funny adcom question

[doctorFred]

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i know someone who is on the admissions committee at a US med school, and he told me that they asked applications to "decipher" the following message and tell them what it means:

1000101

for those of you who don't know, this is an extremely geeked-out dirty joke (it's 69 in binary code). apparently, they asked a few applications just to see what they'd say. the funny thing is, i'm pretty sure he was serious!

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

i know someone who is on the admissions committee at a US med school, and he told me that they asked applications to "decipher" the following message and tell them what it means:

1000101

for those of you who don't know, this is an extremely geeked-out dirty joke (it's 69 in binary code). apparently, they asked a few applications just to see what they'd say. the funny thing is, i'm pretty sure he was serious!

Wow, messed up thing is, I took some computer science classes and I know exactly how to go from binary to base -10. Guess I'm a geeky, dirty pre-med. Btw... great avatar, captures the true essence of how I'll feel once I get my first acceptance letter 😀

 

[hardy]

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. The ones who know binary and the ones who do not.


Only question is: Why does a med school applicant need to know binary? 🙄

And of course, it could be a 7bit ASCII character in which case it would mean E.

I really don't get the point of this question.

 

[musiclink213]

Am I going to have to brush up on my binary numbers before I go for interviews now? Oh man, I thought I was done with them.

 

[doctorFred]

obviously, no one is going to get this exact question during an interview. but i think it's a pretty funny example of how some adcoms like to throw applicants a curveball to see how they'll react. i know stories about this sort of thing are usually greatly exaggerated (brings to my mind the fabled "window nailed shut" test), but they do happen from time to time. i'll tell you this much, if i'm ever on an admissions committee, i would ask those sort of questions all the time. i think you can learn a lot about a person by how they react to being flustered.

 

[tank you]

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. The ones who know binary and the ones who do not.

haha thats pretty funny.

 

[Indryd]

(brings to my mind the fabled "window nailed shut" test)

Ok, I googled this, no help. Would you mind telling this fabled story for the benefit of us not in the know? Thanks.

 

[Manjot]

I agree

 

[tigress]

The story is that an interviewer asks an applicant to please open the window, as it is hot and stuffy in the room. The applicant goes to the window to open it, but it's nailed shut. The question is what the applicant does then.

I never quite understood why this was such a challenge. You just tell the interviewer that the darn thing is nailed shut! "Sorry sir, I can't open the window as it is nailed shut. Should I open the door instead?" or something like that.

 

[Indryd]

The story is that an interviewer asks an applicant to please open the window, as it is hot and stuffy in the room. The applicant goes to the window to open it, but it's nailed shut. The question is what the applicant does then.

I never quite understood why this was such a challenge. You just tell the interviewer that the darn thing is nailed shut! "Sorry sir, I can't open the window as it is nailed shut. Should I open the door instead?" or something like that.

Really? I don't even see how this applies...for exactly the reason you said.

 

[dajimmers]

Really? I don't even see how this applies...for exactly the reason you said.

Oh come on, it's obvious! They want to see how badly you really want to get in. How much you'll do for them just for them to consider you! If you didn't immediately throw yourself through the window, climb back in, and write a check for the replacement, you're outta there!

Or you could just go over and start fanning the Adcom to cool him off. Or suggest that you both disrobe to stay cool.

 

[ShyRem]

It applies to see the reaction. Many applicants either don't notice the window is nailed shut, or are too embarrassed to ask for help.

 

[doctorFred]

It applies to see the reaction. Many applicants either don't notice the window is nailed shut, or are too embarrassed to ask for help.

right. some people will keep trying to open the window, get flustered, etc.

 

[HCW212]

So, the point is to see how far the person being interviewed will go?

So if one just says the straight up truth, "I can't open it, it's nailed shut", is that a bad thing, or should you actually mess around with it for a while?

In other words, do they expect you to try a lot or do they really want you to tell the truth immediately?

 

[Centinel]

The correct protocol is to break the window.

 

[doctorFred]

The correct protocol is to break the window.

almost. what you're supposed to do is hurl yourself through the glass, do a tumbling movie-stunt roll onto the front lawn of the admissions building, tear off your clothes, and run through the quad naked while smearing feces all over your body.

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

almost. what you're supposed to do is hurl yourself through the glass, do a tumbling movie-stunt roll onto the front lawn of the admissions building, tear off your clothes, and run through the quad naked while smearing feces all over your body.

Wow... everything was looking manageable until the feces part... That's just freakin gross 😱 All you future GI's out there, guess this is your thing

 

[CoffeeFreak]

Meanwhile back on the ranch....

 

[DrHopeless]

1000101

The number 69 can be expressed as:
64 + 4 + 1
So, the answer is: 1000101

Interesting............... I thought that you need 16 digits to form 2 words, but I guess it is different with #

 

[hardy]

The number 69 can be expressed as:
64 + 4 + 1
So, the answer is: 1000101

Interesting............... I thought that you need 16 digits to form 2 words, but I guess it is different with #

1 word = 2 bytes = 16 bits. So 2 words would be 32 bits (not digits).
A number only needs as many bits as are needed to represent it and you can represent numbers up to 2^n with n+1 bits. For data processing characters are often assigned through 1 byte numbers (as in ASCII) which means that 01000101 would represent 69 which corresponds to an E. But there are also other representations such as UNICODE.

