I had an interview today that was three one on one interviews, thirty minute interviews. One of them went GREAT, one of them was really good, and one of them was not so great. I was a little thrown off in one because the person interviewing me was SO unprofessional. They were cursing and mixed me up with a different applicant and didn’t have anything to take notes on or any notes about my application like the other interviewers did. It didn’t go horribly but I was definitely feeling a little uncomfortable. I wanted to know what you guys thought about this and how you think my chances are with two solid interviews and one questionable one.
-
CycleTrack and SDN are teaming up to make medical school admissions more transparent and accessible! Read the announcement to learn how we’re supporting the future of CycleTrack’s free application-tracking tools .
Bad interview?
Get help with your application
Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.
D
deleted953743
I didn’t report them. We weren’t given an anonymous survey or anything and I’m not going to do it un-anonymously.
Tough to predict your chances but I wouldn't be too worried about it. Odds are this interviewer is like that with everyone. Just because you felt uncomfortable doesn't mean that you didn't perform well, if that makes sense. I had a similar interview experience, felt horrible about it, and ultimately got in. Just try to be patient! Good luck.
Nothing you can do about it now. Work on the next one.
Most people are terrible judges of their own interview performance.
BTW, complain to the Admissions dean about the bad interviewer. His/her conduct was unprofessional, and it's the only way we can clean up the process.
Last edited:
I don’t want to report anyone until I know if I’m in or not.
I definitely agree with Goro concerning this. If you speak to the Admissions dean about this matter, express your concerns and your reasoning behind them, do you really think the admissions dean will look poorly down upon that? It shows a great deal of maturity on your part, shows that you are interested in the school, and it also shows that you want the school to improve their interview process.
If during my application process a school rejected me for giving constructive feedback, that wouldn't be a school I would want to attend.
H.E. Pennypacker
Full Member
People cuss in the real world. In the future you have to be able to get past this. You can’t lock up because somebody says a dirty word when you are with a patient
I've been around the block a few times, but repeated cursing by an interviewer would make me uncomfortable. It is unprofessional. I hope you say something when you're ready, OP.
I’ve never seen so much lousy advice being handed out on a single thread.
ONLY report the interviewer AFTER being accepted, and AFTER deciding to attend another school. Otherwise, don’t say anything.
If you report him before receiving a decision, you will almost certainly get yourself rejected. If you report him after being rejected or waitlisted, you’ll just come off as a bitter, whiny “sore loser.” If you report him after being accepted and deciding to matriculate to the school, you’ll potentially be creating a personal problem with a staff or faculty member at the program. All of these are undesirable outcomes.
ONLY report the interviewer AFTER being accepted, and AFTER deciding to attend another school. Otherwise, don’t say anything.
If you report him before receiving a decision, you will almost certainly get yourself rejected. If you report him after being rejected or waitlisted, you’ll just come off as a bitter, whiny “sore loser.” If you report him after being accepted and deciding to matriculate to the school, you’ll potentially be creating a personal problem with a staff or faculty member at the program. All of these are undesirable outcomes.
H.E. Pennypacker
Full Member
We must be from different blocks, because on my block we don’t run and tattletale
It's not tattle taling to complain about an unprofessional interviewer. It's called professionalism.
H.E. Pennypacker
Full Member
You said it best here. Never be a rat. It will absolutely be held against you
When someone we have invited has an interaction that anyone would consider unprofessional, we give that applicant every possible consideration for their courage. The interviewer is not more important than the process.
We're not in the 8th grade.
H.E. Pennypacker
Full Member
I assumed the OP was since he got all out of sorts over a few dirty words
There is no place for vulgarity in a professional interview.
That’s very admirable of you and the rest of your institution’s admissions staff. Unfortunately, at some admissions offices, I’m sure any criticism from an applicant relating to the admissions process would be perceived as a sign of entitlement or feistiness. After all, it’s human nature to sometimes respond negatively to criticism, especially from young, inexperienced folks who have no real authority over you. Also, office dynamics play a role; if the accused interviewer is well-respected in the office, for example, then admissions officers might be tempted to side with the interviewer and against the applicant.
I think the advice you and Goro are offering would be fantastic in a CASPer universe—one in which everyone behaves in a decent manner. Sadly, we don’t live in such a universe. In my opinion, OP should tread very carefully, because I highly doubt that every admissions officer would be receptive to criticism from a lowly applicant in a high-stakes admissions process.
A lack of feedback to administration is what allows unfriendly interviewers to continue.
Although I understand (and have experienced) this fear of retribution, sunshine is the only cure for malevolence.
This is how we ended up with casper and the MMI.
Just like sexual harrassment claims, a single bad complaint might be viewed as sour grapes.
However, multiple reports indicate a pattern that is concerning. Hence, we welcome these complaints.
gyngyn and I are aware that this is an anxiety-inducing process, but there is no need for paranoia.
Wise @LizzyM, @Med Ed @Pathdocmd @gonnif ....thoughts?
Making a complaint on the day of the interview means you've made your concerns known before a decision is rendered resulting in no possibility that your complaint is "sour grapes". Furthermore, unless your beef is with the dean of admissions, it is likley that the complaint is going to be well received and will be taken into account when reading the interviewer's review of your interview and other interviews that day. It is possible that the interviewer is not well and emotional outbursts (swearing) and confusion (mixing you up with another applicant) are manifestations of the problem. It would be very helpful for the dean of admissions to know that this is happening. It may also be a blessing to the person who is suffering these problems and may lack insight into their change in demeanor.
It is possible that the interviewer frequently behaves boorishly and the ammunition that the dean may need to boot them from the interview slate may be complaints from applicants. Schools want to recruit you as much as you want to be chosen and if you have two choices, one of which is a school with an a**hole interviewer, you might not pick that school. It is in the school's best interest to listen to your legitimate concerns and act on them.
In making a complaint, be as specific as possible as to what was said and if it was addressed to you (what the f__ to you want now?) at another employee (what does that damn women expect of me? Who the f__ does she think she is?) or in general (where is that f'ing paperwork? this damn school is so disorganized I don't know how the f__ I'm expected to do this interview) and anything that made you uncomfortable.
It is possible that the interviewer frequently behaves boorishly and the ammunition that the dean may need to boot them from the interview slate may be complaints from applicants. Schools want to recruit you as much as you want to be chosen and if you have two choices, one of which is a school with an a**hole interviewer, you might not pick that school. It is in the school's best interest to listen to your legitimate concerns and act on them.
In making a complaint, be as specific as possible as to what was said and if it was addressed to you (what the f__ to you want now?) at another employee (what does that damn women expect of me? Who the f__ does she think she is?) or in general (where is that f'ing paperwork? this damn school is so disorganized I don't know how the f__ I'm expected to do this interview) and anything that made you uncomfortable.
Aesop's fable of the fox and the grapes is one of rationalization, not bitterness.
There are three possibilities here:
1. The school is aware of this interviewer's "personality" and doesn't care
2. The school is aware of this interviewer's "personality" and does care, but uses him anyways (perhaps due to chronic interviewer shortages, which are widespread)
3. The school is unaware of this interviewer's "personality"
In none of those circumstances will an applicant be looked on poorly for raising concerns. Every place has a loose cannon or two, and they are generally known quantities.
