Cut interview short - what to do now?

[TehTeddy]

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Hello everyone,

I could use some advice about something that happened during a recent interview at my top choice. It was a standard 30-minute faculty interview, and at the end I had time for questions as usual. I asked three questions, which normally go over time in past interviews. Around then I noticed my interviewer glancing to her side occasionally, and because I was on Zoom (fullscreen), I didn't have the time available. Given that, I assumed I was going over time and thanked her for the interview, stating I have no further questions.

However, upon logging off I noticed we were actually finished a few minutes earlier than normal 😱

So now I'm worried that I seemed uninterested in the school, given that I could have filled in the extra time with more questions. What should I do now? In the thank-you email, should I mention that I wasn't aware it was early and trying to be mindful of her time, or will that come off as neurotic?

Thanks!

 

[KnightDoc]

Hello everyone,

I could use some advice about something that happened during a recent interview at my top choice. It was a standard 30-minute faculty interview, and at the end I had time for questions as usual. I asked three questions, which normally go over time in past interviews. Around then I noticed my interviewer glancing to her side occasionally, and because I was on Zoom (fullscreen), I didn't have the time available. Given that, I assumed I was going over time and thanked her for the interview, stating I have no further questions.

However, upon logging off I noticed we were actually finished a few minutes earlier than normal 😱

So now I'm worried that I seemed uninterested in the school, given that I could have filled in the extra time with more questions. What should I do now? In the thank-you email, should I mention that I wasn't aware it was early and trying to be mindful of her time, or will that come off as neurotic?

Thanks!

Yup! This was quite the blunder, from the way you describe it. Hopefully, it didn't seem that bad to the interviewer, or maybe she didn't even notice at all. A good rule of thumb, however, is to NEVER bring attention to a potential negative.

Maybe you are being neurotic and maybe you are spot on, but you have to accept that you simply cannot fix everything with an e-mail or apology. Accordingly, you have nothing to gain and everything to lose by mentioning it. If it was noticed and it's a problem, it won't be less so because you apologize for it. On the other hand, if it wasn't noticed, you certainly don't want to highlight it in a follow-up e-mail.

You should also be aware of the fact that, according to people on SDN who conduct these interviews, evaluations are usually submitted minutes or hours after your interview; not days or weeks. As a result, the damage, if any, is already done. Best advice is to not dwell on it, and to not do it anymore. Good luck!!

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone,

I could use some advice about something that happened during a recent interview at my top choice. It was a standard 30-minute faculty interview, and at the end I had time for questions as usual. I asked three questions, which normally go over time in past interviews. Around then I noticed my interviewer glancing to her side occasionally, and because I was on Zoom (fullscreen), I didn't have the time available. Given that, I assumed I was going over time and thanked her for the interview, stating I have no further questions.

However, upon logging off I noticed we were actually finished a few minutes earlier than normal 😱

So now I'm worried that I seemed uninterested in the school, given that I could have filled in the extra time with more questions. What should I do now? In the thank-you email, should I mention that I wasn't aware it was early and trying to be mindful of her time, or will that come off as neurotic?

Thanks!

Next time, let the interview decide if it's time to end the interview. Maybe she was looking at her dog?

And take two of these; the neuroticism is unhealthy.

 

[Doctor-S]

FWIW ... if I was the interviewer and someone thanked me for the interview (just a few minutes early and with no further questions at that moment), I would probably assume:

(1) the interviewee was being mindful and respectful of the 30-minutes of time reserved for the actual interview; or

(2) the interviewee was making an effort to finish the interview on-time, and without displaying overly anxious or panicky behavior; or

(3) the interviewee needed to walk their dog or else their dog would have an accident on the carpeting. 😎

Let it go.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

First, there’s nothing you can do about it so just try to move on.

Second, being conscientious of time does not make you seem uninterested.

Third, under no circumstances should you email about this.

 

[TehTeddy]

Understood, I'm clearly worrying too much over nothing. I opted not to mention it in the thank-you note. Thanks!

 

[Isoval]

I would probably have been confused if I was the interviewer, but if you were completely finished and said everything you needed to say, I doubt your interviewer is going to write you off as inconsiderate/uninterested.

