Interview Pearls

By Rob Melendez, MD

Two major pearls I learned from residency and job interviews…
“Be yourself.” and “Focus on where you want to live.”

Residency Interview:

The best advice I received while applying to ophthalmology residency programs was from the chief of ophthalmology of my medical school. Prior to my interview, he said, “Be yourself.” This statement seemed too simplistic. Remember, residency is about getting along with others. The programs are certainly trying to select the brightest individuals. If you have been offered the interview, then you already met the program’s academic criteria. Therefore, your focus should be more on fitting in with the personalities of the program. Be yourself means to be yourself. Try to choose a place that you will fit in and build strong friendships. You cannot select your fellow residents, but you can gain an understanding of how the faculty treated you while you were interviewing. Ask the residents this question: Does the faculty treat you as equals or as subordinates? If the answer given was, “as equals,” then I would rank that program much higher. After completing my residency I realized the phrase, “Be Yourself” was so simple, yet so profound.

Job Interview:

When I interviewed for my first and current job in Albuquerque, the president of the practice asked me one question, “Rob, where is your wife, Lucille, from?” I said, “Albuquerque.” He replied, “ That’s all I need to know.” He told me to focus on where I want to live rather than where I want to practice. He said as long as your wife is happy with the location, then you’ll be happy. He stated that ophthalmology is ophthalmology whether we are practicing in Sacramento or Albuquerque. Focus on where you want to live.