"Safe" Weaknesses

[kypdurron5]

One of the most popular questions asked during an interview is "What are three of your strengths and three of your weaknesses?" or "What would your friends say are your three strengths/weaknesses?" Strengths are easy, I mean, for that you could say something even if it's not completely accurate- positive traits are easy to give in a subjective question. It's the weaknesses that get me. When I was asked that question I didn't have an answer. I explained that I feel one cannot overcome their weaknesses unless they know what they are, however, if one knows of a weakness and does not overcome it, then that is simply a failure. If one can regularly overcome a weakness, then it is longer a weakness to such a person. Thus, although I have weaknesses, if I were to actually be able to say "this is my weakness" then it would necessarily imply that I cannot in any significant way overcome it (else, it would not be a weakness anymore). The problem with picking something specific is that you also don't want to make yourself look bad. For instance, the closest "safe weakness" I can think of would be to say that I am anti-social, and so anti-social tendencies are a weakness to me. However, do I really want to tell a medical school interviewer that I'm a loner? Somehow that seems self-defeating. While loners can certainly be good doctors, it seems counter-intuitive that an introvert would want to work with people for a living. Thus you see my bind. So what have some of you given as your "weaknesses" when asked during an interview? Don't get me wrong here, I'm an extremely honest person and I would never lie (which is why coming up with a true but "safe" answer is so difficult), but I think seeing some examples may give me ideas for weaknesses in myself that would be safe to point out in that singular moment so important in determining my very future. Thanks!

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[Sanctuary]

Hmm.. well you could just tell the interviewer three of your weaknesses? That'd probably be easier than trying to conjure up 'clever' sounding weaknesses that might just make you look like a nob?

 

[LabMonster]

So what have some of you given as your "weaknesses" when asked during an interview? Don't get me wrong here, I'm an extremely honest person and I would never lie (which is why coming up with a true but "safe" answer is so difficult), but I think seeing some examples may give me ideas for weaknesses in myself that would be safe to point out in that singular moment so important in determining my very future. Thanks!

Make this simple on yourself. Ask your friends and family to be brutally honest about your failings - then pick and choose. No one is perfect, so it's OK to admit your faults.

 

[kirexhana]

Make this simple on yourself. Ask your friends and family to be brutally honest about your failings - then pick and choose. No one is perfect, so it's OK to admit your faults.

i tried that with my friends, but then i got kinda defensive. i think i even made one of them cry after. j/k... they made me cry 😳

 

[beachbunny]

During one of my interviews I responded to this question by saying I am, at times, overly compassionate and too sensitive. I explained this through experiences in my clinical work and gave examples of specific situations. My interviewer had an interesting reponse, saying that he did not believe that was a weakness and we need more people like me, more compassionate people, in this world and the in medical field. I think he was satisfied and impressed with my answer. He didn't ask for any other weaknesses or anything....he just left it at that. I see it as a weakness because I think it could interfere with my work, causing undue stress, etc...but he seemed to regard it as a strength!

Hope that helps....good luck!!!

 

[Hassler]

For this type of question, ideally you would want to say something that sounds like a weakness but is in fact not really a weakness. For example, sometimes I would say English is not my first language and I felt that may be a weakness. But, the interviewer could probably tell that my English isn't that bad. Also, it helped him remember that I'm bilingual. So, even though I mentioned a "weakness", I am actually talking about a strength.

It's a tough question, I agree. But I'm sure you can come up with some "weaknesses" that you can turn into your strengths.

Am I clear? I feel that I'm wording this very poorly but it's late 😛

 

[8crastinpro]

I just mentioned a weakness of mine - procrastination - and talked about the steps I were taking to fix the problem. The interviewer seemed to like that my response wasn't canned.. and that I didn't avoid the question with a "weakness that is actually a strength."

He asked me what other weaknesses I had and I told him that "I must have many, but nothing in particular comes to mind." He seemed satisfied with that answer as well.. and enjoyed the interview. In the end, I was awarded a full scholarship to the school.

 

[Depakote]

Just pick a weakness, a real one, and then show in detail how you are fixing it.

It's a subtle way of making a weakness a strength.

Don't try to pick one like: I work too hard, or I study too much. They'll see that BS from space.

Now picking something that has to do with substance abuse or a clear lack of ethics... mebe not the best weakness.

"Well, I sell drugs to inner city youth. I see it as building bridges and developing my buisness sense."

