most bizarre interview moment?

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oldman said:
one of my interviewers at duke fell asleep while talking to me.
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you are kidding, right?

otherwise i'm not sure who should feel more embarrassed.
 
brickmanli said:
I was playing pool in the student lounge at Buffalo when the interviewer came to get me. He told me to finish my shot and I managed to sink two at the same time.

I got accepted a few days later.
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wow a pool table in the waiting room for interviews?

i think i'd be too nervous to even play pool, let alone be able to sink a double.
 
sunUCB said:
i think he meant people that go to their interview late, as in your interview starts at 8AM and you show up at 8:30AM.....not people that have an interview later in the application cycle.
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That is exactly what I meant. I have never heard of anyone going showing up 30 minutes after a job interview was scheduled and actually getting the job. You probably would have to have had a real emergency.
 
not so much of a bizzare moment as a bizzare DAY...here's an excerpt:

the doctor who's interviewing me is old and a little hard of hearing...there's also an M2 student there, and he's pretty cool...the interview's going well, and then they ask "Any questions for us?"...and I say "I see that you've been trying to incorporate PDAs into clinical use, esp. in the ER where doctors use them to check medical records and get patient labs...do you plan on doing that at all the area hospitals and specialties?"....the doctor talks for about 30 minutes about how 'they're not just gophers' and 'there really isn't much use for them in internal medicine'...I'm getting very confused, until he says 'and sometimes they scrub up for surgery'...and then it all made sense. 😀 Since it took him about an hour for him to tell me his repsonse, I just kinda steered the conversation away from the entire subject...very weird though!
 
Today I had an interview at OSU. My interviewer asked me what my strengths were. I asked him if it would be bragging if my biggest strength was "modesty".

He just laughed
 
Arashii said:
not so much of a bizzare moment as a bizzare DAY...here's an excerpt:

the doctor who's interviewing me is old and a little hard of hearing...there's also an M2 student there, and he's pretty cool...the interview's going well, and then they ask "Any questions for us?"...and I say "I see that you've been trying to incorporate PDAs into clinical use, esp. in the ER where doctors use them to check medical records and get patient labs...do you plan on doing that at all the area hospitals and specialties?"....the doctor talks for about 30 minutes about how 'they're not just gophers' and 'there really isn't much use for them in internal medicine'...I'm getting very confused, until he says 'and sometimes they scrub up for surgery'...and then it all made sense. 😀 Since it took him about an hour for him to tell me his repsonse, I just kinda steered the conversation away from the entire subject...very weird though!
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Did he think you said PAs (Physicians Assistant)?
 
Interviewer has a stroke in the middle of the session. I take advantage of the situation by peeing all over the unconscious man because I know the paramedics will assume that he lost control of his bladder when he fell into a coma. Three weeks later I was interviewed again and accepted about a month thereafter.
 
phleebie said:
---edit---delete---
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That wasn't a comment on your "bump" (though a bump after 6 hours of inactivity on a thread that is over two years old does seem a little premature.)

I tried to add a detailed relpy, but when I reread it, it made no sense - so I just got rid of it.
 
SailCrazy said:
That wasn't a comment on your "bump" (though a bump after 6 hours of inactivity on a thread that is over two years old does seem a little premature.)

I tried to add a detailed relpy, but when I reread it, it made no sense - so I just got rid of it.
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it's a great thread
 
When I was a freshman in college, the Admissions dean contacts me to help him do admissions interviews in my home city over the Christmas break. I went to a New England Catholic private mostly white regional university that is trying to become more national and diverse and I was from far away. So basically the dean is using local people to make the interviewees more comfortable, etc., and trying to put a really good image out there for the school in order to increase ethnic and geographical diversity. Great idea, and I was flattered to be asked to help out. 😀

So stupid me, what do I do a few days before the interviews? I let my fellow ROTC guys shave my head. Totally bald and slick. 🙂 It was cool for about 5 minutes. 😎

Then I go home for the holidays and meet the dean at the hotel where we are doing the interviews. He hasn't seen me in a while, so his eyes go a little wide, because when he had chosen me to represent the school, I had looked normal, not like the stupid idiot standing in the doorway. :wow:

The thing is, I'm a 6 ft 215 lb barrel-chested white guy of very German ancestry, so when I'm bald I look very, very mean 😡 when there is no expression on my face (basically, if I am not smiling I look like I am about to attack something :meanie: ) even though I am actually just a big teddy bear in my personality 😍 . But basically I looked like a big Neo-Nazi handing out pamphlets and slogans for my Hitler University of Arian Supremacy. Not the best representative to be out there promoting diversity. I could tell the interviewees were really uncomfortable :scared: , expecially the girls, even though I was asking "nice" questions and was otherwise dressed professionally :luck: . I felt so stupid. 🙁

