Interviewing - Honesty?

[gary5]

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During an interview, is it better to be honest or to lie?

 

[Penelope1]

During an interview, is it better to be honest or to lie?

In interviews, as in life, it's always better to be honest. (That doesn't mean you have to volunteer negative information, but stick to the truth and you'll be fine.) If you lie, you will end up continuously having to cover your tracks, you won't be able to relax, and you probably are a better advocate for yourself when you are really talking about yourself than when you're trying to pretend to be someone else. Plus, if you do manage to get in after lying in an interview, you'll feel like you didn't deserve it, and you'll never know whether you actually did.

Not sure if this was a real question or not, but I felt like answering it anyway. 😉

 

[Law2Doc]

During an interview, is it better to be honest or to lie?

Why would you lie? If you make it to an interview your odds of acceptance are decent. You just have to come across as mature, intelligent, personable and well thought out... But I guess if you aren't any of those things you'd better fake it. 🙂

 

[xanthines]

Regardless of tongue-in-cheekiness of the thread I think what you've said deserved some more discussion.

As someone who's applied to med school three times, I have been on enough interviews to (finally!) figure them out. I only realized this when I got a full-time job and had to interview others for positions in the lab. The most important thing you can do is be genuine. You want the interviewer to walk away confident of their assessment. Although being snotty and cocky is bad, in my opinion it's better that they know this upfront. When your interviewer goes back to the adcoms and says "I'm not sure, but this guy might be a little cocky" it doesn't sound too good. On the other hand a good ol' "Well, he might be a cocky little bastard, but he's got guts" is a tad bit better. What you especially don't want is your interviewer to think "Man, I can't just figure this guy out."

Your interviewers are most likely to be physicians themselves. They probably get enough uncertainty and bull$hit in their everyday work already. The last thing they want to see are the same traits that bother them at work all over again. After doing H&P's for years, they probably get a good feel when people are being forthcoming. It's probably refreshing to meet an applicant is genuine and honest with themselves after a dozen interviews.

What I've said is not definitive and it will not guarantee you an acceptance. However, I think following this strategy will improve your interview performance and improve your overall chances for an acceptance. I'm sure there will be plenty of anecdotal evidence "disproving" what I've said, but this is playing the odds and that doesn't work on a single instance, be it interviews or the poker table.

Just my 2 cents.


Cheers,

-X

In interviews, as in life, it's always better to be honest. (That doesn't mean you have to volunteer negative information, but stick to the truth and you'll be fine.) If you lie, you will end up continuously having to cover your tracks, you won't be able to relax, and you probably are a better advocate for yourself when you are really talking about yourself than when you're trying to pretend to be someone else. Plus, if you do manage to get in after lying in an interview, you'll feel like you didn't deserve it, and you'll never know whether you actually did.

Not sure if this was a real question or not, but I felt like answering it anyway. 😉

 

[rpkall]

All good points.

Sometimes it helps to tell stories, though, especially when they ask you, "Why do you want to come to *this* school?"

I was lucky to get interviews at State Schools nearby, and never had to make anything up because I actually *did* like the schools very much.

However, there were schools on my list that were "filler" or "just in case" or "jeez, I hope I get in somewhere" schools. And even if you do get interviewed at these places, you still need to spin some good yarns about why they fit your personal and professional goals.

I'm not saying lie about yourself and your abilities, or about what you've done for work or extracurriculars--lying about that stuff is plain dishonest and unprofessional.

But there's no law against saying you're enamored with the location, you have family nearby, or that you've always wanted to live in Michigan because you like blizzards and making snowmen.

 

[Haybrant]

hey haybrant this sounds like a b.s gpa booster class

yup interviewer, i too thought it was a b.s gpa booster class but after taking it I realized and learned x,y,z.


honesty is best b.c you come across genuine (most premeds arent good actors) which will work wonders. If you can figure out the interview game the hardest part will be getting the interview

 

[CTG]

During an interview, is it better to be honest or to lie?

of course! i can't believe people actually lie on interviews. number one, people can usually tell if you're lying so it just makes you look bad, number two, it's unethical!!!!

 

[domukin]

me smells a troll. lie if you are really good at it, for the rest of us, honesty all the way.

 

[Shredder]

During an interview, is it better to be honest or to lie?

lie if youre good at it and are able to follow through on it extensively if needed. truth otherwise. lying is risky but the payoff could potentially be great if you pull it off. consider practicing acting skills and concocting stories starting now.

ethics--you know other people are going to be doing what they can to get ahead of you, whether its shady or not. theres a lot of fudging that goes on in apps and resumes, thats life. dont let them beat you bc of it. lying in itself is a valuable art.

