Interview Questions Help!

[FuturePharm21]

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Hey, I had a few questions about interview topics...If anyone can help me answer them or give feedback/advice, that would be greatly appreciated!


For healthcare reform, what's the best way to discuss this by staying neutral?




I know this will vary person to person but what are some good answers for what are your weaknesses and strengths?



Why rural medicine?




Where do you see yourself in 10 years?




Why is your MCAT not as competitive?



I have been going over some of the most commonly asked questions and was having trouble with the ones above since I want to have an idea of what I will say...

 

[FrkyBgStok]

I understand you are excited and don't want to blow your interview, but you gotta remember, they are looking to know you. They can see through BS. Look into the things you are interested, know the material, but be yourself. And be honest. I told one interviewer I would personally not help with euthanasia and I am not worried about taking a pay cut because there are a lot of benefits to the health care reform (my answer was definitely not nuetral) and I told another interviewer at another school that I wouldn't turn in my best friend if I caught him cheating one time. I got accepted at both schools.

Just be yourself. They want to know you, not if you can give them a canned response. I wish you the best and good luck. Just be honest.

 

[Iliketoytles]

Yeah, I actually got a couple of those questions during my interview. They really aren't looking for a particular answer... so if you're basing it off what you think they want to hear, then you're screwed. Just be yourself. I was honest with my answer to the healthcare reform question... even brought in some political views (not too much though). For the "where do you see yourself in 10 years"... well, where do you see yourself in 10 years? With a family, kids? etc... that's how I answered that one. Just be yourself.

I think it's not really the content of what you say, but how you say it that matters. Content matters of course, but to be able to express yourself respectfully but with confidence is what I think the interview is for.

 

[FuturePharm21]

Well obviously, the answer can't be too rehearsed or sound generic or what you think the school wants to hear...

I know they want it to be personal and see if you can communicate confidently and effectively but I was having a tough time answering:

any question related to healthcare reform/current healthcare situation...

Is there any book or good articles you guys recommend to brush up on that because I want to be able to say at least something...

I know this will vary person to person but what are some good answers for what are your weaknesses and strengths?

I don't want to say a weakness that will make the school think I'm not a good candidate...which is why I'm asking this.

 

[LUCPM]

Well obviously, the answer can't be too rehearsed or sound generic or what you think the school wants to hear...

I know they want it to be personal and see if you can communicate confidently and effectively but I was having a tough time answering:

any question related to healthcare reform/current healthcare situation...

Is there any book or good articles you guys recommend to brush up on that because I want to be able to say at least something...

I know this will vary person to person but what are some good answers for what are your weaknesses and strengths?

I don't want to say a weakness that will make the school think I'm not a good candidate...which is why I'm asking this.

For healthcare-related articles, these two articles were good enough:

The Cost Conundrum, by Atul Gawande from The New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?yrail

The Myth of Prevention, by Abraham Verghese from the WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204005504574235751720822322.html

Good luck.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Hey, I had a few questions about interview topics...If anyone can help me answer them or give feedback/advice, that would be greatly appreciated!


For healthcare reform, what's the best way to discuss this by staying neutral?

Give your opinion without attacking the other side. Doesn't matter what your opinion is.


I know this will vary person to person but what are some good answers for what are your weaknesses and strengths?

Basically anything other than "I like to cheat." Seriously though, often you are at a job interview. Don't say something that makes you look like a fool.


Why rural medicine?

answer why you want to do rural medicine. If you don't, don't pretend that you do.


Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I can't help you with this.


Why is your MCAT not as competitive?

can't help with this either. Just tell them why.

I have been going over some of the most commonly asked questions and was having trouble with the ones above since I want to have an idea of what I will say...

Fine.....I halfway gave answers. You have a couple of threads now regarding interview questions. If you are that worried, do a mock interview. If you are confident with your interviewing skills, you will do great. You seem to be trying really hard to get the perfect answer when there isn't one.

Just be confident and know you will do great. I promise you, when you get there, things won't be what you thought. I had perfect answers and neither interview allowed for them. The asked the questions I thought they wouldn't and not the ones I thought they would.

Just calm down and don't try to prepare too much or you will blow it. You will be great if you present yourself well regardless of what you say. Just be confident.

