Gaffes by fellow applicants

[fakin' the funk]

Everyone's been on a good number of interviews by now, and though anesthesia applicants are a pretty normal, sociable lot, there's gotta be some good stories out there about awkward, obnoxious, mis-dressed, open-mouth-insert-foot fellow interviewees.

I'll start.

Interviewee who overhears a bunch of other applicants chatting about flight delays due to weather, apparently takes it personally and goes off on a diatribe about how wind (of all things) is very dangerous for planes, we shouldn't joke around about it, and this person know this because they used to date an air traffic controller.

Interviewee who apparently thought she was going to tryouts for Showgirls instead of a residency interview, showing up in professional gray suit but with 4-inch heels, overdone makeup, tight, gapping purple blouse with >3 buttons undone. And spends most of the interview day sans jacket.

 

[psychbender]

Interviewee who apparently thought she was going to tryouts for Showgirls instead of a residency interview, showing up in professional gray suit but with 4-inch heels, overdone makeup, tight, gapping purple blouse with >3 buttons undone. And spends most of the interview day sans jacket.

Damnit, man, I wish I had gone to your interviews. At mine, it was just all guys in class-A uniforms.

 

[bigdan]

I've been very lucky to have had, in every respect, very cool, very pleasant interactions on all my interviews. I think it bodes well for my future classmates, in whichever program I end up. Things have looked good, until this last one.

Nice enough guy. The day starts with the program coordinator explaining the interview day; this guy interrupts her to ask how many years the current chairman spent as chair in his PREVIOUS appointment. Weird question, but whatever...or so I thought. This guy obviously wants to own the room, and he spends the rest of my interview day trying to prove it. We start with the tour. The resident tells us where she's from, and unknowingly makes the mistake of identifying her undergrad school. Interview guy then describes how he "loves" x, y, and z aspects of that school - all of which do not exist at said school. Unwaivered, he then asks the resident if she knows two or three names - friends of his that (he thinks) graduated the same year as this resident. She has no idea what he's talking about. We, mercifully, continue the tour. A kind but heretofore unwitting attending stops us to welcome us, and make small talk. He, to our dismay, mentions where he did medical school...cue interview guy..."Oh! Do you know a,b, and c?" Nice attending says "Nope - who are they?" We're then subjected to an awful display of interview guy trying to describe the research, training, and even physical features of these fellas he thinks went to nice attending's medical school. The rest of the interview day continues with similar ventures into insanity. This was such a wonderful program - I mean INCREDIBLE. Weird interview guy might end up as my classmate, oddly enough.

dc

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Interviewee who apparently thought she was going to tryouts for Showgirls instead of a residency interview, showing up in professional gray suit but with 4-inch heels, overdone makeup, tight, gapping purple blouse with >3 buttons undone. And spends most of the interview day sans jacket.

Came out guns blazing, huh? Clearly, she's in it for the win. You can't teach desire like this. PD probably offered her a spot immediately. With competition this fierce, it's hard to be a contender.

 

[coprolalia]

Interviewee who apparently thought she was going to tryouts for Showgirls instead of a residency interview, showing up in professional gray suit but with 4-inch heels, overdone makeup, tight, gapping purple blouse with >3 buttons undone. And spends most of the interview day sans jacket.

I gotta tell you, I relish interview candidates like this. Not so much for the eye candy they provide, but for the fireworks they create at the end-of-day roundtable discussions.

-copro

 

[Buckeye Anes]

I gotta tell you, I relish interview candidates like this. Not so much for the eye candy they provide, but for the fireworks they create at the end-of-day roundtable discussions.

-copro

Agreed. The only thing more fun than watching them try to flaunt themselves during the day is watching the female attendings tear them apart during the rank session.

 

[McSnappy]

I've been very lucky to have had, in every respect, very cool, very pleasant interactions on all my interviews. I think it bodes well for my future classmates, in whichever program I end up. Things have looked good, until this last one.

