How to answer this question?

[nearlythere]

Hi,
Can someone please advise me how to politely answer this question (but yet not give them an answer) should I get it in my interview: "so, where else have you applied or received interviews at?" I definitely don't want to appear too much of a closed book, but also don't want to give them the impression that they are just a back door.
Thanks

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[Frugal Traveler]

I just simply tell them.

 

[Flopotomist]

I am using the "honesty" strategy, and here are my thoughts on why...

- the interview is as much for the program to assess you as it is for you to assess the program. If the program notices that I am applying to mostly county programs, and they are NOT a county program, perhaps they can tell me more about opportunities to work with the underserved in their program.

- it is a VERY small world wrt many of the specialties. If I am interviewing at program X, and they realize that I would be a better fit at program Y and they know I am interviewing there, maybe they will make a phone call on my behalf (sounds weird, but this happened to a friend of mine DURING an interview).

- I don't want to come across as a secretive person. Some people like the personality type that is no-nonsense and doesn't BS, therefore if a PD asks me a straight up question I intend on giving a straight up answer.

- I applied to programs that all had something I really liked, I would love to have the opportunity to explain to a PD what my thought process was when choosing programs to interview at as it really does help explain who I am and what I am looking for. For example, it may not be obvious why I chose to apply to certain small programs when most of my list is large programs, but when you look at what those small programs had in common (in my case strong EMS ties) it gives me a chance to talk about something I may not have remembered to talk about in a stressful interview.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Honesty is the best policy.

 

[LabMonster]

Hi,
Can someone please advise me how to politely answer this question (but yet not give them an answer) should I get it in my interview: "so, where else have you applied or received interviews at?" I definitely don't want to appear too much of a closed book, but also don't want to give them the impression that they are just a back door.
Thanks

This is a "personality" question akin to "What is your greatest weakness?"

The money is in your reaction, not necessarily the answer.

So you tell them in honest, direct and clear language. If they pursue those avenues perhaps YOU should be skeptical.

At this point in our professional careers, every question that is asked of you can be considered a converse question when observing the questioners response and follow-up questions. Never forget you're interviewing them too! They invited you for a reason.

 

[error404]

Honesty.

You can always say, "well, I also applied to X school down the road, because staying in this area is important to me, and Y impressive school that's far away, because I'd like a strongly academic setting-- ideally, I'd like to end up at a place that has both. Wink wink." Only say this kind of **** if it's true.

 

[howelljolly]

This is a "personality" question akin to "What is your greatest weakness?"

The money is in your reaction, not necessarily the answer.

So you tell them in honest, direct and clear language. If they pursue those avenues perhaps YOU should be skeptical.

At this point in our professional careers, every question that is asked of you can be considered a converse question when observing the questioners response and follow-up questions. Never forget you're interviewing them too! They invited you for a reason.

How are you supposed to answer that one?

You can't mention an old weakness that you've fixed.
You can't spin a positive into a negative ("I care too much")
You can't mention a relatively fixed personality trait ("Ive got a bad temper")
You cant mention a problem you'd have working as in intern ("I need 8 hours of sleep to function")

So what do you say?

 

[MrBurns10]

I've tried to be honest yet generic. "Good academic programs in X area of the country." I seriously doubt they want me to rip off the 40+ programs I applied to.

Personally, I'm uncomfortable listing specific schools except in special circumstances. Regardless of whether they should or not, I'm pretty sure some interviewers have pre-conceived notions about schools. "If he's applying to X, there's no way he'd come to Y," or, "All their schools are in region A, why would they come to region B."

They're just people, after all. They have pride, jealousy, the full range of emotions everyone else has. My objective in interviewing is A) connecting with interviewers on a personal level, and B) giving them the information they need to judge my application. Getting nitpicky about where and why I applied to certain schools doesn't fall into that latter category.

 

[gutonc]

I generally answered this question (honestly) by listing 3 programs. One that I felt was an equal to the program where I was interviewing, one "bigger name" and one "lesser" program. This wasn't always the case but worked about 80% of the time. It's an essentially meaningless answer to that, generally meaningless question.

 

[Blesbok]

I go with I applied to most programs in blah blah area of the country, however, I was especially interested in this program because...

That way you are honest, but you make them feel a little special about you picking them rather than them just being one of the sea of other places.

 

[MrBurns10]

I've tried to be honest yet generic. "Good academic programs in X area of the country." I seriously doubt they want me to rip off the 40+ programs I applied to.

