Footnotes - Spring 2023 - 15

nervous but do your best to turn the nerves into a sense
of certainty in yourself, the knowledge you have, and
the persona you exude. Remember, these attendings and
residents are not only looking for someone who has a strong
basis of academic knowledge - they are also looking for
someone who will work well in their residency environment,
who will be independently driven, have strong interpersonal
collaboration skills, and a good, moral head on their
shoulders. Shake hands strongly, and if you know your
handshake is weak, practice it. Smile when appropriate
and keep eye contact. Maintain good posture. Wear clean
pressed clothes that are professional but also comfortable.
These interviews are your second first impression, or truly
your first if you did not extern there, and your confidence
will be noticeable by the way you dress and the way you
hold yourself in a stressful situation like this. A podiatrist
and friend once told me to " steal with your eyes: " use your
extern year and final year as a podiatric medical student to
do just that. Absorb everything that happens around you.
When you first start scrubbing in the OR, watch what the
scrub techs and residents do. Write down anything and
everything you learn and research it further when you get
home that night. Show up early, be prepared. While it is
easy to get caught up in the " performance " of externships
and showing these programs what you know, remember that
not only are you showcasing yourself to residency programs
as a potential resident candidate, but these programs are
also showing you why you might want to pick them to train
you for the next 3 years. When it comes time for interviews,
trust that you have prepared properly, be comfortable with
being uncomfortable and remind yourself what a blessing it
is to have the opportunity to be interviewing for a job as a
resident in such an incredible field of medicine.
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SPRING 2023
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Footnotes - Spring 2023

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