Nice enough guy. The day starts with the program coordinator explaining the interview day; this guy interrupts her to ask how many years the current chairman spent as chair in his PREVIOUS appointment. Weird question, but whatever...or so I thought. This guy obviously wants to own the room, and he spends the rest of my interview day trying to prove it. We start with the tour. The resident tells us where she's from, and unknowingly makes the mistake of identifying her undergrad school. Interview guy then describes how he "loves" x, y, and z aspects of that school - all of which do not exist at said school. Unwaivered, he then asks the resident if she knows two or three names - friends of his that (he thinks) graduated the same year as this resident. She has no idea what he's talking about. We, mercifully, continue the tour. A kind but heretofore unwitting attending stops us to welcome us, and make small talk. He, to our dismay, mentions where he did medical school...cue interview guy..."Oh! Do you know a,b, and c?" Nice attending says "Nope - who are they?" We're then subjected to an awful display of interview guy trying to describe the research, training, and even physical features of these fellas he thinks went to nice attending's medical school. The rest of the interview day continues with similar ventures into insanity. This was such a wonderful program - I mean INCREDIBLE. Weird interview guy might end up as my classmate, oddly enough.

dc

Had one of the residents with all of us waiting on being interviewed ask me if I played football. I said, sure, but that was long ago. "Interview guy" pipes in and tries to top me by saying he played. So, I hook on and say, where. He says, um... X. I say, really, what year. X. I say, how odd, me too. Resident starts laughing his arse off and interview guy crumples like a slot coming across the middle, only to meet linebacker U.

Great day!

 

[bigdan]

Snappy -

NICE! I wish I coulda come up with something to trip up my "interview guy"...I woulda been a hero.

dc

 

[Csv321]

Whew! I'm relieved that none of these stories are in reference to me!

I've been lucky that all of my interviews have had really cool people. The only thing odd I've seen is that other female applicants (and there usually aren't that many at the interviews I've been to) are always changing their shoes outside the hospital at the end of the interview day. Why can't they just wear comfortable shoes to begin with?

 

[error404]

(Also grateful that I have not yet been brought up by name.)

Overheard an applicant talking with a resident, who asked the applicant, "So, what made you decide to apply to our research program?"

Applicant response, "Oh, I'm not really that interested, but my father said it might improve my chances."

It might not.

 

[UTKB]

there's a guy at my school who prides himself on being class clown. But he's not really a clown, more like a loud idiot. He's known for trying to my chummy with everyone he meets, and knows no limits. He always takes it too far and becomes offensive (on accident). I saw him on one interview, and sure enough, he was drawing attention to himself, making idiotic comments at uncalled for times. The sad thing is, I assume he's pretty qualified score- and grade-wise (though I suspect his other "qualifications" are exaggerated).

On TWO other interviews, whenever a resident or fellow applicant asks what school i'm from, and i tell them, they said, Oh, do you know this, guy, what's his name.... And of course I do, and they try to feel out whether i'm friends with him...Nope...then they proceed to make faces/groan/comment, etc. I feel sorry for whoever ends up with him in their program. And I hope his musings don't reflect poorly on me, us being from the same school and all.

 

[coprolalia]

there's a guy at my school who prides himself on being class clown. But he's not really a clown, more like a loud idiot. He's known for trying to my chummy with everyone he meets, and knows no limits. He always takes it too far and becomes offensive (on accident). I saw him on one interview, and sure enough, he was drawing attention to himself, making idiotic comments at uncalled for times. The sad thing is, I assume he's pretty qualified score- and grade-wise (though I suspect his other "qualifications" are exaggerated).

On TWO other interviews, whenever a resident or fellow applicant asks what school i'm from, and i tell them, they said, Oh, do you know this, guy, what's his name.... And of course I do, and they try to feel out whether i'm friends with him...Nope...then they proceed to make faces/groan/comment, etc. I feel sorry for whoever ends up with him in their program. And I hope his musings don't reflect poorly on me, us being from the same school and all.

Don't worry. They don't. We know you are individuals, and not photocopied cardboard cut-outs because you came from the same school.

-copro

 

[New2Midwest]

My favorite applicants (typically about 5 per year) were people that were switching into anesthesia after an intern year in something else. I am not making generalizations but typically these folks were jackasses. Dude, time out: you are not the rock star physician yet. Sometimes, a bit more cocky than others. You completed an intern year in another residency. Stay grounded...

 

[DO4lifer]

Interviewee who apparently thought she was going to tryouts for Showgirls instead of a residency interview, showing up in professional gray suit but with 4-inch heels, overdone makeup, tight, gapping purple blouse with >3 buttons undone. And spends most of the interview day sans jacket.

I see NOTHING wrong with this picture..

 

[Gaswitch]

I believe I saw the young lady in the gray suit at a Chi town interview. Maybe it's because I am a girl but I thought she looked nice, different from my rather bland black suit. She was tall, blond and attractive perhaps which led to people paying even more attention to her buttons being undone. The room was really warm and most of the applicants did remove their jackets and kept them off.

 

[leaverus]

I see nothing wrong with it either. If you got it, flaunt it. Gotta use whatever you can to your advantage. At this stage of the game, there isn't THAT much difference between applicants academically.

