Medical School

“If you don't think your anxiety, depression, sadness and stress impact your physical health, think again. All of these emotions trigger chemical reactions in your body, which can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system.” – Kris Carr – Author

Kris Carr battled cancer and is now a best-selling author offering her life-long experience to people around the world through her books. People of all ages experience anxiety in way or other. You may feel anxiety when your car is pulled over by the cops or when you are getting late for an interview or an important meeting.

Anxiety is a natural human response which we can’t control. Students face it throughout their studies especially before and during the exams and just before the results. Some students worry about everything like planning for the weekend or buying a present for their best friend, etc. So no prize for guessing that why during a medical school interview students show some nerve and get nervous too. Before you apply to Caribbean medical schools, here is what you should know about pre-interview anxiety.

Why is Anxiety Bad for the Eventual Success in any Field?

Anxiety can be really suffocating and demoralizing for all of us. I am sure most of my readers will agree that getting the admission in a coveted med school or any other prestigious university is one of our childhood dreams. And the rejection can lead us to anxiety or even depression. There are some aspects that most students don’t take into account when they apply to a Caribbean medical school like Windsor which is amongst the most highly reputed universities in the region.

Let me offer an insight about some common traits students experience during an admission interview and how they can get over it.

That Dreaded Feeling called Anxiety

The tense sensation in the stomach, a heightened sense of awareness and a little fear are all symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is a part of our body’s stress’ response and just like during an interview, we feel anxious. Anxiety is a warning sign that we are about to something out of ordinary that we may don’t want to. That’s the reason why we do silly things during an interview and answer even simple questions wrong.

There are 2 simple self-he techniques that students can apply while giving an interview for a med-school or for any professional degree.

1. Visualization

You must have heard inspirational stories about sportspersons who visualize themselves before an important race or event. Take the example of Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man who need no introduction. Through visualization, athletes like Bolt prepare their minds and bodies for optimum performance. When we visualize something intensely, like getting an admission in a med school, our body and mind start behaving as if they are already facing the situation.

Before an interview with the panel which will decide your fate for the admission, you can visualize yourself answering questions of the panel confidently and expressing your opinions freely. You can practice this visualization for several days so that on the day of actual interview, you won’t feel any sort of anxiety and can succeed in persuading the panel that you are a worthy candidate.

1. Subliminal Messages

A sizeable chunk of students’ fraternity become extremely nervous and tense during interviews. That’s one reason they suffer from low self-confidence and this can be a result of long held negative beliefs about oneself. Over the course of a time, such beliefs can become embed in our subconscious and in worse case can dictate our behavior.

Treat a med school interview as an important one and you can do so through the use of subliminal messages which can re-program your mind to get rid of interview anxiety and negative beliefs who have in your mind. This can make you more confident and allow your natural personality shine through to impress the members of the panel to no end.

Final Word

“Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment.” – Grenville Kleiser – Author

Students usually spend much of the time before an interview studying very hard. But that can make them experience anxiety even more before or during the interview. The above quote is an apt example of how to go about the task. Relaxing through listening to music, good humor, exercising and doing what makes you feel good can be the difference in making you pass your interview with flying colors or feeling anxiety that can lead to failure.

I am sure you most of the readers here would like to offer their valuable feedback for this blog. Even if you have a query regarding any aspect described here, please feel free to speak out by using the comments section below.