Tips for USM interview

Course code: SM00
Date: 9/5/2014
Time: 8.15 am
Venue: Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan ( ask the guard at the entrance of HUSM )

Transportation : Airasia  KUL - KBR
Accomodation : Avee Budget Inn   RM84/ night for 2 ppl  Tel : 09-764 9000


I had screwed up  my USM med interview but I hope that the others can do better than me.
( Thanks my friends for cheering me up)

I would like to share some mistakes that I did during the interview and my suggestions for you guys...


Before interview

Be WELL prepared or don't prepare at all
If you only half-prepared like me, you are going to memorize only particular phrases and couldn't express your own opinion.
Read through the course structure and unique system/ program eg SPICES, PBL, elective program, CFCS etc.

Put your certs in a clear pocket folder
It's easier and more comfortable for interviewers to have a look at your certs.


Registration
You'll get the instruction as shown below after registration. ( I think it should be given when we were shortlisted, not after registration lol )




During interview
* 2 interviewers and 1 interviewee in an air-con room *

Speak in both languages fluently
Practise your BM and english before you go for the interview. If the interviewer ask in BM then answer in BM, if it's in eng then answer in eng. This was actually quite difficult for me cuz I kept answering in english. I tried to answer in bm but failed to do so. As the interviewer knew that I wasn't good in bm, he purposely ask me to read and answer scenario que in bm. GAME OVER

Bring your coat
I kept on shivering in the room during interview cuz it's too cold, I was wondering what temperature did they set for the air-con. well, I got brain freeze and couldn't respond to what they asked.

Don't make guessing 
Don't simply answer a que without understanding, if you guessed it right then they are going to ask you more and you have to keep on guessing. This was the main mistake for my interview. I answered the scenario que without understanding the word 'sinseh'. When they asked more, I couldn't answer and I straight away asked them the meaning. Firstly they couldn't believe that my bm is so poor but later they seemed like trying to forgive me for my poor bm and explained to me. Unfortunately, I had dissapointed them, I didn't know what they really want from me.

Don't straight away jump to the answer 
When  you get a scenario que, analyse it before answering. As you are applying for medic, they are going to test you on some basic idea/ knowledge of common disease although it's only a simple que that asked for the way you solved the situation. For me, they wanted to know how deep that I knew bout cancer but I didn't tell them nth bout it.
So, analyse first, get the keyword, and tell them how you solve the dilemma with your basic knowledge on the actual thing that they wanted to test you.

Be steady
They may keep throwing out questions without waiting for you to fully answer your previous que. Be ready for it, keep calm and think fast.


After interview
There'll a personality test (rating test), complete it and you may leave.


That's it, and good luck to you.  =)