'Illegal' interview questions??

[TIMMY]

After an interview, my interviewer threw in a question that Ive heard is an 'illegal' or 'inappropriate' question to ask an applicant:
"What other schools have you applied to or plan to interview at?"
I honestly told him all the schools that had offered me an interview but do you think my answer could jeoperdise my chances of getting in?
Is it rude to decline answering such questions?
Thanks!

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[edfig99]

that's always an awkward question to answer and even more awkward to avoid answering. As an interviewer, i've learned not to ask it directly. I usually ask what areas of the country or types of schools an applicant is applying to. As an interviewee, I never gave specifics - I just gave sort of geographic areas.

Technically it should not affect your chances....but we all know there is a strong subjective component to this whole process and so it possibly could. I'm not sure what the best way to handle it would be...i mean, i suppose you could send a note to the admissions director so that they can be aware this happened and re-educate the interviewer and make sure that your school choices aren't written down anywhere. if you think it had a severely adverse effect on your interview then that is something you can mention as well.

most of the time though, they're asking it just out of curiousity so you shouldn't be too worried.

 

[jlee9531]

it may be illegal but people ask this time and time again.

i would have just been vague about it....like...since the med school admissions process is such a random one, i applied to a variety of programs all across the nation that i felt i would be happy at.

its harder to avoid the...where else have you interviewed at...but luckily the school that asked me was one of my top choices so i was able to say the schools but also add that they were easily one of the top schools i was hoping to interview at.

i dont think it will hurt your chances at gaining an acceptance...unless the schools you interviewed at has like a super high reputation compared to the one you interviewed at...

outside of that...i dont think it will harm you at all. just show your interest and it should be good.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

I told him I was already accepted to another school. He tried to probe it out of me. I said that I wouldn't be interviewing here if the other school was my top choice. He nodded and went on to the next question.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

It is not illegal to ask... you have the freedom to say you feel more comfortable not answering that. It is darn awkward though

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

yo, if these types of questions get you all worked up, how are you gonna respond when someone asks you an important question like "is it fatal?" if you're asked this question just give an answer w/o any awkward pauses, stammering or other such foolishness. say something, be it vague or specific, but say it w/ confidence.

 

[TIMMY]

I appreciate all your responses....ultimately this is a weird question because unlike other questions asked during the interview...the point of this one is unclear. We're used to questions that tests ones maturity level or behavior under stress but I think the point of this question varies from school to school and thats whats awkward about it.
It is important to be Confident but I dont think its a question one should necessarily jump into answering no matter how confident you are because it may come off as being nonchalant or it may be a sign to the interviewer that you are not as enthusiastic about their program...which is not an attitude to have during such interviews. Its certainly not a difficult question but its weird.....

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by TIMMY
After an interview, my interviewer threw in a question that Ive heard is an 'illegal' or 'inappropriate' question to ask an applicant:
"What other schools have you applied to or plan to interview at?"
I honestly told him all the schools that had offered me an interview but do you think my answer could jeoperdise my chances of getting in?
Is it rude to decline answering such questions?
Thanks!

Why is this illegal and where are the rules for the interview process?

This is a common question.

 

[TIMMY]

Ive heard this 'illegal' questions thing here and there but I found aritcles that talk about the issue

www.med-ed-online.org/res00063.htm
This is a recent study that discusses the medical school interview process and it shows certain questions being classified as 'illegal' or 'inappropriate' during a medical school inteview (Ref. to Table 1) but this issue is addressed in detail in paragraph 5 of the discussion section.

I guess there are no rules for the interview process but it is widely held contention that certain questions such as the ones mentioned in the study above are irrelevant or inappropriate and are not a criteria in predicting your performance or success in medical school.

I personally have no problems at all answering any of these questions including "what schools I applied to and plan to interview at" but I was wondering what purpose they served and if answering such questions could negativley affect your reviews by Adcoms.

 

[jlee9531]

well bad wording...its not illegal...but i guess its something that shouldnt be asked...

or at least thats what i have heard recently as well.

but i do agree with doan saying that it is a very common question and that all of us have or will have to answer.

 

[Spitting Camel]

Originally posted by jlee9531
well bad wording...its not illegal...but i guess its something that shouldnt be asked...

or at least thats what i have heard recently as well.

but i do agree with doan saying that it is a very common question and that all of us have or will have to answer.

I got asked these at a closed-file interview:

Do you have any MCAT subsection below a 7?

Do you have any grades lower than a C?

and I got asked about my accepts at UCI...

no big deal. Just be honest. If you have a great shot, they go into recruitment mode. That's a good sign.

 

[viking1224]

I honestly believe that questions regarding your other interviews/acceptances are not a big deal. You don't have to list all 15 schools, just name a few. If the interviewer presses you, go ahead and tell them the details. My interviers asked me this question at 3 different schools, I told them the truth, and I still got in. I sort of feel like this question gives the interviewee an advantage. You have the opportunity to explain why you are particularly interested in the school you are visiting. Spin it the right way, and you're golden! Besides, asking about other schools is probably the least personal of the questions you will answer in a typical interview day!

viking1224

 

[Thundrstorm]

Originally posted by Mr. Rosewater
yo, if these types of questions get you all worked up, how are you gonna respond when someone asks you an important question like "is it fatal?"

I love how everything on this forum is tied back to "Well, if you're gonna be a good doctor, you should..."

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

Originally posted by Thundrstorm
I love how everything on this forum is tied back to "Well, if you're gonna be a good doctor, you should..."

i'm just saying, in the grand scheme of things "so, where else are you interviewing" isn't that horrible of a question.

 

[Spitting Camel]

Originally posted by Thundrstorm
I love how everything on this forum is tied back to "Well, if you're gonna be a good doctor, you should..."

I agree. It's pretty funny that how you post is indicative of your abilities as a future physician. It's easy to dish those kinds of statements outto others, and just as easy to dismiss them when they are directed back at you (You are, of course, infallible, right?). When you're physicians, then tell us what it's like. Until then, the highhorse can be a pretty lonely place.

 

[musiclink213]

now, it's all fine and dandy if you have other schools to interview at, but what if you only get one interview? then what? do you tell them that this school is your only interview? i would think that would make it seem like well, if the other schools don't want this person, there must be something wrong.

also, i heard that they know how many schools you've applied to, even if you don't tell them. is this true, or just a rumour?

 

[TIMMY]

Originally posted by musiclink213
now, it's all fine and dandy if you have other schools to interview at, but what if you only get one interview? then what? do you tell them that this school is your only interview? i would think that would make it seem like well, if the other schools don't want this person, there must be something wrong.

also, i heard that they know how many schools you've applied to, even if you don't tell them. is this true, or just a rumour?

....If it were me....I would tell them that this was my only interview so far and that I had applied to the following schools ......simple. Leaving it out there, if the interviewer probes further...I would have no clue what to say....This is the problem with these kinda questions but if everything else fails...honesty will prob pay off on this one!

 

[NRAI2001]

Originally posted by Thundrstorm
I love how everything on this forum is tied back to "Well, if you're gonna be a good doctor, you should..."

Lol seriously, its really hilarious.

 

[TheRussian]

How about some other inappropriate questions.

I was asked by one interviewer out of the blue what I thought about gay marriage. I decided that there was no fense sitting on this one so I just gave him my opinion and hoped he would agree with me. He seemed to feel the same way but I got rejected two weeks later so now I wonder.

Such controversial topics don't belong in an interview since I feel your opinions can affect whether or not you are accepted based on whether or not the interviewer shares your sentiments.