Goro’s guide to interviews (2023 edition)

[Catalystik]

The idea of someone whipping out a pad with questions just rubs me the wrong way. Your mileage may vary with other interviewers. Let's poll some of my wiser colleagues:
@HomeSkool
@gyngyn
@gonnif
@LizzyM
@Moko
@Catalystik
@Mr.Smile12
@Med Ed
@Angus Avagadro

It wouldn't bother me, but I've never been asked more than two questions, usually it's one, and often none. Our interview day is structured so that there are better opportunities for most questions that candidates want answered.

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[Angus Avagadro]

Do NOT do show and tell.

Submitted manuscripts are worthless. You know why? Because I could send my shopping list written in crayon to Nature and I could still truthfully write in my CV that it's a "manuscript submitted".

The idea of someone whipping out a pad with questions just rubs me the wrong way. Your mileage may vary with other interviewers. Let's poll some of my wiser colleagues:
@HomeSkool
@gyngyn
@gonnif
@LizzyM
@Moko
@Catalystik
@Mr.Smile12
@Med Ed
@Angus Avagadro

I always ask where the student is from, college and major, any advanced degrees and research. They won't have to work their research into the conversation.
As far as a notepad, meh. I realize the students are nervous as heck and might not remember much from it. So taking notes is fine. Interviewing me with 50 questions might become annoying. Bottom line, we have been doing interviews for years, so most questions should be answered during the student visit and on our website. I would skip the notepad and memorize the few important questions you will have. I would also not ask questions that are answered on our website for obvious reasons.

 

[LizzyM]

It would be best to memorize the questions you'd want to ask just as you will take a medical history without a long list of questions to whip out in front of a patient.

I think that it is find to have a portfolio or notepad with a few questions and a place to write stuff you want to refer to later.

What you don't want to do is pull out a extra long sheet of paper with 2 dozen questions and start running through them. (But, alas, you wouldn't be the first applicant who did that.)

 

[Med Ed]

The idea of someone whipping out a pad with questions just rubs me the wrong way. Your mileage may vary with other interviewers. Let's poll some of my wiser colleagues:

Agreed. Interview days have information sessions where taking notes is appropriate. The primary purpose of the one-on-one interview is to derive information from the interviewee. It's not a mutual interrogation. That's not to say information doesn't flow both ways, but I'm having a difficult time imagining an interviewer saying something that is worth writing down.

 

[KU Brendan]

Do NOT do show and tell.

Submitted manuscripts are worthless. You know why? Because I could send my shopping list written in crayon to Nature and I could still truthfully write in my CV that it's a "manuscript submitted".

The idea of someone whipping out a pad with questions just rubs me the wrong way. Your mileage may vary with other interviewers. Let's poll some of my wiser colleagues:
@HomeSkool
@gyngyn
@gonnif
@LizzyM
@Moko
@Catalystik
@Mr.Smile12
@Med Ed
@Angus Avagadro

I don't mind candidates having a pad of paper and notes with questions to ask. I've only seen it a few times over the years, but I took it as a sign of being prepared. But I'm laid back about most things, even the multiple piercings that I've seen while interviewing

 

[theKingLT]

I'm having a difficult time imagining an interviewer saying something that is worth writing down.

Their email address! But usually they just write it on a sticky note and give it to you or hand out their business card. Or one can always just open up their interview day folder and write on one of the 500 sheets of paper they gave about the 150 different student organizations they have.

I agree writing anything other than contact info during an interview would be awkward and whipping out a list of questions would be even weirder

 

[wolfngold]

I'm wondering if you might have some feedback for me. I had an interview last week where the interviewer talked for an hour, was elderly and had a hard time hearing and understanding me. He did 90% of the talking. I got the feeling that he might have been a last minute substitute. At the end of the interview he said he didn't write too many notes and asked that I send him a letter so he could promote me at the adcom meeting. I'm wondering if this means that I'm basically out of the running. It was disappointing. I'm also wondering what I should put in the letter...without repeating my secondary.

