most bizarre interview moment?

[Pembleton]

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The conversation went something like this:


I later asked if we could start over and pretend it never happened. We actually got along very well and have talked a couple times since.

You're a good egg. 👍

 

[DrDad]

good stories

 

[heeter]

Ugh, this one is embarassing --

At my first interview w/ my top top top choice, I was uncommonly nervous. I had done many interviews (this was the last in my cycle) but I was very uncomfortable. Probably b/c I wanted to do so well I worked myself up.

Anyhoo, the interviewer was an older physician, very nice guy... He was writing his notes on the back of my file, I think. I was so nervous, I kept looking down at what he was writing. It was more involuntary than an attempt to read what he was writing about me. Well, after several minutes of this, he started to peel back the corner of his paper so I couldn't see what he was putting down. Only then did I realize what I was doing and could have kicked myself. After that I looked everywhere BUT the table.

The interview went badly in most other ways as well. The second interview was much better, though. A serene sense of calm had washed over me, probably b/c I knew it couldn't get any worse. Nevertheless, I'm not holding my breath about that school.

 

[LorinE]

Ok here's mine:

At one school where I interviewed, I was supposed to meet my first interviewer in his office at 9 AM. I found the place easily enough and knocked on his door at 8:50. He opened and asked me what I wanted. I told him that I was there for the interview and he said, "Your interview is for 9 AM right? It's only 8:50 - you're early go away and come back at 9..."
OMG! I left and sat like a total ass in the hallway for 9 minutes... yes, I counted... and then went back at 8:59 and 30 seconds... God forbid I went away and came back late! The interview was equally stressful.

My second interviewer at the same school was waaayyyyy nicer though. He even told me not to worry... that I am competitive for the school and should not have a problem getting in... and when I did get in three weeks later, he actually wrote me a personal letter of congratulations! yay....

 

[brothersboff]

- Me (smiling in a perplexed way): I thought I did alright. I got a "B+".

-Interviewer (quickly shuffling through transcripts): Oh, did you? I must be mistaking you with someone else.

As I left his office, he asked me why I was also applying to dental school. "Um, I'm not".

I had a similar run in at one of the Texas schools. My interview was generally awkward since my interviewer answered all of my questions with, "Well, when I first came here in the 40's..." or something along those lines. Plus, anytime we'd actually start having a real-ish conversation he'd stop suddenly and say he didn't want to get too far off from the interview (apparently those are only supposed to consist of stilted questions without any follow-up).

Worst moment was when he suddenly shows some actual excitement and says:

"Now, tell me about your experiment with wood permeability. That sounded really interesting."

I had no idea what the guys was talking about. I was a Religion major with approximately negative 4 years of research experience. So, I have to lamely explain this to him, at which point he starts to question me on that - was I sure that wasn't me? Fortunately he eventually agreed that he must have gotten me confused with someone else.

 

[brothersboff]

Also...

Went to Wash U for an interview and stayed with a friend who's an M4. To "reassure me" he told me that you can never predict how an interview goes. As proof, his interview went roughly like this:

Interviewer (first question after introductions): Tell me about the most difficult thing you've dealt with in your life.

Friend: Well, my parents got divorced when I was a little kid and it was pretty rough.

Interviewer: Hmmm. I'm in the middle of a divorce right now, what do you mean by that?

Friend: Well.. um.. it was just pretty messy and hard on me... that's all

Interviewer: Alright, I think we're done here.

 

[Qemmalee]

I thought it was really odd when my second interviewer at UMich asked me what are my plans if I dont get into med school anywhere (practically saying he didnt think I would get in!). Im thinking, this is UMich, people who are being interviewed here are going to get in somewhere! I simply replied that I already have two acceptances, and he replied that it must be a burden lifted off my shoulders :/

I was waitlisted there. Despite this, it is still my top choice.

I'm curious as to what my fellow SDNers feel about this particular question asking what you'll do if you don't get in...

Are interviewers asking this because it's one of those questions that a)demonstrate how much thought you've put into your decision and how you have explored other options or b) the interviewers don't think you'll get into their school and use this question as a gentle nudge to wake up to reality.

