Interviews: A Comedy of Errors

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What was the result of an interview where you did/suffered something embarrassing?

  • Accepted

    Votes: 30 53.6%

  • Waitlisted

    Votes: 11 19.6%

  • Rejected

    Votes: 12 21.4%

  • Ran from building, went into hiding on deserted island

    Votes: 10 17.9%
  • Total voters
    56
E

ekmf27050

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Hi All-

Instead of stressing about interviews to come, I thought I would offer some laughs to the community about the comedy of errors that my interviews have been so far. Nothing drastic that would leave me in tears, but funny enough that I have to stifle my laughter pretty strictly. And this has generally been outside the actual interview (my funny answers are a whole other boat). Feel free to add your own contributions if you'd like to make me feel better 😱

Interview 1: First interview, first talk of the day. Sat in an (apparently broken) auditorium chair that dumped me onto the floor. Struggled to get up in my pencil skirt and heels, while the dean stopped his talk to ask if I was okay. Cue entire auditorium watching me maneuver like a baby giraffe in a skirt suit.

Interview 2: During an unseasonable heat wave, our tour guide takes us outside. Despite thinking cool thoughts, I immediately start to sweat profusely, right before going in for my interview in a sweltering room. Result: 2+ pounds of water weight lost.

Interview 3: Heel gets stuck in storm grate outside of interview building. Heel, body, and rolling suitcase come to a stop at varying speeds and angles. While bending over to pry out shoe from grate, contents of purse begin falling on the sidewalk.

Interview 4: Was directed to the wrong end of a possibly mile-long hallway for interviews. Could see my interviewer come out and look for me from a distance (a mile?) as I speed walked down the hallway and arrived severely winded.

In short, for those of you who keep things calm and perfectly collected during interview day, I salute you. And if anyone sees me stuck in a storm grate/laying on the floor somewhere/in desperate need of an inhaler on the interview trail, please don't laugh because I can barely keep from laughing myself.
 
I feel bad for laughing, but that was hilarious. For your October interviews, just dont get stuck down in a storm drain with It and you’ll be fine. I hope you got in/will get into your top choice school though!
 
In poker terms, you have two pairs or perhaps a generous straight with the broken chair. Very entertaining.

I got a three of a kind, so here's mine:

Int #1: Drove 13 hours (750+ miles) one way to interview. On way back, another 750+ miles, 2 seconds from hitting a deer going 65mph at 2-3AM in stretch of highway with miles of no cell reception and no lights. Got a parking ticket from parking security when going to my car after the day was done, after getting reassurance from the security guard at 7:30 AM that it was ok to park there.

Int #2: Got up at 3AM to drive to the school which was 2 hours drive away. On the way, took a wrong turn and ended up 45 minutes late for check-in. Very awkward walking in on the Dean of Admissions half-way into their orientation presentation and profusely apologizing.

Int #3: After finishing interview with a GI, walked out of the room to fellow applicants asking how it went. Being ignorant of how my voice carried, stated jokingly that the interviewer was a GI and that I feel like I just received a colonoscopy. Fellow applicants and I laughed, but a representative of the school who gave up a presentation earlier overheard. They found it funny also, but I don't know whether my joke was appropriate under the circumstances.
 
It happens at the Faculty level too.

I interviewed at KSU for an UG Ass't Prof position in the Biology dep't....in February. A winter storm blew in to Manhattan the day before and the temps were in the 20s. Like a *****, on interview day 1 I forgot my overcoat in the hotel room and spent the day on campus in just my sport jacket...freezing.

For Faculty interviews you get shuttled from faculty member to faculty member, where each extols their research and their teaching. I finish with one guy and then wait some 20 mins because the next guy forgot about his app't with me.

Each person also was pitching how great thier new integrated Intro to Bio course was...where ALL faculty teach in the PBL style course at the same time. Each subject..no matter what the content. I start thinking "I'm a ___" [my specialty]..."what the F do I know about Ecology or Botany??"