 

[67192]

Is it acceptable to answer "I don't know" to a question in an interview or to ask the interviewer to explain something?

Or am I supposed to make up some BS? For instance (my convo. at interview)... "hmm... well, '1000101' could be broken down into 1000 + 101 and since 101 is the common code for an introductory level course... maybe it's one thousand 101... and since $1000 is about the amount of money i'll be paying to attend medical school PER WEEK... your telling me "medical school 101." OMG, are you giving me an early acceptance?!?! Thank you so much!!! <shakes hands of interviewers and runs down hall screaming "yipppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee">

 

[JustR]

Is it acceptable to answer "I don't know" to a question in an interview or to ask the interviewer to explain something?

Or am I supposed to make up some BS? For instance (my convo. at interview)... "hmm... well, '1000101' could be broken down into 1000 + 101 and since 101 is the common code for an introductory level course... maybe it's one thousand 101... and since $1000 is about the amount of money i'll be paying to attend medical school PER WEEK... your telling me "medical school 101." OMG, are you giving me an early acceptance?!?! Thank you so much!!! <shakes hands of interviewers and runs down hall screaming "yipppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee">

 

[Scrub MD]

The story is that an interviewer asks an applicant to please open the window, as it is hot and stuffy in the room. The applicant goes to the window to open it, but it's nailed shut. The question is what the applicant does then.

I never quite understood why this was such a challenge. You just tell the interviewer that the darn thing is nailed shut! "Sorry sir, I can't open the window as it is nailed shut. Should I open the door instead?" or something like that.

I think some people may freak out and break something or start crying. Mostly I think the adcoms get a kick out of it.

 

[doctorFred]

I think some people may freak out and break something or start crying. Mostly I think the adcoms get a kick out of it.

i don't know why else you would be on an admissions committee if not to get a kick out of the stupid ways that you can make applicants act.

 

[bwells46]

Meanwhile back on the ranch....

Santa Barbara, that is. Swimming pools and movie stars, well the first thing you know ol' Ron's the President. The kinfolk said "Ron, move away from there!" Set in the White House is where you wanna be so he loaded up the Lincoln and he moved to D.C.

 

[CoffeeFreak]

On another note..speaking of funny interviews..this has nothing to do with anything just funny. Mu buddy went to an interview at BU a couple of years ago. While he was at Logan in the restroom he saw some dude (not form the U.S.) hitch up to the men's urinal to take a s**t. At the interview they asked why he had a broken blood vessel in his eyes as they were so red. (from laughing earlier). HE ACTUALLY TOLD THE STORY TO THE ADCOM. He told me he started laughing as he told it. He looked over at the Adcom who sat stone faced. There were only crickets to be heard. Nothing. He got in.

 

[JustR]

On another note..speaking of funny interviews..this has nothing to do with anything just funny. Mu buddy went to an interview at BU a couple of years ago. While he was at Logan in the restroom he saw some dude (not form the U.S.) hitch up to the men's urinal to take a s**t. At the interview they asked why he had a broken blood vessel in his eyes as they were so red. (from laughing earlier). HE ACTUALLY TOLD THE STORY TO THE ADCOM. He told me he started laughing as he told it. He looked over at the Adcom who sat stone faced. There were only crickets to be heard. Nothing. He got in.

That;s really strange indeed, of getting in

 

[doctorFred]

that's really funny. i think i might have burst a blood vessel reading that.

maybe i'll bring that up at my first interview, when they ask if i have any questions for the committee.
"i'd just like to thank you for taking the time to evaluate my application for admission. say, did you hear the one about the dude who crapped in the airport urinal?"

 

[LincolnMass]

Hey CoffeeFreak, The least your friend could have made an EC out of it. He could have told some long story about how he took the guy aside, told him about American society and how we use restrooms then mash up the s**t in the urinal with a coat hanger and flush it away. That is what would have done.

 

[CoffeeFreak]

Hey CoffeeFreak, The least your friend could have made an EC out of it. He could have told some long story about how he took the guy aside, told him about American society and how we use restrooms then mash up the s**t in the urinal with a coat hanger and flush it away. That is what would have done.

Did you vote for George Bush?

 

[Law2Doc]

The story is that an interviewer asks an applicant to please open the window, as it is hot and stuffy in the room. The applicant goes to the window to open it, but it's nailed shut. The question is what the applicant does then.

I never quite understood why this was such a challenge. You just tell the interviewer that the darn thing is nailed shut! "Sorry sir, I can't open the window as it is nailed shut. Should I open the door instead?" or something like that.

Actually the story is from Michael Lewis' book Liar's Poker, published in 1989 (but the story is purportedy based on a true investment banker/trader interview). In the book,
"The interviewer just wanted to see whether your inability to comply with his request led you to yank, pull, and sweat until finally you melted into a puddle of foiled ambition. Or, as one sad applicant was rumored to have done, threw a chair through the window."

 

[CoffeeFreak]

Actually the story is from Michael Lewis' book Liar's Poker, published in 1989 (but the story is purportedy based on a true investment banker/trader interview). In the book,
"The interviewer just wanted to see whether your inability to comply with his request led you to yank, pull, and sweat until finally you melted into a puddle of foiled ambition. Or, as one sad applicant was rumored to have done, threw a chair through the window."

Yeah...I like the part about "....send him to Dallas.."

 

[mdforlife]

This is the funniest thread in a long time. You guys made my day