Horrible interview skills

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$121 for a background check? what the heck? has anyone else experienced this?
 
idiotface said:
Well, I looked on MDapps and I actually do see some bad situations. However, it may be that people are not updating their profile or misrepresenting their stats or just unreliable. Or it could mean that they really are not enjoying success. Regardless, I feel so alone in the severity of my situation. I feel the weight and burden of my problem in everything I do. Nevertheless, I will attend med school next fall. If it's a DO program, I will be ready and happy for the journey. And maybe I shouldn't lie about my pre-med experience. It doesn't matter. The sooner I leave, the better. Only 7 more months and I'll be counting the days lol. Thanks to everyone who gave me encouraging words. Thanks @bubbles07 , @narla_hotep , @YayPudding , @coppernickel , @ScottTenorman54 , @bears1992. It makes a difference when people still treat you normal even when you have exposed the contrary. Crazy people don't want to be reminded that they're crazy or that they have a problem. I will continue to update.
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Oh man, I am so glad I randomly decided to sign in again today, what a satisfying end to the saga. And to think, your original post started with a "future cashier" tag. Congrats, you have a lot to look forward to! When you get to school, it's a blank slate. The college-era grades, MCAT, the app cycle, they all quickly fade. Enjoy the well deserved freedom from home. And do check in here with your fanbase every now and then.
 
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ScottTenorman54 said:
Oh man, I am so glad I randomly decided to sign in again today, what a satisfying end to the saga. And to think, your original post started with a "future cashier" tag. Congrats, you have a lot to look forward to! When you get to school, it's a blank slate. The college-era grades, MCAT, the app cycle, they all quickly fade. Enjoy the well deserved freedom from home. And do check in here with your fanbase every now and then.
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Thanks, maybe one day ill post my mdapps account all three of them so people can see my experience, but a really investigative person will be able to take the some of the info in this thread and be able to find those mdapps profiles.
 
ScottTenorman54 said:
You've got a weird undergrad premed office, dude. Nothing you can do about that though. If you're looking to adapt LordLana's method of preparation, I've attached a list of questions that a friend and I put together over the course of our undergrad of all the interview questions from any position we ever applied to, including med schools. Could serve as a starting point. Best of luck for the next one!
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Hi there, long time SDN reader, but had to post. I'll be finishing my MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences then applying to MD in about a year. So I'm currently searching for interview prep! (its my biggest area of concern too). Do you think I could get a copy of that "list of questions" that you and your friend put together?

Cheers,
 
Hey guys Im back with some news as well as some questions, hopefully everyones not tired of me yet. Im done on my interview trail and I received another post-interview rejection and I can't figure out for the life of me, why I wasn't even waitlisted. I smiled, I was pleasant, I answered every question well, and I thought it went very well. I always feared the "biggest weakness" question because any interviewer can use that question to note a red flag. This time I answered that by stating that sometimes I get fixated on details when I am working on a project. The interviewer then asked, do you mean you get distracted by something irrelevant? I replied by saying, no, it's something that is relevant to the work that I am doing. I also followed it up with an acknowledgement that I have greatly curtailed this habit by writing down the subject of my fixation on a notepad and coming back to it later. Was this a potential red flag? If it is, then how are you supposed to answer this question? Should I say Im too nice and too hard-working and too intelligent? Or I am too active or too well-rounded? Am I supposed to exalt myself in the answer? How do you answer this? Thanks.
 
Goro said:
Well, for starters, you have stated that you arrived late for the interview. Admissions offices do look at SDN. So, you might be very well looking at a rejection or a rescinding of an accept, if they can figure out who you are. Based upon your post history, this might be easier than you think.
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I'm wondering if that is why OP received a post interview rejection? Perhaps the ADCOMS found this thread?

