Blown BU Interview?

[PrincessCKNY]

Hi all,

I am so depressed. I just had my first interview ever at BU and I don't think it went well at all. Needless to say, I was very nervous and was like a deer in the headlights for the first question (about my research). I recovered as well as I could from that, but then he hit me w/ 2 difficult ethics questions. I think he was somewhat satisfied w/ the answer to the first question, since he did not pursue it further. For the second question, after giving him my answer, he gave me more information and asked if that additional information changed my opinion, which I said it did.

The questions I asked of him were pretty standard, since the students answered most of them. Ugh. I think I am going to cry thinking about it. I swear he looked like he was going to fall asleep. There was zero chemistry with this person, which made it much more difficult.

Is it hopeless? From your interview experiences, what do you think? Am I reading too much into this?

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[Premed2003]

Who was your interviewer?

Don't worry. You're probably being too hard on yourself.

 

[pickles]

DO NOT worry yourself about this!!! I know plenty of people who said they had a horrible interview and still got in. Some interviewers just try to stress you out to see if you can handle it...and still give you a thumbs up to the admissions committee. So don't stress...i'm sure you did great

 

[Dr. Wall$treet]

ya dont feel badly, it is alot of luck whether or not u jive well with your intervier. At one school my 1st one went amazingly, then the second, the guy was so damn quiet , i felt that i had to iniated the convo! it was horrible as far as chemistry goes and nothing semeed to flow except my jokes and talkign .. none of which he found funny or anyting.. man ya win some ya lose some! dont worry about it!

 

[PrincessCKNY]

I won't mention names, but he is very distinguished and has been there for 30 years. I mentioned his name to a 4th year student and the student said, "He's a genius." I was thinking, "Oh great...I made a fool out of myself in front of a genius."

Thanks for the words of support. I think the only thing that is pulling me through is the unpredictability of the process. Boston is a great city and I would love to live there. I just HOPE I didn't mess things up.

Where's that crying smilie (isn't that an oxymoron?) when you need it?

 

[WonderBoy]

Originally posted by PrincessCKNY
Hi all,

I am so depressed. I just had my first interview ever at BU and I don't think it went well at all. Needless to say, I was very nervous and was like a deer in the headlights for the first question (about my research). I recovered as well as I could from that, but then he hit me w/ 2 difficult ethics questions.

Sorry to hear that Princess. Can you share the questions he asked you and the answers you gave. We might be able to tell if you have any reason to be concerned.

 

[PrincessCKNY]

I'll post up the details on the interview feedback link. The first question, since I do research w/ people w/ Down's, asked me what I thought about the use of amniocentesis to abort children w/ Down's. I said personally, I wouldn't since people w/ Down's live to be in their 50's or 60's and that their quality of life is not severely diminished versus other life-threatening diseases. However, if a couple approached me with the desire to abort a baby w/ DS, I said that it was their decision and that my opinion did not matter.

The second was a case he came across about whether or not to withold treatment from a 28 year old in a vegetative state for 6 weeks and family wants off of treatment. I did not hear the part about the patient being in that state for 6 weeks, so I said that I would withold treatment, after asking whether or not the patient had left some sort of will (which he said was a good point in asking about, but the patient didn't). I guess he was unsatisfied w/ that answer, and gave me some statistics about the probability of people coming out of that state. So, I changed my mind. He basically said "Are you sure? The family wants you to." To which I basically said yes and that I had the patients best interests at heart and proceeded to explain my line of reasoning.

Then he asked if I had any questions for him, which were pretty standard. The more interesting ones I had previously come up w/ had left my mind.

Like I said before, he looked sleepy and uninterested, but then again it was 10:15a and he probably had better things to do.

 

[Yogi Bear]

your interview responses actually seem like decent answers. it just depends on the personality of the interview. at my tulane interview, i got accolades from one of my interviewers and ended up being waitlisted. some people are just more slick w/ words than others.

 

[Adcadet]

Even if you didn't do the best job with the interview, that interview is just one part of your application.

 

[Curci]

But it sounds like you did fine. You gave careful, thoughtful answers to the questions. Don't be worried that you were nervous. Everyone is nervous at interviews, and from what you say, it sounds like you handled the situation well.

Also, don't worry that you had only "standard" questions to ask your interviewer. The important thing is that you did have some questions to ask which shows that you're putting some thought into where you are going to school. Honestly, I've been at some interviews where premeds ask RIDICULOUS questions just to make themselves look smart, and everyone can see right through them. At this point, you should just be worried about basic practical things and pretty much only have "standard" questions. No school will reject you because you didn't ask tough enough questions at your interview.

 

[Nefertari]

Sounds like a stressful interview w/ the ethics drill, but I agree, you answered appropriately. Plus, it sounds like you had a tough interviewer. Besides the interviewer, what was your impression of BU (i.e. students, faculty, facilities)? Thanks for your feedback.