The Dep't Chair was an alpha male type of guy...and I start thinking "how am I going work under this this type of guy?"

Each person asked me "so what project would you work on to go for funding". I rattled off my projects and what funding bodies I'd shoot for. Hypothesis driven stuff, not a fishing expedition, and there was a financial angle to it, having to do with an animal the USDA has an interest in. Every person who heard this, shot this down. "OK, my ideas don't fly here. Very welcoming".

My scientific counterpart currently on their faculty was in my face the entire dinner. "Who can you collaborate with here?" Not something you think of an answer for right off the bat when you have a nematode person on your left, a botanist on your right, a veterinary faculty member northeast of you, and your counterpart right in front of you....who doesn't do your kind of research. I swallowed my steak and BS'd an answer.

The next day I gave my research and teaching seminar to the search committee only (about three people). I had some transparencies made (this was in the days before PPT) and to my horror, I discovered the ink on the transparencies had reacted with the plastic and all the sheets were stuck together, and the ink wasn't dry either. Luckily, they had a white board so I had to work off of that. By then, I also found out that they only wanted me to teach labs and only labs. And not just for their dep't, but other programs as well. Not quite what I was signing up for...to be a University resource.

Now granted, my field is a lab heavy subject, but it's nice to do some lecturing, and at least, not be given that you're going to be the newest serf in the kingdom.

The, next day, the Chair of the search committee told me that he couldn't give a tour of the campus and the city, because his mom had died the night before.

I was taken to the airport and my flight out was delayed by at least one hour.

As soon as I got back home, I wrote a letter to the Chair thanking him, and withdrew from consideration. It was my worst interview experience, ever.
 
DV-T said:
In poker terms, you have two pairs or perhaps a generous straight with the broken chair. Very entertaining.

I got a three of a kind, so here's mine:

Int #1: Drove 13 hours (750+ miles) one way to interview. On way back, another 750+ miles, 2 seconds from hitting a deer going 65mph at 2-3AM in stretch of highway with miles of no cell reception and no lights. Got a parking ticket from parking security when going to my car after the day was done, after getting reassurance from the security guard at 7:30 AM that it was ok to park there.

Int #2: Got up at 3AM to drive to the school which was 2 hours drive away. On the way, took a wrong turn and ended up 45 minutes late for check-in. Very awkward walking in on the Dean of Admissions half-way into their orientation presentation and profusely apologizing.

Int #3: After finishing interview with a GI, walked out of the room to fellow applicants asking how it went. Being ignorant of how my voice carried, stated jokingly that the interviewer was a GI and that I feel like I just received a colonoscopy. Fellow applicants and I laughed, but a representative of the school who gave up a presentation earlier overheard. They found it funny also, but I don't know whether my joke was appropriate under the circumstances.
Click to expand...
For interview poker do you win with a high score or a low score?
 
Goro said:
It happens at the Faculty level too.

I interviewed at KSU for an UG Ass't Prof position in the Biology dep't....in February. A winter storm blew in to Manhattan the day before and the temps were in the 20s. Like a *****, on interview day 1 I forgot my overcoat in the hotel room and spent the day on campus in just my sport jacket...freezing.

For Faculty interviews you get shuttled from faculty member to faculty member, where each extols their research and their teaching. I finish with one guy and then wait some 20 mins because the next guy forgot about his app't with me.

Each person also was pitching how great thier new integrated Intro to Bio course was...where ALL faculty teach in the PBL style course at the same time. Each subject..no matter what the content. I start thinking "I'm a ___" [my specialty]..."what the F do I know about Ecology or Botany??"

The Dep't Chair was an alpha male type of guy...and I start thinking "how am I going work under this this type of guy?"

Each person asked me "so what project would you work on to go for funding". I rattled off my projects and what funding bodies I'd shoot for. Hypothesis driven stuff, not a fishing expedition, and there was a financial angle to it, having to do with an animal the USDA has an interest in. Every person who heard this, shot this down. "OK, my ideas don't fly here. Very welcoming".

