For those good at interviewing

[Lambda Phage]

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For the question about greatest personal weakness, would something like "My greatest weakness is that I have trouble connecting with people." be an appropriate response, if I was able to talk about what I've done to improve it and demonstrate that improvement via a (hopefully) successful interview? Or would simply mentioning it leave them subconsciously evaluating me for signs of discomfort or social awkwardness?

They'd be consciously evaluating you for signs of discomfort and social awkwardness. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "trouble connecting with people" but it sounds as if you lack (a) empathy or (b) social skills or (c) all of the above. Those aren't exactly qualities you'd want in a physician, regardless of how far you've come since you started correcting the problem(s).

 

[StephanieZ]

They'd be consciously evaluating you for signs of discomfort and social awkwardness. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "trouble connecting with people" but it sounds as if you lack (a) empathy or (b) social skills or (c) all of the above. Those aren't exactly qualities you'd want in a physician, regardless of how far you've come since you started correcting the problem(s).

Oh god, you're right. Best case scenario they would question the sincerity of my answer, and worst case scenario they might think I'm some sort of psychopath. Thanks for the reality check

 

[SilverCat]

They'd be consciously evaluating you for signs of discomfort and social awkwardness. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "trouble connecting with people" but it sounds as if you lack (a) empathy or (b) social skills or (c) all of the above. Those aren't exactly qualities you'd want in a physician, regardless of how far you've come since you started correcting the problem(s).

Yeah, I really can't see how you could fix a lack of empathy.

 

[MedGrl@2022]

Oh god, you're right. Best case scenario they would question the sincerity of my answer, and worst case scenario they might think I'm some sort of psychopath. Thanks for the reality check

I feel like the weakness question is hard because I don't want to red flag myself... :-/

 

[Lambda Phage]

The safest answer to that question is usually "I'm a perfectionist."

You want an answer that you can easily spin into a positive. For example, if I were to say my worst quality is perfectionism (hypothetically *wink wink*), I'd first discuss the problems I face on a daily basis due to my perfectionism as they pertain to academics, sports, etc. Then I'd talk about some positives that come from being a perfectionist. Then I'd talk about how I'm trying to make a conscientious effort to take the edge off my perfectionism (e.g., by not let it spill over into personal relationships, by not becoming obsessed over doing something absolutely perfectly, etc.) That's what I would do, hypothetically.

 

[SN12357]

I feel like the weakness question is hard because I don't want to red flag myself... :-/

It's hard because the only way to answer it safely is to lie, and lying is harder than telling the truth.

Pick a weakness that is true but not cripplingly true. There's a reason the cliche answer is 'I'm a perfectionist'....and as cliche as it is, it's a better answer than most people's truths.

 

[SilverCat]

The safest answer to that question is usually "I'm a perfectionist."

I don't think I would use that. I've read too many articles where interviewers complain about the superficiality of this response.

Think about it: your greatest weakness is that you work too hard to do well? Come on, few people reach that level of excellence.

I have countless weakness, many of them I would feel safe to use in an interview as long as I could prove I've been working on them. Some weaknesses of mine: impatience (the one I gave in interviews), procrastination, timidity, lack of confidence, etc.

 

[gyngyn]

The safest answer to that question is usually "I'm a perfectionist." .

This is the most common weak response for these questions. Almost anything is better!

 

[MedGrl@2022]

I don't think I would use that. I've read too many articles where interviewers complain about the superficiality of this response.

Think about it: your greatest weakness is that you work too hard to do well?

time management... I tend to get lost in projects... and I often do not feel like I utilized my time correctly or accomplished as much as I could have... it is something that I continuously work on... and it impacts my life... I have strategies... but it is something that I have not 100% solved yet... it comes and goes... maybe I also like to do too much... I am not sure...

That would be my honest weakness right now... I feel like the ADCOMs would not want me for that though... but it is an honest answer... :-/

 

[SN12357]

time management... I tend to get lost in projects... and I often do not feel like I utilized my time correctly or accomplished as much as I could have... it is something that I continuously work on... and it impacts my life... I have strategies... but it is something that I have not 100% solved yet... it comes and goes... maybe I also like to do too much... I am not sure...

