A Tale of Two Interviews: An Interviewer’s Account of Combining Long- and Short-Form Interviews

Editor’s Note: This post is one of two pieces on the hybrid interview format used at the University of Michigan Medical School. Check back next week for the second piece. By: Heather Hervey-Jumper, MD Heather Hervey-Jumper is a clinical instructor at the Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan. An applicant having a strong knowledge base is essential in choosing medical school trainees but so many other skills are involved in building a physician. Compassion, professionalism, and communication, just to name a few, are essential skills for building our future doctors. Traditionally, medical school interviews have not simulated the situations and scenarios the applicant will encounter on the wards and with fellow trainees. Short-form interviews, on the other hand, are a mix of ethical issues, communication challenges, and/or challenging situations with actors created to help an interviewer see a broader spectrum of skills than what a long-form (i.e., traditional) interview may demonstrate. I’ve had the privilege of participating in both forms. This model is highlighted in a recent innovation report by Bibler Zaidi and colleagues, “A Hybrid Interview Model for Medical School Interview: Combining Traditional and Multisampling Formats.” The short-form interview I was a part of was a communication challenge. We were observing two applicants perform a task with their backs to each other. This eliminated communication via nonve...
Source: Academic Medicine Blog - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Tags: Featured Guest Perspective hybrid interview format medical school admissions medical school interview multiple mini interview University of Michigan Medical School Source Type: blogs