^might leave that out

 

[45408]

Hmm.. well you could just tell the interviewer three of your weaknesses? That'd probably be easier than trying to conjure up 'clever' sounding weaknesses that might just make you look like a nob?

You go right ahead and tell them about your issues dealing with anger management and cheating. Let us know how that goes.

Or maybe the OP was asking a decent question.

 

[ND2005]

It is a tough question, one worth thinking about.

Like Depakote said, you don't want to say something ******ed like "I work too much". That's just a canned answer, and shows a lack of self-perspective or forethought (ie you either lack an understanding of your own weaknesses, or you display an inability to admit those weaknesses).

But, like Shredder said, you don't want to say something that's going to raise a red-flag. If you say something that makes you sound like a nutjob in your interview, you've probably just torpedoed your chances of admission.

You need a legitimate weakness, but you also need a follow-up to that weakness that shows that you have some self-understanding and capacity for improvement.

I definitely wouldn't say the anti-social thing, for the record.

 

[notdeadyet]

i tried that with my friends, but then i got kinda defensive. i think i even made one of them cry after. j/k... they made me cry 😳

You're defensive about yoru shortcomings? That sounds like it could be a weaness.

Seriously, DON'T try to come up with something clever. I've interviewed lots of people in a professional setting and when that question comes up, it's always entertaining to distinguish between those who answer it honestly and those who come up with canned answers obviously designed to impress. If I hear "Sometimes I get very focused on the task at hand and find it hard to leave work without finishing it", "Sometimes I'm too much of a perfectionist" or any of that drivel again...

 

[murphomatic]

During one of my interviews I responded to this question by saying I am, at times, overly compassionate and too sensitive. I explained this through experiences in my clinical work and gave examples of specific situations. My interviewer had an interesting reponse, saying that he did not believe that was a weakness and we need more people like me, more compassionate people, in this world and the in medical field. I think he was satisfied and impressed with my answer. He didn't ask for any other weaknesses or anything....he just left it at that. I see it as a weakness because I think it could interfere with my work, causing undue stress, etc...but he seemed to regard it as a strength!

Hope that helps....good luck!!!

I had the exact same experience. It is pretty cool to have your interviewer defend you. 👍 That was the only school I got accepted at

 

[socal1015]

I was also asked the question in more than one interview. My response was that I feel that I am not fully organized with my time. I told the interviewer that I was working on utilizing a planner to schedule my days so that I could use my time more efficiently and he seemed really satisfied with my answer. I would think that as long as you be honest with them and mention how you're trying to fix this weakness, you should be alright.

 

[Eamonn]

I told the guy that I can be really stubborn, seemed to go over fine.

 

[RxnMan]

One of the most popular questions asked during an interview is "What are three of your strengths and three of your weaknesses?" or "What would your friends say are your three strengths/weaknesses?" Strengths are easy, I mean, for that you could say something even if it's not completely accurate- positive traits are easy to give in a subjective question. It's the weaknesses that get me. When I was asked that question I didn't have an answer. I explained that I feel one cannot overcome their weaknesses unless they know what they are, however, if one knows of a weakness and does not overcome it, then that is simply a failure. If one can regularly overcome a weakness, then it is longer a weakness to such a person. Thus, although I have weaknesses, if I were to actually be able to say "this is my weakness" then it would necessarily imply that I cannot in any significant way overcome it (else, it would not be a weakness anymore). The problem with picking something specific is that you also don't want to make yourself look bad. For instance, the closest "safe weakness" I can think of would be to say that I am anti-social, and so anti-social tendencies are a weakness to me. However, do I really want to tell a medical school interviewer that I'm a loner? Somehow that seems self-defeating. While loners can certainly be good doctors, it seems counter-intuitive that an introvert would want to work with people for a living. Thus you see my bind. So what have some of you given as your "weaknesses" when asked during an interview? Don't get me wrong here, I'm an extremely honest person and I would never lie (which is why coming up with a true but "safe" answer is so difficult), but I think seeing some examples may give me ideas for weaknesses in myself that would be safe to point out in that singular moment so important in determining my very future. Thanks!

Well, if you're looking to use our weaknesses on your app, then I'd say one of your's is lack of honesty.

The barb aside, you need to look at yourself on this one. When have you failed? Why did you? Why did you break up with your last girlfriend (or boyfriend?) What was their stated reason for breaking up with you? (If you don't know, it's probably 'not good at listening!') What was going on in your life the last time you failed a test or class? When were you last unhappy, and why?

Just start asking yourself questions. The questions are meant to provoke introspection - so do so!