 

[Scarletbegonias]

During an interview, is it better to be honest or to lie?

Are you kidding? If you don't know the answer to this question, you shouldn't be going to med school.

 

[Zephyrus]

your interviewer is just another potential date to woo, except "flirtation" is replaced with "self-aggrandizing." in both cases, you have to be subtle enough that they realize what you're doing without viewing you as too bold, egotistical, shallow, or two-dimensional. just like life, get the girl.

Z

 

[wareagle]

lie if youre good at it and are able to follow through on it extensively if needed. truth otherwise. lying is risky but the payoff could potentially be great if you pull it off. consider practicing acting skills and concocting stories starting now.

ethics--you know other people are going to be doing what they can to get ahead of you, whether its shady or not. theres a lot of fudging that goes on in apps and resumes, thats life. dont let them beat you bc of it. lying in itself is a valuable art.

I agree. If you can pull it off like George Costanza, then do it by all means.

It all depends on your situation. If you are a borderline candidate, you need to take a high risk/high reward approach. If you are an excellent candidate, then there is no need to risk it.

 

[it.]

YAY for lying!!! lying has gotten me out of several undesirable situations in my college career (pretending to be enrolled in a class resulting in me getting enrolled after much confusion, pretending to be enrolled in a different discussion section to take a quiz i missed, etc). i have gotten much better at lying, although i wouldn't say that i'm great. it's all about portraying genuineness. i agree that if you figure you need a boost, lie if you are great at it, but otherwise, stick to honesty cuz lying is a lot of work.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

During an interview, is it better to be honest or to lie?

uh, is this a joke? of course, as most already said, it's ALWAYS better to be honest in all aspects of life. Furthermore I can't believe you are actually soliciting opinions on this...sounds like you want justification of your actions/future intentions. 😱

 

[it.]

uh, is this a joke? of course, as most already said, it's ALWAYS better to be honest in all aspects of life. Furthermore I can't believe you are actually soliciting opinions on this...sounds like you want justification of your actions/future intentions. 😱

always? great ideal to have, but impossible to practice...if you live in the real world anyway

 

[Haybrant]

uh, is this a joke? of course, as most already said, it's ALWAYS better to be honest in all aspects of life. Furthermore I can't believe you are actually soliciting opinions on this...sounds like you want justification of your actions/future intentions. 😱

'always' sounds pretty shady, especially comming from a 5000+ poster

 

[Psycho Doctor]

'always' sounds pretty shady, especially comming from a 5000+ poster

huh? what does one have to do with the other??? 😕

In interviews, as in life, it's always better to be honest.

from a poster with 10+ posts 😀

 

[criminallyinane]

Hey, honesty won't get you into a school you're lukewarm about when they ask you, "Why OUR school?" You can't say, "Well, I'm just not that into you, but if you're the only thing I've got, I'd rather not go home alone tonight..." Instead, you come up with some crap you like about the school. That's like a white lie.

Any other kind of lying, though, is stupid and you'd have to be a big idiot to try it.

 

[wareagle]

uh, is this a joke? of course, as most already said, it's ALWAYS better to be honest in all aspects of life. Furthermore I can't believe you are actually soliciting opinions on this...sounds like you want justification of your actions/future intentions. 😱

Sometimes it is better to lie. If your wife asks you if an outfit makes her look fat, the answer is always NO, even if she is 600 lbs.

 

[tigress]

Sometimes it is better to lie. If your wife asks you if an outfit makes her look fat, the answer is always NO, even if she is 600 lbs.

Hey guys, women are much more complicated than this! lol
Sometimes if I ask if I look good in something, I just want to hear "of course you do" so I can get out the door and go. But sometimes when I'm trying on something new or whatever and I ask my husband if it looks nice, I actually want his opinion! I'm lucky, my husband seems to have picked this up quickly 😛

Complete and utter honesty all the time is impossible. We all tell little white lies because that's what's socially acceptable. I think with regard to interviews there are certain guidlines people ought to follow. For example, I think making up personal details about yourself and/or your family is wrong and a misrepresentation. But if you're asked why you want to go to a school, of course you're going to fudge it a little to make your answer sound good. But I wouldn't lie and tell a school that it's my first choice if it really isn't. I would just figure out some reasons why I might like to go there and talk about those. You can probably answer most questions with complete honesty. Sure some people might be good liers, but if you're honest you'll still probably make a better impression on the interviewer.