 

[ComfortableWolf]

I'm curious as to what my fellow SDNers feel about this particular question asking what you'll do if you don't get in...

Are interviewers asking this because it's one of those questions that a)demonstrate how much thought you've put into your decision and how you have explored other options or b) the interviewers don't think you'll get into their school and use this question as a gentle nudge to wake up to reality.

I was asked this question several times at schools where I was fairly certain I would be accepted (and I was)- my stats are strong enough that it was pretty safe to say I would be accepted somewhere- so my answer is "a"- although in some other cases it could certainly be "b"

 

[KiwiFruit]

I had just returned from South American prior to my interview and I was really really sick and hadn't really eaten solid food for the past couple of days before my interview. I go through my interview, which was normal. But the next day, I got to my University for class and almost passed out so I went to the ER of the med school i had interviewed at the day before (the hospital is connected to the med school and also connected to where my undergrad class was). They couldn't figure out what was wrong and had to call down the infectious disease specialist--Dr. X. I asked the resident if Dr. X does interviews for the med school and he looks at me, laughing under his breath, and goes, "why?". I told him about my interview there the day before and of course when he calls Dr. X, he told Dr. X about me. So the first thing Dr. X says when he pokes his head into my room, sounding completely sincere and concerned, "oh my, you're not here because of me and the committee, are you? I hope not". He was actually worried the committee was responsible! Let's just say it was soooooooooo awkward having my excomm interviewer give me a full exam, along with many many tests to figure out what was wrong...since I had a really bad 'bug bite' on my butt, that my interviewer had to swab! At least he was nice and appreciated the humor.

 

[entropy]

bump

 

[redsox2004]

We were waiting for our interviewers to come get us at Vermont last week... and one comes in and announces,
"Mr.soandso (not me)," and the kid stands up... "Would you liike the interview or the spelling lesson first?"
In front of all of us... poor kid turned beet red.

 

[safariwagon]

My wife and I were staying at my friend's house in DC for my GWU interview. At 3:30am the night before the interview the smoke alarm went off. I walked into the hall and found it full of smoke. A log had rolled out of the fire place and had caught the hardwood floor on fire. My buddy and I put it out and then called the fire department. Two hours later I got back to bed but could not sleep.

At 9:30 as a I rode in the elevator at the medical school I thought I smelled a campfire. I then realized that it was I who smelled like a fire. The smell had permeated my skin, hair, and suit. I apologized a dozen times to the other interviewees and also to my interviewers.

It was the best interview I had. Hopefully I'll hear back soon.

 

[funshine]

for some reason, whenever I read this thread, it seems like the more obnoxious interviews take place at less-prestigious schools...or is it just me?

 

[rjphila]

My first med school interview ever. The doctor seems like a nice guy, pleasant. We exchange small talk for a few moments and then the mood suddenly shifts. He puts his elbows on the desk, leans across it at me with his game face on and says:

Him: (extremely quickly, like Micro Machine fast): A-woman-comes-to-your hospital-because-she-thinks-she-has-breast-cancer. Her-doctor-looks-her over-and-tells-her-to-set-up-an-appointment-for-a-mammogram-with-the-secretary. The-patient-is-in-a-hurry-and-tells-the-secretary-that-she'll-call-later-to-set-up a-time. Six-months-later-she-has-advanced-stage-cancer. Who's fault is it?

Me: Um...all of their faults?
Him: Fix it.
Me: Pardon me?
Him: Fix it.
Me: Ok, well I suppose I would need to know...
Him: That's all you get. Fix it.
Me: Ok, well, I...
Him: Well?
Me: (I manage to mumble something for a couple of minutes, until the Doc suddenly shifts back into nice guy mode)

Him: You know, I am going to give you some advice.
Me: Ok.
Him: Go to Harvard.
Me: Excuse me?
Him: Don't come here. Go to Harvard.

At this point, I am wondering if this is a test to see if I'll admit to actually having applied to Harvard and shoot myself in the foot about getting admission to this school. But he goes on.

Him: You sat in on class this morning, right?
Me: Yes.
Him: Wasn't a challenge was it?
Me: Um....
Him: No, it wasn't. Don't say it was. And don't come here. Listen to what I'm telling you.
Me: Ok, well I appreciate your candor?
Him: I'm serious.
Me: Uh-huh.