 

[brobamacare]

Hello everyone,

I could use some advice about something that happened during a recent interview at my top choice. It was a standard 30-minute faculty interview, and at the end I had time for questions as usual. I asked three questions, which normally go over time in past interviews. Around then I noticed my interviewer glancing to her side occasionally, and because I was on Zoom (fullscreen), I didn't have the time available. Given that, I assumed I was going over time and thanked her for the interview, stating I have no further questions.

However, upon logging off I noticed we were actually finished a few minutes earlier than normal 😱

So now I'm worried that I seemed uninterested in the school, given that I could have filled in the extra time with more questions. What should I do now? In the thank-you email, should I mention that I wasn't aware it was early and trying to be mindful of her time, or will that come off as neurotic?

Thanks!

Hey there! I had a similar-ish problem. In the faculty interview, the faculty member only asked me like 3 questions. Afterward, I asked him a couple of questions about the school and then ran I out of questions to ask him lol. So we ended the interview early. I think it was supposed to be a 40-minute interview, but it ended up being only 30 mins :/

Don't address the issue in the thank-you email. Just thank her for her time, and maybe mention some specifics about what you especially liked from your conversation with her.

 

[brobamacare]

FWIW ... if I was the interviewer and someone thanked me for the interview (just a few minutes early and with no further questions at that moment), I would probably assume:

(1) the interviewee was being mindful and respectful of the 30-minutes of time reserved for the actual interview; or

(2) the interviewee was making an effort to finish the interview on-time, and without displaying overly anxious or panicky behavior; or

(3) the interviewee needed to walk their dog or else their dog would have an accident on the carpeting. 😎

View attachment 322336

Let it go.

Haha! I think you just wanted an excuse you use that animated emoji!

 

[Angus Avagadro]

I make my recommendations the day of the interview. The score sheet then goes to the admissions committee. They meet and decide at a later date. FWIW, they dont always follow my recommendation.

 

[stopbiting]

Yup! This was quite the blunder, from the way you describe it. Hopefully, it didn't seem that bad to the interviewer, or maybe she didn't even notice at all. A good rule of thumb, however, is to NEVER bring attention to a potential negative.

Maybe you are being neurotic and maybe you are spot on, but you have to accept that you simply cannot fix everything with an e-mail or apology. Accordingly, you have nothing to gain and everything to lose by mentioning it. If it was noticed and it's a problem, it won't be less so because you apologize for it. On the other hand, if it wasn't noticed, you certainly don't want to highlight it in a follow-up e-mail.

You should also be aware of the fact that, according to people on SDN who conduct these interviews, evaluations are usually submitted minutes or hours after your interview; not days or weeks. As a result, the damage, if any, is already done. Best advice is to not dwell on it, and to not do it anymore. Good luck!!

Maybe lay off posting ostensibly like an admissions committee member or someone of authority when you haven't even applied to medical school. Most of your commentary is unneeded at best and toxic to others at worst.

 

[KnightDoc]

Maybe lay off posting ostensibly like an admissions committee member or someone of authority when you haven't even applied to medical school. Most of your commentary is unneeded at best and toxic to others at worst.

Thanks for the sage advice. I don't misrepresent who I am, and am as entitled to have an opinion and post it as anyone. You should definitely feel free to ignore anyone "posting ostensibly like an admissions committee member or someone of authority when you haven't even applied to medical school. Most of your commentary is unneeded at best and toxic to others at worst." If you do it right, you won't even see my posts, so you'll never be exposed to their potential toxicity. 😎

 

[Talldoctor96]

Thanks for the sage advice. I don't misrepresent who I am, and am as entitled to have an opinion and post it as anyone. You should definitely feel free to ignore anyone "posting ostensibly like an admissions committee member or someone of authority when you haven't even applied to medical school. Most of your commentary is unneeded at best and toxic to others at worst." If you do it right, you won't even see my posts, so you'll never be exposed to their potential toxicity. 😎

My guy look at what you said and what the other folks (actual adcoms) said. They were complete opposites. Your comment was very un-needed and negative, while the others were supportive and understanding. Your comment stands in strong contrast with those who actually know.