My scientific counterpart currently on their faculty was in my face the entire dinner. "Who can you collaborate with here?" Not something you think of an answer for right off the bat when you have a nematode person on your left, a botanist on your right, a veterinary faculty member northeast of you, and your counterpart right in front of you....who doesn't do your kind of research. I swallowed my steak and BS'd an answer.

The next day I gave my research and teaching seminar to the search committee only (about three people). I had some transparencies made (this was in the days before PPT) and to my horror, I discovered the ink on the transparencies had reacted with the plastic and all the sheets were stuck together, and the ink wasn't dry either. Luckily, they had a white board so I had to work off of that. By then, I also found out that they only wanted me to teach labs and only labs. And not just for their dep't, but other programs as well. Not quite what I was signing up for...to be a University resource.

Now granted, my field is a lab heavy subject, but it's nice to do some lecturing, and at least, not be given that you're going to be the newest serf in the kingdom.

The, next day, the Chair of the search committee told me that he couldn't give a tour of the campus and the city, because his mom had died the night before.

I was taken to the airport and my flight out was delayed by at least one hour.

As soon as I got back home, I wrote a letter to the Chair thanking him, and withdrew from consideration. It was my worst interview experience, ever.
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THAT is reassuring but also horrifying... mine have not (and hopefully will not) reach the cry in an airport bathroom on my way home level- your experience sounds awful!
 
I may contribute here.

At my first interview, I went to the lady's after lunch and tour but before actual interview for some makeup. The nice adcom lady came in, I awkwardly nodded to her, she flushed and came out, I was still THERE and double awkwardly nodded. She left without saying a thing. Three seconds later she returned and clearly wanted to talk to me. Like an idot I started off by talking about how their hospital looked.

Now I still cringe every time I think about this -- she was so nice that she waited me to finish my nervous babbling, and then she told me that I was late for the next presentation and the dean of admissions was waiting in the room...:scared: Boy I wished I just disappeared right on spot, but the reality was I apologized vehemently and repeatedly, in the RESTROOM. I packed all my makeup and rushed out of there.
 
ekmf27050 said:
Hi All-

Instead of stressing about interviews to come, I thought I would offer some laughs to the community about the comedy of errors that my interviews have been so far. Nothing drastic that would leave me in tears, but funny enough that I have to stifle my laughter pretty strictly. And this has generally been outside the actual interview (my funny answers are a whole other boat). Feel free to add your own contributions if you'd like to make me feel better 😱

Interview 1: First interview, first talk of the day. Sat in an (apparently broken) auditorium chair that dumped me onto the floor. Struggled to get up in my pencil skirt and heels, while the dean stopped his talk to ask if I was okay. Cue entire auditorium watching me maneuver like a baby giraffe in a skirt suit.

Interview 2: During an unseasonable heat wave, our tour guide takes us outside. Despite thinking cool thoughts, I immediately start to sweat profusely, right before going in for my interview in a sweltering room. Result: 2+ pounds of water weight lost.

Interview 3: Heel gets stuck in storm grate outside of interview building. Heel, body, and rolling suitcase come to a stop at varying speeds and angles. While bending over to pry out shoe from grate, contents of purse begin falling on the sidewalk.

Interview 4: Was directed to the wrong end of a possibly mile-long hallway for interviews. Could see my interviewer come out and look for me from a distance (a mile?) as I speed walked down the hallway and arrived severely winded.

In short, for those of you who keep things calm and perfectly collected during interview day, I salute you. And if anyone sees me stuck in a storm grate/laying on the floor somewhere/in desperate need of an inhaler on the interview trail, please don't laugh because I can barely keep from laughing myself.
Click to expand...

Interview 1: Med student giving us the tour was f*cking stoned. Red eyes, reeked of weed, and was wearing stoner gear (a sweater about 5x too big for him and an oversized beanie). He got us LOST on the tour. Kept saying "we'll see the anatomy lab next" and we passed a bunch of signs saying "ANATOMY LAB LEFT" and we kept going the wrong way. We ended up in a dead end and we were all bursting out laughing.

