I have some questions for those who have been interviewed by medical schools.

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mrh125

mrh125

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What were some questions that really surprised you if anything? Also, how common was it for interviewers to challenge you and be very controversial to try and corner you or stress you out as a test? I suppose that would be more common in MMIs. Also, do you have to be a good character actor to succeed in MMIs or just good at looking issues from multiperspectives?

I've done a good amount of reading and practicing for interviews, but just hearing more from others would really help 🙂.
 
One top 5 school 'forgot' to call us cabs to get to our interviews at their hospitals and told us that they were on the way to pick us up. (Mid-December, ~5 degrees F) I later found out that this was intentional and that they were watching what people would do when no cabs showed up and we just had a voucher for a specific cab company.

Really surprised me? I didn't 'practice' or look at 'sample' questions, so I just assumed what they asked me what normal. I guess the most unusual question was, "If you could have any super power, what would it be?"
 
mimelim said:
I guess the most unusual question was, "If you could have any super power, what would it be?"
Click to expand...

I assume you went for "see through clothing."

😎
 
mimelim said:
One top 5 school 'forgot' to call us cabs to get to our interviews at their hospitals and told us that they were on the way to pick us up. (Mid-December, ~5 degrees F) I later found out that this was intentional and that they were watching what people would do when no cabs showed up and we just had a voucher for a specific cab company.

Really surprised me? I didn't 'practice' or look at 'sample' questions, so I just assumed what they asked me what normal. I guess the most unusual question was, "If you could have any super power, what would it be?"
Click to expand...

thanks for the info and wow that cab idea is brilliant.
 
mrh125 said:
What were some questions that really surprised you if anything?
Click to expand...

"If you could sound like any bassist who would it be and why?"

mrh125 said:
Also, how common was it for interviewers to challenge you and be very controversial to try and corner you or stress you out as a test?
Click to expand...

Only happened once and the interviewer was like that during the entire interview.
 
mimelim said:
One top 5 school 'forgot' to call us cabs to get to our interviews at their hospitals and told us that they were on the way to pick us up. (Mid-December, ~5 degrees F) I later found out that this was intentional and that they were watching what people would do when no cabs showed up and we just had a voucher for a specific cab company.

Really surprised me? I didn't 'practice' or look at 'sample' questions, so I just assumed what they asked me what normal. I guess the most unusual question was, "If you could have any super power, what would it be?"
Click to expand...
I don't get it. Wouldn't anyone with a cab voucher just call the company for a cab?
 
mimelim said:
One top 5 school 'forgot' to call us cabs to get to our interviews at their hospitals and told us that they were on the way to pick us up. (Mid-December, ~5 degrees F) I later found out that this was intentional and that they were watching what people would do when no cabs showed up and we just had a voucher for a specific cab company.

Really surprised me? I didn't 'practice' or look at 'sample' questions, so I just assumed what they asked me what normal. I guess the most unusual question was, "If you could have any super power, what would it be?"
Click to expand...

I said x-ray vision so I can be an awesome rad-onc doc. They accepted me on the spot
 
mrh125 said:
Also, how common was it for interviewers to challenge you and be very controversial to try and corner you or stress you out as a test?
Click to expand...

I had 1 interviewer like this. He was pretty friendly when he met me in the common area, but as soon as we entered his office he barely made eye contact and turned away from me, and constantly asked me opinion questions that he'd respond to by flat-out saying I was wrong. It was so obvious it was a stress interview though that it didn't even bother me, it was actually kind of funny how hard he was trying to be mean.
 
mrh125 said:
What were some questions that really surprised you if anything? Also, how common was it for interviewers to challenge you and be very controversial to try and corner you or stress you out as a test? I suppose that would be more common in MMIs. Also, do you have to be a good character actor to succeed in MMIs or just good at looking issues from multiperspectives?

I've done a good amount of reading and practicing for interviews, but just hearing more from others would really help 🙂.
Click to expand...

Deliberately challenging/stressful interviewers are not common. I did not encounter any and neither did most of the people I know (although the stories do still pop up, so you should be prepared for it, just don't worry that that's going to be common). The worst I had in terms of interviewer attitude were some people who were a bit distant and cold. Remember that an interviewer's attitude in the interview may not indicate their actual opinion of you. Skilled interviewers who have a friendly interview style will keep you at ease even if they're writing you off in their heads, and some people who may seem cold could be impressed but decide not to show it. It all boils down to personal style.

