strange question!!!!!

**Welsh medic to be!** · 07-10-2005, 05:47 PM

In an Open Day somewhere I heard that it's a good idea to practise sitting still in the most comfortable position for 20 minutes, as though you were in an interview, so that you would know where to put your hands in the real thing, and not fiddle, trying to find a comfortable position.

**Dr Noodle** · 05-12-2007, 01:13 AM

Thought I'd re-open this thread...so palms up or palms down??

**469er** · 05-12-2007, 01:45 AM

i first of all offer my hand. Now the interviewer will reciprocate. The only instance when they won't will probably be if the interviewer is a muslim and they won't shake the hand of the opposite sex. I am muslim and i do not shake the hand of women. I will in this case however gesture with the hand to my chest.

Interesting thread, Ms Noodle.

Does anybody here know what the correct response would be if a muslim interviewer greeted you like this? Do you gesture to your chest in return? Or as a female interviewee would that be inappropriate?

Just curious...

**f_debelder** · 05-12-2007, 02:01 AM

This isn't necessarily true. I think it was at Glasgow where I offered my hand and they wouldn't shake it, just policy someplaces.

**469er** · 05-12-2007, 02:07 AM

Yes, but just supposing. If, as a (non-muslim) female interviewee, you had a male interviewer on your panel who gestured to his chest in greeting rather than accepting your outstretched hand, how should you react? Replicate the gesture? Or just acknowledge the choice subtly by saying 'good morning' or whatever? Or perhaps apologise for not having anticipated it?

And why isn't the quote facility working properly at the moment? Or is it just me??

**Dr Noodle** · 05-12-2007, 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by 469er

Yes, but just supposing. If, as a (non-muslim) female interviewee, you had a male interviewer on your panel who gestured to his chest in greeting rather than accepting your outstretched hand, how should you react? Replicate the gesture? Or just acknowledge the choice subtly by saying 'good morning' or whatever? Or perhaps apologise for not having anticipated it?

And why isn't the quote facility working properly at the moment? Or is it just me??

Working for me...how can you anticipate whether a man is Muslim or not?

**Ann-Marie Brantano** · 05-12-2007, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by mikeangelo

The interviewer wants to see a little flair but at the same time see a little conformity. Its a balance between the two. These are the qualities you want in a doctor. Someone who is a little mad, but not totally so.

There is a really good book that really helped my thinking. It was called Sun Tzu Art of War. Now i know what your thinking. what the hell has it got to do with interview technique. The answer is absolutely nothing. But the point about that book was that it took a really complicated subject. The Ancient Japanese field of Battle and it simplified it and broke it down into its components and then addressed each component. More importantly it addressed how the components interacted. that was what won it for me. You need to do the same to the whole interview process.

the main interview process is essentially a battle. On the one side. You. on the other side the interviewers. The Prize is a place in ahighly coveted institute studying with the top 5% intellectuals of the nation.

The tools of your trade are your achievements, current affairs knowledge + opinions, specific medical knowledge + opinions, hobbies, interests etc.

The tools of the interviewers trade are not unlimited. your personal statement, a cursory knowledge of what is going on in the world round him both in terms of current affairs, medical knowledge, required personality monitoring.

Now the advantages you have over the interviewer. You know you more they do. You have the ability to guide the interviewer. This is by answering short or long. stopping at a point uch that the interviewer can only ask certain questions that you have already pre prepared. You know that the interview is going to ask certain must questions e.g. why medicine, why here etc. at which point you have a full spiel prepared in your mind. Find a specalist topic and talk loads about it. A good one might be about the geography of Central Asia. At which point you may introduce what you have been reading about health care in Turkmenistan. And what your opinion on how the latest shift of EU to encom[ass these states will influence the health system there etc. Something that you know most people know nothing about. Also there are certain questions that the interviewer are not allowed to ask e.g. politcal views, religious views etc. use this to your advantage.

The disadvantages that you may have will be medical knowledge, current affairs in the healthcare system ( i'm talking ins and outs). you will be nervous. The Interviewer may take your bait. they may not. dependant on the interviewer.

The main points are that you should be natural. nothing looks too preprepared. smile loads. Address all the interviewers. even the ones that don't talk. Know every fact going on the course and if there are any controversial issues make sure you know the issues both pro and con and always state your own view as that of the faculty you are attending.

In my interview i was asked about PBL. I rattled off the whole 7 point malakee plus some research projects that were out at the time. Read my comments on the whole PBL system to finnd my personal feelings on the subject. I kept that bit quiet.

But at the same time make sure you disagree with the interviewer at some stage and make a well formed argument. But pick this one carefully. don't get in to a religion debate on interview day. Leave that one for once you get in!

now i come to the position of the hands. the best place is place them on the lap. but make sure they are not fixed there. the body posture is there to pull off this big act. The only things you never do is 1) no crossing of arms at any point, 2) never slouch, back straight, shoulders back 3) head up and smile occaisionaly 4) don't fidget.

the whole thing should flow. If it works out then it should be a beautiful thing.

Nice one. It's so long and some of it is so
wrong no one will bother to correct it. You
learned all this from Sun Tzu, didn't you?

**469er** · 05-12-2007, 04:45 AM

Working for me...how can you anticipate whether a man is Muslim or not?

Weird. If I hit the Quote button, I get a box with the quote in as normal, but can't then type anything in myself, or edit the quote. Always used to be able to...

Had to do this one manually.

I meant anticipate that he wasn't going to shake hands. Body language, etc. Or apologise for assuming that he (or anyone) necessarily would. But what I really want to know is, if you replicated the gesture, would that be properly polite, or would it be a huge intercultural gaffe?

**469er** · 05-12-2007, 04:47 AM

Originally Posted by Dr Noodle

Working for me...how can you anticipate whether a man is Muslim or not?

Weird, working again now...

**Lyns** · 05-12-2007, 05:13 AM

a lot of the time they will gesture whether to shake hands. my interviewers at liverpool did! also hands in lap and when you are in to the interview you will start to relax (just stay off the coffee)!!!!

(nice to see welsh medic to be back - hows it going rhys!?!?!)