Is it bad form to...

[IDoIt4Love]

Is it bad form to clarify your answer to a question you goofed up on during your med school interview via e-mail?

My situation:

My interviewer surprised me when she followed up my answer to "describe your exposure to medicine" with asking me how much specific one-on-one contact I've had with patients, aside from watching the doctors do their work at the hospitals I worked at. I thought that when describing my exposures to medicine it was clear that I have had good patient contact so I didn't know what to say when she asked her follow up question. I said that I spend a lot of time watching my cousin's small children while she's at work and that they've suffered much loss in their life so my time with them has taught me a lot about how children grieve and cope with loss, so it is like I've had exposure to child psychiatry patients. (I'm just paraphrasing). I felt my answer was a little bit of a stretch so I wanted to add, in my thank you e-mail this morning, that I have watched many a sick kid at home as well (to show that I have had other patient exposures, just not in a hospital setting).

Other than that question, I thought my interview went pretty well so I was writing this thank you note to tell her that I appreciated the opportunity and that it was a pleasure meeting her.

So what do you guys think? Is it bad form to clarify/add to the answer I gave at my interview? Any personal experiences with this?

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[LRAccord624]

The thank you note is good, but otherwise, I feel like the interview is over when you walk out of the door.

 

[Pedie Packs]

Just let it go. I think this is definitely bad form.

A thank you note is just that, a thank you note.... don't bring up your interview answers.

Plus it's not like you totally bombed your answer. Do your best to forget about it.

 

[ShinyDome19]

Is it bad form to clarify your answer to a question you goofed up on during your med school interview via e-mail?

My situation:

My interviewer surprised me when she followed up my answer to "describe your exposure to medicine" with asking me how much specific one-on-one contact I've had with patients, aside from watching the doctors do their work at the hospitals I worked at. I thought that when describing my exposures to medicine it was clear that I have had good patient contact so I didn't know what to say when she asked her follow up question. I said that I spend a lot of time watching my cousin's small children while she's at work and that they've suffered much loss in their life so my time with them has taught me a lot about how children grieve and cope with loss, so it is like I've had exposure to child psychiatry patients. (I'm just paraphrasing). I felt my answer was a little bit of a stretch so I wanted to add, in my thank you e-mail this morning, that I have watched many a sick kid at home as well (to show that I have had other patient exposures, just not in a hospital setting).

Other than that question, I thought my interview went pretty well so I was writing this thank you note to tell her that I appreciated the opportunity and that it was a pleasure meeting her.

So what do you guys think? Is it bad form to clarify/add to the answer I gave at my interview? Any personal experiences with this?

Just let it go, we all have given answers that we think are dumb/incoherant/incomplete at an interview when we are caught off guard and/or nervous... I am sure the interviewers understand and I doubt they will judge you poorly off of one answer, especially if the rest of your interview went fine. I would just write a general thank you to the interviewer, dont try to expand on your answer...It wouldnt supprise me if they just jotted down some small note for that original answer you gave them anyhow, like: "takes care of children"....thats probably all they remember and need.

 

[bannie22]

I dont know, I would add on to the thank you note.

I would like to see my interviewers as friends, and would love for them to understand me better as a person, not just an interviewee.

Having said that, I havent been accepted to any schools where I did that (not that I've been accepted to many places) so I dont know how it works, but I see if I was the interviewer, reading something non-aggressive, and also non-generic, isnt a bad thing.

 

[red10]

Don't go explaining it. She probably doesn't even remember the question now and it'll look really weird having a note that says "thanks so much for interviewing me, btw I totally messed up so let me explain"

 

[IDoIt4Love]

I dont know, I would add on to the thank you note.

I would like to see my interviewers as friends, and would love for them to understand me better as a person, not just an interviewee.

Having said that, I havent been accepted to any schools where I did that (not that I've been accepted to many places) so I dont know how it works, but I see if I was the interviewer, reading something non-aggressive, and also non-generic, isnt a bad thing.

That's kinda what I was thinking/hoping. It's just a couple of sentences that I was going to add to my thank you note. She was pretty friendly and our interview wasn't super formal (she chatted a lot with me about her own family life).

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Chances are your interviewer won't even know what you're talking about if you mention anything. Stick with the thank-you!

 

[FuturaDocta]

Sounds like something on Seinfeld (pre-med version).

 

[Alwaysbehopeful]

Yeah I definitely wouldn't add that to a thank you note. There is no need to draw more attention to a bad experience. I don't think it is wise to remind her of an answer that might have not hit it off well.

 

[FluffyRabbit]

I totally know the feeling you're talking about (I even considered explaining myself in my thank you notes too), but I ended up not doing it. What seems like a slip up to us may not necessarily be to them, there is no need to draw their attention to it, and it seems kind of awkward.