:eyebrow:
 
idiotface said:
My question is Can I ever get into med school as a terrible interviewer.
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The mind is a powerful manipulator. The fact that you've already convinced yourself of your low self-esteem and your poor interview skills means you've already lost. Change your attitude. Stop dwelling on your past trip ups. Remind yourself that people far worse off than you are able to be successful. Furthermore, people apply every year and never get a chance to screw up an interview. So be grateful. Be confident. Start by changing your mindset. Play your strengths and experiences -- the things you should be comfortable talking about. Start by asking the cashier how his/her day is going. Start by saying good morning to someone randomly and smile. Engage in conversation. Use the person's name while addressing them. Stare through their soul. Setup mock interviews and let them be brutally honest albeit constructively. Please don't let the easiest part of the process (the interview itself) derail you. Own it.
 
frosted2 said:
I'm wondering if that is why OP received a post interview rejection? Perhaps the ADCOMS found this thread?

:eyebrow:
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Admissions deans do read SDN.
EDIT: People are often the worst judges of their own interview performances.
 
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OP you need a diagnosis. Wherever you go, it’s still gonna be you who is there. You with the same neurology and psychology that you have now. Figure out what is going on. You may need accommodations to make it through medical school now that you’re in.
 
Cinemed said:
The mind is a powerful manipulator. The fact that you've already convinced yourself of your low self-esteem and your poor interview skills means you've already lost. Change your attitude. Stop dwelling on your past trip ups. Remind yourself that people far worse off than you are able to be successful. Furthermore, people apply every year and never get a chance to screw up an interview. So be grateful. Be confident. Start by changing your mindset. Play your strengths and experiences -- the things you should be comfortable talking about. Start by asking the cashier how his/her day is going. Start by saying good morning to someone randomly and smile. Engage in conversation. Use the person's name while addressing them. Stare through their soul. Setup mock interviews and let them be brutally honest albeit constructively. Please don't let the easiest part of the process (the interview itself) derail you. Own it.
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Hi Cinemed, thanks for the reply. I do try to engage in pleasant conversation whenever possible. But I hope you try to understand that doing something psychological is not as easy as saying it. Otherwise, everybody would just do it and there would be no mental illness. In my situation, in particular, I have a persistent neurosis with little things, meaning that I have a fixation on random events or occurrences. These neuroses don't decay quickly and may stay in my mind for a long time. They increase my heart rate and may cause headaches, palpitations, random pains, fatigue, etc. They hinder my performance on things because they occupy mental energy for most of the day. Let's say I do converse with someone but I feel like I was awkward or said something wrong, then I tend to dwell on that for an extended period of time. I hope you know that life isn't as easy as just being confident and riding on those emotions indefinitely. People can cut you down, be rude, or make you feel like you are not good enough. I don't walk around with my AMCAS application stapled to my forehead. But never mind all of that because during that interview, I actually did feel like I owned it, which is pretty rare. I thought my interviewers and I got along well and interacted pretty well. However, no one seems to be answering my question, which may signify that the way I handled that question may not have been so bad after all. I just don't know what to think because I have no emotional support and I can get criticized for pretty much anything. But thanks again for the answer.
 
siliso said:
OP you need a diagnosis. Wherever you go, it’s still gonna be you who is there. You with the same neurology and psychology that you have now. Figure out what is going on. You may need accommodations to make it through medical school now that you’re in.
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Well, I mean neurosis is not a psychiatric condition. I actually looked at the symptoms for generalized anxiety disorder, and you need to fulfill a certain number of criteria to be diagnosed with it. I just don't fulfill the criteria because my symptoms are just not that severe. Also, I don't think my condition fits the criteria for other personality disorders. I mean, what are you going to say, I am schizophrenic when I dont have hallucinations? Or bipolar even though my mood/energy doesn't fluctuate between extremes. I'm not exactly depressed either. When I studied abnormal psych for the MCAT, I didn't see that my symptoms fit any of the conditions. There's no diagnosis for general neurosis and a lot of the personality disorders are detailed and specific. I don't think my condition exactly fits the bill for anything in DSM V. But my biggest issue with seeking therapy is that they are going to prescribe neurochemical medications without evidence of neurochemical imbalances. In fact, that's my issue with psychiatry, in general.
 
