Interview Signals?

[darkhope]

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Hey guys,
Is it basically a hopeless situation when the interviewer keeps on suggesting other schools for you to look into? And almost saying not great things about their own school? like giving reasons why you shouldn't go there? I'm so confused...
Thanks,

 

[Catalystik]

Are the recommended schools more or less-selective than that of the interviewer? How many times has this happened?

 

[sector9]

Hey guys,
Is it basically a hopeless situation when the interviewer keeps on suggesting other schools for you to look into? And almost saying not great things about their own school? like giving reasons why you shouldn't go there? I'm so confused...
Thanks,

This is a weird situation. Maybe the interviewer was trying to get you to tell him/her about why you're so excited for this school over your other potential options? Seems like a sketchy way to get that info out of interviewees though

Anyway, as you can see from this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=863797 the statements from an interviewer aren't always the best indicator of how well the interview went or how good your file is. Just keep your head up!

 

[PMPMD]

Medical interviews are notoriously inconsistent. Typically, interviewers receive ZERO formal training on how to interview. The interviewer could have made those statements for any number of reasons.

 

[Catalystik]

Maybe the interviewer was trying to get you to tell him/her about why you're so excited for this school over your other potential options?

My thought as well.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Not a good sign at all.

 

[darkhope]

thanks alot for all the feedback, hi catalystik, it was about the same tier and this was the first time it happened

 

[Coffee Machine]

Maybe the interviewer was trying to get you to tell him/her about why you're so excited for this school over your other potential options?

I've had both... One interviewer used talking about advantages of other schools to lead directly into a "so why us?" question.

Then again, another said I'd be better off at another school because of the name. He said he was just being honest. Who knows? I'll just have to wait a few more months and maybe I'll be able to figure it out.

 

[MayoorBust]

Probably doesnt think you are a good fit for the school. Which isnt always a bad thing.

 

[Noah Capurso]

Do NOT read into it at all. Experiences vary so widely that it is no use at all stressing because you never know with a lot of these interviews. I had an interview that lasted all of 20 minutes and the interviewer concluded the whole thing by saying, "Well, the one thing I can tell about you is you don't seem too crazy!" And with that I was dismissed from his office. I thought there was no way I would get in and sure enough; acceptance. Then I had an interview that lasted 1.5 hrs (that seemed to fly by) and the interviewer ended with, "Well, obviously I can't offer you an acceptance right now, but I would be very hopeful if I were you and maybe I'll see you in September." And you know what; Rejection! So who knows...Interviewers get no training and there could have been a million reasons why it seemed a bit weird or off to you. One of those reasons could be your nerves! Don't worry, and just wait for the letter for the admissions committee.

 

[Catalystik]

hi catalystik, it was about the same tier and this was the first time it happened

This would support sector9's thought. In such a situation it is good to make a definitive positive statement about why the interviewer's school is superior for your purposes if it didn't already come up in a "Why XXX College of Medicine?" question. The comment could also have been a fishing expedition to see if you'd already applied to their closest competition (stats-wise). On occasion the interviewer is altruistically suggesting schools more in your stats-range, but that doesn't seem to be an issue here. The question could also represent indirect commentary that your ECs are more of a fit for other schools' missions.

 

[shinbeats]

My interviewer did the same exact thing. He told me reasons why I shouldn't come to the school, why I wouldn't be a "great fit" and other schools that would appreciate certain ECs. Right off the bat I knew he wanted me to sort of defend myself. I stated multiple reasons why I thought I was a better fit to their school compared to others and why I had a passion about the school. I got accepted to that same exact school even though I felt I was getting harassed during the interview. Trust me you think that the interviewer is putting you down but he or she is not. They just want to test how interested you are in their school.

 

[isoquin]

That could be as simple as the interviewer just having a bad experience at that institution, and it unfortunately seeped into your interview. I think it's hard to judge from that kind of interaction. If you like the school, definitely take some time to look into it more and ensure the interviewer wasn't stating majority beliefs. The potential for 4 years of misery exists, so definitely do your homework on it.

 

[intj]

Well, there's nothing you can do now! Worrying won't change the situation. Good luck!

 

[girlofgrace7]

Do NOT read into it at all. Experiences vary so widely that it is no use at all stressing because you never know with a lot of these interviews. I had an interview that lasted all of 20 minutes and the interviewer concluded the whole thing by saying, "Well, the one thing I can tell about you is you don't seem too crazy!" And with that I was dismissed from his office. I thought there was no way I would get in and sure enough; acceptance. Then I had an interview that lasted 1.5 hrs (that seemed to fly by) and the interviewer ended with, "Well, obviously I can't offer you an acceptance right now, but I would be very hopeful if I were you and maybe I'll see you in September." And you know what; Rejection! So who knows...Interviewers get no training and there could have been a million reasons why it seemed a bit weird or off to you. One of those reasons could be your nerves! Don't worry, and just wait for the letter for the admissions committee.

You really can't get a great read about how well your interview went unless you really know the interviewer and their style. I was trying to assure an applicant the other day about how short her interview was because I know an interviewer who operates on the principal "If I have to spend more than 15-30 minutes interviewing the person, it's because I have a major concern I want to flush out." He also says the interview is to make sure 1) the person wants to be a doctor, 2) they want to come to our school, and 3) they aren't insane or going to become insane in the near future. Then again, some interviewers will let the interview run over if they're just really enjoying the conversation; so, it's totally inconsistent. I had an interviewer actually critique me on how I responded to a question (she meant it as a tip for future interviews), and I ended up attending that school.