 

[Steric]

Was interviewing at Penn State last year. The day was pretty much done except that all of the applicants had to meet together with the chair at the end of the day. There was about an hour of downtime and we were asked to meet with the residents and just hang out. One guy raises his hand and asks if it is ok for him to go run to Hershey Park to buy some chocolate. Needless to say, they were not very pleased with this dude.

 

[fakin' the funk]

I see nothing wrong with it either. If you got it, flaunt it.

It ain't Jerry Springer bro, it's an interview for a professional position.

At this stage of the game, there isn't THAT much difference between applicants academically.

Yes there is.

 

[error404]

One guy raises his hand and asks if it is ok for him to go run to Hershey Park to buy some chocolate. Needless to say, they were not very pleased with this dude.

Y'know, I hear they sell Hershey's in supermarkets now.

I also hear its made from babies, but I don't always check my facts.

~error404

 

[stargirl50]

I was at dinner the night before an interview and one of the other applicants says "I already have my rank list made; my top 5 are a, b, c, d, and e." Program we were interviewing at was not included in this list. About 5 residents sitting at the table for dinner who definitely could have overheard.

 

[Gern Blansten]

Yes there is.

Says the guy with about 50 interview invites. For the record, you are correct.

 

[coprolalia]

A couple of years ago, I met this candidate who was interviewing at our program who came from the same med school. He was a couple of years behind me, and I didn't know him. But, he'd looked at our resident list and saw that we were from the same school and sought me out.

I talked to him early in the day when when I just happened to run into him in the OR as the group was coming by. He'd seen my picture on the website and already knew who I was, and said, "Hey, your Dr. Coprolalia, aren't you? I go to Super-Stud-SOM just like you!" He had a big smile on his face, and seemed like an alright guy as first impressions go for about the 15 seconds we chatted. I was impressed that the guy had done his homework and had actually put 2-and-2 together... and, I admit, maybe he stroked my ego the right way. Plus, he was from my med alma mater. Had to give the guy a chance.

Later in the day as the wrap-up was going on, I stopped by our conference room where they were all sitting. There was a couple other residents. It was the informal part of the day. I talked to a couple other candidates, etc. And, this guy came over and pulled me aside. Here's what he said, and I'm not making this up...

"Okay, dude. Seriously. Tell me about this f***ing place. Is it worth a damn? I mean, am I gonna be happy here? Or, did I just waste my time?"

Yes, the f-bomb and everything. Don't presume a familiarity that isn't there.

Needless to say, he didn't make our rank list.

-copro

 

[DO4lifer]

Was interviewing at Penn State last year. The day was pretty much done except that all of the applicants had to meet together with the chair at the end of the day. There was about an hour of downtime and we were asked to meet with the residents and just hang out. One guy raises his hand and asks if it is ok for him to go run to Hershey Park to buy some chocolate. Needless to say, they were not very pleased with this dude.

was his name charlie? and was he looking for the last golden ticket?

 

[climbingdocs]

My first interview, at a program that I will rank high. Interviewing with program director. He asks me what my husband does so I tell him that he is a teacher and he also coaches swimming. So he tells me his son is a swimmer too and he shows me a pic of his son. I tell him "Oh, he doesn't look anything like you" PD: "what do you mean?" me:
You think this killed my chance?

Oh and btw, I don't unbutton my shirt like the Gray Suit Girl, I just got shirt with buttons that start little lower hehe

 

[Gaswitch]

Don't know what it does for your chances but that is funny...
Did you have a smart answer? I think the response to his question would determine the direction of the interview .

 

[Neogenesis]

Damnit, man, I wish I had gone to your interviews. At mine, it was just all guys in class-A uniforms.

Dude, that hurts. I thought I looked pretty hot.

 

[error404]

I've had a weird e-mail series from a big, academic center (well-ranked and competitive):

Tuesday: I got a rejection letter.
Wednesday: An e-mail rescinding the rejection.
Thursday: an e-mail rescinding the recension of the rejection. (A "real" rejection.")
One week later: an interview invite.

I called and scheduled before they could rescind the recension of the recension of the rejection. But I'm guessing they don't love me.

 

[scotchnwater]

Last year I was at a before-interview dinner and this applicant brought her husband with her (bringing spouses/SOs had been encouraged).

He was about 10 years older than everyone else (his wife included) and was currently unemployed and visibly felt uncomfortable. He decided to address his discomfort by drinking approximately 7 Bud Lights straight from the bottle (I've got nothing against Bud, we were just in a nice place where nobody else was drinking beer straight from the bottle).