@idiotface - best of luck in med school. I think everyone has issues in life and everyone responds to different stimuli differently. Right?

Given your post history, it seems there is unresolved ... angst, anxiety, etc. Psychologists don't prescribe medicine, they can't, they're not licensed. Psychiatrists prescribe meds but typically, only to help alleviate symptoms enough so Psychologists can help the patient. It's the duality of care that helps the patient get better.

The first step is to admit you've got some things to work on. Friends of mine are anti-meds and they are the ones, who sometimes, need it most.

Best of luck.
 
I’m not going to try to give you a diagnosis, I’m only saying you need one. You’re self-diagnosing but you’re not qualified. If I had to throw out a guess I would say ASD, not a personality disorder, since you’ve had it all your life, but I’m not qualified to diagnose by internet either. You don’t have to accept any treatment or counseling or anything that you don’t want, but having some understanding and documentation of your challenges (which could well be neurological as well as psychological - and such problems run in families) may be very helpful for your future success.
 
Ad2b said:
@idiotface - best of luck in med school. I think everyone has issues in life and everyone responds to different stimuli differently. Right?

Given your post history, it seems there is unresolved ... angst, anxiety, etc. Psychologists don't prescribe medicine, they can't, they're not licensed. Psychiatrists prescribe meds but typically, only to help alleviate symptoms enough so Psychologists can help the patient. It's the duality of care that helps the patient get better.

The first step is to admit you've got some things to work on. Friends of mine are anti-meds and they are the ones, who sometimes, need it most.

Best of luck.
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I know psychologists dont prescribe and psychiatrists do. Im a pre-med after all lol. Im not anti-med, but I am for evidence-based medicine, not speculation-based medicine. I need proof of a neurochemical imbalance, that's all. Tell me about a psychiatrist who is going to measure neurotransmitter levels and I'll be the first one to visit. Although I imagine its not routinely done maybe because it would be invasive. I don't know.
 
idiotface said:
I know psychologists dont prescribe and psychiatrists do. Im a pre-med after all lol. Im not anti-med, but I am for evidence-based medicine, not speculation-based medicine. I need proof of a neurochemical imbalance, that's all. Tell me about a psychiatrist who is going to measure neurotransmitter levels and I'll be the first one to visit. Although I imagine its not routinely done maybe because it would be invasive. I don't know.
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Okay. Did you misread this or are you being purposely stubborn/avoidant?

The point was, you can/should see a psychologist at least at first if you're this med-averse.
 
And psychologists are exactly the right people to do some structured and validated neuropsychoeducational testing to get you a legit diagnosis, which could lead you to the right resources and accommodations (probably not medications) to acquire the social skills you need.
 
siliso said:
I’m not going to try to give you a diagnosis, I’m only saying you need one. You’re self-diagnosing but you’re not qualified. If I had to throw out a guess I would say ASD, not a personality disorder, since you’ve had it all your life, but I’m not qualified to diagnose by internet either. You don’t have to accept any treatment or counseling or anything that you don’t want, but having some understanding and documentation of your challenges (which could well be neurological as well as psychological - and such problems run in families) may be very helpful for your future success.
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Actually, I did not have it all my life- not like this. I mean when I was a kid, I got frustrated sometimes, but by no means was like this. This neurosis began really sometime in high school when the kids were getting really mean. It's not a lifelong thing. My dad has recently told me some of his mental issues and they sound eerily similar to mine, but he said they started only a few years ago. My mom also has a similar thing and she was prescribed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia only a few years ago, but she used to be normal, at least to me. I'm not autistic, I know someone who is autistic. They tend to be antisocial from the time they are extremely young. I had a couple friends when I was in elementary school, in middle school, and so on. Im not autistic.
 
sammiesings said:
Okay. Did you misread this or are you being purposely stubborn/avoidant?

