat any burnout.
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8 Ways to Manage Medical School Interview Burnout originally appeared on usnews.com
