HORRIBLE interview experience

[sharsky]

I flew to New York on Sunday for my NYMC interview on Monday and Temple Univ interview on Tuesday. However on Sunday night, I had some Chinese take-out with my student host and I ended up getting food poisoning. I was late for my NYMC interview on Monday because I felt very faint and sick when I woke up. I dragged myself anyways and got to the orientation at 8:30. I ended up throwing up in front of the other interviewees. I went back to my student host's apartment and rested, throwing up some more and having the runs. My interview was supposed to be at 11:15 but they rescheduled it to 1 pm. I still wasn't feeling well when I woke up at 12:30 but I still dragged myself to my 1 pm interview. My interview turned out REALLY REALLY BAD. I was soooo weak and faint I could barely speak and my enthusiasm definitely wasn't there. The interviewer knew I wasn't feeling well but I still think it affected my chances. My interview only lasted for 25 minutes and I went back to the apartment throwing up some more. By 4 pm I was feeling so weak and faint I had to call 911 since nobody was in the apt. I was taken to the ER where the wait took forever. The nurse told me I had a fever and my BP was 90/50 from losing too much fluids. Anyways, I ended up not going to Philadelphia for my Tues interview so I had to reschedule that.
What do you think I should do? Any advice? I know I'll write a letter explaining myself and saying things I wish I said.

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[Spitting Camel]

did your interviewer give you a card or email address? If so, contact him/her and ask (read: beg) to have an over-the-phone thingy? See if he/she can spare the time.

 

[sharsky]

hi, i asked my interviewer for a card but she says she doesn't like giving her cards out. =( i don't think she liked me.

 

[BklynWill]

Maybe you could alert other NYMC students about that particular take-out place.

 

[Yogi Bear]

yikes! that's an awful experience. it's unusual that the interviewer didn't give u her card. having that type of approach to interviewing might reveal that she doesn't particularly like interviewing. i it's good that you didn't go to the temple interview since you definitely shouldn't go when you're not at 100%. sometimes its necessary to step back and say: "hey, i can't do this at the moment"....rather than charge on ahead knowing that you're giving less than 70%. if you're really concerned, write a supplemntal letter to the dean stating your case and that you'd like a 2nd interview. If not, just move on and don't let that experience hold you back form subsequent interviews. lemme know if you have any other questions.

 

[felipe5]

man, I'm so sorry to hear about your bad interview. When I interviewed at NYU, I ate chinese food b4 the day of my interview.....in retrospect, what the hell was I thinking??? It was some crummy joint, and I could have easily gotten sick as well.

I agree with the previous posters about trying to contact either your interviewer or someone at the admissions department. GOod luck to you

 

[TexasRose]

Wow, that's terrible. I'm so sorry you had such an awful experience.

I agree with the other posters. Contact the admissions office at both schools. Tell them about your trip to the ER after the interview. Tell them you would like a second chance to represent yourself in an interview. They should give you another chance. Anyone who would show up to an interview that sick is demonstrating a lot of committment!

Good luck!

 

[ocean11]

Yeah sorry to hear about your experience, that is truly horrible... one's worst nightmare! but anyhow definetly call and try to get a second interview at NYMC.

In retrospect I would have called NYMC and cancelled the interview, saying that it was some sort of dire emergency and rebooked for another date.

Man sorry to hear of your misfortunte, but you've been accepted elsewere right?

sometimes I think that we are just destined to go to a certain school and not others!

 

[TRUE]

Definately ask for a 2nd interview.

 

[Mr.Tweed]

Ask for a second interview with a different interviewer. Good luck.

 

[mosoriire]

Wow! That really has to be the worst interview experience I have ever heard about, and I've heard of some hari raising experiences. Please reschedule the NYMC interview. I'm sure they'll understand. This is a medical school, after all.Good luck with everything.
On a positive note, maybe the AdComs will see your turning up inspite of illness as an indicator of just how bad you want this.

 

[Gleevec]

Dude, sorry to hear about your interview. Even then, it took a lot of perseverence to get as far as you did, even though you had a jerk of an interviewer.

I agree with everyone else on calling the admissions office and explaining your position. Hopefully they can make accomodations for a phone call interview with a less a-holish doc.

 

[thewebthsp]

Something like this happened to me in Chicago -- fortunately I didn't need to go to the ER and I had a day in between two interviews. Right after NWU interview (Tues.) I went with a friend to Chicago Chinatown, ate there -- on the bus ride home I got violently ill. That night I think I was delirious or something, didn't feel of sound mind ....the next day I was feverish, felt pretty horrible, but by Thursday I was ok except for a little swollen liver.
Again fortunately I got sick AFTER Northwestern's interview, and I was ok by Thursday.