The point was, you can/should see a psychologist at least at first if you're this med-averse.
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Neither, but I suppose you have you own unique interpretation of the post. Like I said before, I will see a psychologist when I think it is out of hand. I don't think it is and I think everyone is hyperventilating. All I did was ask an interview question, everyone is acting like I am suicidal.
 
OP - aren't you a little, teensy bit worried you're going to fail your clinical skills exams with standardized patients??? Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at interviews and I'm still scared sh*tless every time a clinical skills exam rolls around.

Even if you're ridiculously anti-psychotherapy, in light of all your interview troubles, don't you want to get some kind of assessment done before school starts for the sake of your future grades at least? I know of schools who outright fail their students for clinical skills exams because their SP felt the student was not empathetic enough or didn't communicate well or made them feel uncomfortable or basically anything you said about yourself regarding interacting with other human beings.

Beyond clinical skills in medical school, you have Step 2 CS which is ALL clinical skills and I'm pretty sure the ability to communicate properly while showing empathy is a big component of whether or not you pass.

Also, saying "you're not autistic" several times over kinda makes the reader think the opposite.
 
siliso said:
Your first post mentions lifelong difficulties with social interaction that are pervasive across many settings.
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They started after I moved when I was 7. Usually, ASD symptoms surface prior. After I had moved, I admit I had only several friends, but the major problem was that the kids were mean. But I was not antisocial. Im not autistic.
 
ASD starts in childhood but is often not diagnosed for quite some time on the mild end. Spectrum traits are not at all uncommon in physicians, but you need to learn how to work with/around them. Trust me, I’m a doctor 😉
 
curbsideconsult said:
OP - aren't you a little, teensy bit worried you're going to fail your clinical skills exams with standardized patients??? Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at interviews and I'm still scared sh*tless every time a clinical skills exam rolls around.

Even if you're ridiculously anti-psychotherapy, in light of all your interview troubles, don't you want to get some kind of assessment done before school starts for the sake of your future grades at least? I know of schools who outright fail their students for clinical skills exams because their SP felt the student was not empathetic enough or didn't communicate well or made them feel uncomfortable or basically anything you said about yourself regarding interacting with other human beings.

Beyond clinical skills in medical school, you have Step 2 CS which is ALL clinical skills and I'm pretty sure the ability to communicate properly while showing empathy is a big component of whether or not you pass.

Also, saying "you're not autistic" several times over kinda makes the reader think the opposite.
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Nope, Im sure Im going to suck at CS. Oh well.
I don't care what the reader thinks.
 
idiotface said:
I don't care what the reader thinks.
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But clearly you do. Or you're a troll. If the latter, props to you for keeping enough people interested to keep this thread going for a very long time and regularly so.
 
Ad2b said:
Are they in jail?
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Lol no, theyre doing just fine. We actually sort of got along afterwards. Sometimes, someone has to abuse you before they can like you.
 
curbsideconsult said:
But clearly you do. Or you're a troll. If the latter, props to you for keeping enough people interested to keep this thread going for a very long time and regularly so.
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Im asking questions and it always devolves into "get help." Im not attention-seeking or a troll, but no one answered my question and it turned into this. I have yet to even have my question answered.
 
Would it meet your goals to just be admitted to med school and get through first two years? Looking back on what you’ve said, it sounds like it might (get you out of your family home in a culturally acceptable way)? If you’re okay with not making it through the clinical years/graduating you could skip the diagnostics.

To answer your question - this is a bad interview question that no one likes answering. The best way to handle it is to mention a challenge you have faced and immediately thereafter how you overcome it, ending on a positive note. Does that help? I promise my other advice will be 2000% more useful to you though.
 
siliso said:
Would it meet your goals to just be admitted to med school and get through first two years? Looking back on what you’ve said, it sounds like it might (get you out of your family home in a culturally acceptable way)? If you’re okay with not making it through the clinical years/graduating you could skip the diagnostics.
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...
 