 

[PrincessCKNY]

Thanks everyone. You have all been so supportive. I've got 3 more interviews coming, so I can just learn from what happened and try not to be so intimidated the next times.

Overall, I thought Boston was great. Being from California, I loved how the old buildings looked and the feel of the place. The steps to all the buildings are super steep and scary, and I was clutching handrails like an idiot. After my interview, I tried walking back to the apartment where my student hosts were staying and got lost. I found out that the people are either very nice or very rude, but I figured that's just how people are anyways. Just a surprise coming from yuppie California, where customer service is #1. The weather is definitely colder than I would like and the cost of living is sky high. If you can get around those obstacles, then you should like it there too.

 

[Kovox]

My cousin interviewed with GW, went home and said that she had a horrible interview and definitely did not get in. She then interviewed at Duke and said that she thought the interview went great!!.

She got into GW but rejected at Duke.
You might think that you did bad but the interviewer may think that you were great!

You have more interviews to look forward to. You can't redo the past but you can definitely change the future

So chin up and for the next interviews, show those admissions officers the Princess we all know and adore

 

[Lancer_VII]

Don't worry about the interview! You sound like you did okay! It shouldn't matter if the interviewer agrees or disagrees with you from an ethical standpoint.

Being from southern cali and living in Boston for the past 3 years - I can definitely vouch for what you say. Though I'm anxious to get back to warm, sunny so cal. I mean, I pay $1,000 a month in rent, deal with pot holes and the "big dig" which is tearing apart my car (imported from CA), and rude train operators! But then again, everything's so convienient in this tiny little hub!

 

[PrincessCKNY]

Originally posted by Kovox
My cousin interviewed with GW, went home and said that she had a horrible interview and definitely did not get in. She then interviewed at Duke and said that she thought the interview went great!!.

She got into GW but rejected at Duke.
You might think that you did bad but the interviewer may think that you were great!

You have more interviews to look forward to. You can't redo the past but you can definitely change the future

So chin up and for the next interviews, show those admissions officers the Princess we all know and adore

aww...thanks. I feel so much better.


However, there was one vital piece of info I left out:

After the interview, they kept telling us how important it was to tell them if we did not feel comfortable w/ the interview. So, I spoke w/ the Dean of Admissions and I told him just that. Not that the interview went horribly or anything. Just that it did was a bit shaky considering it was my first interview. I did not want to complain or get another interview. I just wanted them to take into consideration that it was my first interview. I realize that interviews can be difficult and that I just happened to get a difficult interviewer...that's life. However, like I said before, the admissions lady told me that my interviewer may have asked me different questions if he had known it was my first interview...and that was the cause for concern.

Did I mess up my chances once more by complaining? I hate griping about small things, but I also can't let my feelings be unknown since I was seriously shaken by this whole experience at the time.

I don't know why I am still obsessing. I just need to lay back and whatever happens happens. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I don't know what I would do without SDN.

 

[PrincessCKNY]

Just wanted to tell you guys some good news and info for future situations...

After raising my concerns w/ the director of admissions, I got an email back from him yesterday. He pretty much said that he looked over my interviewer's notes and said I have nothing to worry about!

So, if you guys EVER find yourself debating on whether or not to talk to people about your bad interview, do so. It's not worth going insane and suppressing your feelings for fear of being a non-conformist.

 

[Random Access]

Originally posted by Lancer_VII
...deal with pot holes and the "big dig" which is tearing apart my car (imported from CA)...

Don't forget the salt eating away at the underbelly of your car (since you're from CA).

Plus the roads go every which direction since the routings were probably decided by cattle or something. The intersections are so crazy since like roads come in at all angles.

Possibly the most confusing city I have driven in, and I have driven in Charlotte where roads change names every few miles even though you're on the same road.

It's an adventure driving in Boston. Back home, we joke about what we call the Boston Left Turn(tm). To execute it properly, you must make the turn from the extreme right lane.

 

[isidella]

Originally posted by Random Access
Don't forget the salt eating away at the underbelly of your car (since you're from CA).

Plus the roads go every which direction since the routings were probably decided by cattle or something. The intersections are so crazy since like roads come in at all angles.

Possibly the most confusing city I have driven in, and I have driven in Charlotte where roads change names every few miles even though you're on the same road.

It's an adventure driving in Boston. Back home, we joke about what we call the Boston Left Turn(tm). To execute it properly, you must make the turn from the extreme right lane.

WTF??? This must be in the wrong thread. . .

 

[Random Access]

Originally posted by isidella
WTF??? This must be in the wrong thread. . .

Just responding to a small part of what someone else wrote about Bahstahn.