Appropriate Weaknesses?

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99445

99445

Full Member
10+ Year Member
For interview purposes, would these (honest) weaknesses be fine to mention?

1) Competitive- would compare grades, get discouraged, but learned that can't be best at everything...

2) Trouble trusting other members of a group to do an adequate job so I take on all the major work
 
Absolutely do not mention that you are/were competitive.

Out of the choices, I'd go with #2, but don't say that you have "trouble trusting" people. Find a different way to frame it. And as with all weaknesses, you ALWAYS want to either demonstrate how you overcame or are working to overcome that weakness.
 
Hah hah my go-to weakness for interview-type situations is 'perfectionism.' Because I'm so perfect it kills me. 😉 (I am of course joking - perfectionism is probably a bit too transparent)

Whatever you do, just don't choose #1. The last thing adcoms want to hear is that you're another hyper competitive premed.

Edit: Seriously, I think it's just about the worse interview question in the world. The interviewer is basically testing how well you can bee ess your way through a question. No one is actually going to give a real, cringe-worthy flaw.
 
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Being competitive can be a good thing but not if you're always comparing yourself to others. Say that you are competitive with yourself always striving to be better. You have high standards for yourself and I don't think that is a bad thing.
 
formerphoenix said:
Being competitive can be a good thing but not if you're always comparing yourself to others. Say that you are competitive with yourself always striving to be better. You have high standards for yourself and I don't think that is a bad thing.
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Most interviewers would roll their eyes if that's your "weakness," just like saying "perfectionism" is your weakness. Your "weakness" should not just be your strength in disguise.

FWIW I think this question is more geared towards fleshing out red flags, at least that's my interpretation and how I used it when I was a student interviewer. Most people gave predictable responses like being too hard on themselves. I rolled my eyes on the inside, but it didn't matter. Move on to the next question. It's when the person says that they are competitive or have difficulty working in teams that it's a red flag.
 
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Ismet said:
Most interviewers would roll their eyes if that's your "weakness," just like saying "perfectionism" is your weakness. Your "weakness" should not just be your strength in disguise.
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Right. But let's be honest, are we actually going to say something we suck at? The point is to use a weakness you have and turn it into a potential strength.
 
formerphoenix said:
Right. But let's be honest, are we actually going to say something we suck at? The point is to use a weakness you have and turn it into a potential strength.
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Technically the point is to take a weakness and demonstrate the steps you took to improve on it. The point isn't to say "I have a compulsion to do everything to the best of my ability."
 
Ismet said:
Technically the point is to take a weakness and demonstrate the steps you took to improve on it. The point isn't to say "I have a compulsion to do everything to the best of my ability."
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I think you should do everything to the best of your ability.. Everyone should have a compulsion to do their best work. I agree, showing the steps to improve on your weakness is the goal along with showing how it can be a strength
 
Option 3: You were naive and jumped into the deep end before learning to swim. Telling adcoms you can't trust people/have trust issues is a huge red flag. By the time you graduate, medicine will be a team-based career. If you have trust issues then you won't fit the profile of being a good physician.
 
This is actually a huge red flag. Seeing stuff like this in a LOR would lead to reject. Thus, in an app, you're cutting your own throat.

Tread carefully, and think seriously about this career which requires a huge amount of teamwork.

2) Trouble trusting other members of a group to do an adequate job so I take on all the major work[/QUOTE]
 
So would being shy be a weakness I should avoid mentioning? At what point is a weakness a red flag? I want to be honest, but I don't want to sink my application.
 
Ismet said:
Technically the point is to take a weakness and demonstrate the steps you took to improve on it. The point isn't to say "I have a compulsion to do everything to the best of my ability."
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This. A lot of people seem to take this question as a direct invitation to humblebrag. That isn't the point at all.

If you can't recognize your weaknesses, you can't fix your weaknesses. The question is intended to uncover a) whether you possess the introspection to recognize your own shortcomings, and b) the extent to which you work to fix your weaknesses once you recognize them.

