Sing a song during an interview?

[Hemichordate]

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I was looking at the interview feedback section of SDN and saw one reviewer who said that her most interest moment at a school was that she was asked to sing a song (because she listed on her application that she had been in chorus). Is this something appropriate for an interviewer to do, or is it out of line for them to "test" an applicant in this way?

 

[Isoprop]

It would be sort of awkward if someone asked me to do that (nothing on my app about music), but I don't see anything inappropriate about it in this specific case.

 

[SamuelTesla]

If anything, it shows you're not afraid to step out of your comfort zone and risk embarrassing yourself!

 

[Ursa]

I had a friend sing a rap during an interview. The interview was not for med school, but he was asked to do this because of his rap's popularity on youtube (which was mentioned in his application...random, I know). However, the interview went incredibly well and the result was a success.

 

[peppy]

If you mention an interest in music in your application you should be prepared to potentially demonstrate your talents. There are stories on here about people BSing about being able to play an instrument and then getting embarrassed when the interviewer whips out an instrument expecting the person to demonstrate. This is why it's important to be honest in that section. 🙂

 

[eablackwell]

I think I would have fallen out of my wheelchair if they gave me a chemistry quiz in my interview (I'm a chem teacher). I've heard of interviewing in a 2nd language you claim to be fluent in, but the singing thing is a little crazy. Just goes to show you there are some crazy interviewers out there 🙄

 

[Mithril]

.

 

[eablackwell]

My brother was tested in all four languages he claimed he was fluent in in one of his interviews back when Canadian schools had a traditional interview format. Good thing he didn't lie on his application. 😛

Wow, that's harsh. I practiced my German with my husband for a couple weeks before my interview just in case. My degree is in German and I lived in Vienna with my husband for a few years, but that was awhile ago, and I wanted to make sure I wouldn't have the grammar of a 5 year old.

Luckily, no one asked, so I didn't have to be embarassed by my Viennese slang. 🙂

 

[deuist]

If you put it on your application, it's fair game. Adcoms need to verify that you are telling the truth. Also, asking about talents helps break up the monotony of the interview. Singing a song would certainly stick out in the mind of the interviewer versus the mounds of applicants who say, "I want to go to medical school to help others."

When I was applying to residency I had to talk about my hobbies including giving the steps to brewing beer.

 

[gravitywave]

If you put it on your application, it's fair game. Adcoms need to verify that you are telling the truth. Also, asking about talents helps break up the monotony of the interview. Singing a song would certainly stick out in the mind of the interviewer versus the mounds of applicants who say, "I want to go to medical school to help others."

When I was applying to residency I had to talk about my hobbies including giving the steps to brewing beer.

disagree. it's one thing to ask an interviewee to be able to converse intelligently on a subject they claim to know something about, it's quite another to ask for a performance. to equate them denies the practice and technique that prepping for a singing/dancing/musical/etc recital demands. are you saying that the necessary prep for medical school interviews now includes readying an artistic piece on the off-chance your interviewer wants to be able to evaluate your skills? it's ridiculous and unfair.

this is right up there with the interviewers that denigrate their subjects "to gauge response to personal challenge." it's BS and it shouldn't happen - but it does.

 

[Overmjnd]

If you mention an interest in music in your application you should be prepared to potentially demonstrate your talents. There are stories on here about people BSing about being able to play an instrument and then getting embarrassed when the interviewer whips out an instrument expecting the person to demonstrate. This is why it's important to be honest in that section. 🙂

Wow, what an ass of an interviewer lmao.

 

[Isoprop]

disagree. it's one thing to ask an interviewee to be able to converse intelligently on a subject they claim to know something about, it's quite another to ask for a performance. to equate them denies the practice and technique that prepping for a singing/dancing/musical/etc recital demands. are you saying that the necessary prep for medical school interviews now includes readying an artistic piece on the off-chance your interviewer wants to be able to evaluate your skills? it's ridiculous and unfair.

this is right up there with the interviewers that denigrate their subjects "to gauge response to personal challenge." it's BS and it shouldn't happen - but it does.

meh, surely someone who's been in a choir for 3 years can sing a few bars in an impromptu performance. jeez, lighten up.

 

[uclaussr]

i think that if you put any talent on an application you should be prepared to perform it without hesitation at any interview. the only reason you would be worried about them asking you to do this is if you lied on your application.
i would personally love it if they asked me to sing for them, i would happily sing a scene from an opera for them 🙂

 

[wristbandMD]

disagree. it's one thing to ask an interviewee to be able to converse intelligently on a subject they claim to know something about, it's quite another to ask for a performance. to equate them denies the practice and technique that prepping for a singing/dancing/musical/etc recital demands. are you saying that the necessary prep for medical school interviews now includes readying an artistic piece on the off-chance your interviewer wants to be able to evaluate your skills? it's ridiculous and unfair.

this is right up there with the interviewers that denigrate their subjects "to gauge response to personal challenge." it's BS and it shouldn't happen - but it does.

meh, surely someone who's been in a choir for 3 years can sing a few bars in an impromptu performance. jeez, lighten up.

I agree with both of you, actually. I'm a singer and certainly have songs memorized to the point that I could sing them in my sleep (and I do, according to my mom and little brother).