I think the most important thing is to know your own application backwards and forwards and understand your own weak points and know how to be gracious explaining them. Some interviewers will get VERY nit picky. I have a few months gap on my resume (essentially due to immediate post-college malaise) and a few interviewers picked up on it. Others wanted to go over everything I'd done, thoroughly and chronologically. If your grades weren't steady (either due to drastic improvement or a dip at some point) you should expect to have to explain it. Stuff like that.
 
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All of my interviewers were very conversational. No hard-noses trying to stump me or make me nervous. The closest I got to getting stumped was an interviewer asking if healthcare should be expensive. The psychiatrist asked me if insurance should pay for cosmetic surgery, and if not then should insurance pay for reconstructive surgery. Basically the interviewer just used the time as a soap box to rant about the current state of healthcare and how sick he was of pre-meds spewing "reimbursement doesn't matter." He was looking for students who would defend the profession and physician pay.
 
tmn said:
All of my interviewers were very conversational. No hard-noses trying to stump me or make me nervous. The closest I got to getting stumped was an interviewer asking if healthcare should be expensive. The psychiatrist asked me if insurance should pay for cosmetic surgery, and if not then should insurance pay for reconstructive surgery. Basically the interviewer just used the time as a soap box to rant about the current state of healthcare and how sick he was of pre-meds spewing "reimbursement doesn't matter." He was looking for students who would defend the profession and physician pay.
Click to expand...
Good for him. I would shake his hand for someone who is upfront about it, rather than most who just ***** behind the scenes.
 
tmn said:
All of my interviewers were very conversational. No hard-noses trying to stump me or make me nervous. The closest I got to getting stumped was an interviewer asking if healthcare should be expensive. The psychiatrist asked me if insurance should pay for cosmetic surgery, and if not then should insurance pay for reconstructive surgery. Basically the interviewer just used the time as a soap box to rant about the current state of healthcare and how sick he was of pre-meds spewing "reimbursement doesn't matter." He was looking for students who would defend the profession and physician pay.
Click to expand...

Great info 🙂. Could you tell me a little bit more about your discussion about insurance paying for reconstructive surgery? Reimbursement is extremely important doctors and I've viewed some reimbursement information during the time I volunteered with doctors, and saw how a lot of societal misconceptions about it are total wrong (no, doctors don't make the $100,000 or huge amount of money you claim X procedure costs). I would like more information, however please 🙂.
 
mimelim said:
One top 5 school 'forgot' to call us cabs to get to our interviews at their hospitals and told us that they were on the way to pick us up. (Mid-December, ~5 degrees F) I later found out that this was intentional and that they were watching what people would do when no cabs showed up and we just had a voucher for a specific cab company.

Really surprised me? I didn't 'practice' or look at 'sample' questions, so I just assumed what they asked me what normal. I guess the most unusual question was, "If you could have any super power, what would it be?"
Click to expand...

I don't get this were they hiding out in the bushes watching you guys? What type of reaction did they expect? What did you guys end up doing? Just stand there and wait?
 
mimelim said:
One top 5 school 'forgot' to call us cabs to get to our interviews at their hospitals and told us that they were on the way to pick us up. (Mid-December, ~5 degrees F) I later found out that this was intentional and that they were watching what people would do when no cabs showed up and we just had a voucher for a specific cab company.
Click to expand...

😱 That's...extreme.

OP, I've been through a fair number of interviews and I've only met one who I would say was truly abrasive (funny because it's the school I ended up matriculating to). I think the "interviewer from hell" thing is largely a myth. The vast majority of my interviews were just conversations, or me asking a question and listening to the interviewer talk for 20 minutes.
 
The only weird question I was asked was "Batman or Superman?" by a student interviewer. I'm not into the whole superhero thing, but I've seen the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, so I went with that. :laugh: I'm sure it wasn't a serious question, but it was my first interview and it caught me off guard. Still got accepted!