He didn't say anything, but I apologized after the interviews for making myself, him, and the university look like a bunch of dumb-asses, and we never spoke again during my 4 years there even though I saw him frequently around campus. He probably thought I was just a stupid person, and possibly mean as well, and didn't want a piece of my steel toed jackboots. Definitely a big learning experience for me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't judge a school by one interviewer, they may be having a bad hair day!!
 
i was aksed what my father did, and when i said "my dad is a film maker" the interviewer actually pulled out a buisness card and asked me to pass it on to my dad for a "pitch".

me = totally shocked
 
MEG@COOL said:
Interviewer has a stroke in the middle of the session. I take advantage of the situation by peeing all over the unconscious man because I know the paramedics will assume that he lost control of his bladder when he fell into a coma. Three weeks later I was interviewed again and accepted about a month thereafter.
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Sorry, we're looking for bizarre interview moments not routine interview moments. I mean, who hasn't urinated on an interviewer?

For example, my interviewer was a lovely lady who was very fond of the AquaNet hair spray. She was also very fond of candles. She leaned over. Her hair ignited. I had a full bladder. I threw her on the floor and soaked her from the waste up. I filled her purse with urine just incase any cinders had shot in there. I'd say I saved her life.
 
bump - there have to be more stories, we're interviewing right now.

i love this thread dearly.
 
Friend of mine applied to MD and DO schools two years ago, and spent far less time preparing for his DO interviews than his MD interviews. He got one DO interview, and it went along smoothly, until the 'Do you have any questions for me' part. At this point, his mind went completely blank, and they both sat in silence for a good 10 seconds.

Desperate to come up with anything, he blurts out, "Sooooo... what do you think of Donovan McNabb's injury?"

Interviewer: "I don't follow that stuff! Ask my husband!"

(another 10 seconds of silence)

Friend: "Sooooo..... what exactly does a DO do?"

The interview politely answered the question. Three days later, he got his rejection letter. Fortunately, multiple MD schools accepted him.
 
The most bizarre aspect of my interview was the fact that I was the only guy in a group of 7 students that were interviewing. Also, I am about 6'3" >200lbs. I towered over these girls, and looked like a giant.
 
Man I got asked "how was your childhood?" Thanks God I had an interesting one. 😎
 
One of my interviewers forgot I was coming. Completely forgot, as in scheduled other things instead of interviewing me. It was the most awkward moment when I showed up at his office door (the interviews took place in each faculty member's office), and he answered with "How can I help you?"

He was a nice guy though and put his other plans on hold. He also ran over the alotted one hour interview time. I kept glancing at the wall clock thinking it was fast.

I also happened to have a runny nose that day. Before my interview I blew my nose hoping I would have no problems for another hour. HAH. As the interview progressed I could feel my nose starting to open the flood gates. I felt a drip slooowlly start to inch towards the bottom of my nose. I did a real quiet sniff but it failed. Code RED! I didn't want to use my hand to wipe my nose because that would be incredibly inappropriate. I had no tissue to politely do it, and it was really starting to bother me. I knew it was going to run out of my nostril if I didn't act immediately! It was so distracting. So I decided to give it one hard SNIFF...........................NO! FAILURE! Then, I tried the sneak attack approach. When he spun in his chair to show me a picture (yes, pictures), I quickly rubbed my finger under my nose. Unsuccessful, the snot had not yet breached the nostril opening. I waited until he wasn't looking again and made another attempt. Nada. Next plan: rapid fire short, quiet sniffs. I had some success with this technique, though it was necessary to repeat every 5 minutes. He probably though I was a coke addict or something.

Needless to say, when I finally got out and went to the bathroom, I noticed the bottom edge of my nostril was glimmering. OH BOY.

I got in a few days later though🙂
 
This pales in comparison to most of the stories posted (which are hilarious, by the way) but thought I'd put it out there. My second interview was closed file so the woman I met with knew only my name and list of activities I had participated in. She also had in front of her a blank piece of paper and a pen in hand. She fired off the first question and the moment I opened my mouth her eyes became glued to the blank piece of paper as she frantically wrote down everything I was saying. I can't remember her looking up at me even once, and she even had to ask me to stop talking because she couldn't write fast enough! The interivew came to a conclusion when she said, "Well I guess we better wrap it up since I have no more room on my piece of paper to write." I'm not sure what to think about this, I guess I'll find out in a few months!
 
this thread has been viewed almost 100,000 times !
 
I remember 2 interviews very clearly out of the few I went for. Not funny but nonetheless bizzare!

The 1st one was with a shrink. They seem to have nasty reputations for screwing you during interviews so I was quite nervous, plus the fact it was my first interview.

