There are few oral surgeons who have done as many interviews as my brother, Dr. Jake Stucki, and I’ve done my fair share too. With the interview season starting now, we thought that it would be a good time to share our top tips for one of the key elements which will determine whether you will get into an OMS residency program. From your favorite Tupac song, to the way you want to impact the oral surgery profession, you have to be prepared for the unexpected when it comes to OMS residency interviews. In this episode you’ll hear about the questions we found the most challenging, how you can guide the conversation in a way that suits you, approaches to the post-interview follow up, the importance of being honest, and more! We hope that today’s episode helps put you at ease if you’re heading into this season of your life. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• 16 and 9; the number of interviews Jake and Grant have done. 
• The important role of interviews in getting an OMS residency. 
• Why Jake recommends speaking to people who have gone through the interview process at the program you are applying to.
• Examples of some of the questions that Jake was asked during interviews. 
• The most challenging question that was posed to Jake. 
• Some questions we have been asked which are completely unrelated to oral surgery. 
• Jake shares why he chose to do a dual degree program, and how he responded when he was asked why he went down this route. 
• How Jake responded when asked about why he had chosen the program that he was interviewing for. 
• The importance of being honest in interviews.
• Examples of stories that are helpful to share, and those not to share, in your personal essay. 
• Our thoughts on crying during an interview. 
• The importance of the pre-interview dinner that some programs offer.
• Our thoughts on how to choose where you do your externship. 
• Different approaches to following up post-interview. 
• What you can learn about a program from interacting with residents who are already there. 
• A question that Grant used to ask when he was interviewing potential residents. 
• The importance of confidence, and the danger of arrogance, in an interview. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720 441 6059

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/ 

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/