Negative Experience with Student Interviewer

[lemonliz]

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I recently attended an interview where I was interviewed by an MS2. I thought he behaved pretty unprofessionally...he was decidedly unenthusiastic about the school. He would ask me really hard questions, and after I answered he would say "I'm just messing with you."

I was thinking of contacting the admissions office after I got my decision to tell them he didn't represent the school very well, but it seems like there is a big backlog of applications and decisions are taking over 10 weeks. Do you guys think I should contact them sooner? Because this interviewer really left a negative impression.

 

[psswrd]

.

 

[gyngyn]

You should absolutely email the dean of admissions. Give specific examples of the behavior that you found objectionable.

 

[La Presse]

You should absolutely email the dean of admissions. Give specific examples of the behavior that you found objectionable.

Yes, and if they reject you, come back on SDN and reveal the school to us and we will then proceed to jeer and post disparaging things about them. 😛

 

[Frazier]

You need to give the school feedback on your experience sooner rather than later...

However, you need to avoid giving the impression that you're complaining or hoping to get a boost in your app. Schools want interviewers to represent their institution in a favorable light. If he failed to do that, it is your responsibility to let the school know so that they can fix the problem.

 

[yehhhboiii]

Yes, and if they reject you, come back on SDN and reveal the school to us and we will then proceed to jeer and post disparaging things about them. 😛

lol yup
i still have a bad impression of georgetown because of that jalby post

 

[Jalby]

lol yup
i still have a bad impression of georgetown because of that jalby post

I just shed a tear of joy.....

 

[random1234]

lol if you thought that is bad
I've had interviewers ask me where (specifically) I have received interviews...and wrote them down
as well as tell me about their personal life...like really personal info
as well as rants about racism, from both sides, immigrants stealing our jobs, Lord knows what else.

I guess it's because I'm easy to talk to. Actually I appreciate the honest approach.

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

I just shed a tear of joy.....

Speak of the devil

So how was he unenthusiastic about the school? What kind of hard questions did he say?

 

[alpinism]

Speak of the devil

So how was he unenthusiastic about the school? What kind of hard questions did he say?

No kidding.

Unenthusiastic? You need to be more specific.

There's nothing unprofessional about asking hard questions.

Depending on the context of the conversation, there might not also be anything wrong with joking around or saying "i'm just messing with you."

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

lol if you thought that is bad
I've had interviewers ask me where (specifically) I have received interviews...and wrote them down
as well as tell me about their personal life...like really personal info
as well as rants about racism, from both sides, immigrants stealing our jobs, Lord knows what else.

I guess it's because I'm easy to talk to. Actually I appreciate the honest approach.

What's weird is that even though it's considered bad form for an interviewer to ask where an applicant has interviews, I've yet to have an interview where I don't have at least one interviewer ask me that question. One time an interviewer wouldn't even accept a non-answer to the question and kept asking until I told them, and then they asked me what my top choice was if I got accepted to all of them although at least I was able to bs my way out of answering that one. From talking with other applicants at these interviews, I'm apparently not alone in these experiences.

 

[random1234]

What's weird is that even though it's considered bad form for an interviewer to ask where an applicant has interviews, I've yet to have an interview where I don't have at least one interviewer ask me that question. One time an interviewer wouldn't even accept a non-answer to the question and kept asking until I told them, and then they asked me what my top choice was if I got accepted to all of them although at least I was able to bs my way out of answering that one. From talking with other applicants at these interviews, I'm apparently not alone in these experiences.

Yeah, I try to see the positive and assume that it may be to gauge the applicant's competitiveness...after getting asked this question, I wondered if schools can see where we get interviews at, but I guess not if they keep asking this question.

 

[lemonliz]

Speak of the devil

So how was he unenthusiastic about the school? What kind of hard questions did he say?
No kidding.

Unenthusiastic? You need to be more specific.

There's nothing unprofessional about asking hard questions.

Depending on the context of the conversation, there might not also be anything wrong with joking around or saying "i'm just messing with you."

I don't mind being asked hard questions, but I thought his attitude after I answered was bizarre. Especially because he was supposed to be gauging my professionalism.