 

[schatzie81]

okay, in retrospect these are probably bad answers...

i told my school's health professions committe that i'm sometimes conscientious to a fault: sometimes i assume i'm wrong even if i'm not. i worry about my patients all the time--think about them when trying to sleep, always checking on them, looking really deeply into a problem i probably can't fix. the flip side of that is that if i think i made a mistake (regardless whether i did or not), i research it like crazy, i seek counsel from my coworkers, and i am 98% sure i will NEVER make the same mistake again. i added that i had to think long and hard about being a doctor, especially an OB, since they get sued often, and i think that would be devastating. but i'm realizing that i give the standard of care, or above the standard of care every time, which is the best protection from a non-frivolous lawsuit. i added that if i didn't have the maturity and experience, i wouldn't have even known about this as my weakness.

hopefully they saw my point that i'm an even better clinician than *i* think, not that i'm a totally freaky neurotic person.

 

[liverotcod]

You could say kleptomaniac, and then watch your interviewer double-check all of his/her personal belongings.

 

[DrHuang]

tell them kryptonite

 

[ProReduction]

tell them kryptonite

At my first interview, I told the interviewer that my weakness was that "at times I am completely arrogant."

You should have seen the look on her face!!! Priceless.

 

[ShyRem]

My greatest weakness: intolerance for people who REFUSE to learn or try to better themselves. Made my interviewer stop, put his pen down, lean back in his chair, smile at me and say "so... how do you see that fitting into a medical career?" The only saving grace at that point was his smile was genuine, not a "ah-HAH! SHARK BAIT!" kind of smile. It led to an interesting discussion of how I handle this particular aspect of my personality, and he seemed to really enjoy the honesty.

 

[Pkboi24]

My greatest weakness: Smokin' hot women and their oversized Audrey Hepburn sunglasses.

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

I said that I have a problem with being too intense. (i actually asked friends and family, and oddly enough this exact word came up a LOT... well, maybe not oddly) But i felt that it was a crossover strength and weakness. I get very committed and emotional about things I care about which is what has helped me get into med school and remain close to my family and on top of it all stick with my art (although i'm exhausted!), but I also get much too intent and stubborn at times. So i said the older I get the more i'm managing to find out WHEN to be emotional and when to be stubborn, but its going to be something I'm going to continue to work on. I've learned due to personal circumstance when it's best to admit defeat and not be broken by it, and say that its OK to stop. They liked that, i think, because it was very true. I'm learning to be more balanced, and i'm actively trying to become that way. Its not a part of my personality I can hide, and I told them how i really felt and it went well. I got into both of the schools that asked me about weaknesses, so i couldn't have frightened them off (not too much!)

i avoided spinning it as being "overly compassionate" , no offense to an above poster, but it sounds as though you KNOW you don't want to make them dislike you so you take something like caring for patients and pretned that caring too much is just such a burden. and the truth is, i understand it can be, however, it just doesn't ring true to me, at least using those words.

I think the best thing you can do is to be honest about your negatives and let them know how you're trying to fix them. let the interviewer know you're aware of your weaknesses and willing to change them. that they don't overshadow your strengths but you're open to learning from the weaknesses

 

[Monette]

My greatest weakness: intolerance for people who REFUSE to learn or try to better themselves. Made my interviewer stop, put his pen down, lean back in his chair, smile at me and say "so... how do you see that fitting into a medical career?" The only saving grace at that point was his smile was genuine, not a "ah-HAH! SHARK BAIT!" kind of smile. It led to an interesting discussion of how I handle this particular aspect of my personality, and he seemed to really enjoy the honesty.

How much did he enjoy it? Is that the school that you got into?

Just curious,
Monette

 

[StevenRF]

Whatever you do, DONT SAY REAL WEAKNESSES. This question is all about spin. You have to say bs stuff that really isn't a weakness and how your fixing it, such as, I don't speak a foriegn language, so that could hurt me in dealing with a large segment of the population. I plan on taking medical spanish to gain some competancy however. Another good one is something like, I tend to be too much of a perfectionist in my work, so some times I dedicate too much time to things. See, crap like that.

All it takes is listing one real negative that your interviewer doesn't like and your screwed. My friend told one interviewer that "he was a quiet guy, usually reserved." The interview then lambasted him on how there was no room for introverts in medicine.

It's just not worth it. Look at this question as being able to dodge a punch at your face.

 

[Law2Doc]

"Sometimes I'm too much of a perfectionist"

I was told by folks who do interviews that this is the absolute worst answer, because it's too transparently a strength.