 

[CTG]

always? great ideal to have, but impossible to practice...if you live in the real world anyway

I love how people who perpetually lie never believe people who say they're always honest...just because you're not capable of being honest all the time doesn't mean that people who are don't exist

 

[criminallyinane]

I love how people who perpetually lie never believe people who say they're always honest...just because you're not capable of being honest all the time doesn't mean that people who are don't exist

So everytime someone asks you how you are, no matter who is doing the asking, you give a totally honest reply?

 

[tigress]

I love how people who perpetually lie never believe people who say they're always honest...just because you're not capable of being honest all the time doesn't mean that people who are don't exist

I really think nobody is ALWAYS honest. I'm a very honest person, but I'm sure I tell white lies every once in a while. Sometimes I pretend to be interested in things I'm not for the sake of whoever I'm talking to. Every once in a while I might tell a small lie to avoid ridicule, like from my parents for example. And sometimes I have secrets that friends tell me to keep, so if somebody asks me if I know about it of course I"ll say "no", and that's also a lie. Part of social interaction is knowing when to lie. That's why my cousins with Aspergers Syndrome embarass people sometimes -- because they always tell the truth even when they shouldn't.

 

[samdwi]

If you have to ask...

 

[CTG]

So everytime someone asks you how you are, no matter who is doing the asking, you give a totally honest reply?

oh, i'm not saying i'm ALWAYS honest...although for the most part i am...i usually try to answer honestly yet say as little as possible...like if i'm having a bad day and someone asks how i am i say, "hanging in there" which is true, just not the whole story...i dunno, i just feel really bad about lying, even if it's a white lie....but i said what i said because i know 2 people who are ALWAYS ALWAYS honest...trust me, they exist 🙂

 

[xSTALLiONx]

of course! i can't believe people actually lie on interviews. number one, people can usually tell if you're lying so it just makes you look bad, number two, it's unethical!!!!

some people suck at lying.. but for some people its very natural..

i'm 99% of the time honest.. but when I need to come up with some bull**** or lie.. i don't even have to think about it.. it comes naturally.. must be my super fast imagination that finds a lie that is very hard to disprove...

should be a lawyer i guess... but taking a spot from a pre-med is much more enjoyable..

 

[xSTALLiONx]

oh, i'm not saying i'm ALWAYS honest...although for the most part i am...i usually try to answer honestly yet say as little as possible...like if i'm having a bad day and someone asks how i am i say, "hanging in there" which is true, just not the whole story...i dunno, i just feel really bad about lying, even if it's a white lie....but i said what i said because i know 2 people who are ALWAYS ALWAYS honest...trust me, they exist 🙂

if its your significant other.. they might be a good liar and you might not be quick enough to catch their lies..

 

[it.]

oh, i'm not saying i'm ALWAYS honest...although for the most part i am...i usually try to answer honestly yet say as little as possible...like if i'm having a bad day and someone asks how i am i say, "hanging in there" which is true, just not the whole story...i dunno, i just feel really bad about lying, even if it's a white lie....but i said what i said because i know 2 people who are ALWAYS ALWAYS honest...trust me, they exist 🙂

i don't deny the existence of these "truth tellers," but imho these hardcore truth tellers are not going about life in a sensible, practical way. there are situations in life that most rational people would agree require lying.

 

[it.]

I love how people who perpetually lie never believe people who say they're always honest...just because you're not capable of being honest all the time doesn't mean that people who are don't exist

i'm sure it's more than just us supposedly perpetual liers. i think most people would agree that absolutely honesty in all areas of life is very hard to believe

p.s. most of the time i'm an honest guy. but i am also very driven in attaining my goals (medicine, which requires good grades). i was in desperate situations where i saw opportunities to save my grades...i took risks and i was rewarded for it.

 

[45408]

Are you kidding? If you don't know the answer to this question, you shouldn't be going to med school.

I honestly can't believe any of you guys take the OP seriously. This is the INTERNET.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I honestly can't believe any of you guys take the OP seriously. This is the INTERNET.

well i started off by saying i didn't think it was for real....

 

[45408]

well i started off by saying i didn't think it was for real....

I was replying to someone else though.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Sometimes it is better to lie. If your wife asks you if an outfit makes her look fat, the answer is always NO, even if she is 600 lbs.

i find it hard to believe that a 600 lb woman would ask if any outfit makes her look fat unless she is brain dead

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I was replying to someone else though.

oops but i saw the words "any of you guys"....and jumped in...my bad 😳

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Hey, honesty won't get you into a school you're lukewarm about when they ask you, "Why OUR school?" You can't say, "Well, I'm just not that into you, but if you're the only thing I've got, I'd rather not go home alone tonight..." Instead, you come up with some crap you like about the school. That's like a white lie.

