The Premed Playbook Guide to the Medical School Interview: Be Prepared, Perform Well, Get Accepted

Used this to prep for interviews, got accepted! Think it was definitely helpful to know what to expect.

Any premed who seriously wants to get into medical school needs to read this book. It took me about three hours to read it from cover to cover, and it’s less than $20, so if you are skeptical then take the risk, you have little to lose and so, so much to gain. Dr. Gray goes through a brief background behind the interview, how to prepare beforehand, how to best present yourself during the interview, and what to do afterward. Every detail of the process is covered in a way that helps you prepare to be uniquely you in your interview and not some robot that’s following a popular script from a google search. He talks about an interview like a first date and that’s how you want to approach it – key highlight stories from your life to keep it interesting, but not scripted or regurgitated facts about yourself. My favorite part of the book is Section III, The Examples. Dr. Gray dedicates about a third of the book to transcripts from real mock interviews he's done where he asks applicants the most common interview questions, gives them feedback to their answers, and then repeats the process again. It's great to see how a very raw answer becomes more polished without losing the essence of the applicant's thoughts. I haven't seen another resource that offers such in-depth and real examples of how to respond to questions like "why do you want to be a doctor?" or "tell me about yourself" or "what's your biggest weakness?" among several others. He also includes a chapter for MMI interviews with a bunch of practice scenarios. On the first day of acceptances this year, I got accepted to an MD/MBA program at my top choice school and this book deserves a lot of credit for my acceptance. I spent most of my three interviews talking about stuff that was non-medicine related that the interviewer and I had in common. Without reading this book I wouldn’t have been able to set myself up for such relaxed, natural interviews and would have panicked if I was asked questions that were unrelated to medical school or my application. This book was the key to my success in those interviews. Again, if you’re serious about nailing your interviews and getting into medical school, buy this book. Also check out Dr. Gray’s other resources, including his other books, The Premed Years podcast, and medicalschoolhq.net. You’ll thank yourself when that acceptance letter comes.

GET THIS BOOK! Seriously, get especially it! It's great for interviews and prepping for it. Read it beforehand interviews and I would say at least a month before your first interview, you should be done with the book. That way, you could compose your answers based on questions from this book. Don't be too rehearsed but have an idea of how to answer normal interview questions. The best part of this book was the feedback Ryan gave during the mock interviews. It's what i used to prep for my interviews and it really made me see weak points when I tried presenting myself in regards to medicine to friends. Other highlights were the healthcare questions and ethical questions. It's great to see the wide gamut of question Dr. Gray puts into the book and you'll surely benefit. Again, an amazing book! :)

This book was incredibly helpful a premed

First off I loved the book. My one critique for whatever it's worth is that while the initial chapters offer great advice, at times the background information seemed a bit unnecessary for someone who has reached the point in the process where they are preparing for interviews. By far the most valuable sections to me were the question lists and coaching session reviews of students working on their answers. The book is well worth it just for those sections alone, and I would have liked to see even more of that kind of stuff. The book was a large element of my interview prep for my one and only interview this cycle. It helped me to feel confident in my preparation for interview day, and I think contributed to the fact I will be starting an M.D. program this July! Best of luck to all still in the hunt. You got this, and Dr. Gray's book will definitely help!

This book is a must purchase for anyone interested in being as prepared as possible for their medical school interview. Not only do a highly recommend this book, but I highly recommend all of Dr. Gray's resources available including but not exclusively his podcasts, and the opportunity to work with him via Skype for a mock interview. As much money and time as you or someone that you care about have already invested in this process to get to this point, why would you not invest in what could be a resource to properly prepare you for this final step to begin medical school? There is an ease and comfort that comes from being prepared for lies ahead, this is a tremendous resource!

This book is expertly written, concise, and supported by years of Dr. Gray's experience with students and medical school faculty. He brings up the most common questions for both MMI and traditional interviewing methods, while also providing anecdotes and actual student responses from his mock interview service. Many interview books boast advice, but Dr. Gray actually shows you the process of honing your interview skills for this important event. In this book, Dr. Gray notes that the acceptance is yours to lose, if you don't prep adequately for the interview. He walks you through the entire process of interview prep and notes the most high-yield strategies. It's no surprise that many of his trainees score multiple acceptances to medical school! If you find yourself in the fantastic position of having a medical school interview (or multiple interviews), do yourself a favor and buy this book. Prepare for success with someone who's thoughtfully put everything you need into a short--and sometimes hilarious--book.

This book was SO vital to my successful interview. Dr. Ryan Gray has done the research and presents the need-to-know details in this important book. I personally recommend any reader to spend ample time with this read. It’s not about reading to finish it, but taking the time to approach the questions he poses with a lot of introspection. Think deeply about what he’s asking, and curate your story and opinions. I believe that going through the book at perhaps a slower pace to allow for that was what allowed me to formulate well-presented answers in my interview. I can’t recommend this book enough.