That would be my honest weakness right now... I feel like the ADCOMs would not want me for that though... but it is an honest answer... :-/

That one should be fine. The key is to pair it with examples where you have worked to overcome it. If you're at the point where you're getting a med school interview, you're clearly doing *something* right.

 

[Lambda Phage]

I don't think I would use that. I've read too many articles where interviewers complain about the superficiality of this response.

Think about it: your greatest weakness is that you work too hard to do well? Come on, few people reach that level of excellence.

I have countless weakness, many of them I would feel safe to use in an interview as long as I could prove I've been working on them. Some weaknesses of mine: impatience (the one I gave in interviews), procrastination, timidity, lack of confidence, etc.

Anyone who is truly a perfectionist knows that perfectionism isn't "working too hard." Perfectionists must have every aspect of their life, whether it's academics or relationships, perfect in their image. Anything that isn't "perfect" isn't good enough. Perfectionistic tendencies can take a serious toll on a perfectionist.

This is the most common weak response for these questions. Almost anything is better!

Because most perfectionists cannot properly explain perfectionism in terms of the impact it can have on their life, so their answer ends up sounding like, "I do everything too well and that sucks." Obviously that's a weak response. Any answer to that question is weak if it cannot be explained pragmatically.

Also, many people who consider themselves perfectionists aren't actually perfectionists--they're just meticulous.

 

[Lambda Phage]

time management... I tend to get lost in projects... and I often do not feel like I utilized my time correctly or accomplished as much as I could have... it is something that I continuously work on... and it impacts my life... I have strategies... but it is something that I have not 100% solved yet... it comes and goes... maybe I also like to do too much... I am not sure...

That would be my honest weakness right now... I feel like the ADCOMs would not want me for that though... but it is an honest answer... :-/

I think your biggest weakness is your fascination with ellipses.

 

[BABSstudent]

The safest answer to that question is usually "I'm a perfectionist."

No, please do not use this. It is so cliche and makes me really wonder if you will be able to handle medical school since you sometimes have to pick things to learn and leave other things behind. You also have to have a balance of social life, exercise, sleep, school, and studying and a perfectionist will have to sacrifice in multiple areas.

I did like how you talked about how you have worked on improving it, but really try to come up with something different. I mean, you essentially say "I was a perfectionist but now I purposefully make more errors and don't try as hard."

 

[MedGrl@2022]

I think your biggest weakness is your fascination with ellipses.

... 🙂 I am not sure that would work on the medical school interview. 🙂

 

[Lambda Phage]

No, please do not use this. It is so cliche and makes me really wonder if you will be able to handle medical school since you sometimes have to pick things to learn and leave other things behind. You also have to have a balance of social life, exercise, sleep, school, and studying and a perfectionist will have to sacrifice in multiple areas.

I did like how you talked about how you have worked on improving it, but really try to come up with something different. I mean, you essentially say "I was a perfectionist but now I purposefully make more errors and don't try as hard."

I'm not sure if I should laugh or feel pity towards your ignorance of perfectionism.

For the last time: perfectionism =/= trying too hard ... perfectionism =/= doing everything perfectly

Perfectionism is the obsession with perfecting everything in your own image, whether your target is something perfectible or not. As I said before, perfectionism can apply to personal relationships; one of the worst perfectionistic tendencies is not being content with "good" things until they're absolutely perfect. This can result in unneeded stress, anxiety, lost friendships, or worse.

*Look at how many times I've edited this post. Ya'll are making my perfectionism flare up.*

 

[BABSstudent]

I'm not sure if I should laugh or feel pity towards your ignorance of perfectionism.

For the last time: perfectionism =/= trying too hard ... perfectionism =/= doing everything perfectly

Go ahead and laugh. I honestly don't care.

You continue to ignore advice from medical students and adcom members and still think your answer is great. These are the people that are going to be reviewing your application/interviewing you and they are giving you feedback into how they would take your answer.

If you follow up to the questions that arise during an interview is to tell them you feel pity or should laugh at them, good luck getting to where we are.

