Happy med school interview season! There are two types of interviews - traditional vs multiple-mini-interviews. I'll be discussing both types in separate posts.

The traditional interview is definitely the one that I was the most stressed about since it's typically a one-on-one session for roughly 45 minutes. I had a few traditional interviews on the East coast, which is pretty common on that side of the country. I was pretty nervous going into both but felt a lot more comfortable by the end. Here are a few points of advice:

1. Saying hello. The interviews start off with greeting your interviewer. You will usually know who your interviewer in upon arriving for the day or soon after, so remember to address your interviewer properly by name and title.

2. The interviewer will lead you through the conversation. I got asked, "So, tell me about yourself." You're probably thinking: um, well what else can I say about myself that isn't already in my personal statement and CV? There's a LOT you can say about yourself - remember, there's a lot more to you than what's on paper! My advice is to make a list of what makes you unique before you start going on interviews. Start from where you're from, what your upbringing was like and the associated challenges, did you have any exciting experiences that brought you into pursuing medicine, etc. Also, be ready for some interesting situational questions. You won't be able to prepare for these specifically, but you can work on speaking articulately and confidently.

3. Know your application . Make sure you know what you've actually written in your application materials, CV and personal statement. Nothing is worse than being asked about an aspect of your application that you can't recall.

4. Know your weaknesses. You will likely be asked about any weaknesses in your application package, like why you got less than stellar grades one semester or why your MCAT score is lower than average for that particular school. If you've gotten an interview that usually means that your scores are acceptable, but unfortunately there may be other applicants with similar stats. The interview is your chance to set yourself apart from those other applicants. For example, if you had a semester that wasn't perfect be ready to explain why that happened. This isn't an excuse, however. Rather it's a time to show that you grew from the experience and made the necessary changes.

5. Know your strengths. Though explaining the weak points in your application seems like an obvious topic of conversation, your strengths are, too! Be ready to express what you truly excell at. This doesn't mean talk about how great you were at o-chem or other courses. Use this space of conversation to discuss what will make you a great doctor. For example, werer you calm under pressure during a particular experience? Do you strive to keep growing as a person by pushing your own boundaries? Do you give back to your community in some way?

6. Be honest</b>. The truth is always the best approach when it comes to the application process, including the interview. Don't embellish a particular activity or event to make yourself look better. Chances are you will get caught, and no one likes a liar.

7. Be yourself. I think one of the most important things that applicants tend to forget is how to be themselves along the interview trail. Of course you want to be professional and precise in your delivery of interview answers, but you should also remember to be absolutely genuine. An interviewer cannot decide if you're a good fit for their school if you're being an entirely different person. A sincere approach will always yield the best results.

8. Have fun. Interviewing for med school is a prestigious thing in and of itself. So while you're stressing out in the ultimate "hot seat," try to have some fun beause many students don't make it to that stage and would kill to be in your place.