He walks me back to the main seating area, claps me on the shoulder and whispers: Remember what I told you. BIZARRE.

 

[scrappysurfer]

after telling me that i will be 35, lonely, and unable to find a husband after i finish my medial training, my interviewer asked me if i take performance enhancing drugs to help me with triathlon....i think he just wanted to tell me about benching 240lbs on sudafed.

 

[pakidoc]

My interview lasted 40 minutes. Went really well, he actually told me that he thought I was a shoe-in. When I walked out of the door, he came running up to me and said 'come back, i wanna test a question on you'.

I was like 'ok, sure', back in his room:

HE: A Father and a son are driving fast on a highway. Suddenly the car swerves and they have an accident. The father is killed instantly. The son is still alive but in critical condition. An ambulance comes and rushes him to the nearest hospital. At the hospital the head of surgury is called upon. The surgeon examines the boy and says that, the boy is in critical condition and will need to be operated upon immediately to save his life, but I cannot operate on him because he is my son! Explain

ME: hmmm... so the father is killed, and now the surgeon claims to be the father.

HE: *repeats the entire question again*

ME: hmmm... *confused*

HE: Ill give you 2 minutes to think of an answer

ME: *thinking*

(after 2 mins, i still have nothing)

HE: the sugeons the boys mom

ME: oh maaaan 😡

 

[shahalam]

My interview lasted 40 minutes. Went really well, he actually told me that he thought I was a shoe-in. When I walked out of the door, he came running up to me and said 'come back, i wanna test a question on you'.

I was like 'ok, sure', back in his room:

HE: A Father and a son are driving fast on a highway. Suddenly the car swerves and they have an accident. The father is killed instantly. The son is still alive but in critical condition. An ambulance comes and rushes him to the nearest hospital. At the hospital the head of surgury is called upon. The surgeon examines the boy and says that, the boy is in critical condition and will need to be operated upon immediately to save his life, but I cannot operate on him because he is my son! Explain

ME: hmmm... so the father is killed, and now the surgeon claims to be the father.

HE: *repeats the entire question again*

ME: hmmm... *confused*

HE: Ill give you 2 minutes to think of an answer

ME: *thinking*

(after 2 mins, i still have nothing)

HE: the sugeons the boys mom

ME: oh maaaan 😡

damn i so woulda gotten it

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I had just returned from South American prior to my interview and I was really really sick and hadn't really eaten solid food for the past couple of days before my interview. I go through my interview, which was normal. But the next day, I got to my University for class and almost passed out so I went to the ER of the med school i had interviewed at the day before (the hospital is connected to the med school and also connected to where my undergrad class was). They couldn't figure out what was wrong and had to call down the infectious disease specialist--Dr. X. I asked the resident if Dr. X does interviews for the med school and he looks at me, laughing under his breath, and goes, "why?". I told him about my interview there the day before and of course when he calls Dr. X, he told Dr. X about me. So the first thing Dr. X says when he pokes his head into my room, sounding completely sincere and concerned, "oh my, you're not here because of me and the committee, are you? I hope not". He was actually worried the committee was responsible! Let's just say it was soooooooooo awkward having my excomm interviewer give me a full exam, along with many many tests to figure out what was wrong...since I had a really bad 'bug bite' on my butt, that my interviewer had to swab! At least he was nice and appreciated the humor.

oh my gosh!

 

[USCTex]

oh my gosh!

You guys have never heard that riddle?
Actually the first time I heard it, awhile ago, I was completely stumped and I have a mother whose a doctor...ouch...but then I wasn't in an interview... 😉

 

[scrappysurfer]

You guys have never heard that riddle?
Actually the first time I heard it, awhile ago, I was completely stumped and I have a mother whose a doctor...ouch...but then I wasn't in an interview... 😉

in camp during third grade. sadly, even as a female i didn't get it either. and my mom was an optho resident at the time

 

[uproarhz]

i'd of said the "benny hill show" 🙂laugh: me laughing at my own joke)
too bad nobody will know what i'm talking about since it's a 1970's-80's british comedy...ya had to be there i guess.