 

[Lambda Phage]

Go ahead and laugh. I honestly don't care.

You continue to ignore advice from medical students and adcom members and still think your answer is great. These are the people that are going to be reviewing your application/interviewing you and they are giving you feedback into how they would take your answer.

If you follow up to the questions that arise during an interview is to tell them you feel pity or should laugh at them, good luck getting to where we are.

My issue is that you don't understand what perfectionism is yet you're responsible for evaluating people's weakness; you therefore erroneously judge people who are actually perfectionists simply because you don't know what it is.

You're entitled to your opinion, as long as it's based on knowledge and not hearsay/conjecture. Learn what perfectionism is and then perhaps you'll be able to sympathize.

I'm sorry, I got the thread off track.


EDIT: Tact can go a long way; there are very few 'right' answers to interview questions, but there are a lot of wrong ones. Frame your responses properly and with real-life examples and you'll be fine.

 

[StephanieZ]

I'm kind of beginning to wonder how you can even answer this without being shallow and superficial. If you give an answer of a weakness that is fundamental to who you are (i.e. difficulty with empathy) they question your ability to ever fully correct it. I'm just going to say I have trouble multi-tasking and chuckle over a humorous work anecdote demonstrating it.

 

[SilverCat]

Anyone who is truly a perfectionist knows that perfectionism isn't "working too hard." Perfectionists must have every aspect of their life, whether it's academics or relationships, perfect in their image. Anything that isn't "perfect" isn't good enough. Perfectionistic tendencies can take a serious toll on a perfectionist.



Because most perfectionists cannot properly explain perfectionism in terms of the impact it can have on their life, so their answer ends up sounding like, "I do everything too well and that sucks." Obviously that's a weak response. Any answer to that question is weak if it cannot be explained pragmatically.

Also, many people who consider themselves perfectionists aren't actually perfectionists--they're just meticulous.

Perfectionism, as is commonly understood, is the search of the ideal, in every aspect of life, the ideal being predetermined by the individual. For example, the perfectionist might predetermine his ideal partner as resembling Kim Kardashian, and thus, not be satisfied until he has found a girl who looks closely like her. With regards to academics, the perfectionist premed may desire a 4.0 and 40 MCAT. Thus, BABS is not incorrect in assuming that perfectionism is associated with hard work and an obsession with making no errors-- after all, these traits are needed to obtain those scores.

 

[Lambda Phage]

They're adcom: they've heard every possible answer to "what is your greatest weakness" that you could possibly conceive. You're not going to break new ground with your response to that question, so choose something for which you can support with real-life examples and be content with that.

And I hate to harp on this, but how are issues with time-management or multi-tasking less deleterious to potential physicians than perfectionism? And how are those problems any more unique than perfectionism?

 

[Lambda Phage]

Perfectionism, as is commonly understood, is the search of the ideal, in every aspect of life, the ideal being predetermined by the individual. For example, the perfectionist might predetermine his ideal partner as resembling Kim Kardashian, and thus, not be satisfied until he has found a girl who looks closely like her. With regards to academics, the perfectionist premed may desire a 4.0 and 40 MCAT. Thus, BABS is not incorrect in assuming that perfectionism is associated with hard work and an obsession with making no errors-- after all, these traits are needed to obtain those scores.

I agree, but some people think that's all there is to it.

I recognize that many perfectionists tend to work extremely hard and that many satiate their tendencies by doing great work, but there's so much more to perfectionism than simply doing well and working hard. True perfectionists need to describe how it affects other aspects of their life too. Most fail to do that, which is why their response comes off as superficial.

 

[SilverCat]

They're adcom: they've heard every possible answer to "what is your greatest weakness" that you could possibly conceive. You're not going to break new ground with your response to that question, so choose something for which you can support with real-life examples and be content with that.

And I hate to harp on this, but how are issues with time-management or multi-tasking less deleterious to potential physicians than perfectionism? And how are those problems any more unique than perfectionism?

Because perfectionism is seen as an asset, rather than a weakness; thus, you aren't answering the question. A doctor who seeks to perfect his knowledge of medicine, seeks to treat patients to the best of his ability--that's really a bad weakness there, that is.