Anyways, I was called into his office which had its light dimmed, so I couldn't see the corners in the room. It was really awkward. He told me to sit and continued to type on his computer for what... 10 mins? Basically, he just ignored about me.

After the 10mins, he suddenly looked up at me and stopped typing.

Shrink: What are you here for?
Me: For the interview?
Shrink: Of course you are. Don't take me for an idiot. I want you to interview me. You may begin.
Me: <stunned>
Shrink: Well?
Me: Er.... eh... So... tell me about yourself.
Shrink: I'm 49, married for 17 years, 2 kids.
Me: Er... that's nice. So... tell me about your kids.
..........

It continued like this until he was satisfied and announced that the interview was over. Major weird!!! I managed to get the place though!

The second time was with yet another shrink! Must have developed an affinity with them. Anyways, I entered the office and he was standing just beside the door. I gave him a quizzical look and closed the door. As soon as the door shut, he asked me:"What question would you rather I not ask you?" That really caught me off-guard and I stumbled as I tried to turn around. I looked at him as he leaned casually on the wall but I just couldn't think of an answer. We looked at each other like this for quite a while and finally he invited me to take a seat, while he settled down himself and started writing. He told me to think of an answer while he completed his work.

I sat there for what must have been half-an-hour. I had many answers but he didn't seem to want to be interrupted so I just sat there dumbly. At last he looked up and asked if I had an answer. That caught me by surprise and the answer I was preparing came out in bits and pieces:"Erm.. yeah.. yeah I do. Er... I was hoping you didn't ask... er... nursing.. er... why medicine.. no... no... doctor... wait... why..." I stumbled around trying to recover as he smiled at me. The the answer hit me... man such an idiot... could have hit myself. "Er.. this one. Yep... this question." He looked amused and mouthed what I thought was "bingo" or it could have been "bullsh*t"

Anyway, these are my 2 cents worth! I got an offer for both! But I accepted another offer.
 
OK, I have no business in a pre-allo thread but ended up here after a failed search attempt and have been quite entertained...so, here's a confession of a part I played in being not so nice to applicants:

As an premed, I worked for a PhD at a UC who was routinely rated the toughest interviewer at her institution (and is no longer allowed to interview applicants). She was a blast to work for but not so nice to the applicant-types. She had a couple of them waiting outside her office (door open) while we talked about the details of my project in typical painstaking detail. I was wearing typical casual clothes. After talking to me for half an hour or so with them waiting, she stood up, shook my hand, loudly congratulated me on a great interview and walked me past them right out the door. As I left, I heard her say "wow, that guy is a shoo-in."
 
GMO_52 said:
OK, I have no business in a pre-allo thread but ended up here after a failed search attempt and have been quite entertained...so, here's a confession of a part I played in being not so nice to applicants:

As an premed, I worked for a PhD at a UC who was routinely rated the toughest interviewer at her institution (and is no longer allowed to interview applicants). She was a blast to work for but not so nice to the applicant-types. She had a couple of them waiting outside her office (door open) while we talked about the details of my project in typical painstaking detail. I was wearing typical casual clothes. After talking to me for half an hour or so with them waiting, she stood up, shook my hand, loudly congratulated me on a great interview and walked me past them right out the door. As I left, I heard her say "wow, that guy is a shoo-in."
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LOL, that's so cruel!
 
this maybe isn't the funniest story out there, but while interviewing with a 2nd year I was asked what I'd do if suddenly, tommorrow, there was no medicine- no doctors, no hospitals, etc - I calmly replied that I would become a mortician (might as well cash in right?) She gave me the most shocked look until she realized I was joking and laughed her head off- :laugh:
 
djohnston said:
this maybe isn't the funniest story out there, but while interviewing with a 2nd year I was asked what I'd do if suddenly, tommorrow, there was no medicine- no doctors, no hospitals, etc - I calmly replied that I would become a mortician (might as well cash in right?) She gave me the most shocked look until she realized I was joking and laughed her head off- :laugh:
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LMAO........that was funny.....good thinking....
 
Definitely the time the head interviewer of my panel spilled his coffee after asking me to pretend I was 95 years old and reflect on my life.
 
Doc Oc said:
I've told this story so many times, and it still makes me laugh. I stood up to shake hands at the end of an interview and passed out. My foot had been hooked around the chair leg, which somehow caused me to sprain my ankle on the way down. I left on crutches.
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hahaha you've got to be kidding. Were you accepted? Did they say anything about the incident?
 
