report interviewer?

[mark2122]

Hey all,

Just finished an interview that didn't go so well and I'm wondering if I should take any other steps after this, besides maybe detailing my encounter on the anonymous interview feedback page the school will send.

This was my 13th interview, so I know what to expect and this was far worse than any I had been on. The interview was open-file, but the interviewer had either read the wrong file or misread mine. He asked me several questions that weren't based on facts. Examples include: why don't you have any clinical experience (I have many years of that), why did you take so much time off from school (I didn't - one gap year that was completely necessary), surprise when I discussed aspects of my application that were central to my PS, etc. He continuously cut me off when I was explaining the actual situations, so I don't know if any of this registered or if he will just take his pre-conceived negative notions to the committee meeting.

Furthermore, he insulted the area I am from ("that area has a cultural issue that is causing a lot of the turmoil in recent news") and referred to some ethnic groups by either out-dated or offensive names - depending on how you look at it. I wasn't personally offended, but I could see that others could be by the way this interviewer spoke.

Not sure how to proceed. If it matters at all, this was an older gentleman who until recently was the head of medicine at this university.

Thanks a lot.

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[NYCdude]

What were the out-dated offensive terms that were used?

 

[Australopithekus]

This is very vague. If you feel that the interviewer acted unprofessionally, it would be right to inform the school. Just be honest and specific when you do it.

 

[WingedOx]

So you're from St. Louis...

 

[Doug Underhill]

Personally, I would report the issue.

 

[DaddyBex28]

Sounds like it might have been a stress interview... but even so some of these things sound extremely unprofessional and inappropriate.

I would report it...especially if you have acceptances/interviews elsewhere and are not worried about burning bridges at that specific school.

 

[amazing tekkers]

I'd be more concerned that the guy had the wrong file

 

[NervousNerd]

What if this is a whole interviewer tactic to see how we act and draw a response from us................

 

[DaddyBex28]

What if this is a whole interviewer tactic to see how we act and draw a response from us................

Yup, that is exactly what a stress interview is. The interviewer usually says/asks controversial statements/questions to gauge how you would react under such conditions.

 

[Goro]

That would be OK. Having the wrong file is NOT OK. Saying "black" instead of African-American" is OK. Using the N-word or "colored is not.

Cutting you off is OK. Y'know, you might have been babbling, or didn't answer the question.

The only way Admissions deans will know if they have a bad interviewer is to tell them. They don't say "oh what whiny crybaby this kid was, let's reject him". What they do is immediate go tot he interviewer and tell him/her to cool it.

But if you're so concerned about your own acceptance, then sure, don't report it, and let him just keep on doing bad things to the next interviewees.

Yup, that is exactly what a stress interview is. The interviewer usually says/asks controversial statements/questions to gauge how you would react under such conditions.

 

[AprilLudgate]

.

This was my 13th interview

#humblebrag

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

Lucky 13th maybe

 

[Samir Desai]

I'm sorry you had such a difficult time with this interviewer. Like the other commenters, many of the things that happened could be part of a stress interview. Hard to say. The part that really bothers me is when the interviewer used some offensive names to refer to some ethnic groups. Not entirely sure the nature of the names he used but no medical school would want one of its representatives to say something offensive in this manner.

If this is your 13th interview and you hold acceptances at other schools, then you could bring this to the attention of the admissions office. Especially if this school isn't as high on your list.

But I can see why you might be reluctant to say anything.