Interview 2: Not really funny, but a strange anecdote. A gentleman interviewing at the SOM was walking around with a notepad and pen asking other students their full name, MCAT, and GPA. It was the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen in my entire life.
 
Dr. Stalker said:
Interview 2: Not really funny, but a strange anecdote. A gentleman interviewing at the SOM was walking around with a notepad and pen asking other students their full name, MCAT, and GPA. It was the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen in my entire life.
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Whaaat? Were people actually giving their info to him? That's so strange.
 
tiramisucheese said:
Whaaat? Were people actually giving their info to him? That's so strange.
Click to expand...
Yeah. And it was awkward and other students like quietly responded. When he got to me I point blank told him "hey nice to meet you, but I'm sorry, I don't feel comfortable giving out that information. Good luck, hope we both get in!"

People after me started telling him that, #TrendSetter
 
Dr. Stalker said:
Yeah. And it was awkward and other students like quietly responded. When he got to me I point blank told him "hey nice to meet you, but I'm sorry, I don't feel comfortable giving out that information. Good luck, hope we both get in!"

People after me started telling him that, #TrendSetter
Click to expand...

You should probably send that into schools as an update for your leadership experiences.
 
tiramisucheese said:
You should probably send that into schools as an update for your leadership experiences.
Click to expand...
lmfao "To whom it may concern: I have an update. On my interview day I bolstered the confidence of other interviewing students and wanted to bring that to the attention of the admissions staff, thank you, I look forward to hearing back soon!"
 
I remember I was at a "top school" and showed up outside my interviewer's office 5 minutes early (as anyone would).

She was apparently eating a salad, and upon seeing me started shoveling food into her face. The entire interview she talked about how she was encumbered by my presence and how she had not time for lunch.
 
mistafab said:
I remember I was at a "top school" and showed up outside my interviewer's office 5 minutes early (as anyone would).

She was apparently eating a salad, and upon seeing me started shoveling food into her face. The entire interview she talked about how she was encumbered by my presence and how she had not time for lunch.
Click to expand...

Presumably she knew about the interview ahead of time.
 
Dr. Stalker said:
Yeah. And it was awkward and other students like quietly responded. When he got to me I point blank told him "hey nice to meet you, but I'm sorry, I don't feel comfortable giving out that information. Good luck, hope we both get in!"

People after me started telling him that, #TrendSetter
Click to expand...

What a dickweed. Maybe he was a plant by the school to see how people respond to awkward social encounters and whether anyone would refuse.
 
Goro said:
It happens at the Faculty level too.

I interviewed at KSU for an UG Ass't Prof position in the Biology dep't....in February. A winter storm blew in to Manhattan the day before and the temps were in the 20s. Like a *****, on interview day 1 I forgot my overcoat in the hotel room and spent the day on campus in just my sport jacket...freezing.

For Faculty interviews you get shuttled from faculty member to faculty member, where each extols their research and their teaching. I finish with one guy and then wait some 20 mins because the next guy forgot about his app't with me.

Each person also was pitching how great thier new integrated Intro to Bio course was...where ALL faculty teach in the PBL style course at the same time. Each subject..no matter what the content. I start thinking "I'm a ___" [my specialty]..."what the F do I know about Ecology or Botany??"

The Dep't Chair was an alpha male type of guy...and I start thinking "how am I going work under this this type of guy?"

Each person asked me "so what project would you work on to go for funding". I rattled off my projects and what funding bodies I'd shoot for. Hypothesis driven stuff, not a fishing expedition, and there was a financial angle to it, having to do with an animal the USDA has an interest in. Every person who heard this, shot this down. "OK, my ideas don't fly here. Very welcoming".

My scientific counterpart currently on their faculty was in my face the entire dinner. "Who can you collaborate with here?" Not something you think of an answer for right off the bat when you have a nematode person on your left, a botanist on your right, a veterinary faculty member northeast of you, and your counterpart right in front of you....who doesn't do your kind of research. I swallowed my steak and BS'd an answer.