Poor time management, on the other hand, is a hindrance to a doctor. If a doctor can't treat his patients in the allotted amount of time, making his other patients wait two hours, he's going to have problems. A med student who can't master the material before exams is going struggle.

 

[Lambda Phage]

Because perfectionism is seen as an asset, rather than a weakness; thus, you aren't answering the question. A doctor who seeks to perfect his knowledge of medicine, seeks to treat patients to the best of his ability--that's really a bad weakness there, that is.

Poor time management, on the other hand, is a hindrance to a doctor. If a doctor can't treat his patients in the allotted amount of time, making his other patients wait two hours, he's going to have problems. A med student who can't master the material before exams is going struggle.

Again, that's completely ignorant. Perfectionism is most definitely NOT an asset.

 

[yellowfish]

I'm kind of beginning to wonder how you can even answer this without being shallow and superficial. If you give an answer of a weakness that is fundamental to who you are (i.e. difficulty with empathy) they question your ability to ever fully correct it. I'm just going to say I have trouble multi-tasking and chuckle over a humorous work anecdote demonstrating it.

It doesn't have to be shallow/superficial, you just have to be selective in which weakness you decide to talk about - we all have numerous, numerous weaknesses, so the real difficulty only lies in choosing which ones to speak about. Try to aim for a "middle of the road" weakness that isn't trite but can also be improved upon. For example, one of my responses was that I can be too independent and stubborn in my study habits and try too hard to figure things out on my own, even when I would be much more efficient and learn things better if I sought guidance or advice from classmates, teachers, and so forth. Even though this would be deleterious to team-based/problem-based learning, I decided to talk about it anyways. In my opinion this was something that was appropriately "middle of the road".

 

[Caristra]

Any ideas of where we could go to do a good mock interview? I plan to practice with friends but I would like a professional opinion. Where could one go for a good mock interview session or an interview coach?

Thanks!

If your premed adviser is not an option you could either 1) try and get some friends, preferably those who have gone through interviews in the past, to do this for you 2) You could pay for a professional. There are some in the test prep week archived forum or you could pm me for a recommendation. 3) Start and SDN thread similar to the PS readers thread for mock interviewers.

 

[deleted307836]

Lambda, you seem to be hung up on semantics here. I agree with others that "perfectionism" is one of the worst answers you can give to the personal weakness question. The purpose of this question is to gauge how you've been able to identify a weakness and improve upon it. In popular usage, "perfectionism" is very commonly seen as an asset, which makes it a cop-out answer to this question. You can argue the real meaning of this word as much as you want - it doesn't change the fact that it is a poor response.

 

[Lambda Phage]

I disagree that it's a poor response, and I'm certainly not "hung up on semantics." Acknowledging that perfectionism is truly harmful is not being pedantic--it's being correct.

There's a lot of willful ignorance going on here so there's no use for me to continue this discussion.

 

[deleted307836]

I disagree that it's a poor response, and I'm certainly not "hung up on semantics." Acknowledging that perfectionism is truly harmful is not being pedantic--it's being correct.

There's a lot of willful ignorance going on here so there's no use for me to continue this discussion.

You're right. Everyone is being ignorant except for you. Including the hundreds of interviewers who will tell you what a poor interview response this would be. As silvercat stated, the vast majority of articles on interviewing will discuss what a poor answer this is... I just googled it and found tons of examples. So much ignorance out there, huh.

 

[Lambda Phage]

You're right. Everyone is being ignorant except for you. Including the hundreds of interviewers who will tell you what a poor interview response this would be. As silvercat stated, the vast majority of articles on interviewing will discuss what a poor answer this is... I just googled it and found tons of examples. So much ignorance out there, huh.

I already told you why I believe people consider it a bad response. Perhaps you should try reading what I said? Also my statement about 'ignorance' referred to people not understanding what perfectionism is. Reading comprehension, champ.

And I wasn't aware you knew the opinions of hundreds of interviewers. You must have a lot of connections...

So then, what would be a 'better' response to that questions?

 

[SilverCat]

Wow, you guys are still arguing over the definition of 'perfectionism.'

