Weirdest/most uncomfortable interview question?

[pyrrion89]

Personally, I don't think that's a fair thing to do. I'm a very shy person when it comes to strictly social situations. I don't do well in group social situations, because I'm horrible at cutting in, so I just stand there and listen. Not enjoyable. But I have absolutely no problems talking to people for work. And at least from my tutoring experience, I have no qualms with teaching people about something, which I feel is at least somewhat akin to talking to patients. Nor are interviews a problem, aside from the normal level of nervousness or anxiety anyone else would feel.

So I don't see how personal skills outside the work setting is at all relevant to someone being able to perform their job well.

Agreed. Eventually, people will realize they are being surreptitiously evaluated, and then all the applicants will be putting on a show of how well they can socially interact. At that point, it is no longer a measure of true interpersonal skill; it's a measure of artifice.

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[Redpancreas]

@seeinghowitgoes

Nothing to worry about. I've had post-interview waitlists, a post interview rejection (this kind stings the most), pre-interview rejections, and was even told not to bother filling out a secondary at one school due to lack of state ties. Regardless, I'm still holding multiple acceptances to some ranked IS/OOS schools (Just goes to show how much it varies). At the school I got my post-interview rejection at, the interviewer (elderly female) seemed to be very direct with me in the sense that she just cut through my answers as if I were just lying the whole time
and she said things to me like:

1. I think you're very serious for your age-at the end of my Why Medicine Answer, and then asked me if I could explain why...and when I took a stab at that she interrupted saying that it was very difficult to analyze oneself.
2. I see a very strong parental influence in you (my parents didn't even know I applied to this school until I told them I'd be going there and I paid for half my secondaries on my own)
3. She asked me if I was the first doctor in my family (to which I replied back with a proud yes and a smile)...but then said, of course, naturally in a strange way to herself.
4. Our students have had very diverse experiences and taken time off in college. You seem quite young at this point (I has just turned 21), no? (Most interviewees were 2-3 yrs. out of college or in senior year like me...)
5. Near the end of the interview, she told me that she wanted to give me some advice and that I should do what I love...(by this time, I was feeling a bit hurt)
6. When I was leaving, I wanted to try to lighten the mood so I asked her politely where she was from because she had a unique last name an Eastern European accent I hadn't encountered before to which she replied that she had Ukrainian/Polish (can't remember) heritage and I smiled/nodded but then she asked me why I wanted to know...

I've had excellent in-person interviews that have led to acceptances but since this interview, if given the choice, I would always take an MMI over a traditional interview. I feel like it's so subjective. I understand how that's part of any professional interaction but I don't think applicant A should get a leg up on Applicant B because he/she may have more in common and can converse better with the interviewer...Interviewers are humans too and they have biases. There's absolutely no way they're going to weigh traits/qualities against anything but their own internal value system. At least the MMI has multiple attempts and the topic is standardized. If multiple people think you're off in your communication skills, there might be something to it.

 

[SilentSoldier]

Personally, I don't think that's a fair thing to do. I'm a very shy person when it comes to strictly social situations. I don't do well in group social situations, because I'm horrible at cutting in, so I just stand there and listen. Not enjoyable. But I have absolutely no problems talking to people for work. And at least from my tutoring experience, I have no qualms with teaching people about something, which I feel is at least somewhat akin to talking to patients. Nor are interviews a problem, aside from the normal level of nervousness or anxiety anyone else would feel.

So I don't see how personal skills outside the work setting is at all relevant to someone being able to perform their job well.

To an extent that is true, but think about how being sociable could benefit the doctor patient interaction. I believe that if you're able to be a bit more outgoing with your patients, it could help open them up and possibly expedite the whole trust building process. This could lead to them following your advice and, hopefully, better patient outcomes. There is a trend amongst schools with switching to the MMI format and after having done a couple, I can definitely see how interpersonal skills can be important. Do I think the whole pre-interview social should be part of the evaluation? Nope. but I think there's a legitimate reason why the MMI is so popular now.

 

[Redpancreas]

To an extent that is true, but think about how being sociable could benefit the doctor patient interaction. I believe that if you're able to be a bit more outgoing with your patients, it could help open them up and possibly expedite the whole trust building process. This could lead to them following your advice and, hopefully, better patient outcomes. There is a trend amongst schools with switching to the MMI format and after having done a couple, I can definitely see how interpersonal skills can be important. Do I think the whole pre-interview social should be part of the evaluation? Nope. but I think there's a legitimate reason why the MMI is so popular now.

Woah, do you mean in those "holding tanks"/admission office meeting rooms where they put us all before the interview day begins? Have you heard that they observe our communication there too?

 

[SilentSoldier]

Woah, do you mean in those "holding tanks"/admission office meeting rooms where they put us all before the interview day begins? Have you heard that they observe our communication there too?

yeah, I think one of the adcoms mentioned it in another thread too. I think it just makes the interview day even more nerve racking too having to think about that kind of stuff in addition to whatever the actual interview might bring. Crazy

 

[Blizzard18]

My interviewer opened the interview immediately with "so I understand that you had a tough living situation and family life growing up, can you elaborate on that and how it has affected you" and it totally sideswiped me because she opened with that rather than a generic beginning question. But I felt like I answered pretty fast and eloquently. Other than that all my questions were cake. But I did only interview at 2MDs. 2 for 2 and canceled all the out of state ones. Too poor for that lol.