Well, if it makes you feel better, I totally know what you are talking about. My dad loved that show and had us watch that almost all the time when we were younger! Well maybe not all the time... Come to think of it, it was pretty funny! But that was before Mr. Bean!

 

[Jody Sadler]

mine:

what can you tell me about the macroeconomics course you took back in your freshman year ?!

(I didn't remember having even taken that
damn course, let alone tell someone about it)

too funny. I had basically the same thing happen to me, however my class was critical thinking. I did remember taking it but I needed some help. I asked him who the teacher was and what semester I took it (obviously he had my transcript right in front of him)

 

[Jody Sadler]

smilez,
are you sure you wanna go to that school? sounds a bit dangerous heehee
what is with people anyways, fire alarms go off and everybody just sits around like it's normal....(sorry, not a jab at you, just speaking from personal experience).

try living in the dorms at any major university. you always have some clown that comes in smashed at 6:30 in the morning and pulls the alarm. I am completely immune to alarms now and sleep right through them. I will die if a fire starts in my house.

 

[MTGV]

Any more?

 

[jllander]

I have a couple of weird interview stories.

SUNY Upstate: So I have one of my interviews in the hospital with a neurosurgeon. One of the admissions people walks me over and up to his office. I knock on his door and he opens it. He invites me in and it is then I notice no lights are on and he didn't flick them on as he walked back in either. So I sat down but the only place to sit was on a couch. I sit down and he begins the interview. He totally forgot he was interviewing by the way so he had nothing prepared. Anyway, I notice while he's talking that one entire wall of his office is covered with fish tanks. It's like three shelves with three fish tanks each. And the lights from the tanks was the only light in the room. On top of that, the tank closest to me had an eel in it!! OMG, it was the creepiest thing ever. Luckily the interview lasted about 8 minutes.

Wake Forest: Ever single person I encountered at Wake Forest on my interview date was male. Every one. All three interviewers were male. The tour guide was supposed to be a girl but she forgot so they got a back-up: a guy. The students we ate lunch with were all guys. And, on top of that, out of the ten people who were being interviewed that day, nine were male. I was the only female, all day!! It was so odd. It was a great day, just very masculine. Hehehe! Turns out, that's where I am going next year.

 

[lunanv]

ooo! i have one from USC!!

i had my interview with the chief of cardiothorasic surgery (LA county hospital). after going through metal detectors and having to get a security badge to get up to his office, i was surprised to find that he wasn't there. in his place was a resident who told me that the my interviewer had just been called down to surgery and wanted me to change into scrubs and meet him down in the OR "for a chat."

so... off came the fancy interview clothes and on came the L size scrubs, which i was absolutely swimming in considering i'm kind of a petite girl... way to look mature and put together, right?

anyway, i went down to the OR, where the surgeon proceeded to interview me while performing bypass surgery. he's cutting and clamping away, blood spurting out everywhere, while asking me, "so, what do you think about the future of healthcare?" whenever i answered his questions, he'd survey the rest of the OR staff to see what they thought of my answer. it was CRAZY!!!

as you can imagine, it was a pretty surreal experience, but i got to stay for about 3 hours to watch a good chunk of the surgery -- which was VERY cool. AND i got in 🙂

definitely not your standard interview

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

as you can imagine, it was a pretty surreal experience, but i got to stay for about 3 hours to watch a good chunk of the surgery -- which was VERY cool. AND i got in 🙂

nice post! Did you ask to stay in the OR or did the surgeon invite you to stay?

 

[FutureDrKt]

Bump. hilarious!

 

[lunanv]

nice post! Did you ask to stay in the OR or did the surgeon invite you to stay?

he told me that i was welcome to stay for as long as i wanted to -- and i definitely appreciated the opportunity 🙂

 

[jllander]

I'm curious as to what my fellow SDNers feel about this particular question asking what you'll do if you don't get in...

Are interviewers asking this because it's one of those questions that a)demonstrate how much thought you've put into your decision and how you have explored other options or b) the interviewers don't think you'll get into their school and use this question as a gentle nudge to wake up to reality.