Also, if they fill out the evals shortly afterward, it's just not going to do anything for you - thank you notes are supposed to be a courtesy, not a device to help us get in.

 

[peppy]

I agree with the others who suggest leaving it out of the thank you card. It sounds like she was mainly just wanting to hear about situations where you had an active role in the patient's care, so I am not sure if watching a sick kid at home is really what she had in mind anyway. If it comes up again, you might jsut want to try thinking of some examples from the hospital where you interacted with the patients in a clear way.

 

[bravofleet4]

let it go. i'm sure they managed to get a sense of who you are during the interview. if they didn't, it's certainly not going to change over one answer. it's not what you say but how you say it. Trust me, EVERYBODY has an answer they wish they could change in an interview. Maybe not something they necessarily screwed up badly but that they didn't get the main point across like they wanted.

 

[ksmi117]

I'm going to agree with almost everyone in the thread and say let it go. I've said plenty of non-sensical things in interviews and I've gotten into those schools. She probably just assumes you didn't understand the question that well. Not worth bringing up.

To me it's kinda like begging for points on a test. "Well, I really meant this." Just let it go. It's really not a big deal though. A thank you note is supposed to be grateful, not begging them to re-evaluate you or whatever. The letter shouldn't be about you.

 

[Depakote]

Let it go.

People screw up questions in interviews and still get in, it's more about letting the interviewer get a feel for you as a person than a chance for you to list off your experiences. If your interviewer gets an email where you try to clarify a statement you made in your interview that they probably didn't give a second thought... they'll probably think you're a bit on the neurotic side. (I would)

I don't see it helping your situation, but it could easily hurt you.

 

[Anita817]

Sounds like something on Seinfeld (pre-med version).

haha it does!

 

[GoSpursGo]

If your interviewer gets an email where you try to clarify a statement you made in your interview that they probably didn't give a second thought... they'll probably think you're a bit on the neurotic side. (I would)

This.

I mean, from your OP it sounds like you've already made up your mind what you want to do and just want somebody to tell you that it's a good idea. But I really think you're doing yourself no favors by contacting them in this manner.

A thank you note is meant to express gratitude, not try and promote yourself. Seeing it as anything otherwise will only make you look bad, IMO.

 

[ahmcadams]

Let it go. The interview is over. The interviewer has almost certainly already submitted his or her evaluation from your discussion. Isolated gaffes like this are definitely less meaningful to the adcom member than the interviewee. When I interviewed as an applicant, I'd remember any awkward phrasings or imperfect answers, but on the other side of the table, those sorts of miscues are forgotten almost immediately afterward. My evaluation of an interviewee is much more of an overall impression than an emphasis on "right/wrong" answers.

That said, if I received an e-mail trying to justify an awkward response, I'd find it strange. It wouldn't hurt or help an evaluation, but I'd compare it to e-mailing a professor after an exam to explain that you actually knew the answers to the test questions you got wrong.

 

[riverjib]

Is it bad form to clarify your answer to a question you goofed up on during your med school interview via e-mail?

My situation:

My interviewer surprised me when she followed up my answer to "describe your exposure to medicine" with asking me how much specific one-on-one contact I've had with patients, aside from watching the doctors do their work at the hospitals I worked at. I thought that when describing my exposures to medicine it was clear that I have had good patient contact so I didn't know what to say when she asked her follow up question. I said that I spend a lot of time watching my cousin's small children while she's at work and that they've suffered much loss in their life so my time with them has taught me a lot about how children grieve and cope with loss, so it is like I've had exposure to child psychiatry patients. (I'm just paraphrasing). I felt my answer was a little bit of a stretch so I wanted to add, in my thank you e-mail this morning, that I have watched many a sick kid at home as well (to show that I have had other patient exposures, just not in a hospital setting).

Other than that question, I thought my interview went pretty well so I was writing this thank you note to tell her that I appreciated the opportunity and that it was a pleasure meeting her.

So what do you guys think? Is it bad form to clarify/add to the answer I gave at my interview? Any personal experiences with this?

Agreed. Do NOT draw attention to this. Send a brief and personal thank-you note (not via email) and don't add anything to this. Referring to kids who have suffered a loss as "child psych patients" is not a good idea. You didn't deal with these kids in a clinical setting, and it would not have been appropriate even if you were qualified.

Let it go. Hopefully your interviewer will do the same, and chalk it up to your nervousness. But if anyone in the future asks about clinical experience and you've already talked about your clinical experience, have a specific (CLINICAL) story prepared instead of talking about your family.