Obviously, don't name a weakness that will disqualify you outright ("I'd say my biggest weakness is that I always crumble under the pressure of difficult coursework."). Other than that, just pick a weakness that is fixable and that you have been taking tangible steps to remedy.
 
The weakness I used during my interviews is that I have a tendency to talk too fast and stumble over my words, especially when I'm giving presentations or doing some sort of public speaking. I mentioned that I was rectifying that by slowing myself down by pacing myself and using more appropriately placed pauses to improve my clarity.
 
My suggestion is to find a weakness that could also be perceived as (or turned into) a strength of yours. J/K. I also definitely agree that you need to address how you overcame your weakness.
 
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ovenmitts said:
So would being shy be a weakness I should avoid mentioning? At what point is a weakness a red flag? I want to be honest, but I don't want to sink my application.
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In my experience, definitely avoid being shy or being quiet. Medicine is a social profession. They don't want awkward turtles

I said "shy" for my weakness my first cycle, and I think it was a bad answer in retrospect.
 
chillaxbro said:
In my experience, definitely avoid being shy or being quiet. Medicine is a social profession. They don't want awkward turtles

I said "shy" for my weakness my first cycle, and I think it was a bad answer in retrospect.
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I'm shy but not an awkward turtle. 😉
 
Goro said:
This is actually a huge red flag. Seeing stuff like this in a LOR would lead to reject. Thus, in an app, you're cutting your own throat.

Tread carefully, and think seriously about this career which requires a huge amount of teamwork.

2) Trouble trusting other members of a group to do an adequate job so I take on all the major work
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[/QUOTE]

What if instead of "trouble trusting", I say "trouble fully relying"? Or avoid this one completely?
 

What if instead of "trouble trusting", I say "trouble fully relying"? Or avoid this one completely?[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

Are you gonna be a 1 man team during surgeries?
 
I think it's fine to say that you're shy, as long as you demonstrate that you're not a recluse or asocial, and you demonstrate that you have been working on being more social or outgoing with people. That was one of the weaknesses I used, except I think I usually said that I'm "reserved" in new situations. The majority of my class is actually introvert according to the MBTI we all had to take in orientation, so it's obvious that not everyone in medicine is outgoing. You do have to be able to interact with people and somewhat enjoy interacting with people, or else medicine would be miserable, but you don't have to be super outgoing.
 
From what I've been told and what I've read before, interviewers ask this question to 1) make sure you're not a narcissist/psychopath/sociopath who thinks they're perfect and better than everyone else 2) further evaluate you not only as a candidate for medical school but also as a fellow human being because NO ONE is perfect. We all have our strengths AND weaknesses. However, I know that adcoms would rather see candidates talk openly and honestly about any perceived weaknesses they have and what concrete steps they have taken to address/fix/improve upon their shortcomings.

I've also been struggling to come up with a good, honest answer for this question. This might be not be good, but I was thinking about saying something like this:

"I believe one of my weaknesses is that sometimes I have a rather pessimistic or negative world view because of everything that is currently happening in my life. However, I have taken great steps to improve upon this shortcoming of mine. One step I have taken is to always keep the big picture in mind. In recent months, I have told myself that even though the road to becoming a physician is long and difficult, with many specific details about healthcare, medical school, residency, and being a physician that aren't necessarily positive or enjoyable, the privilege of being able to help and serve others with medicine is still inherently worth it. Another step I have taken is to do my best to stay optimistic every day. At the end of every day, I think about what happened that day and write down 2 or 3 positive events that made me happy, made me smile, made me laugh, or made me continue to be optimistic for the future. I recently completed the 100 Happy Days challenge, which comprised of me taking a picture, uploading it to social media, and writing a caption that reflected at least one event that happened that day that made me happy. During those 100 days, I noticed that I found myself consistently having fewer and fewer negative thoughts or pessimistic feelings every day. When the 100 days ended, I found myself completely re-energized and ready to take on any challenges that each day brings forth. I find that I am now much more positive and optimistic about my world view on life, which I believe will greatly help me get through medical school even during the toughest days."
 