I was asked this question a couple of times and I think that they are trying to figure out what else you'd be interested in doing. If I didn't get into med school, I'd like to teach. It is just another way of figuring out what kind of person you are.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

You guys have never heard that riddle?
Actually the first time I heard it, awhile ago, I was completely stumped and I have a mother whose a doctor...ouch...but then I wasn't in an interview... 😉

um, look at what i responded to...it wasn't the riddle.

and yea i didn't hear the riddle but i would have gotten it...well who knows what happens under pressure.

 

[sunsweet]

I was asked this question a couple of times and I think that they are trying to figure out what else you'd be interested in doing. If I didn't get into med school, I'd like to teach. It is just another way of figuring out what kind of person you are.

I think sometimes they also want to see how committed you are to medicine, and if so, I would say re-apply if I didn't get in. If the question is more like what other fields are you interested in if not medicine (not what if you didn't get in), then you can talk about other fields you would go into like teaching, research, etc.

 

[0T6]

Interviewer: Tell me about a time that you've had to convince someone that your ideas were better than theirs.
<I prepared for this, but my mind blanked>
Me: Umm, this is sort of trivial, but I try to convince my friends that the raptors should rebuild around Chris Bosh. *blush*
Interviewer: Anything more significant?
Me: Umm, no.
- next question

LOL this was at a school that employs good cop/bad cop, and this interview was definitely the bad cop, but she flashed me a huge smile at the end of the interview so I hope that 1 question didn't ruin it :S

 

[HoyaMax]

At the conclusion of what I thought was a fairly decent interview, my interviewer gave me his business card, and wrote home phone number on it...
As I left I thought to myself: "what could I possibly ever need to ask this guy at home?"

 

[Obedeli]

The conversation went something like this:

me: (growing slightly pale) this is really embarrassing but I think I have to tell you something

him: you're not going to tell me you saw the dude who hit my car

me: (turning as white as a ghost and feeling like I'm ready to pass out)no, but i'm going to tell you that i am the dude who hit your car. 😳

him: (starting to laugh) you're ****ting me, right?

me: i wish I were

now we reach his car and he takes off the note and reads it.

him: hey at least I see you might be a lousy driver but at least you're honest

me: (probably sounding like and idiot and sounding as if I'm making up excuses but it was later validated further on in the interview in response to something else we were discussing) Actually I'm not always a lousy driver, but my grandmother has been in the ICU for the past week on life support and i really haven't gotten much sleep in a week. I'm so sorry and please give me your information so i can reimburse you for the damages.

I later asked if we could start over and pretend it never happened. We actually got along very well and have talked a couple times since.

You are an honest student. If I was interviewing you, I would have said "perfect interview, let's go get something to eat."
Incredible!

 

[Obedeli]

Yes, I am a medical student (physician tomorrow...literally) but I have enjoyed reading these posts and thankfully none of the interviews with me made it to this thread. I would like to share two stories from my residency interviews.

At one particular school in the southeast, we had a terrific Italian catered lunch with the most amazing lasagna. After the lunch, we had a tour of the hospital. At one stop on the tour, I looked down at my pants (to make sure I zipped up I guess) and I noticed a weird brown but reflective stain on the pant leg. Bending over to look closer, I noticed that it had a trail leading to the bottom of my pants. I found a whole splattering of this mysterious substance on my cuff. I asked myself what in the world caused this. As I brushed my cuff, the perpetrator rolled out... a mini - meatball from the lasagna. He rolled out onto the floor right by my foot. I froze. I quickly thought, maybe I'll just step back and pretend it didn't come from me. But then I realized that a patient or visitor could slip on the darn thing. I palmed it and chucked at the next wastebasket I saw. I don't think the residents saw but some of the interviewees may have.