 

[Goro]

If you can't honestly answer these questions, then you should really consider another career. We have pretty good BS detectors, and even better canned answer detectors, and low tolerance for either. For me, hearing a canned answer is pretty much "REJECT" for a candidate.

To BgStok, I admire your honesty, and you, I'd accept!

 

[Iliketoytles]

If you can't honestly answer these questions, then you should really consider another career. We have pretty good BS detectors, and even better canned answer detectors, and low tolerance for either. For me, hearing a canned answer is pretty much "REJECT" for a candidate.

To BgStok, I admire your honesty, and you, I'd accept!

Too bad he already got accepted.... by his TOP CHOICE!!!

I got you, Stok. 😉

 

[LUCPM]

Also, if this is your first interview, you will learn how to have conversation with interviewers by your 2nd or 3rd interview. As other posters said, just relax and be yourself.

 

[FuturePharm21]

First of all, SDN is a place for people to post questions about the medical school admissions process and not a place to be bashed...if you have nothing nice to say, don't respond, it's plain and simple.

Secondly, if someone has somewhat prepared answers, it's not bad, it's good to just calm one's nerves and it's called good preparation.

I can guarantee you most of the answers have been heard because no one answer is going to be truly original....there's only so many ways to answer a question...obviously personal questions are different.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

First of all, SDN is a place for people to post questions about the medical school admissions process and not a place to be bashed...if you have nothing nice to say, don't respond, it's plain and simple.

Secondly, if someone has somewhat prepared answers, it's not bad, it's good to just calm one's nerves and it's called good preparation.

I can guarantee you most of the answers have been heard because no one answer is going to be truly original....there's only so many ways to answer a question...obviously personal questions are different.

calm down. we are really trying to help you. i am not saying don't worry about it because i am mean. I am saying don't worry because I was exactly where you are now and I planned the perfect answers and the interview took its own path and there was nothing I could do about it. And i forgot half of the sweet stuff i practiced. so know where you stand on the material, halfway plan an answer, but i would bet money that you are going to come out of the interview thinking, "damn i forgot this and that or i should have said this."

we are trying to set you up to actually succeed because I (and others) truly am/are rooting for you. Many of us got in where we want so we really want to help you get where you want. Again, I am saying to be yourself and not over prepare because I truly want the interviewer to say "we got to know futurepharm" and not "canned answers, reject."

And thanks goro. It worked out for me and I explained myself fairly well (i thought). and thanks toytles. As i have said before, your enthusiasm makes me less embarrassed.

 

[Morsetlis]

First of all, SDN is a place for people to post questions about the medical school admissions process and not a place to be bashed...if you have nothing nice to say, don't respond, it's plain and simple.

Secondly, if someone has somewhat prepared answers, it's not bad, it's good to just calm one's nerves and it's called good preparation.

I can guarantee you most of the answers have been heard because no one answer is going to be truly original....there's only so many ways to answer a question...obviously personal questions are different.

Not all the correct answers are nice ones.

Sometimes, you don't even know what the correct answers are.

Isn't it better to listen to a multitude of options rather than hearing only the nice ones?

 

[DrWily]

So how do you figure out what answers are "canned" vs just popular opinion? I'm practicing some questions (practicing, not memorizing) and I'm worried that I may come off as canned if I go with the popular opinion (i.e. turning in someone for cheating)

 

[jinobi]

You make an answer atypical by weaving in your own personal experience and reasoning into why you would turn someone in for cheating.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Some questions are less obvious. My interviewer said "if it appeared they were cheating, what would you do?" I said I would approach them and ask if they needed help studying the material so you don't rely on cheating because I wouldn't be certain they were cheating. It moved on to a school honor code and I would turn them in if they did it again the second year. I think most of it is obvious. If you start off by saying "i just want to help people, that is why I want to be in family practice in rural *whatever state you are interviewing*" and you were born and raised downtown Chicago and your shadowing was one orthopedic surgeon, it is going to look canned. If one of your ECs is campaigning for some republican committee and you try for a neutral answer on health care reform, it is going to look canned.

As an example, I said above I had a euthanasia question. Basically if it was legal in your state, how would handle a person wanting to end it themselves? Most of my volunteering was at a catholic school so I said I wouldn't personally help them, but I understand why, so I would get them involved with someone who could. If you are contradictory with things on your app, it is going to look canned.