 

[Goro]

I'm wondering if you might have some feedback for me. I had an interview last week where the interviewer talked for an hour, was elderly and had a hard time hearing and understanding me. He did 90% of the talking. I got the feeling that he might have been a last minute substitute. At the end of the interview he said he didn't write too many notes and asked that I send him a letter so he could promote me at the adcom meeting. I'm wondering if this means that I'm basically out of the running. It was disappointing. I'm also wondering what I should put in the letter...without repeating my secondary.

This is so out of the ordinary that I recommend that you write to the Dean of Admissions. This is the only way the system can get rid of bad interviewers. Tell the Dean exactly what you have written here, and then delete this post.

 

[prufrock2891]

This is so out of the ordinary that I recommend that you write to the Dean of Admissions. This is the only way the system can get rid of bad interviewers. Tell the Dean exactly what you have written here, and then delete this post.

Seriously wondering what happened here.

 

[deleted314957]

I am sorry, but I just saw this and must resurrect it.
Surely, interviewers must encounter odd, Asperger types that get admitted because there are so many in pathology, my field for more than 35 years. Also in this same group are a vast majority who really dislike dealing with patients, although that might be an acquired dislike absorbed thru the medical school process. We don’t , however, develop “the spectrum” during med school. It is life long and surely must be apparent at the time of interview. Also, pathologists , as a group, have poorer written and verbal communication skills than their other physician peers, but pathologists have to come from SOMEWHERE!

I may well be generalizing to the extreme, but something, at some stage turns us off from patient contact and the practice of path, in many cases, turns us into the oddballs of medicine. Some of this has to do with students essentially zero exposure to pathology as it is practiced.( Robbins pathology has nothing to do with the practice aspect of pathology). Hence, the lab, particularly surgical pathology where the rubber meets the road, is a black box to our colleagues.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

I am sorry, but I just saw this and must resurrect it.
Surely, interviewers must encounter odd, Asperger types that get admitted because there are so many in pathology, my field for more than 35 years. Also in this same group are a vast majority who really dislike dealing with patients, although that might be an acquired dislike absorbed thru the medical school process. We don’t , however, develop “the spectrum” during med school. It is life long and surely must be apparent at the time of interview. Also, pathologists , as a group, have poorer written and verbal communication skills than their other physician peers, but pathologists have to come from SOMEWHERE!

I may well be generalizing to the extreme, but something, at some stage turns us off from patient contact and the practice of path, in many cases, turns us into the oddballs of medicine. Some of this has to do with students essentially zero exposure to pathology as it is practiced.( Robbins pathology has nothing to do with the practice aspect of pathology). Hence, the lab, particularly surgical pathology where the rubber meets the road, is a black box to our colleagues.

I think many " On the Spectrum" students get accepted. I think a mandatory 2 week pathology rotation for all might increase interest in path. My concern is the " Borderline Personality Disorder" types,( if that is what they are called now), getting through. These are, imo students, who present to the school's disciplinary board or get dropped from residencies. They receive multiple complaints from basic science faculty,attendings, patients and even other med students. I have a few interview questions to sort these folks out. No, I'm not sharing.

 

[deleted314957]

I think many " On the Spectrum" students get accepted. I think a mandatory 2 week pathology rotation for all might increase interest in path. My concern is the " Borderline Personality Disorder" types,( if that is what they are called now), getting through. These are, imo students, who present to the school's disciplinary board or get dropped from residencies. They receive multiple complaints from basic science faculty,attendings, patients and even other med students. I have a few interview questions to sort these folks out. No, I'm not sharing.