At another institution, I was treated to breakfast with the chair of the specialty I am going into with another student. We went to a nice restaurant for breakfast. I remembered that I read you should order something light and quick in an interview situation like this. I couldn't find an omelet on the menu but I did see something that had all the things I would like an omelet to have, so I ordered it. Well, my skillet came back sizzling and huge. It had a football size stack of hash browns and two fried eggs on top. The chairman made notice of this monstrosity and he and the other applicant enjoyed their fried egg and yogurt while I did my best to consume the feed trough provided to me. This informal interview went awful, but the rest of the day went well. Thankfully, there was another place I liked more and I got in there.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

You are an honest student. If I was interviewing you, I would have said "perfect interview, let's go get something to eat."
Incredible!

thanks! I was embarrassed as anything for a long time, but it makes for a good laugh now, especially since I did get accepted there.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Yes, I am a medical student (physician tomorrow...literally) but I have enjoyed reading these posts and thankfully none of the interviews with me made it to this thread.

and congrats!!! 👍

 

[entropy]

bump

 

[caffeine37]

a 70 years old radiologist with a ring... if i were you, i will suspect that he must have an unhappy story about his past relationship, perhaps a broken family, perhaps his wife left her for being malpracticing or negligence or over-devotion into materialism such as money... whatever it is, for such an old hopeless rude man, i will be bold to dig it out. i will ask him why are you wearing a ring? u ever married? how come she left u? what happened? how come u seem unhappy?
i will give him a stress interview. most importantly, perhaps he needs someone to revive him by confrontation.
hope this makes u feel better. i just think that there are way too many old physician out there who lost the joy of life and have really no passion whatsoever in their career and their pathetic ill-managed life from the ever-so-stressful and hard-to-understand community.
quoted from atul gawande, " doctor belong to an insular world- one of hemorrhages and lab tests and people sliced open. we are for the moment the healthy few who live among the sick. and it is easy to become alien to the experiences and sometimes the values of the rest of civilization. ours is a world even our families do not grasp. this is, in certain respects, the experience of athletes and soldiers and professional musicians. unlike them, however, we are not only removed, we are also alone. once residency is over and you've settled in Sleepy Eye or the northern peninsula of Michigan, or for that matter, Manhattan, the slew of patients and isolation of practice take you away from anyone who really knows what it is like to cut a stomach cancer from a patient or lose her to a pneumonia afterward or answer the family's accusing questions or fight with insurers to get paid."

I'm so surprised at how rude you would be! The guy wearing a ring who said he was not married could be a widower, and maybe he didn't want to talk about it. That was my first impression. I haven't gone on any interviews yet, but I think its such a high stress situation that a lot of interviewees lose sight of the fact that these people interviewing them have lives...busy lives...and talking to you is probably not the highlight of their week

be respectful...its not all about you!

 

[entropy]

booting up this thread....................

 

[it.]

booting up again.........................

 

[crazy_cavalier]

re-booting.


😀

 

[Zong117]

bump

 

[ablumoon]

I had an interview 3 years ago for the 7 year med program at BU. I had never been to Boston before, or the hospital, but I left a good 20 miutes early so that I could find my way around. A few minutes before I left, I found out that my mom had lost her purse (with her passport, ID, money, EVERYTHING) and that we may not be able to travel home anytime soon. Needless to say, I was a little stress. So the BU people gave me a tiny little piece of paper that gives me directions on how to reach my interviewer in the hospital. I don't know if you guys have been there,but it's like a freaking maze. Left at this hall way, up this elevator, blablabla. I got lost. Big Time. Before I knew it, I was 20 minuets late and crying. This wonderful, wonderful resident sees me and asks what is wrong. I tell him my dilemma and walks me over exactly where I was to go. It was the nicest thing that someone could have done! When I finally went to my interview, the woman was still waiting. I explained to her my situation, what had happened-- including the fact my moms purse was missing-- and we had this awesome interview that lasted about 1 hour. We talked about everything from my parnets, to my life in West Virginia, to why I want to go into medicine. It was amazing--I will never, to this day, forget how awesome she was.At the end of the interview, she even printed out train schedules so that my mom and I could go back home safely.

I got in. I didn't choose to go to BU, I'm at USC now, but my impression of BU, and the overall interview process, was pretty interesting. I just have to say that no matter what the circumstances, if you are a person who is genuine, enthusastic, and really cares about what you are doing--you will be able to impress the best (or worst) of them--no matter WHAT the circumstances. Good luck, all!!!