 

[Goro]

You hear the same thing over and over. Like Q: "Why DO?" ANS: "whole body/whole person/holistic...your hands are your tools....yadda yadda yada."

So, for some of the FAQs, at least look into your own heart for the answer, instead of parroting what's posted on the internet. Sometimes there are no right answers, but there are definitely wrong answers!

So how do you figure out what answers are "canned" vs just popular opinion? I'm practicing some questions (practicing, not memorizing) and I'm worried that I may come off as canned if I go with the popular opinion (i.e. turning in someone for cheating)

 

[mdk5]

I understand you are excited and don't want to blow your interview, but you gotta remember, they are looking to know you. They can see through BS. Look into the things you are interested, know the material, but be yourself. And be honest. I told one interviewer I would personally not help with euthanasia and I am not worried about taking a pay cut because there are a lot of benefits to the health care reform (my answer was definitely not nuetral) and I told another interviewer at another school that I wouldn't turn in my best friend if I caught him cheating one time. I got accepted at both schools.

Just be yourself. They want to know you, not if you can give them a canned response. I wish you the best and good luck. Just be honest.

Re the cheating question: Would it sound canned to say that people I'm friends (or would be friends) with wouldn't cheat so it's a moot point? That's how I think I would answer. Honestly I wouldn't turn a friend in right after that but I think I'd stop being their friend because it would disgust me so much.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Re the cheating question: Would it sound canned to say that people I'm friends (or would be friends) with wouldn't cheat so it's a moot point? That's how I think I would answer. Honestly I wouldn't turn a friend in right after that but I think I'd stop being their friend because it would disgust me so much.

Yeah you can't say that. The point is for it to be an ethical question, so assume you thought they wouldn't cheat but they did. That is ignoring the issue and instead of being canned, they are going to think you are unrealistic and reject if you stand by not answering the question.

 

[mdk5]

😎

Yeah you can't say that. The point is for it to be an ethical question, so assume you thought they wouldn't cheat but they did. That is ignoring the issue and instead of being canned, they are going to think you are unrealistic and reject if you stand by not answering the question.

Then my general honest answer would be that I wouldn't report them but I'd confront them about it. Wouldn't this answer result in a rejection as well though? I mean I don't want to lie to the interviewer and I'm a believer in honesty being the best policy. Questions like this are difficult because I'm sure 99% of applicants just answer that they'd turn their friend in, and a lot of them would be lying. I'd ask the ad-com what the honor codes of DO schools generally say. If it said not reporting cheating makes you as guilty as the cheater, then I'd report. If it said nothing, I wouldn't. Do you think ad-comms would reject me for that? I don't want to lie my way into medical school.

 

[FuturePharm21]

Interview went well!! It was like a conversation...not stressful at all!

 

[WaffleDoc]

😎

Then my general honest answer would be that I wouldn't report them but I'd confront them about it. Wouldn't this answer result in a rejection as well though? I mean I don't want to lie to the interviewer and I'm a believer in honesty being the best policy. Questions like this are difficult because I'm sure 99% of applicants just answer that they'd turn their friend in, and a lot of them would be lying. I'd ask the ad-com what the honor codes of DO schools generally say. If it said not reporting cheating makes you as guilty as the cheater, then I'd report. If it said nothing, I wouldn't. Do you think ad-comms would reject me for that? I don't want to lie my way into medical school.

When I got the cheating question, I didn't just say I would turn someone in. It totally depends on the situation. If I knew the person, I would obviously go talk to them first, and be like "Yo... you're in medical school/college/whatever. Maybe it's time to stop cheating? I can help you study, yada yada." If it was someone I didn't know, however, that would be a totally different situation. You can't just run up to someone and be like, "Hi, my name is WaffleDoc, and I happened to notice you were blatantly cheating, and I just wanted you to know that you suck." It's a whole different ball game when the person isn't someone you feel comfortable talking to. At thaaat point, I might either do a hey-you-wanna-study-sometime? or just notify the professor of my suspicions. Personally, I feel like in medical school, if you're cheating, it's more of a save-you-from-yourself situation, because if you're not prepared for the exams testing you on your knowledge, why the hell would you be prepared to use that knowledge later? On innocent patients? Absolutely terrifying.

I hope that made sense. It kind of turned into a ramble..

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Interview went well!! It was like a conversation...not stressful at all!

Told ya!