Questions To Ask Interviewers?

[MedPR]

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Read through several threads about this topic and most of them suggest the same types of questions. However, it seems like the questions we are "supposed" to ask interviewers are questions we could answer ourselves through a little research and reading of the school's website.

So it seems like a tradeoff between having questions but seeming like you didn't do any research about the school and doing research to answer all of your questions but seeming disinterested...

What's the better choice?

 

[JESSFALLING]

Ask open ended questions that allow the interviewer to elaborate a bit.

 

[NeuroLAX]

While you can generally find a fair amount of information from the school's website, not all the websites are extremely informational. Even the good ones don't tell you absolutely everything there is to know about the school.

So, if you find something that appeals to you, it would be a good idea to ask your interviewer if he/she could tell you a little more about X community opportunity, X research initiative, etc. Thus, it will come across that you did your homework, but you want to know more about the school because you are genuinely interested. I had no trouble asking my interviewers for more info on certain community services projects. It gave me another opportunity to show my interest and how I would be a good fit for the school, especially since I connected it with something on my application/my personality.

 

[MedPR]

While you can generally find a fair amount of information from the school's website, not all the websites are extremely informational. Even the good ones don't tell you absolutely everything there is to know about the school.

So, if you find something that appeals to you, it would be a good idea to ask your interviewer if he/she could tell you a little more about X community opportunity, X research initiative, etc. Thus, it will come across that you did your homework, but you want to know more about the school because you are genuinely interested. I had no trouble asking my interviewers for more info on certain community services projects. It gave me another opportunity to show my interest and how I would be a good fit for the school, especially since I connected it with something on my application/my personality.

Oh ok, thanks for the suggestions.

If for some reason the interviewer does not ask if I have any questions, would it be okay to ask if they would mind answering a few questions for me?

 

[dntke1518]

Yeah, it will help to have some questions or concerns about the school to ask them. I feel like it shows that you are actually interested in the school, are somewhat educated about the school and haven't just read the website.

 

[Superman DO]

I asked one of my interviewers about his research. . .then, I asked what kind of alcohol he prefers. Best. Interview. Ever! 🙂

 

[chiddler]

Yeah, it will help to have some questions or concerns about the school to ask them. I feel like it shows that you are actually interested in the school, are somewhat educated about the school and haven't just read the website.

well...what more is there, beyond the website?

 

[MedPR]

I asked one of my interviewers about his research. . .then, I asked what kind of alcohol he prefers. Best. Interview. Ever! 🙂

Did the interviewer bring up alcohol? Seems like a bold topic for an interviewee to initiate 😀

well...what more is there, beyond the website?

I think he meant just reading the first page or mission statement rather than looking at other sections of the school (via the website).

 

[Superman DO]

Did the interviewer bring up alcohol? Seems like a bold topic for an interviewee to initiate 😀

As I recall, I asked him what he did for fun, and he said he liked to travel and drink. Before I knew it, we were talking about pubs and beer haha. So, he initiated the subject. . .I would never have the cahoonies to flat out ask a question like that! lol. A very cool interview, nonetheless!

 

[MedPR]

As I recall, I asked him what he did for fun, and he said he liked to travel and drink. Before I knew it, we were talking about pubs and beer haha. So, he initiated the subject. . .I would never have the cahoonies to flat out ask a question like that! lol. A very cool interview, nonetheless!

We can all only hope to have an interviewer like that! I really hope my interviewer isn't dressed in a suit and interviews me in his office or some place informal. It will help me to relax and not look or say anything dumb.

I also hope my interviewer likes to drink bourbon 🙂 That way I'll have something unique to talk about if hobbies/interests of his/hers do come up.

 

[Superman DO]

We can all only hope to have an interviewer like that! I really hope my interviewer isn't dressed in a suit and interviews me in his office or some place informal. It will help me to relax and not look or say anything dumb.

I also hope my interviewer likes to drink bourbon 🙂 That way I'll have something unique to talk about if hobbies/interests of his/hers do come up.

You'll be fine. Just go in there, let them know who you are, and then get them talking about themselves. Have a positive attitude, smile, be friendly and you cannot go wrong.

 

[emtthink]

I asked them why I should choose their school over other schools

 

[shaggybill]

My school is very missions-oriented, so I asked how useful OMM could be on the mission field seeing that's it's such a simple tool that only requires our hands. That question led to a 10-15 minute discussion about OMM and underserved/missions medicine.

 

[MedPR]

I asked them why I should choose their school over other schools

No way.

 

[NeuroLAX]

I asked them why I should choose their school over other schools

No way.

Might have been joking... sarcasm can be difficult to pick up on the interwebz.

 

[Loudster]

No way.

Not sure why that's so shocking... Interviews are a time for you to decide on whether you'd like to attend that school as well as for the school to decide whether or not they want you to attend there. One question I like asking them is why they chose to work there. What about that school did they like when they were deciding on where to work.

 

[MedPR]

Not sure why that's so shocking... Interviews are a time for you to decide on whether you'd like to attend that school as well as for the school to decide whether or not they want you to attend there. One question I like asking them is why they chose to work there. What about that school did they like when they were deciding on where to work.

That's not what the person said they asked. Asking questions that will help you develop a better idea of why you want to go to a school is not the same as asking "Why should I attend your school over X school?"

 

[emtthink]

Might have been joking... sarcasm can be difficult to pick up on the interwebz.

No I'm actually serious, I did aks that, well I think it was more along the lines of "what can your school provide me that other schools can't" or "what sets your school apart from others". They didn't seem to take offense to it, and I got in. I just judged what questions to ask based on my interviewers personalitites

 

[MedPR]

No I'm actually serious, I did aks that, well I think it was more along the lines of "what can your school provide me that other schools can't" or "what sets your school apart from others". They didn't seem to take offense to it, and I got in. I just judged what questions to ask based on my interviewers personalitites

Well, those questions are the same idea as "Why should I pick your school?" but are worded in a much more appropriate way 😛

 

[CopToEM]

Go to question: "You've learned a lot about why I believe I belong at [insert school here], what encouraged you to both come here and remain here as a faculty member?"

 

[CopToEM]

No I'm actually serious, I did aks that, well I think it was more along the lines of "what can your school provide me that other schools can't" or "what sets your school apart from others". They didn't seem to take offense to it, and I got in. I just judged what questions to ask based on my interviewers personalitites

That's a legitimate question. The interviewers should consider what sets them apart from the competition and it's your right to know that. My interviewers at DCOM asked me this very question, "Why DCOM and not [other school]?"

 

[NeuroLAX]

I think there is a diplomatic way of asking this question without sounding arrogant. "Why should I choose to go to your school over another?" could potentially be misconstrued by others. Overall, I think it is more appropriate for them to ask US this question than the other way around. For them, it gauges our interest in the school and why we think we are a good fit.

However, I think it is legitimate to ask them what their school has to offer that other schools don't, perhaps AFTER asking them to elaborate on something(s) you like about the school. For example, first asking for more information on X or Y opportunity, then asking what other opportunities they think are unique to the school. It gets the point across without the potential connotation of masked arrogance. Plus, you get to make your decision (after being accepted, of course) on where to go based, in part, by their response and what you've learned and read about the school.

The last thing an applicant should do is come across as arrogant during an interview. You only have one shot, so why blow it?