 

[tgerwuds]

It had to have been when the Chancellor Physician at Vanderbilt started jolted from behind her desk at me only to pin me on the floor and began to violently make out with me!

 

[Its_MurDAH]

This isn't a med school interview but an interview for the guaranteed honors med. program at the Illinois Institute of Tech. in chicago. I figured id post it anyway...it was horrible.

I was the last person to be interviewed out of 90 some students. It was in the middle of the day and i had had nothing to eat. ****-ty day so far
so i walk into my interviewees office - it turns out he is the chairman of the neurosurgery dept. or something like that. some bigshot. I am already thinking - "thats just great"

first question:
Him: So, medicine huh?
me: (wtf?) yepp
(i went on to give him a spiel about why i want to be part of this program blah blah because i figured thats what he was asking)
Him: I see (with a calculating look on his face). OKay what do u do if a patient is on life support and his family asks you to make a decision about his condition. He is not getting any better and the life support is the only thing keeping him alive. what do u tell the family? and you HAVE to advise them to either take him off or keep him on.
Me: ummmmmmmmm (btw never do that...the umms are interview killers because he looked absolutely disgusted when i did that)
Me (after a good 30 seconds): i guess i would tell the family to keep him on life support so that atleast there is a chance that some sort of recovery is possible in the future? (and im looking at him with a hopeful look on my face)
Him: Ehhhhh (the buzzer sound! i kid you not) Wrong Answer (looking at me accusingly as if i had committed some sort of blasphemy)
Me (stammering): ...b-b-but. okay so what would th-the right answer be?
Him: (scoffing) Jeez. You tell the family that all u can do is advise them about the pros and cons of either of those options - keep him on or off. You can only advise them...it is up to the family to make a decision. you DO NOT (hes yelling at this point) make a decision for the family!.
Me: but...you said i HAD to advise them...
Him (cutting me off): No...you're wrong.
Me: (about to cry)

i dont even remember the rest of the interview...
i didnt even receive an acceptance (or a rejection for that matter) from the program..i had to call THEM to ask what happened.
Over the phone, the guy goes "oh u didnt hear from us?"
I was like "um. no??"
And he says, "oh...well (i hear him shuffling some papers)...well you got in buddy. congrats. must have been a mix up with the paperwork"
Me: (frozen with the phone stuck to my ear)
Him: hello hello?
I hung up.

 

[shadowy onion]

.

 

[DoctorDoom]

for some reason, whenever I read this thread, it seems like the more obnoxious interviews take place at less-prestigious schools...or is it just me?

I think it's the wrong impression... larger institutions often have more tolerance for "characters" and have the worst interviewers.

One interview story comes to mind, I was going to an interview in suburban PA. I didn't know just how far it was outside of the city, and ended up taking two trains, a bus, and a shuttle bus. All to end up about 2 miles away from the hospital. In a snowstorm. Of the ten people scheduled to interview that day I was one of three that showed up.

By the time I arrived I was freezing cold, my suit trousers were soaked from the knees down, and my shoes were blocks of ice. I was miserable. Then when asked about why I had to walk, I had to admit that I didn't know how to drive. Plus, upon being asked about my college alma mater, I began to crow about how much better we were as opposed to our rivals. Only to find out that the Chairman of the Department of Surgery, who was interviewing me, went to Rival U. As did his father. And his two sons.

Nevertheless, he was very gracious, and we eventually had a good laugh. He said he appreciated my willingness to overcome obstacles. Drove me to the train station on my way home, for which I think he deserves a medal.

 

[NSight8]

this is my interview experience in one of the nyc schools...

I was being interviewed for the MD/PhD program by the MD/PhD director, who happened to be an older gentleman....

During the interview he asked me about my research and I went into my whole shpiel of how I think you can apply the knowledge you garner from research and apply it to the helping of patients. At that point the interviewer looks at me incredulously and asks me, "So why aren't you applying into the MD/PhD program??"

I look stunned back at him and say "I am"

and he realizes his error and goes "oh, I'm sorry" Then as if to take out his frustration at his mistake on me he proceeds to grill me on everything else in my file

At the end I got accepted into their MD/PhD program .... but went elsewhere