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Are 'not very talkative people' at a disadvantage?

I was wondering if I'd be at a disadvantage, being more of an introverted person (as opposed to the outgoing medical applicants), of getting into med school. Do interviewers look for the more expressive and extroverted type?

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Reply 1

Maximum Velocity

If you talk more , you're more confident. Confidence os good , of course. So yes as a gernal rule , people who aren't talkative will always be at a disadvantage.

Reply 2

preciousmemory

I don't think it will be a major disadvantage to you. I have a friend who wants to go to med school and she isn't shy, she's just plain unsociable! She never speaks to people but she has the confidence to do so and has been told she has "no warmth about her". So if you are friendly and willing to work with people, it shouldn't matter that you aren't so extroverted. It's about personal preference as well.

Reply 3

co_co_vogue

Maximum Velocity

If you talk more , you're more confident. Confidence os good , of course. So yes as a gernal rule , people who aren't talkative will always be at a disadvantage.

Thats complete rubbish. Talking more doesnt mean more confidence at all.

Reply 4

MISSLI

co_co_vogue

Thats complete rubbish. Talking more doesnt mean more confidence at all.

OP might be an introvert, but as long as you obtain appropriate communication skills and are an attentive/good team-player, you're fine.

Reply 5

D3M!

Well interviewing itself requires a good level of communication skills , that's where you sell yourself . I think good communication could negate the disadvantages of being lesser experienced/qualified/talented because one of the many indications of the prior is how confident you are and how well you communicate.

Look at this way if Medical Applicant A offered exactly the same as Applicant B in terms of qualifications/experience and was more confident in communication then I think a clear advantage would be given to A. Unless of course applicant B was sexier.

Reply 6

rachlala14

Manners make the man/woman.
You obviously have to have self confidence, but I think an interview panel look for someone who isn't forward, in your face or pushy.
There's a clear line between self confidence and pushiness.
Be yourself :smile:

Reply 7

Gizmo!

DM3, depends majorly on what they say at interview.

babbling wont always get one in, owever confident you may appear.

Reply 8

Maximum Velocity

co_co_vogue

Thats complete rubbish. Talking more doesnt mean more confidence at all.

Ok.

Reply 9

Anon the 7th

nah it dont matter really

Reply 10

i'm no superman

DrDomDom

Extroversion can come off as arrogance which can be pretty bad.

You got that right.

Reply 11

JCM89

As long as you communicate appropriately in an interview setting you will have a decent shot. Interviewers don't want babblers but equally trying to get blood out of a stone can be tiresome.

Reply 12

Meltdown30

Interviews can be practiced! Practice enough that you sound confident but draw the line before you sound rehearsed! As teachers, relatives, friends etc. if they'll give you mock interviews.

I'm still not a loud person but I'm nowhere near as quiet as I was before I started uni. Going to a uni where I knew no one had a very positive effect on me as I *had* to talk to new people!

^ this

When I had my mock interview and got my feedback I was apparently one of the quieter candidates, but she didn't make much of a deal out of it so I imagine it's fine as long as you can hold a decent conversation :biggrin:

Reply 15

Renal

Unfortunately, many medical schools seem to be favouring tangible academic qualifications over real skills and so being 'not very talkative' is less of a handicap than it used to be.

You'd better get over it real ******* quick though.

:mad:

Reply 16

ThisLittlePiggy

OP, could apply to one of those medical schools that do not interview...

which I vehemently disagree with.

Reply 17

Stanley90

First of all, get the interviews first cos if you don't it doesn't matter if you're the most talkative person in the world or a mute. Secondly, you don't have to be talkative, just make sure you talk in the interview otherwise they might struggle to understand.

Reply 18

terpineol

Just try and pull it off in the interview, then you can go back under a rock.

Reply 19

Madprof

Depends what you mean by 'not very talkative'. You'll need to be able to sell yourself and express yourself eloquently at interview but this, of course, can be practiced and is probably quite a new skill for most applicants.

Being a useful part of a team, communicating with patients and putting them at their ease, getting on with colleagues etc, and to some extent the capacity for small talk are all going to be an important part of your medical training and career. Think very carefully how well you can do these things. Plenty of introverted people are pretty good at them, that may be you, but if they're things you hate and/or really struggle with (and don't think you can improve), maybe clinical medicine isn't the best career choice for you and you'd be much happier doing something else.