 

[Law2Doc]

I just mentioned a weakness of mine - procrastination - .

If you were a true procrastinator, you would have said "procrastination -- but we can talk more about that later in the interview." 🙄

 

[Chinorean]

"Bullets...my only weakness!"--harold and kumar go to white castle

Personally, I wanted to avoid the cloying weaknesses that might cause some eye-rolling. My real weakness is that I require large amounts of sleep, but that sounded silly so I never brought that up. Actually I was never asked what my weaknesses were. So I don't mind if you "borrow" mine:

1) I have anticipatory anxiety. I worry about things before they happen, sometimes about things that will never happen but the slight possibility makes me prepare myself for them. So in a way it's good, but it's bad because it generates unnecessary stress.

2) I take things personally, constantly re-playing criticism in my mind, trying to deconstruct what's really going on. Again, pointless waste of time and makes you unhappy.

3) Ignorance really bothers me. Sometimes when I'm reading a magazine article and some religious fanatic or bigot shoots his mouth off, I have to put the magazine down and I can't read it anymore because I get so upset. This is a problem because you're going to have to deal with all sorts of people and treat them regardless of their viewpoints.

4) I dislike making phone calls and leaving messages on the answering machine for non-social calls. The disembodied voice weirds me out and I always sound like a dork. Apparently a lot of people have this problem too.

5) Too many interests makes it hard to focus on one area.

Anyways, these are just some ideas. I'd avoid being brutally honest, like "i'm a greedy misanthropic man-***** with dandruff"

 

[RxnMan]

Whatever you do, DONT SAY REAL WEAKNESSES. This question is all about spin.

Or it could be an opportunity for honesty. The question is meant to test your ability to self-examine, not your ability to read the interviewer's mind and come up with a pat answer.

Your friend was being pushed to defend their position of 'being quiet.' He could have easily defended with: 'I'm that way because I reason out your decisions before making them, and medicine is not a place to make rash decisions.'

 

[ND2005]

Or it could be an opportunity for honesty. The question is meant to test your ability to self-examine, not your ability to read the interviewer's mind and come up with a pat answer.

Yup.

And as Law2Doc said, saying "I'm too much of a perfectionist" is about the worst canned answer you can give.

Obviously you don't want to say a weakness like "well, I really like torturing puppies".

But you should have enough self-knowledge to come up with some sort of genuine weakness that you can talk about frankly in your interview.

 

[titoincali]

My weakness is that I always overextend myself. I want to be everything and do everything that people request of me and, ultimately, my work and mental and physical health suffers. I've been this way since high school and it wasn't until I was in my mid-20's that I learned to manage it and say "no". I still have relapses however, and usually a friend has to give me a dope-slap to snap me out of my "superwoman" state of mind.

 

[kypdurron5]

tell them kryptonite

Isn't kryptonite also the catch name for an illegal drug?

Well, if you're looking to use our weaknesses on your app, then I'd say one of yours is lack of honesty.

I couldn't disagree more. Eamonn said he mentioned being stubborn. I think that's perfect, I'm very stubborn! It could also be a strength at times though. It's just that of all the things I've mulled over the last year that one never came to mind, and now I have at least one weakness I feel comfortable mentioning. Thanks to everyone for your advice, keep it coming >).

 

[RxnMan]

Isn't kryptonite also the catch name for an illegal drug?


I couldn't disagree more. Eamonn said he mentioned being stubborn. I think that's perfect, I'm very stubborn! It could also be a strength at times though. It's just that of all the things I've mulled over the last year that one never came to mind, and now I have at least one weakness I feel comfortable mentioning. Thanks to everyone for your advice, keep it coming >).

The comment was meant to catch your attention. You need to think about yourself, and really consider how you work. Nobody else's thoughts have a place in this process.

 

[KAI1927]

I just told them about my nasty speed addiction.

 

[baylormed]

1) i'm an anti-social
2) Drug Addict
3) Serial Killer

And if they don't accept me to their school, I know where to find them....


.....


No, seriously, answers such as "I'm a perfectionist", etc, sound very fake. I like the ones about procrastination, stubborness, etc.

 

[kirexhana]

you can't get it up.

