Interviews are vital hurdles in a medical student's life. Your encounter with interviewers, usually panel interviews does not end during upon being accepted to medical school, but continues even after your USMLE Step one, as well as after the USMLE Step three. You are not just trying to convince the interviewing programs of your competence with your performance indicated by your USMLE scores, you are also showing off your interpersonal skills on how you answer their questions. As such, see to it that your choice of words will not offend them. Observe clarity in speaking. Here are some tips to help you get by:

1. Use precise words. These are words that most accurately express your meaning and those that communicate factual meaning. Expressions like, "Some of the patients..." and "an economical and fast procedure.." must be avoided. Instead use exact words like "ten patients..." and "the procedure can be performed produce 500 times a year with an average duration of 20 minutes in the operating room."

2. Use specific and concrete words. This is making ideas more vivid and easier to visualize. Abstract words invite confusion. The interviewers might have a different interpretation of what you say. For example, you tell them "People who are not honest should not be chosen." This is general. You can improve it by saying, "We should not choose people who cheat during examinations." This is specific and concrete.

3. Use simple words. Do not aim to impress the panel of enquirer by using pompous and high-sounding words. The aim of public speaking is communication or bridging the gap between you and your listeners; thus, the words you use should be short and easy to understand. This doesn't mean that you cannot use technical or difficult words. Your choice, will of course depend on the intellectual ability and age of your listeners. The general rule, however, is that you should use short, simple and familiar words. An example of a difficult word is obnoxious. A shorter and more familiar word is offensive.

4. Avoid clutter or wordiness. A speaker who cannot explain in few words what he intends to say doesn't really know what he is saying. Wordiness can only confuse your listeners. It can also bore them. Besides, you might just be repeating yourself.

While clarity in language helps your listeners to grasp the meaning, vivid language paints the meaning in living color. Vivid words make ideas alive, vigorous, bright and intense. As a medical student or a medical graduate, always think about how you can create clearer pictures in the panel of interviewers' mind when you speak.