The next day I gave my research and teaching seminar to the search committee only (about three people). I had some transparencies made (this was in the days before PPT) and to my horror, I discovered the ink on the transparencies had reacted with the plastic and all the sheets were stuck together, and the ink wasn't dry either. Luckily, they had a white board so I had to work off of that. By then, I also found out that they only wanted me to teach labs and only labs. And not just for their dep't, but other programs as well. Not quite what I was signing up for...to be a University resource.

Now granted, my field is a lab heavy subject, but it's nice to do some lecturing, and at least, not be given that you're going to be the newest serf in the kingdom.

The, next day, the Chair of the search committee told me that he couldn't give a tour of the campus and the city, because his mom had died the night before.

I was taken to the airport and my flight out was delayed by at least one hour.

As soon as I got back home, I wrote a letter to the Chair thanking him, and withdrew from consideration. It was my worst interview experience, ever.
Click to expand...
Go cats, though...
 
Dr. Stalker said:
Interview 2: Not really funny, but a strange anecdote. A gentleman interviewing at the SOM was walking around with a notepad and pen asking other students their full name, MCAT, and GPA. It was the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen in my entire life.
Click to expand...

....wait is that for real? That seems to go beyond the normal ranges of neurotic premed into the sociopath category :wideyed:
 
Thank you all for the reassurance that I don't have a monopoly on awkward interview performances. I have a few more coming up soon, so stay tuned for tales of me getting stuck in an elevator, accidentally triggering an emergency shower, or being turned into a frog by a rogue PhD student- the possibilities are endless!
 
ekmf27050 said:
....wait is that for real? That seems to go beyond the normal ranges of neurotic premed into the sociopath category :wideyed:
Click to expand...
100% serious. I was kind of baffled someone would do this. I guess this is what adcoms mean when they say 4.0 high MCATS are a dime a dozen. This guy had the numbers but next to no social skills? first and foremost, he brought up something private. Secondly, he just introduced "competition" to interview day but gathering students' metrics and analyzing them. Thirdly, he was just weird lol.
 
Dr. Stalker said:
100% serious. I was kind of baffled someone would do this. I guess this is what adcoms mean when they say 4.0 high MCATS are a dime a dozen. This guy had the numbers but next to no social skills? first and foremost, he brought up something private. Secondly, he just introduced "competition" to interview day but gathering students' metrics and analyzing them. Thirdly, he was just weird lol.
Click to expand...

Everyone should be thankful he did that on interview day as he just eliminated himself as a source of competition for an admission offer. 😉
 
Dr. Stalker said:
100% serious. I was kind of baffled someone would do this. I guess this is what adcoms mean when they say 4.0 high MCATS are a dime a dozen. This guy had the numbers but next to no social skills? first and foremost, he brought up something private. Secondly, he just introduced "competition" to interview day but gathering students' metrics and analyzing them. Thirdly, he was just weird lol.
Click to expand...

Do you think your handle being "Dr. Stalker" had anything to do with you attracting a real life stalker? :laugh:

Seriously though, what was the best case scenario he was going for?? Intimidating other applicants? Collecting data for his own calculations while somehow hiding from the adcom that he's breaking an obvious rule of common courtesy? I'm just baffled.
 
ekmf27050 said:
Do you think your handle being "Dr. Stalker" had anything to do with you attracting a real life stalker? :laugh:

Seriously though, what was the best case scenario he was going for?? Intimidating other applicants? Collecting data for his own calculations while somehow hiding from the adcom that he's breaking an obvious rule of common courtesy? I'm just baffled.
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lmfao, perhaps it is a healthy dose of karma encountering a rl Dr. Stalker!

I have no idea. I'm guessing he was trying to see how competitive he was that day based on numbers alone, and in order to fully evaluate himself, he needed everyone's MCATS+GPAs. Surprised he wasn't asking for our transcripts tbh lol
 
Dr. Stalker said:
lmfao, perhaps it is a healthy dose of karma encountering a rl Dr. Stalker!