Not fun.

Ask for a 2nd interview.

 

[sharsky]

unfortunately i haven't been accepted anywhere yet =(
this is really depressing. i've had an interview with hawaii so far but i'm non-resident. i have med college of ohio coming up next monday, then i rescheduled temple for the thurs after. and i have albany april 8th. but it's so late in the process now i think i'm interviewing for waitlist spots.

 

[ASDIC]

a lot of people have problems with chinese food.

I love chinese food, but there certain places that you dont want to go to. The chinese food they serve in my school gives me stomach cramps.

So, I would ask around for the best chinese places rather than just go and eat and get sick

 

[thewebthsp]

Actually -- norvovirus takes about 12 hours to make you sick. It was probably lunch at NWU and not the Chinese food!! Oh well...

 

[bongsen]

Yeah, my friend ate fish at NY and got food poisoning as well the day of the interview.

 

[smuwillobrien]

I'm really sorry to hear your story. It's sad that things like that happen, but you know there has to be a bright side to it. Perhaps by feeling sick you averted possible death in some situation, or you'd really hate ending up at NYMC. Have some faith and let by gones be by gones. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[BerkeleyPremed]

One important lesson from this. Do not eat chinese food/**insert any ethnic food here** from any shady places right before your interview. If possible, go to an American restaurant that has its FDA inspection grade posted on the wall/window (I've seen these papers with a big letter "A" posted on the window at restaurants in LA and SF). Even though a sit-down restaurant might be more expensive than a Chinese take-out restaurant, you'll be glad you spent that extra $4 on lunch when you wake up the next morning feeling refreshed, energetic, and ready for your interview...as opposed to waking up feeling miserable with a high temperature, stomach ache, and feeling like you need to vomit.

You shouldn't let anything compromise your performance at the interview. Especially not some gross Chinese restaurant with filthy, 3rd world conditions in its kitchen ...where the employees do not understand the meaning of the word "sanitation" (most probably, they can't even pronounce the word correctly).

To the OP: I think you should definitely call the dean at the school and explain your situation and I'm sure that they'd grant you a 2nd interview. That interviewer you had seemed like an dingus and you really didn't deserve that. I'm sorry you had to go through this and I wish you the best of luck in the medical school admissions process!

 

[siempre595]

If you're genuinely interested in the school, write to one of the deans (i.e. someone higher on the food chain) and explain yourself. Just be sure it sounds genuine (not that I think you're whining, I've been in similar situations), but they've got a lot of letters to sift through, so make it good. I'd throw in the b.p. numbers for effect personally
Good luck

 

[sharsky]

thanks for all your advice. the interviewer i had was actually nice. she's the director of admissions and she told me to go home and rest and she rescheduled my interview from 11:15 to 1 pm. she knew i wasn't feeling well too. i think it was my own fault for pushing through and dragging myself to the interview at 1 pm because i didn't want to waste my trip. but now i regret it.

 

[sharsky]

hey guys,
thanks for all your help. so i wrote them an email yesterday explaining what happened - going to the ER, etc. and then i wrote things i wish i said during the interview, i.e. expanded on why i wanna go to nymc and reasons for entering med.
today i got an email from my interview who also happens to be director of admissions. this is what she wrote:

"Thank you for your email. You never mentioned how you are feeling now
and if you were able to get to Philadelphia for your interview
the next day. I do not think a second interview is necessary and I'm glad
you were able to spend time with our students to learn about NYMC. I
will place your email in your file so the committee will be aware of your
experiences and interest in NYMC."

Carolyn J. Chiarieri, M.S.
Director of Admissions
New York Medical College


What do you guys think? This is so vague! Sigh.

 

[Biryani]

hey sharsky--that email sounds like good news--I don't want to say anything more positive than that and jinx you. I also interviewed at NYMC on Wednesday. Good luck at your remaining interviews.

 

[sharsky]

bump

tell me what you guys think of the email

 

[docmemi]

Originally posted by siempre595
If you're genuinely interested in the school, write to one of the deans (i.e. someone higher on the food chain) and explain yourself. Just be sure it sounds genuine (not that I think you're whining, I've been in similar situations), but they've got a lot of letters to sift through, so make it good. I'd throw in the b.p. numbers for effect personally
Good luck

i second that along with asking for another interview with a different faculty. good luck.