Like you don’t feel very strongly either way? That actually clarifies your situation a lot to me. I am reading your thread worrying how in the world is this person going to get through medical school, and thus addressing what is the big picture to me rather than your specific queries. If my big picture isn’t your big picture, no wonder there is disconnect in communication.

Either way, if you absolutely are going to medical school it is still worth it to pursue dx and accommodations / skill building so you can get through clinical years and graduate and move on to pathology or another niche that suits your strengths.
 
siliso said:
Like you don’t feel very strongly either way? That actually clarifies your situation a lot to me. I am reading your thread worrying how in the world is this person going to get through medical school, and thus addressing what is the big picture to me rather than your specific queries. If my big picture isn’t your big picture, no wonder there is disconnect in communication.

Either way, if you absolutely are going to medical school it is still worth it to pursue dx and accommodations / skill building so you can get through clinical years and graduate and move on to pathology or another niche that suits your strengths.
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No, the "meh..." represents a disbelief in your assertion that therapy will improve my clinical skills, a disappointment that my question has been subject to diversion, more disappointment that you think I would fail out in clinical years, and contemplation that you are just trying to give me a hard time.
 
siliso said:
Oh. Well, I’m not. My motivation stated above. I also directly answered your query about greatest weaknesses, did that help?
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Oh wow, I didnt read that part. I stopped at the 'youre failing out of med school' part. Thanks! Although, you said it should be an event, yet I answered with a habit/trait. I did finish on a positive note of overcoming or continuously overcoming the weakness. I am still not sure if I answered positively, but you make me feel like it wasn't a disaster. Thanks, siliso.
 
siliso said:
Oh. Well, I’m not. My motivation stated above. I also directly answered your query about greatest weaknesses, did that help?
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Furthermore, I don't know how therapy would help clinical skills. One could be the happiest, most jubilant person in the world, yet a terrible practitioner. Clinical skills, from what I understand, consist of asking the right questions with the right style. Are you implying that depression would hurt clinical skills or lack of charisma would hurt clinical skills?
 
A trait is fine and an expected answer, as long as it is not a truly terrible or concerning trait and you moved on to how you have managed it.

I don’t know what you are thinking of as “therapy” and you’ll notice I didn’t recommend it. I said you need a diagnosis because there is some condition that is causing you impairment in social relationships and education and employment (per your opening post). You may need accommodation or support (of some kind, who could know without a diagnosis) to succeed. The needed accommodation could well be something like what you have been seeking in this thread: structured, concrete social skills observation and training. Nothing particularly to do with getting happier.

But oh yes, clinical performance is performative and an inappropriate affect or lack of rapport with patients peers and staff is a serious clinical problem.
 
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siliso said:
A trait is fine and an expected answer, as long as it is not a truly terrible or concerning trait and you moved on to how you have managed it.

I don’t know what you are thinking of as “therapy” and you’ll notice I didn’t recommend it. I said you need a diagnosis because there is some condition that is causing you impairment in social relationships and education and employment (per your opening post). You may need accommodation or support (of some kind, who could know without a diagnosis) to succeed. The needed accommodation could well be something like what you have been seeking in this thread: structured, concrete social skills observation and training. Nothing particularly to do with getting happier.

But oh yes, clinical performance is performative and an inappropriate affect or lack of rapport with patients peers and staff is a serious clinical problem.
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Ok, but to be honest, I feel fine. I get along with people at the hospital. I dont understand how asking that question indicated anything otherwise. Does a post-interview rejection indicate that I am truly socially inept despite being unaware of it. I wasn't lying by the way when I gave that answer. It was as true an answer as I could possibly give. I have been controlling my neurosis by writing things down. Writing is a way to record things when they get out of hand. Paper and written word can freeze time when events get too hectic. I am using written word to allay my compulsive neurosis and I think it is effective. Why are you resolute in your opinion that I have these problems just because I asked that question?
 
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