Any other kind of lying, though, is stupid and you'd have to be a big idiot to try it.

well i would think a person would have some reasons for liking the school..so use them (not a lie) ..or why else did they apply in the first place?? 😕

 

[Law2Doc]

i find it hard to believe that a 600 lb woman would ask if any outfit makes her look fat unless she is brain dead

It's not bad enough that she's morbidly obese but you have to insult her intelligence too? Harsh! 😀

 

[CTG]

if its your significant other.. they might be a good liar and you might not be quick enough to catch their lies..

There is no significant other...i don't trust people enough

 

[Psycho Doctor]

It's not bad enough that she's morbidly obese but you have to insult her intelligence too? Harsh! 😀

😛 i'm giving her an acceptable excuse

 

[it.]

It's not bad enough that she's morbidly obese but you have to insult her intelligence too? Harsh! 😀

i feel bad for this hypothetical obese, unintelligent woman 🙁

 

[Shredder]

Are you kidding? If you don't know the answer to this question, you shouldn't be going to med school.

i love these responses, there should be a top 10 list of why people shouldn't be going to med school

 

[nicholonious]

i find it hard to believe that a 600 lb woman would ask if any outfit makes her look fat unless she is brain dead

NO DUDE. Then Gweneth Paltrow is a veggie. Shallow hall is clear undeniable evidence that 600lb ladies still ask rediculously dumb questions regarding weight.





Ryan, just kidding!

 

[every1blowz]

-

 

[deuist]

lie if youre good at it and are able to follow through on it extensively if needed. truth otherwise. lying is risky but the payoff could potentially be great if you pull it off. consider practicing acting skills and concocting stories starting now.

ethics--you know other people are going to be doing what they can to get ahead of you, whether its shady or not. theres a lot of fudging that goes on in apps and resumes, thats life. dont let them beat you bc of it. lying in itself is a valuable art.

Why am I always creeped out when I read your posts?

 

[gary5]

OK, so your interviewer is female, and she asks, "Do I look fat to you?"

 

[it.]

OK, so your interviewer is female, and she asks, "Do I look fat to you?"

*It. looks her up and down, puts on an inquisitive face, rubs his chin, pausing for a moment to think.................................If i say yes, she'll get angry, but if i say no, she'll call me out as a liar...c'mon It., there's gotta be some way out of this, some kind of compromise......... * "nes........"

 

[Shredder]

Why am I always creeped out when I read your posts?

? no reason for it, the only creepy one is meg at cool

 

[Penelope1]

Sometimes it is better to lie. If your wife asks you if an outfit makes her look fat, the answer is always NO, even if she is 600 lbs.

I haven't finished reading the thread, but this is a common misperception that I'd like to clear up. Not all women want to be lied to when they ask how they look in a dress. I for one would much rather hear that, yes, that dress makes me look twice as fat as I really am than to be assured I look great when in fact I look like a walking monstrosity in that dress. I'd rather find out gently from my husband that my outfit isn't the greatest (or even that I have been putting on weight lately) than to make a fool of myself in public. And I'd hope my husband respects me enough and is man enough to tell me the truth. In fact, even white lies would be grounds for seriously re-examining the relationship, in my opinion.

 

[Penelope1]

i don't deny the existence of these "truth tellers," but imho these hardcore truth tellers are not going about life in a sensible, practical way. there are situations in life that most rational people would agree require lying.

Sure, there are. For example, if a serial killer asks you where your boyfriend is because they're trying to kill him, you should obviously lie. More plausibly, if someone asks you a question about your private life to which your refusal to answer would imply an answer all by itself, yeah, lying is perfectly fine.

BUT the key is that these are weird or extreme situations, and they don't imply that it's okay to lie in normal contexts. In normal situations, lying never does you any good because you end up having to back up all your lies with more lies to keep them plausible and you're in constant fear of being found out. What if person A talks to person B to whom I told x? And the more and bigger lies you tell, the more you'll feel like a fraud. Why do this to yourself? This whole headache can be avoided by just living your life the way you want to so that you can be proud of what you've done. If you're happy and secure, you won't be tempted to lie, because you'll either already have achieved what you want or be confident that you can achieve it in the future.

 

[Mutt]

*It. looks her up and down, puts on an inquisitive face, rubs his chin, pausing for a moment to think.................................If i say yes, she'll get angry, but if i say no, she'll call me out as a liar...c'mon It., there's gotta be some way out of this, some kind of compromise......... * "nes........"

Does taking the 5th work in interviews....?

 

[Severus]

lie because Doctors lie.