Lambda, if you feel that it fits the answer of a weakness, just use it. Be sure to say how you've been fixing it, though, and thoroughly explain your preferred definition of it.

 

[deleted307836]

I already told you why I believe people consider it a bad response. Perhaps you should try reading what I said?

And I wasn't aware you knew the opinions of hundreds of interviewers. You must have a lot of connections.

Of course I don't know hundreds of interviewers. However, I have been on many interviews which I have been fortunate to have received good in person prep and practice for, and it's a topic I've researched considerably. Everyone I've worked with and everything I've read agrees that perfectionism is a bad response to this question, in addition to other cop-out responses like "working too hard, caring too much," etc. If you want to disagree that it is a poor answer, that's fine of course, though that does place you in a minority. When in a situation where many people will be judging you, such as serial interviews, I would be very hesitant to take such a contrarian stance.

 

[deleted307836]

By the way, of course I agree that perfectionism can be a weakness.

 

[Lambda Phage]

I already acknowledged that many interviewers think it's a bad response. I'm not making that argument. Allow me to outline my argument more succinctly:

1. 'Perfectionism' is not a poor response if and only if you tactfully explain how perfectionism impacts your entire life negatively
1a. Most people are not capable of explaining the tribulations of a perfectionist very well, thus making them sound disingenuous
2. There's a fundamental misunderstanding about perfectionism
2a. People who are responsible for evaluating candidates do not truly understand perfectionism and thus cannot sympathize with actual perfectionists (as opposed to those who only say they're perfectionistic)

I feel compelled to put that in standard form...

Wow, you guys are still arguing over the definition of 'perfectionism.'

Lambda, if you feel that it fits the answer of a weakness, just use it. Be sure to say how you've been fixing it, though, and thoroughly explain your preferred definition of it.

You mean the actual definition? I can do that. 🙂

 

[slopes23]

For the question about greatest personal weakness, would something like "My greatest weakness is that I have trouble connecting with people." be an appropriate response, if I was able to talk about what I've done to improve it and demonstrate that improvement via a (hopefully) successful interview? Or would simply mentioning it leave them subconsciously evaluating me for signs of discomfort or social awkwardness?

I imagine if you said this the interviewer would suddenly find himself realizing that you aren't connecting with him either.

 

[deleted307836]

I already acknowledged that many interviewers think it's a bad response. I'm not making that argument. Allow me to outline my argument more succinctly:

1. 'Perfectionism' is not a poor response if and only if you tactfully explain how perfectionism impacts your entire life negatively
1a. Most people are not capable of explaining the tribulations of a perfectionist very well, thus making them sound disingenuous
2. There's a fundamental misunderstanding about perfectionism
2a. People who are responsible for evaluating candidates do not truly understand perfectionism and thus cannot sympathize with actual perfectionists (as opposed to those who only say they're perfectionistic)

I feel compelled to put that in standard form...

You posted earlier -

The safest answer to that question is usually "I'm a perfectionist."

That is what I was arguing against. It appears your argument has now morphed into, "well it's not a bad answer under these specific conditions."

I do agree with you that perfectionism is largely a negative quality - that is a different matter entirely than the fitness of this answer in interview scenarios.

 

[slopes23]

I think everyone is failing to realize that since Lambda claims to be a perfectionist, he/she is illustrating the "tolls" it takes on him/her socially because he/she will not stop arguing the point until everyone yields what he/she believes to be the "perfect response" of you're right thats a good weakness response, or if you just drop it/move on.

Seriously though, this thread had some insightful and useful tips that I think everyone could appreciate/use. So why don't we drop it. I think anyone who has read the thread thus far would realize perfectionist is a bad answer, and if they don't then they will reap the consequences with a ding. As for Lambda him/herself if he/she thinks they can morph it into an effective answer then more power to him/her and if not then he/she will also reap the reward of being stubborn.

So can we please drop it and move on? Pwwease

P.S. - that was a lot of he/she I know. I am an equal opportunity poster.

 

[deleted307836]

You're right, this has been an unreasonably lengthy derail to what was otherwise a useful thread. Moving on... 👍