interviews with phds

[sliceofbread136]

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So I interviewed with a phd and he just seemed to ask me knowledge based question (such as what is personalized medicine, what are the three types of atherosclerosis). He didn't seem to care at all about why I wanted to be a physician or why I thought I would make a strong medical school canidate... I tried to incorporate that info into my answers but he would move on to another knowledge based question. How are you supposed to deal with this kind of interview?

 

[BigBlueBear]

We're supposed to know the 3 types of atherosclerosis for interviews?

I didn't even know there were 3 types 🙁

 

[Irish Football]

I haven't had any interviews yet, but from what I've heard this is atypical. I wouldn't worry too much about answering these types of questions, as you are unlikely to encounter a similar situation in my opinion.

 

[HughMyron]

Next thing you know, they'll make us draw the TCA from memory to prove we can be qualified physicians!

 

[Mosa]

Next thing you know, they'll make us draw the TCA from memory to prove we can be qualified physicians!

Idk what it is about this cycle, but despite learning it a million times for so many courses, I can't remember it past the exam. Lol I hope this is never the case or else I will never be a physician!

 

[Narmerguy]

TBH, I wouldn't even care just saying "I don't know" to this kind of stuff (perhaps a little more gracefully than that). Honestly if a school is going to reject me because I didn't already know some random medical trivia, I don't want to be at that school anyway. Just give it your best effort and forget about it.

 

[kpcrew]

Well it's over. I only had one like that, I don't think it's very common. Maybe he's trying to see how you work under pressure as a "stress interview" as a corollary to how you will perform under pressure as a physician. Or maybe asking questions that you can't answer is his thing.

 

[sinombre]

Next thing you know, they'll make us draw the TCA from memory to prove we can be qualified physicians!

Just pull it up on your iPhone and point out how irrelevant this sort of brute memorization has become. I would be extremely tempted to do that.

 

[Double A]

i had a really awkward phd interview. he was just eating a sandwich and looking at me. he opened up when i asked him about his research. you could try that if the conversation is at a standstill.

 

[kpcrew]

Just pull it up on your iPhone and point out how irrelevant this sort of brute memorization has become. I would be extremely tempted to do that.

Please do. Let my professors know too while you're at it.

 

[linebacker57]

Idk if this is an accurate assessment of the situation, but perhaps he was actually trying to get you to admit you don't know something. One of the most important things you can ever learn in medicine is what you don't know.

 

[Bangersandmash]

Be witty about it. Say "I don't know, but maybe if you accepted me into your medical school, I would be able to find out and get back to you."

 

[charju]

my personal experiences interviewing with PHD has been pretty bad as well. Some were extremely rude, asked really boring questions, or we just didn't click. This might be because i didnt have any research background and obviously that didn't match their interests. Well regardless I'm a M1 now, so I'm glad its all over. Its funny because the 3 schools i got into, I interviewed with either to be physicians(M4), or attending physicians, and didn't get into any of the ones I interveiwed with a PHD.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

Idk if this is an accurate assessment of the situation, but perhaps he was actually trying to get you to admit you don't know something. One of the most important things you can ever learn in medicine is what you don't know.

I don't know how it works in medical school interviews, but I have heard that they do this in business school interviews. Rather than you making up stuff you don't know, they wanna hear you admit you don't know, but that you can look it up and provide an answer within x amount of time by referring to some source or asking someone who definitely would know the answer.