A couple of my classmates liked to tell their interviewee, "teach me something." I actually really like that, but I never had the guts to ask any of my interviewees. You can teach anything really, from how to throw a curve ball to a ballet move to whatever. It's a really great opportunity to show off a passion of yours. Something similar I was asked was to pretend I was explaining something about neuroscience (my major) to a 12 year old.
 
SN12357 post is pretty much all there is to worry about. Even for MMI interviews, the one I had wasn't very stressful Just think about the topic and answer it in a holistic manner, considering all viewpoints before formulating your opinion. Also, for MMI they will most likely respond to your statement with an opposing viewpoint or say something that may make you question your original opinion, but don't worry about it! Just go with the flow of the conversation and don't feel forced into a certain response (say what you think is best). In general just be honest and sincere with your responses and don't try to "read" the interviewer, chances are you have no clue what they are thinking about you... unless they openly tell you how they feel about you. I never had a really stressful interviewer, just ones that seemed distant or uninterested.
 
"Tell me about a time you failed a friend."
 
I always ask questions like this. I hate canned answers and like to see how people can think on their feet, especially when a 90 MPH curve ball goes right by them.

Pore through the interview feedback section of the med schools. You'll see tons of questions like what you're asking about.

mrh125 said:
What were some questions that really surprised you if anything? Also, how common was it for interviewers to challenge you and be very controversial to try and corner you or stress you out as a test? I suppose that would be more common in MMIs. Also, do you have to be a good character actor to succeed in MMIs or just good at looking issues from multiperspectives?

I've done a good amount of reading and practicing for interviews, but just hearing more from others would really help 🙂.
Click to expand...
 
mrh125 said:
Great info 🙂. Could you tell me a little bit more about your discussion about insurance paying for reconstructive surgery? Reimbursement is extremely important doctors and I've viewed some reimbursement information during the time I volunteered with doctors, and saw how a lot of societal misconceptions about it are total wrong (no, doctors don't make the $100,000 or huge amount of money you claim X procedure costs). I would like more information, however please 🙂.
Click to expand...
Like I said, he used it as a soap box. I managed to get out something like, "well that's a tough question" before he basically used the remainder of the interview to rant. Result: accepted. I agree with @DermViser though. Good for him.
 
Goro said:
I always ask questions like this. I hate canned answers and like to see how people can think on their feet, especially when a 90 MPH curve ball goes right by them.

Pore through the interview feedback section of the med schools. You'll see tons of questions like what you're asking about.
Click to expand...
So you're pitching like Randy Johnson during interviews😱
 
If they ask you illegal question - answer it in a way to shut them up and they will stop asking those.

Examples : well do you plan on having kids or a family? - I'm infertile, can't have kids, marriage isn't so much of a hurry when I accepted that.

Example: what would you do if your boyfriend couldn't deal with your stress? - I'd break up with him, for his benefit of course, but then again, I don't plan on dating for quite some time - because you know, I can't have kids.
 
One of my friends was asked to name his top 10 favorite movies of all time.
 
Most of my interviews were very low-key and conversational but there were a few standouts. At one school, the dean engaged me in a debate about the War on Drugs. At another program, I was sent to the ED to meet with an interviewer, who then attempted to interview me in front of the patient she was suturing. I'm assuming it was an actual patient rather than a set-up (sutures go above and beyond the call of the standardized patient/actor) but it was certainly both stressful and awkward.

Among the more standard interviews, I thought the hardest questions were the ones about ethical grey zones. I found out at the end of one discussion that the theoretical situations my interviewer had been posing to me were actual examples from his residency that he was still uncertain about. So that's a good reminder of how important tact can be in settings like this.
 
The hardest question I received was "What is your greatest weakness as a leader?" I had thought about leadership qualities and my greatest weaknesses, but not the two combined.

I would be prepared to answer questions on controversial topics. I got "would you provide abortions?" "Tell me what you think about embryonic stem cells being used," and various controversial aspects of the ACA. My strategy was to basically say "X is a difficult issue in my eyes, and here's why:" then I talked about each side of the issue. I basically skirted around giving an opinion unless I was really pressed.
 
Still waiting for an explanation on the cab thing, guess they wanted to make sure you guys really wanted it by freezing your balls off.
 
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