I have no idea. I'm guessing he was trying to see how competitive he was that day based on numbers alone, and in order to fully evaluate himself, he needed everyone's MCATS+GPAs. Surprised he wasn't asking for our transcripts tbh lol
Click to expand...

Dude wouldn’t survive in med school w/ his weird neuroticism comparing himself to everyone else. :| And I thought I had the social skills of a potato
 
Dr. Stalker said:
lmfao, perhaps it is a healthy dose of karma encountering a rl Dr. Stalker!

I have no idea. I'm guessing he was trying to see how competitive he was that day based on numbers alone, and in order to fully evaluate himself, he needed everyone's MCATS+GPAs. Surprised he wasn't asking for our transcripts tbh lol
Click to expand...

Piglet2020 said:
Dude wouldn’t survive in med school w/ his weird neuroticism comparing himself to everyone else. :| And I thought I had the social skills of a potato
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I feel like if you’re just a regular person who can get along with most people and are humble, you already have a massive advantage lol. I can’t belive pre-meds sometimes.
 
Piglet2020 said:
Dude wouldn’t survive in med school w/ his weird neuroticism comparing himself to everyone else. :| And I thought I had the social skills of a potato
Click to expand...
Agreed. I too thought I lack social skills, but when we interviewing students were told to mingle, I was able to do so. Unfortunately, this other chap wasn't lol
 
Dr. Stalker said:
Agreed. I too thought I lack social skills, but when we interviewing students were told to mingle, I was able to do so. Unfortunately, this other chap wasn't lol
Click to expand...

If that's his idea of mingling, he should be making plan B.
 
When asked about the responsibilities of being a physician I launched into an extended monologue about the immense responsibilities and fulfillment that come from being a physician. I was really on a roll. I closed my response with, "With great power comes great responsibility"

My interviewer both sat there staring at each other in silence for ~5 seconds before I blurted out "OHMYGOD I just quoted spider man in an interview" and (thank god) he broke down laughing.
 
Was at an interview presentation in front of a whole gaggle of faculty when the resident black swans decided to attack the glass door. This carried on for a good few minutes before someone stepped outside and chased them away. Very bizarre, very distracting lol
 
I remember getting so lost in the hospital during my interview. I ended up in something like the ICU (you had to have swipe access to enter and exit). So me being a dummy, I followed a resident through these heavily fortified double doors... and remained stuck on the other side for a solid 10 mins. I kept banging on those doors for someone to let me out. You can just imagine a panicking pre-med desparately yelling to be let out. Ahh.. at that point, I was looking to escape through the 6th floor window to make it to my interview. Luckily some admin walked by and let me out. I asked for directions every 10 steps after that incident.
 
Only been to two interviews and I have two stories, so doesn't bode well for future me but here goes

1. At an MMI, I had to convince the actor to quit smoking.
Me: Sooo...do you think you could stop smoking?

2. After the interviews, they tried giving us a 90 minute tour in the sweltering heat on an especially humid day. So I go up to the medical student giving the tour
Me: Sorry, I'm not feeling well. I'm going to opt out of the tour.
Him (jokingly): Ok, did you get the feedback form from admissions? Make sure to let them know that you hated it here.
Me (not paying attention and already walking away): Ok.
 
Interviewer: "This is my go-to favorite question. What book are you currently reading?"

Me: (for some reason, couldn't for the life of me remember a previous book instead of having to own up to the one I'm actually reading) "50 Shades Darker."

Interviewer: "Oh."
 
aaaaand we're back.

Interview 5: During the time to explore on our own, accidentally walked straight into a clinic, made eye contact with a confused nurse, turned around and quickly walked back out.

Interview 6: Somehow navigated to the wrong address, then walked to a locked entrance at the correct building and tugged at the door handles until a student took pity on me and opened the door.