I asked him if he was happy at the school, and he said no. I asked him why, and his reasons seemed to be less about the school and more about him not liking being a medical student. I then asked him why he chose the school, and he said "it doesn't really matter where you go...you'll be a doctor at the end."

 

[Pacna]

I asked him if he was happy at the school, and he said no. I asked him why, and his reasons seemed to be less about the school and more about him not liking being a medical student. I then asked him why he chose the school, and he said "it doesn't really matter where you go...you'll be a doctor at the end."

That is the ****ing truth, though.

Medical schools want to hear some glowing, philosophic reason why your essence resonates with the mission of the medical school, but ask any of the staff why they work there and they'll tell you it's because they have family in the area or because they like the weather. To me, there's a difference between professionalism and outright lying, and that's exactly what they ask applicants to do by posing questions like this.

 

[alpinism]

That is the ****ing truth, though.

Medical schools want to hear some glowing, philosophic reason why your essence resonates with the mission of the medical school, but ask any of the staff why they work there and they'll tell you it's because they have family in the area or because they like the weather. To me, there's a difference between professionalism and outright lying, and that's exactly what they ask applicants to do by posing questions like this.

QFT

Would you prefer he lie to you? Many med students are unhappy with their school for various reasons. As you mentioned often times its mainly due to the stress of being a med student in general, but sometimes there are legitimate concerns. Go over to the allopathic forums and see for yourself. There isn't a school out there where everyone is 100% in love with their school like admissions officers or tour guides would like you to believe.

If during an interview day no one has any bad things to say about the school and all the students say everything is perfect...that's a huge red flag.
Every school has its own pros and cons. Every school has its own mix of happy and unhappy students. Some people just like to complain a lot.
The main question is whether you'll be happy there.

 

[physicsnerd42]

I then asked him why he chose the school, and he said "it doesn't really matter where you go...you'll be a doctor at the end."

I kind of love this answer because it's so true. I also think it's refreshing that the interviewer is being so transparent with you about how he feels about the school.

I think that pre-meds get WAY too wrapped up in finding the "perfect" medical school. The LCME sets standards that allopathic US med schools have to meet, so you have an opportunity to get a good education at any of them. I think some med schools can make it a little more or less painful (I'm actually quite fond of my med school and think I'm getting an excellent education), but there is much less difference in quality between schools than most pre-meds think, or most admissions officers would like you to think. I'm not an interviewer, but when I talk to applicants at my school, I talk to them about why I love my med school but then also tell them to (within reason) go to the cheapest U.S. allopathic school they get into because they'll get a good education from almost anywhere. $100,000 extra debt from your "dream school" can really limit your choices in the future.

 

[yehhhboiii]

I don't mind being asked hard questions, but I thought his attitude after I answered was bizarre. Especially because he was supposed to be gauging my professionalism.

I asked him if he was happy at the school, and he said no. I asked him why, and his reasons seemed to be less about the school and more about him not liking being a medical student. I then asked him why he chose the school, and he said "it doesn't really matter where you go...you'll be a doctor at the end."

being a medical student sucks
you're studying a lot and people are judging you all the time
the future is very uncertain and you're not sure which field you should go into
you are saddled with a huge amount of debt on day 1 and it starts growing right away (wtf?)
your classmates are just as smart or smarter than you and you're constantly being compared to them
getting into medical school is harder than premeds think and who knows if it's going to be worth it in the end

 

[organdonor]

...but when I talk to applicants at my school, I talk to them about why I love my med school but then also tell them to (within reason) go to the cheapest U.S. allopathic school they get into because they'll get a good education from almost anywhere. $100,000 extra debt from your "dream school" can really limit your choices in the future.

This! I am totally honest with anyone who cares about my reasons for picking my undergraduate and medical schools: cost. My undergraduate was the least expensive bachelors degree in my home state (and actually has a pretty good pre med program too) and my med school is the only state school.

Some people have different priorities, but mine was primarily cost. Location (close to home) was a secondary factor. Anything else was far, far down the list.