 

[MDGuy07]

you can't get it up.

lol

 

[nibrocli]

i like the stubbornness and procratination ideas too. you can add some humor in your explanations for those. it's always good to make the interviewer smile!

i talked about how i think i can always help everyone. i'm not talking about the "disease to please." i work in a family planning clinic, and i always want to help someone prevent an unwanted pregnancy, leave an abusive partner, stop using drugs, etc. but i can only do so much. at the end of my counseling session, the patient is ultimately going to do what she wants. that's been hard for me to accept at times.

so, this 'weakness' led to an interesting conversation. my interviewer had follow-up questions, etc.

 

[MirrorTodd]

What about mentioning anger issues? I've got the classic Irish anger syndrome, very close to the surface. What I mean is that a lot of things touch my nerves, but I'll bottle them up. I broke my hand that one when I was younger. Would this be a red flag? It seems to me like they would want someone would is in better control of there emotions.

 

[PomPom]

My weakness: I can't stand talking to "cool" people. "Cool" people all seem like clones, smell the same, dress the same, walk and talk the same....uhg. soooo boring!

 

[KAI1927]

I hate people that are in pain or are suffering.

 

[Rafa]

I hate people that are in pain or are suffering.

I almost choked laughing... 🙂

 

[Pkboi24]

I hate people that are in pain or are suffering.

lol, ditto. Sick people, can't stand them.

 

[45408]

Whatever you do, DONT SAY REAL WEAKNESSES. This question is all about spin. You have to say bs stuff that really isn't a weakness and how your fixing it, such as, I don't speak a foriegn language, so that could hurt me in dealing with a large segment of the population. I plan on taking medical spanish to gain some competancy however. Another good one is something like, I tend to be too much of a perfectionist in my work, so some times I dedicate too much time to things. See, crap like that.

All it takes is listing one real negative that your interviewer doesn't like and your screwed. My friend told one interviewer that "he was a quiet guy, usually reserved." The interview then lambasted him on how there was no room for introverts in medicine.

It's just not worth it. Look at this question as being able to dodge a punch at your face.

You just mentioned the one weakness that is obviously NOT A WEAKNESS (perfectionism).

Your friend just had an interviewer looking to make it awkward.

 

[NCF145]

Little children and then proceed to emphasize your desire to go into pediatrics.

 

[pagemmapants]

I said "I tend to get tunnel vision when I'm interested in something. . ."

 

[PomPom]

My weakness is that I always overextend myself. I want to be everything and do everything that people request of me and, ultimately, my work and mental and physical health suffers. I've been this way since high school and it wasn't until I was in my mid-20's that I learned to manage it and say "no". I still have relapses however, and usually a friend has to give me a dope-slap to snap me out of my "superwoman" state of mind.

work too much/can't say no is another "standard" answer, right behind, "I'm a perfectionist."

 

[Hoberto]

I said that my weakness was being a control freak. I used examples from undergrad and how my weakness really led to unnecessary stress and then contrasted it with an example from grad school and how I've learned to let go a little.

I got some follow-up questions and my interviewers pointed out that this wasn't a weakness at all. They felt that physicians need to always have control adn that too many allow subordinates to walk all over them.

 

[lilnoelle]

I told them that I lack creativity. (which is very true, a definite weakness, but not all that much of a problem as far as medical schools are concerned.)

 

[PomPom]

I hate people that are in pain or are suffering.

...and you want to become a doctor to take these ppl out of their misery, right? lol

 

[ADeadLois]

Whatever you do, DONT SAY REAL WEAKNESSES. This question is all about spin. You have to say bs stuff that really isn't a weakness and how your fixing it, such as, I don't speak a foriegn language, so that could hurt me in dealing with a large segment of the population. I plan on taking medical spanish to gain some competancy however. Another good one is something like, I tend to be too much of a perfectionist in my work, so some times I dedicate too much time to things. See, crap like that.

All it takes is listing one real negative that your interviewer doesn't like and your screwed. My friend told one interviewer that "he was a quiet guy, usually reserved." The interview then lambasted him on how there was no room for introverts in medicine.

It's just not worth it. Look at this question as being able to dodge a punch at your face.

I strongly, strongly disagree.

The "weakness" question is all about finding out if the applicant can be honest with themselves. Nine times out of ten the interviewer (especially experienced ones) can tell if your BSing answers to this question even if you think you're spinning it well enough.

The worst mistake you can make on this question is to make up a strategic answer. My dad conducts a lot of interviews for his job (sometimes of doctors) and he always asks this question. It's supposed to throw you off. He says that the best answers are the ones where people identify an honest weakness and say how they try to correct it.

Adcoms know you aren't perfect and want to see if YOU can evaluate yourself critically.