Along these lines, even though it is far more onerous for folks to go through the admission process today compared to 1973, I think the numerous and varied social, experiential and altruistic commitments required have seemed to weed out some of the more malignant personalities I have observed in the field over the decades. For this, I think y’all can give yourselves a big pat on the back. Heck, I never even got interviewed and my GPA, LOR’s and MCAT were
it, literally.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Along these lines, even though it is far more onerous for folks to go through the admission process today compared to 1973, I think the numerous and varied social, experiential and altruistic commitments required have seemed to weed out some of the more malignant personalities I have observed in the field over the decades. For this, I think y’all can give yourselves a big pat on the back. Heck, I never even got interviewed and my GPA, LOR’s and MCAT were
it, literally.

I have to agree with this. We do let fewer Borderline folks in now, but some slip through. I don't look so closely at someone's answer to my questions, but do they connect with me? Do they project warmth? Can they think and defend their position or merely regurgitate collegiate teacher's talking points? If they are being interviewed, they have met our metrics for academics and community service. I am trying to understand the person.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

@Goro do you have any advice on how to shake off a bad interview? Had one yesterday that felt more like an interrogation than a conversation. Now it’s hard for me to focus on the two I have next week instead of just replaying yesterday’s interview in my head, going back on school-specific sdn threads to see if others had similar experience etc.

I appreciate it

 

[Goro]

@Goro do you have any advice on how to shake off a bad interview? Had one yesterday that felt more like an interrogation than a conversation. Now it’s hard for me to focus on the two I have next week instead of just replaying yesterday’s interview in my head, going back on school-specific sdn threads to see if others had similar experience etc.

I appreciate it

Stay busy

 

[KnightDoc]

@Goro do you have any advice on how to shake off a bad interview? Had one yesterday that felt more like an interrogation than a conversation. Now it’s hard for me to focus on the two I have next week instead of just replaying yesterday’s interview in my head, going back on school-specific sdn threads to see if others had similar experience etc.

I appreciate it

Dude, come on. You are super smart and know better! You never said what kind of athlete you are (were).

Didn't you ever have a bad performance? Other than learning from whatever you did wrong, was there ever any value in dwelling on a performance that cannot be changed? It's done.

Now, you either focus on what's ahead, or you risk a repeat performance. JMHO. We all deal with it. Those with mental toughness overcome it. Look at where you are right now, today, in spite of all the naysayers, including yourself.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

@Goro do you have any advice on how to shake off a bad interview? Had one yesterday that felt more like an interrogation than a conversation. Now it’s hard for me to focus on the two I have next week instead of just replaying yesterday’s interview in my head, going back on school-specific sdn threads to see if others had similar experience etc.

I appreciate it

When I was an athlete, I'd try to get in the head of the guy defending me. If I could get inside his head, he would be more concerned about getting chippy with me than playing the game. That gives me the advantage. Same here. In athletics, you deal with wins and losses. You are trained not to get to high or too low. Treat it as such and learn from any mistakes. Most importantly, you have absolutely no idea how the interviewer evaluated you. There were times after an interview, my partner would ask me why I gave the applicant a hard time. I often replied, I liked them and how they responded to a little pressure. You just don't know. Put that interview in the books and concentrate on the others. Good luck and best wishes!

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Stay busy

Dude, come on. You are super smart and know better! You never said what kind of athlete you are (were).

Didn't you ever have a bad performance? Other than learning from whatever you did wrong, was there ever any value on dwelling on a performance that cannot be changed? It's done.

Now, you either focus on what's ahead, or you risk a repeat performance. JMHO. We all deal with it. Those with mental toughness overcome it. Look at where you are right now, today, in spite of all the naysayers, including yourself.

When I was an athlete, I'd try to get in the head of the guy defending me. If I could get inside his head, he would be more concerned about getting chippy with me than playing the game. That gives me the advantage. Same here. In athletics, you deal with wins and losses. You are trained not to get to high or too low. Treat it as such and learn from any mistakes. Most importantly, you have absolutely no idea how the interviewer evaluated you. There were times after an interview, my partner would ask me why I gave the applicant a hard time. I often replied, I liked them and how they responded to a little pressure. You just don't know. Put that interview in the books and concentrate on the others. Good luck and best wishes!

Thank you everybody! It’s greatly appreciated.