Interview 7: Possibly topping the list- started my period a week early during an interview day where they did not allow the interviewees to keep purses with them...... :dead:
 
mk059 said:
Interviewer: "This is my go-to favorite question. What book are you currently reading?"

Me: (for some reason, couldn't for the life of me remember a previous book instead of having to own up to the one I'm actually reading) "50 Shades Darker."

Interviewer: "Oh."
Click to expand...

hold up hahahaha that's hysterical 😛 IMO that sounds more realistic than saying the name of some fancy classical novel (unless fancy classical novels are your thing)
 
Dr. Souk said:
Was at an interview presentation in front of a whole gaggle of faculty when the resident black swans decided to attack the glass door. This carried on for a good few minutes before someone stepped outside and chased them away. Very bizarre, very distracting lol
Click to expand...

was...was the school haunted?
 
hubbsbubbs said:
Only been to two interviews and I have two stories, so doesn't bode well for future me but here goes

1. At an MMI, I had to convince the actor to quit smoking.
Me: Sooo...do you think you could stop smoking?

2. After the interviews, they tried giving us a 90 minute tour in the sweltering heat on an especially humid day. So I go up to the medical student giving the tour
Me: Sorry, I'm not feeling well. I'm going to opt out of the tour.
Him (jokingly): Ok, did you get the feedback form from admissions? Make sure to let them know that you hated it here.
Me (not paying attention and already walking away): Ok.
Click to expand...

WAIT #2! I THINK I WAS IN YOUR INTERVIEW GROUP!! :laugh:
 
ekmf27050 said:
aaaaand we're back.

Interview 5: During the time to explore on our own, accidentally walked straight into a clinic, made eye contact with a confused nurse, turned around and quickly walked back out.

Interview 6: Somehow navigated to the wrong address, then walked to a locked entrance at the correct building and tugged at the door handles until a student took pity on me and opened the door.

Interview 7: Possibly topping the list- started my period a week early during an interview day where they did not allow the interviewees to keep purses with them...... :dead:
Click to expand...


Holy cow #7... how did you survive? At least you were wearing black???
 
I can also contribute to the awkwardness!!

Interview 1 (multiple errors committed)-Upon arrival, I quickly pull out my phone to snapchat the interview sign (because I'm so excited to share!!) when an adcom spots me pointing my phone at the sign and asks if I'm interviewing. Embarrassed, I quickly shove my phone into my bag and say yes, and she guides me to the admissions office. Also noticed at the end of the day that my face had gotten very oily and I didn't know because I hadn't been to the bathroom pretty much all day. Finally, when they let us know the day is over, I get up to leave. But as I'm walking out the door, I notice everyone is lining up to thank all the admissions people still there. Cue my deep embarrassment and 180 degree turn back to thank everyone with them.

Interview 2-Thank god no one saw me but I spent at least 10 minutes trying to find the admissions building. The embarrassing part is that I kept passing it, turning around with my suitcase, passing it again, repeat until I finally see another interviewee walking into the correct building

Interview 3-Arrived at the wrong building, but the right room number. I was so confused because the room I was at was clearly a classroom. A very nice med student comes out and shows me the correct building.

Interview 4-Had a long drive home so I changed clothes in my car, in the parking lot. Of course, another interviewee spots me mid pants change.

Interview 5 (my most embarrassing moment)-Desperately needed to use the bathroom during our tour, but we weren't stopping long enough for me to go. I try to discretely ask my guide where the nearest bathroom was, but he couldn't hear me, asked me to repeat louder, at which point the whole group definitely heard me. They all waited while I went pee, and then the tour continued. So much harder go when you know everyone is waiting for you to urinate.
 
SapoAmarillo said:
I can also contribute to the awkwardness!!