Personally, I'm uncomfortable listing specific schools except in special circumstances. Regardless of whether they should or not, I'm pretty sure some interviewers have pre-conceived notions about schools. "If he's applying to X, there's no way he'd come to Y," or, "All their schools are in region A, why would they come to region B."

They're just people, after all. They have pride, jealousy, the full range of emotions everyone else has. My objective in interviewing is A) connecting with interviewers on a personal level, and B) giving them the information they need to judge my application. Getting nitpicky about where and why I applied to certain schools doesn't fall into that latter category.

WTF? I never posted this. I don't think...?

Edit: nevermind, it was my husband.

 

[gutonc]

WTF? I never posted this. I don't think...?

Edit: nevermind, it was my husband.

Oooohhh...sock puppetting from within your own account. Awesome.

 

[MrBurns10]

Oooohhh...sock puppetting from within your own account. Awesome.

He says it was an "accident." Sure it was.

 

[smq123]

WTF? I never posted this. I don't think...?

Edit: nevermind, it was my husband.

 

[howelljolly]

Accidentally, I was specific about another program I interviewed at - it came up in conversation. (How do you know so-and-so?...) Hopefully it doesnt matter all that much.

 

[LabMonster]

How are you supposed to answer that one?

You can't mention an old weakness that you've fixed.
You can't spin a positive into a negative ("I care too much")
You can't mention a relatively fixed personality trait ("Ive got a bad temper")
You cant mention a problem you'd have working as in intern ("I need 8 hours of sleep to function")

So what do you say?

I give them a weakness I've been working on through medical school with examples - not fixed, a work in progress, aware of this weakness, not a personality trait.

I think providing examples is a good way of showing maturity at 1) identifying a weakness 2) correcting it 3) admitting it and continuing to be vigilant.

 

[ResidentMD]

Its really annoying when that question is asked. I was at an interview and 3 of my 4 interviewers asked me that question. And I dont feel like lying, so I just tell them (like Frugal). I try to stall initially, but then I just say it if they are persistent.

PDs and faculty, please dont ask this question. It gets really annoying. Especially to reveal other programs that may be better than the one I am interviewing at (either academically or geographically). I guess the fact that we attend the interview means we are interested in the place, and hence, that discussion should just stop there.

 

[Taurus]

They ask a stupid question, you give them a generic answer. I just tell them a geographic area, which just happens to be where the program is located in.

 

[howelljolly]

Its really annoying when that question is asked. I was at an interview and 3 of my 4 interviewers asked me that question. And I dont feel like lying, so I just tell them (like Frugal). I try to stall initially, but then I just say it if they are persistent.

PDs and faculty, please dont ask this question. It gets really annoying. Especially to reveal other programs that may be better than the one I am interviewing at (either academically or geographically). I guess the fact that we attend the interview means we are interested in the place, and hence, that discussion should just stop there.

Yeah, this is getting annoying. Sometimes they ask in a roundabout way - get my thoughts about what Im looking for in a program, then a few questions later, my thoughts about the location and contacts in the area. Then they spring the question of what other programs I applied to. WTF? Then I can't backpedal on my other answers to make the generic one sound reasonable.

And in any event, what's with the assumptions behind the "other" programs. Just because they think the other program is better doesn't mean that I think they are a safety-program. Being a low level person, I might just thrive in a low level program.

 

[LucidSplash]

Typically I respond by describing my strategy for applying, which was specific and the result of some serious consideration for my preferences and career goals. Then I will say something about how the program I am currently interviewing at met the criteria. I have only had one interviewer go beyond this to ask me for specific names of programs where I am interviewing that were similar to the program I was at. I named three I had already interviewed at and was able to say a few words about how each met my criteria and how it was similar or disimilar to the current program.

 

[ResidentMD]

And in any event, what's with the assumptions behind the "other" programs. Just because they think the other program is better doesn't mean that I think they are a safety-program. Being a low level person, I might just thrive in a low level program.

Precisely....thats the way I am looking at it too. I just wish they stop asking.

 

[Pollock]

At the beginning I didnt like the question, but then realized I could use it in my favor.

The perception of value increases when others also want the same object, in this case the resident. You dont have to tell them all the places you are interviewing, just those that are better. But let them know there is something you consider very valuable and unique in their program to explain why you decided to interview there, otherwise they will believe they are nothing but your safety-net.