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nezlab99 said:
These are f*^%king hilarious. Everyone else, please post. I would, but I haven't interviewed yet.
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undefinedI have a psychiatrist story to add. Ok first of all we had to walk for about 10 minutes to get to his office where the interview was held, so I awkwardly tried to fill the silence while we were walking, which I'm sure came across as nervous blabbering and he probably thinks I'm certifiable now. Anyway once we sat down the first question he asked me was "Tell me about your Father". So I'm thinking oh crap he thinks I'm applying to medical school just because of my parents. So I overcompensated the question to prove that it was infact my idea to go to med school. He just nodded at me and said "that's nice, but why don't you just tell me about your father" Ooops. Then to end the interview he said " Is this your first interview?" I said yes and then jokingly said "why can you tell?". He said "yes" and then walked me back to the student lounge. Needless to say I didn't feel too good about that interview, but I'm on the waitlist so we'll see what happens.
 
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i interviewed at a school (i wont say which) and my interviewer asked me if ive ever done drugs and if id like to puff trees. no joke.
 
well he didnt use that urban slang but you know what i mean. i guess he just wanted to see how honest ppl are when asked that, he said he asked everyone he interviewed. i thought it was creative
 
taylor92107 said:
My interviewer was an old Marine who is a Vietnam Vet. No nonsense kind of man.

Interviewer: So what's it like to grow up poor?
Me: It sucks.
Interviewer: I bet.
Me: I don't let it limit me.
Interviewer: Good. Want a cigarette?
Me: Um, no thank you.
Interviewer: Don't be polite, you're in. Now, do you want a cigarette?
Me: If you insist.

I got in, went, and he's still one of my friends!

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I almost fell out of my chair
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I wouldn't know how to respond to that one. I've gotten talked at by bio profs for smoking so many times. Maybe I can find a bush or something to hide behind and smoke if I go to interview 🙂
 
soccergirl said:
undefinedI have a psychiatrist story to add. Ok first of all we had to walk for about 10 minutes to get to his office where the interview was held, so I awkwardly tried to fill the silence while we were walking, which I'm sure came across as nervous blabbering and he probably thinks I'm certifiable now. Anyway once we sat down the first question he asked me was "Tell me about your Father". So I'm thinking oh crap he thinks I'm applying to medical school just because of my parents. So I overcompensated the question to prove that it was infact my idea to go to med school. He just nodded at me and said "that's nice, but why don't you just tell me about your father" Ooops. Then to end the interview he said " Is this your first interview?" I said yes and then jokingly said "why can you tell?". He said "yes" and then walked me back to the student lounge. Needless to say I didn't feel too good about that interview, but I'm on the waitlist so we'll see what happens.
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Let's hear it for a**holes that are allowed to interview applicants! I don't get it. Ya wonder why a school's yield stinks (cough, G-town, cough) perhaps it's the mean people that represent them?
 
so on my interview day at uc irvine, this woman shows up in a bright pink suit with a bow tied around her neck. she plops down and pulls out a pen with a pink feather/fuzzy thing on the end (like in Legally Blonde?) then she raises her hand in the intro session and asked "are we doing a lot of walking today? cuz my feet hurt!" on the tour, she held up the group so she could run into a cafe to buy coffee. then at breakfast, she got some random staff person to take her photo with the school mascot/anteater.

only later did we realize it was one of the second years playing a trick on us. at least they have a sense of humor, eh? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 
lulubean said:
so on my interview day at uc irvine, this woman shows up in a bright pink suit with a bow tied around her neck. she plops down and pulls out a pen with a pink feather/fuzzy thing on the end (like in Legally Blonde?) then she raises her hand in the intro session and asked "are we doing a lot of walking today? cuz my feet hurt!" on the tour, she held up the group so she could run into a cafe to buy coffee. then at breakfast, she got some random staff person to take her photo with the school mascot/anteater.

only later did we realize it was one of the second years playing a trick on us. at least they have a sense of humor, eh? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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:laugh: That is awesome... I now want to get into medical school primarily to pull jokes like that on interviewing classes

AJ
 
My first interview, a 60ish on the verge of retirement orthopod is my interviewer...

I: As a woman, how do you feel you can manage a career and having children?

I talked about how both my parents worked and so I had good role models while growing up. I was pleased with myself having come up with a good response to a stupid question.

I: Did you ever feel abandoned by your working mother?

I can't even remember what sort of reply I stammered out.

Luckily, they let me in. Abandonment and all...
 
Interviewer: I see you're part of the Men's Glee Club.

Me: Yes, I am.

I: Care to sing me a song?

Me: Ok......................
(thinking of a song to sing frantically......Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Theme song pops in mind.....)

I sang one of the Glee club songs from our previous concert without warming up....eek.
 
An interviewer went on to describe the pens that he gets from pharm companies, he had three of them and went over the good and bad points about each- one would cramp your hand up after using it for 5 min., another always seemed to run out of ink (he suspected smallish ink cartriges), another had a nice chrome exterior, then he suggested that Andy Rooney do a bit on pharm pens because, "at 85, he's sharp as a tack!"

And here I was ready for the typical studentdoctor.net questions!
 
'
 
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