Interview 1 (multiple errors committed)-Upon arrival, I quickly pull out my phone to snapchat the interview sign (because I'm so excited to share!!) when an adcom spots me pointing my phone at the sign and asks if I'm interviewing. Embarrassed, I quickly shove my phone into my bag and say yes, and she guides me to the admissions office. Also noticed at the end of the day that my face had gotten very oily and I didn't know because I hadn't been to the bathroom pretty much all day. Finally, when they let us know the day is over, I get up to leave. But as I'm walking out the door, I notice everyone is lining up to thank all the admissions people still there. Cue my deep embarrassment and 180 degree turn back to thank everyone with them.

Interview 2-Thank god no one saw me but I spent at least 10 minutes trying to find the admissions building. The embarrassing part is that I kept passing it, turning around with my suitcase, passing it again, repeat until I finally see another interviewee walking into the correct building

Interview 3-Arrived at the wrong building, but the right room number. I was so confused because the room I was at was clearly a classroom. A very nice med student comes out and shows me the correct building.

Interview 4-Had a long drive home so I changed clothes in my car, in the parking lot. Of course, another interviewee spots me mid pants change.

Interview 5 (my most embarrassing moment)-Desperately needed to use the bathroom during our tour, but we weren't stopping long enough for me to go. I try to discretely ask my guide where the nearest bathroom was, but he couldn't hear me, asked me to repeat louder, at which point the whole group definitely heard me. They all waited while I went pee, and then the tour continued. So much harder go when you know everyone is waiting for you to urinate.
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@#1 and #2 -- ah yes the casual 180 degree turn with rolling suitcase in hand :laugh:
My first two interviews I was so worried about being there on time that I did the exact same thing; power-walked right past the interview room, froze, flipped around, and power-walked back. And yes, there were windows.

Hopefully my agility and impressive turning radius really sealed the deal for me.
 
I walked in to meet my interviewer and the first thing he talked about was my Masters degree and how he wished he could go back and get it. I instinctively said "We have senior citizens in our program and they find the time." "I'm not a senior citizen."

I still got accepted because I think he got the point.
 
ekmf27050 said:
Hi All-

Instead of stressing about interviews to come, I thought I would offer some laughs to the community about the comedy of errors that my interviews have been so far. Nothing drastic that would leave me in tears, but funny enough that I have to stifle my laughter pretty strictly. And this has generally been outside the actual interview (my funny answers are a whole other boat). Feel free to add your own contributions if you'd like to make me feel better 😱

Interview 1: First interview, first talk of the day. Sat in an (apparently broken) auditorium chair that dumped me onto the floor. Struggled to get up in my pencil skirt and heels, while the dean stopped his talk to ask if I was okay. Cue entire auditorium watching me maneuver like a baby giraffe in a skirt suit.

Interview 2: During an unseasonable heat wave, our tour guide takes us outside. Despite thinking cool thoughts, I immediately start to sweat profusely, right before going in for my interview in a sweltering room. Result: 2+ pounds of water weight lost.

Interview 3: Heel gets stuck in storm grate outside of interview building. Heel, body, and rolling suitcase come to a stop at varying speeds and angles. While bending over to pry out shoe from grate, contents of purse begin falling on the sidewalk.

Interview 4: Was directed to the wrong end of a possibly mile-long hallway for interviews. Could see my interviewer come out and look for me from a distance (a mile?) as I speed walked down the hallway and arrived severely winded.

In short, for those of you who keep things calm and perfectly collected during interview day, I salute you. And if anyone sees me stuck in a storm grate/laying on the floor somewhere/in desperate need of an inhaler on the interview trail, please don't laugh because I can barely keep from laughing myself.
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I literally tripped in heels and flew into the interview room head first. What a grand entrance.
 
dnlschfr said:
I walked in to meet my interviewer and the first thing he talked about was my Masters degree and how he wished he could go back and get it. I instinctively said "We have senior citizens in our program and they find the time." "I'm not a senior citizen."

I still got accepted because I think he got the point.
Click to expand...

This is so relatable 🤣. At one of the places I volunteer, there are a lot of older volunteers, most of whom are retired. So I met a new person one day and asked about what he did when he used to work. He said, "I still work...." Awkward.
 
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