However, I expect that at an interview my nerves would be in a jumble. I might very well butcher a song simply because I'm in an interview for admission to medical school and am already nervous as all get out. If I were a bit calmer (say, any other day of the year) I would gladly jump up and sing to impress somebody, but I might wet my pants if I were in an interview.

Although, I don't know how nervous I would actually be in an interview. Singing generally calms me down, also, so it might take the edge off? I'm sure if I were asked I would be fine in the end.

 

[DM3]

If an interviewer really wants to go through the trouble to set up a full drum kit, I'll be happy to play whatever he/she wants.

 

[Lccjblu]

it doesnt seem like THAT crazy of a request. Besides, if you do sing and perform, you're probably used to performing in front of people anyway.

 

[rafflecopter]

The problem with this situation is that the interviewer is now making it about ability rather than your interest in a subject. I play guitar all the time but I stink, does this mean I should get rejected? I am learning French but I am not completely fluent yet, if I butcher something should I be penalized?

In the above instances, even if I put on my application that I'm *still learning guitar* or that I am *not completely fluent in French yet* if I am asked to perform related tasks and fail to meet the interviewers standards the interviewer will think less of me. Does it mean that my learning an instrument or new language aren't application-worthy activities? Of course not. I think its a bad practice, but I know it happens and so I left those off my application. Why? Because the possible benefit is far outweighed by the consequences of what would happen should I make myself look stupid in an interview.

 

[gravitywave]

The problem with this situation is that the interviewer is now making it about ability rather than your interest in a subject. I play guitar all the time but I stink, does this mean I should get rejected? I am learning French but I am not completely fluent yet, if I butcher something should I be penalized?

In the above instances, even if I put on my application that I'm *still learning guitar* or that I am *not completely fluent in French yet* if I am asked to perform related tasks and fail to meet the interviewers standards the interviewer will think less of me. Does it mean that my learning an instrument or new language aren't application-worthy activities? Of course not. I think its a bad practice, but I know it happens and so I left those off my application. Why? Because the possible benefit is far outweighed by the consequences of what would happen should I make myself look stupid in an interview.

there, finally. someone who gets it. the moment they ask you to perform, there is going to be an element of subjectivity introduced. You are going to be evaluated on your ability, by someone whose qualifications to assess you are questionable at best.

claiming fluency on languages i could see (i put it on my AMCAS, lo and behold i was interviewed one place by a native speaker - it was ok, thank god!) but anything artistic should be off-limits. otherwise you have someone like raffle who could be presenting a more complete version of who s/he is to adcoms, but is afraid to.

 

[omgyou8myrice]

there, finally. someone who gets it. the moment they ask you to perform, there is going to be an element of subjectivity introduced. You are going to be evaluated on your ability, by someone whose qualifications to assess you are questionable at best.

claiming fluency on languages i could see (i put it on my AMCAS, lo and behold i was interviewed one place by a native speaker - it was ok, thank god!) but anything artistic should be off-limits. otherwise you have someone like raffle who could be presenting a more complete version of who s/he is to adcoms, but is afraid to.

Says who? The interviewer just wants to see you back up your claims of whatever claim you made. Why would you assume that doing poorly at whatever it was would be held against you? Of course if you put down "Played piano for 10 years" and then butcher it, THAT will be held against you. If you just put down "Enjoy playing piano" and aren't that great, no one is going to care.

 

[gravitywave]

Why would you assume that doing poorly at whatever it was would be held against you?

are you kidding? think in terms of risk-reward here. if you put "piano" on the app, it helps. on the other hand, if they ask you to play and you screw up, best case scenario is that your interviewer takes pity on you. worst case scenario is that you are considered a liar.

Of course if you put down "Played piano for 10 years" and then butcher it, THAT will be held against you. If you just put down "Enjoy playing piano" and aren't that great, no one is going to care.

Again: it appears that the only way to defend against potentially looking like an idiot is to prepare a recital in case you are asked. you prepare likewise for every other aspect of your interview, after all. that's a bit ridiculous if all you do is play/sing/act for fun, isn't it?

my only point here is that I'm really, really opposed to adversarial interviews like this that put people on the spot. like pre-clinical grades, they serve no purpose except to potentially hurt you. how on earth these people expect anyone to be able to put their best foot forward when they are doing their best to ***k you with your own talents, i cannot understand.

 

[rafflecopter]

Says who? The interviewer just wants to see you back up your claims of whatever claim you made. Why would you assume that doing poorly at whatever it was would be held against you? Of course if you put down "Played piano for 10 years" and then butcher it, THAT will be held against you. If you just put down "Enjoy playing piano" and aren't that great, no one is going to care.

You just proved my point. If someone says they've played piano for 10 years and then stinks a big one when asked to perform during an interview, the interviewer WILL judge them because they have a pre-disposed view that someone who does something for an extended period of time SHOULD be skilled at it. If you are the world's most tone-deaf, non-musically inclined person, even after 10 years you might still stink it up.

Should you not put this on an application because you don't have a musical ear? Absolutely not - its a significant activity that has taken up a large amount of your time and makes you a more well rounded applicant. And personally, this information that you stuck with an activity for years even though it was particularly difficult for you and still are trying to improve actually is a positive character attribute but no adcom will see it that way.