 

[Mel Belle]

To an extent that is true, but think about how being sociable could benefit the doctor patient interaction. I believe that if you're able to be a bit more outgoing with your patients, it could help open them up and possibly expedite the whole trust building process. This could lead to them following your advice and, hopefully, better patient outcomes. There is a trend amongst schools with switching to the MMI format and after having done a couple, I can definitely see how interpersonal skills can be important. Do I think the whole pre-interview social should be part of the evaluation? Nope. but I think there's a legitimate reason why the MMI is so popular now.

I have no problem being outgoing "enough" in a work-related situation. As weird as it sounds, there's not as much pressure for me.

 

[touchpause13]

That's weird... was this at a religious school? How did you handle it?

 

[monkeyfeet]

I had an older, male interviewer ask me if I had a sugar daddy back home, which was probably the most awkward moment in a decidedly awkward interview. I'm pretty sure this was the exact look I had on my face for the entire 30 minutes: Still waiting on a decision there...

 

[DanceMonkeys]

I had an older, male interviewer ask me if I had a sugar daddy back home, which was probably the most awkward moment in a decidedly awkward interview. I'm pretty sure this was the exact look I had on my face for the entire 30 minutes: Still waiting on a decision there...

I think this trumps all the other questions - probably the most uncomfortable question in this thread haha

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I think crying shows humanity. I'm going to steal this one!

What would you think of an interviewee who answered the question with "I never cry"?

Shouldn't get into people's personal business like that. People are applying for an education toward a career. Whatever they do in their free time is their business.

 

[TREDWISE]

Shouldn't get into people's personal business like that. People are applying for an education toward a career. Whatever they do in their free time is their business.

You have to wonder when someone goes through a thread of "Weirdest Interview Questions" and uses them as material for future interviews.

 

[masaraksh]

I had an older, male interviewer ask me if I had a sugar daddy back home, which was probably the most awkward moment in a decidedly awkward interview. I'm pretty sure this was the exact look I had on my face for the entire 30 minutes: Still waiting on a decision there...

were you wearing really expensive clothes or something?

that question seems crazy out of line.

 

[Goro]

You're not the one who has to teach these people...I do!

You have to wonder when someone goes through a thread of "Weirdest Interview Questions" and uses them as material for future interviews.

 

[baconshrimps]

"So, nice shoes....wanna....























.....tell me why you're interested in medicine?"

 

[baconshrimps]

Personally, I don't think that's a fair thing to do. I'm a very shy person when it comes to strictly social situations. I don't do well in group social situations, because I'm horrible at cutting in, so I just stand there and listen. Not enjoyable. But I have absolutely no problems talking to people for work. And at least from my tutoring experience, I have no qualms with teaching people about something, which I feel is at least somewhat akin to talking to patients. Nor are interviews a problem, aside from the normal level of nervousness or anxiety anyone else would feel.

So I don't see how personal skills outside the work setting is at all relevant to someone being able to perform their job well.

Probably because when you are a physician, you don't really have much of a social life OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL until lets say 10 years after med school-ish? So, if you're all about work, you're going to end up being that crummy old person that noone likes. You need to be able to socialize somewhat in your work setting as a physician.

 

[user12]

Excellent thread. Congrats for initiating. I'll post 3 stories:

1. My brother was asked how often he had sex, how often he masturbated and what his sexual fantasies were. He was accepted to the medical school in question. He and I had a good laugh after the fact but our parents were not amused.

WTF MEDICAL SCHOOL WAS THIS? Isn't medical school supposed to be a professional school and they're asking **** like that on an interview? Id be hard pressed to ask even my closest friends that kind of crap.

 

[BrCo]

You just got trolled.

WTF MEDICAL SCHOOL WAS THIS? Isn't medical school supposed to be a professional school and they're asking **** like that on an interview? Id be hard pressed to ask even my closest friends that kind of crap.

 

[user12]

You just got trolled.

hahaha ahh. damn it. he got me.

 

[y123]

I was asked how many schools I applied to and where had I interviewed....
I felt really uncomfortable answering those questions. I tried to be vague, but the interviewer insisted that I told him all the names.
Will the school reject/waitlist me because they think I will pick another school over theirs?
Is there a better way to answer such questions?

 

[moisne]

"Do you like golden retrievers"?

 

[~bleepbloop~]

"Do you like golden retrievers"?

Hey... that's totally valid

 

[Spinach Dip]

"Do you play League of Legends?"

Talk about awkward....

 

[wasteofspace323]

"Do you play League of Legends?"

Talk about awkward....

I had a TA who spent 30 minutes discussing DOTA 2 with his m4 interviewer.

 

[Giovanotto]

Edit for privacy.

 

[Goro]

No.

Just look 'em in the eye and rattle off your accepts.

Med schools take it for granted that you are likely to be interviewing elsewhere.

I was asked how many schools I applied to and where had I interviewed....
I felt really uncomfortable answering those questions. I tried to be vague, but the interviewer insisted that I told him all the names.
Will the school reject/waitlist me because they think I will pick another school over theirs?
Is there a better way to answer such questions?

 

[StudyLater]

Yo @Goro what kind of stats does one need for you to start feeling the inferiority complex? 3.8o/3.65s/510 here; would I be one such person?