He then got (naturally) a little drunk and started telling us the stories of his woes, including (but not limited to) getting dismissed from professional school, getting seriously injured, getting involved in a lawsuit involving one of the first two issues (I don't remember which) and, somewhere along the way, getting addicted to prescription pain medication.

He was loud and obnoxious and pretty much monopolized the conversation at our table. And everybody was uncomfortable, including the applicant, his wife.

I can't imagine that incident went unnoticed/unreported by the residents attending that dinner.

 

[anesonia]

I witnessed an applicant and spouse bring their child to dinner not too long ago. Thought this was very strange and inappropriate personally, but would like to hear what other people think about this.

 

[bobg504]

I witnessed an applicant and spouse bring their child to dinner not too long ago. Thought this was very strange and inappropriate personally, but would like to hear what other people think about this.

I personally see nothing wrong with applicants bringing their families to dinner. In fact, some programs encourage it. Especially those that are VERY family friendly (like Mayo). Ive see only one applicant thus far to so, but it wasnt weird. With that being said, I dont think id do it.

 

[SexPanther]

I witnessed an applicant and spouse bring their child to dinner not too long ago. Thought this was very strange and inappropriate personally, but would like to hear what other people think about this.

Was this at Vandy?

 

[anesonia]

Was this at Vandy?

no

 

[Bertelman]

Was this at Vandy?

no

...maybe he's making the circuit with fam in tow.


On a similar note, I interviewed at Vandy a couple of years ago. At our dinner, one of the residents brought his girlfriend. She seemed pretty much lost. It was awkward.

 

[fakin' the funk]

I witnessed an applicant and spouse bring their child to dinner not too long ago. Thought this was very strange and inappropriate personally, but would like to hear what other people think about this.

I've seen every combination - applicant w/ S.O., applicant w/ S.O. w/ baby, resident w/ S.O., resident w/ S.O. w/ baby, etc etc. I personally wouldn't bring either, but it seems like there's nothing really wrong with it. As long as the baby doesn't partake in the tequila shot rounds.

 

[proman]

I saw applicant with Mom at UF in 2006.

 

[jetproppilot]

I saw applicant with Mom at UF in 2006.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAA

Dude thats funny.

 

[racerx]

I saw applicant with Mom at UF in 2006.

Someone can't cut the cord.

 

[lfesiam]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAA

Dude thats funny.

that is funny man. hahahahahah.

[Story from a friend at a surgery dinner] - male interviewee...real drunk... hit on a female surg resident. can I get a "gray's anatomy?"

 

[beavis]

I keep waiting for a story referring to me to appear on this thread....

 

[SaintFrances]

I keep waiting for a story referring to me to appear on this thread....

That exact thought crossed my mind as I was clicking on the link to this thread...

 

[cchoukal]

our residents and applicants are encouraged to bring SIGNIFICANT others, not just dates, with the thought that maybe it makes the evening a little more civilized and relaxed. I think we're probably more likely to talk about a wider array of things besides just work if there are some non-work people around.

And I personally think it's good for the SO to be able to sniff out issues while the applicant is busy making a good impression. We've had a couple show up with babies (and our residents bring theirs as well; one even breast-fed at the table, which I'm sure turned a lot of applicants off).

 

[psychbender]

Dude, that hurts. I thought I looked pretty hot.

Fine. Were you not married and a dude, I'd take you in a manly fashion.

 

[Neogenesis]

Fine. Were you not married and a dude, I'd take you in a manly fashion.

Uhh......Thanks?

 

[bigdan]

Latest thing: Group of applicants sitting around a table, all beaten, tired and poor from the interview process. Program director, of hearty constitution, slides into a seat at the table. Crickets. So the PD breaks the ice and asks "So...any questions for me about the program?" We all smile. One applicant raises his hand (?) and is called on: "What's your favorite food?"

Awesome.

dc

 

[cchoukal]

Latest thing: Group of applicants sitting around a table, all beaten, tired and poor from the interview process. Program director, of hearty constitution, slides into a seat at the table. Crickets. So the PD breaks the ice and asks "So...any questions for me about the program?" We all smile. One applicant raises his hand (?) and is called on: "What's your favorite food?"

Awesome.

dc

That's really funny. We just had our last pre-interview dinner tonight, and I get the sense that people really are getting tired of it. They don't seem quite as chipper and interested in faking questions as they did a couple months ago. One girl actually seemed kinda bored.

 

[nutmegs]

...maybe he's making the circuit with fam in tow.


On a similar note, I interviewed at Vandy a couple of years ago. At our dinner, one of the residents brought his girlfriend. She seemed pretty much lost. It was awkward.

we all bring our significant others to dinner