Why would you say this? People who have a hard time working with others generally means they're difficult people and I don't think you want to tell anyone that you're a difficult person.
 
What about the weakness of being a slow reader? And talking about how I have taken speed reading classes and read more often now to try to improve my reading speed.
 
CherryRedDracul said:
The weakness I used during my interviews is that I have a tendency to talk too fast and stumble over my words, especially when I'm giving presentations or doing some sort of public speaking. I mentioned that I was rectifying that by slowing myself down by pacing myself and using more appropriately placed pauses to improve my clarity.
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I can totally relate to this! Would saying something like this be looked at negatively?
 
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99445 said:
For interview purposes, would these (honest) weaknesses be fine to mention?

1) Competitive- would compare grades, get discouraged, but learned that can't be best at everything...

2) Trouble trusting other members of a group to do an adequate job so I take on all the major work
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These weaknesses are so bad that you'd almost be better off saying your weaknesses are cocaine and prostitutes.

The latter is particularly bad, as it is a big red flag that you might not play well with others, something that is critical both in medical school and in the hospital.
 
I have this question on one of my secondaries and I'm probably going to talk about trying to find a semblance of balance between work and play. Right now, I get sucked into either and neglect the other till I get sick of it and oscillate. My current job allows me to give a lot and get a lot out of it. Trying to keep things in perspective and do a few things well and stay sane instead of over-extending myself.

Or I can spin it and talk about learning my limits and not over committing.
 
I wonder if the inability to choose your weakness could be made into a compelling essay. It would be an interesting read.
 
Would something about being cynical or that I'm very hard on myself be a bad thing to bring up?
 
Goro said:
Both are equally lethal; you WILL have to rely on your colleagues.



What if instead of "trouble trusting", I say "trouble fully relying"? Or avoid this one completely?
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[/QUOTE]
How about lacking the ability to delegate tasks?
 
would "working too fast" or "being overconfident at times" be red-flag-able or would they be appropriate answers if i mention steps how i am improving?
 
99445 said:
For interview purposes, would these (honest) weaknesses be fine to mention?

1) Competitive- would compare grades, get discouraged, but learned that can't be best at everything...

2) Trouble trusting other members of a group to do an adequate job so I take on all the major work
Click to expand...

I think the "what are your weaknesses" question is so subjective that it's hard to say. You could state the most neutral weakness and someone could see it as a red flag for it.

IMO, I feel like both those weaknesses are bad to mention. I, personally, would not want to work with someone that is competitive or has trouble trusting others. I've worked with people like that and it sucks. Ask yourself if you would want to work with someone who is "competitive" or has "trouble trusting other."
 
Others can say if this was misguided, but in my secondaries I wrote that my weakness was a hesitancy to reach out for help when I needed it. But, I said so in the context of a story in which I struggled before asking for help. The story is all about how silly it is to not ask others for help, and how plainly I learned that lesson.

You could call that an "inability to work with others". But I think describing the process by which you learned how one of your weaknesses was holding you back shows both honest and maturity.
 
Goro said:
Some things are worse than others. But we've learned the hard way that med students can and do make very bad choices at times, and so we're gun-shy of particular character traits.
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What would be an example of a "weakness" that isn't a red flag but also isn't self-serving?
 
Goro said:
"My learning style is ___, and so it's more challenging for me to learn conceptual material like ___, as opposed to brute memory subjects like Anatomy".
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What if the questioner asks what your "biggest" weakness is? I would find something like anatomy learning difficulty to be a bit tame in that regard.
 
Just answer truthfully. Before I went to grad school, I was shy, unassertive, immature and hated public speaking. No one is perfect; we all have flaws.
It's a good thing too, or we'd all be insufferable.

NYCdude said:
What if the questioner asks what your "biggest" weakness is? I would find something like anatomy learning difficulty to be a bit tame in that regard.
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