Interview Question - Strengths and Weaknesses

[dcowboys22]

The questions: what are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Comes up in interviews sometimes. I was just wondering how some of you have answered this questions.

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[DragonWell]

Usually it's pretty easy to come up with strengths; just make sure you connect them with specific examples from your life. Weaknesses are usually a greater challenge for folks. One approach that I used was to think of weaknesses that could be strengths in a different context. For example, using laziness or lateness as your weaknesses are not good - there is basically no situation where it's good to be unproductive or late. However, another weakness I have is that I'm not very spontaneous and I tend to over prepare for things - this drives people around me crazy as I need to have the route planned on the map, food packed just in case, swiss army knife and raincoat ready, etc. But, in certain situations, such as taking a test, the tendency to over prepare can be an asset. You definitely want to be honest about your weaknesses, but that doesn't mean you can't be selective in choosing which faults to share. I suggest coming up with a list and then looking for weaknesses that have the best "silver lining" to share with them.

 

[superfan56]

don't use the perfectionist thing, it's been done to death, in the real world as well as med school interviews.

 

[t-funk]

My weakness has always been pretty easy to come up with. I usually just say I am introverted and somewhat quiet which can sometimes come off as stand-offish but that I work on that issue. I also have a really hard time talking in front of large groups of people and will sometimes "blackout" when doing a presentation but that I have really tried to work on that too. Another one that I have used, although I am not sure it has been well-received, is that I am really bad at business and always try to give people discounts and don't make money so I know I am not interested in having a private practice.

Strengths are pretty easy to come up with and should probably be reflected in your application. I usually said dedication and stick-to-it-iveness which is pretty obvious from my past. I may also talk about empathy and understanding and the fact that I've moved around a lot and experienced a lot of different types of people while relating it to past experiences. Overall, I like to get that question bc it's really easy.

 

[DragonWell]

don't use the perfectionist thing, it's been done to death, in the real world as well as med school interviews.

eg Trainspotting

Spud's classic interview:

"What are your weaknesses?"

"Well, I'm a bit of a perfectionist actually..."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FdpqH1_EC7A

 

[DrMattOglesby]

hahah thank you!
i loved that movie!

personally, my weaknesses are that i can sometimes be domineering in discussion. I like to take control of groups and that might give way to alienating some people.

 

[Shaniqua14]

I just answered with a candid "Sometimes I talk before I think, and stick my foot in my mouth."

I think as long as you answer truthfully, and your weakness isn't like, killing people, the interviewers will understand. They aren't perfect, you shouldn't be either.

Also, before the interviews, I thought I was going to make sure whatever neg attribute I had, I could put a positive spin on it. And while that is all fine and good, I doubt its necessary, so I didn't.

 

[Jae]

Unlike you t-funk, out of all the interview question, that is my worst enemy.
anyways, t-funk has some good weaknesses I would have used for myself but this is one I've used at a job interview:
I tend to focus on the detail too much that I miss other important aspects...kinda like having a tunnel vision. So, I learn to step back and see the big picture more often...

 

[Je Suis Banane]

I would say one of my strengths is having the ability to think quickly on the feet. This comes especially in handy when I'm conducting an interview or taking CASPer - when I'm put on the spot I can usually come up with a good answer *smile*. As a weakness, I find it hard to say no. I strive to make people happy but this can be a blessing and a curse - for instance, I often stay late and finish data collection when I should be doing my homework or drive a friend when I really want to relax. This stems from an inner desire to be kind and I believe in helping people, even if it means making personal sacrifices. However, I know where to draw the line if a patient were to demand a treatment that isn't medically indicated or could do more harm than good.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

This thread is Nearly 9 years old.

 

[Papa Oso]

This thread is Nearly 9 years old.

It's interview season and I'm glad it got revived. Reading this thread is definitely helpful. My personal weakness is that I can be like really hard on myself sometimes. I never like to blame my failures on my circumstances, so I sort of lash out on myself. Definitely trying to be more positive, and forgive myself for making mistakes every once in a while. I hate that this sounds a little too similarly to the whole "perfectionist" cliche. I could also talk about putting my foot in my mouth because that is also definitely true lol.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It's interview season and I'm glad it got revived. Reading this thread is definitely helpful. My personal weakness is that I can be like really hard on myself sometimes. I never like to blame my failures on my circumstances, so I sort of lash out on myself. Definitely trying to be more positive, and forgive myself for making mistakes every once in a while. I hate that this sounds a little too similarly to the whole "perfectionist" cliche. I could also talk about putting my foot in my mouth because that is also definitely true lol.

I hear you. I tend to focus on my mistakes and what I should have done differently.

 

[Je Suis Banane]

This thread is Nearly 9 years old.

Sure, but it was the first thing that returned on Google- apologies for the old accounts that are still active but if you have anything to contribute to the discussion I'd be happy to hear from your experience. I figured someone would post about how old the thread is, but clearly it's an open-ended issue that still remains to be discussed.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Sure, but it was the first thing that returned on Google- apologies for the old accounts that are still active but if you have anything to contribute to the discussion I'd be happy to hear from your experience. I figured someone would post about how old the thread is, but clearly it's an open-ended issue that still remains to be discussed.

It was merely an observation and I was just laughing on the inside and wondering how threads like these start back up, but good ol' google coming in the clutch!

My advice is to definitely steer clear from the cliche "my biggest flaw is that I care too much" or anything that resembles that kind of response. Be honest and know your deficits. A good leader is not just someone who knows where they excel, but more so a good leader is someone who can detect their own flaws, own them, and use them to better themselves and use it as a teaching moment later on in life. One of my flaws is probably how much I read into body language. I place a lot of my emphasis on how someone handled themselves and I am critical about people who don't handle themselves in the same manner I would at times. I am working on it by trying to bypass any major pre-judgement and getting to know the person, or talking to the person if I feel like they were disrespectful in a manner.

 

[Kgizzle]

Since I'm so chill and go with the flow I can get"complacent " (might be a strong word). I think I can always recover because I feel that I can always make a plan to get around my problems. I've found myself letting things happen instead of taking charge... Definitely working on that

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Since I'm so chill and go with the flow I can get"complacent " (might be a strong word). I think I can always recover because I feel that I can always make a plan to get around my problems. I've found myself letting things happen instead of taking charge... Definitely working on that

Just make sure you articulate that really well if you haven't been accepted yet. Complacency in medicine kills.

 

[Kgizzle]

Just make sure you articulate that really well if you haven't been accepted yet. Complacency in medicine kills.

My MCAT score is what I can do when I take charge...plus I'm just talking personally. I would never be chill with someone else's life

 

[OrdinaryDO]

My MCAT score is what I can do when I take charge...plus I'm just talking personally. I would never be chill with someone else's life

I know, I'm not trying to belittle you by any means I just wanted to let you know that of all the bad habits one can have, complacency is one of the worse ones if you do use it in an interview make sure you can articulate what you mean because if you leave gaps for ADCOMs to fill in, they may do so for the worse.


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