What Is Your Weakness?

Agree with the article, but let me make it more obvious. When you answer the Q: "What is your greatest weakness?" then...

"I work too hard" etc = bull****

You have to look deep inside yourself, find some flaw, something you did wrong, even if it makes you sound like a douche - and THEN explain what you've done to overcome your inner d-bag, correct a flaw in your behavior or whatever.

I'd like to hear some more opinions on this. The "better" response seems a little arrogant and doesn't really seem like an appropriate answer. Granted, I don't know squat about these things but that is just my impression and I'd appreciate some feedback from more of those who know.

Its not an easy task for one to confide on own's weaknesses, rather one may find it easy to find flaws in other. But one should be little critical towards their own weakness, so that it shouldn't be misused by anyone else.

the article gives a lot of great advice overall.

IMO this is bad advice, "You are not obliged to share your worst qualities with the interviewer. Unfortunately, many applicants do just that, sometimes because they're taken off guard. When choosing a weakness to discuss, avoid including one that is damaging."

This pattern of behavior speaks to the disingenuous culture in which we are mired. At the worst its deceitful to not openly discuss (and censor to the degree advised in the article) one's thoughts and to elaborately plan them so far in advance. In the end, the one who stands to lose the most is the interviewee, as they might just find themselves getting accepted into a situation they really shouldn't be in (such as getting accepted into a particular med school in the first place). Something as life altering as being accepted to med school shouldn't be manipulated by the whims of temporary expediencies. Not speaking the utter truth in such a situation is definitely lying to oneself and others.

of such are the seeds of a midlife crisis planted. Collectively, how about leaving the canned disingenuous-ness aka LYING to the lawyers, MBA and Hollywood? Leave it out of the profession of medicine, please.

"Unto thine own self be true"

...but this culture is mired in the mix of 'heros' who readily lie cheat and steal such as McGwire, Barry Bonds, Madoff, Enron, Armstrong, etc etc etc. so its not that surprising the rot is spreading into even the noblest of professions.

wow madoff and armstrong on the same sentence, that made me sad.

An alternative approach is to analyze the key skills and strengths required for the position you are interviewing for and then come up with an honest shortcoming which is not essential for success in that job. For example, if you are applying for nursing job, you might share that you are not particularly adept at conducting group presentations. In this case it will be critical to underscore your strength in one to one communication with patients while providing an example of your difficulty with presentations to large groups.