So my interviewer suggested that I go to a different school...

[TheShaker]

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Is this the axe? I mean, I was asking questions at the end of the interview and it's a very healthcare/community oriented school. I asked them two question about their summer research program and my application (primary and secondary) made it very clear that I am research oriented but when I asked the second question the interviewer asked me if I think I should go to another more academic institution. "Why not somewhere like Hopkins?" (his words)

I know it will all be speculation but what does this mean? I mean, it was crystal clear that I cared very much about research but I did talk about more healthcare oriented stuff in the interview. I don't understand why they would invite me for an interview when my desire to participate in research is so off putting to them (I was actually quite confused when I actually got the invite). I mean, I barely have any community service, how do I even remotely fit with your school? Any ideas as to what this means? Did they decide to hint me in on a rejection?

 

[Euxox]

I don't think it was a veiled rejection. He just wanted to make sure that you had a genuine interest in his school, rather than using it as a safety while you throw apps at top research schools. In other words, "Why not Hopkins?" is another way of asking "Why our school?"

 

[Eiot]

Is this the axe? I mean, I was asking questions at the end of the interview and it's a very healthcare/community oriented school. I asked them two question about their summer research program and my application (primary and secondary) made it very clear that I am research oriented but when I asked the second question the interviewer asked me if I think I should go to another more academic institution. "Why not somewhere like Hopkins?" (his words)

I know it will all be speculation but what does this mean? I mean, it was crystal clear that I cared very much about research but I did talk about more healthcare oriented stuff in the interview. I don't understand why they would invite me for an interview when my desire to participate in research is so off putting to them (I was actually quite confused when I actually got the invite). I mean, I barely have any community service, how do I even remotely fit with your school? Any ideas as to what this means? Did they decide to hint me in on a rejection?

Sounds like it.

 

[stoutt]

I had one interview where the interviewer spent a good 10-15 mins praising another school and saying that due to my extensive research background, he thought that I would be a better fit there than the school at which I was interviewing. Result: accepted.

 

[Member 331305]

I had a similar encounter. My interviewer grilled me on where else I had applied/interviewed/accepted, and after she plied the answers out of me, she's all like "I think you should go to X school instead for a, b, and c reasons."

I tried reiterating my interest in the school, but my interviewer cut me off and said "I understand, that is not necessary."

Result: accepted

😕

I wouldn't read too much into your interviewer's comment.

 

[TheShaker]

I don't think it was a veiled rejection. He just wanted to make sure that you had a genuine interest in his school, rather than using it as a safety while you throw apps at top research schools. In other words, "Why not Hopkins?" is another way of asking "Why our school?"

Yeah, I mean I think I stressed my interest in the school enough and I did make my points before telling them how much I like research.

Sounds like it.

Thanks for your honesty. 🙁

I had one interview where the interviewer spent a good 10-15 mins praising another school and saying that due to my extensive research background, he thought that I would be a better fit there than the school at which I was interviewing. Result: accepted.

Did you provoke it though? I'm quite worried because it was a specific action of mine that caused him to suggest that I go somewhere else. It kinda seems like I uncovered a dealbreaker to him.

 

[mcloaf]

I don't understand why they would invite me for an interview when my desire to participate in research is so off putting to them (I was actually quite confused when I actually got the invite).

I don't understand why you would walk into an interview and actively try to portray yourself as a candidate that wouldn't fit at their school.


Sent from my iPhone.

 

[Ismet]

I don't think it was a veiled rejection. He just wanted to make sure that you had a genuine interest in his school, rather than using it as a safety while you throw apps at top research schools. In other words, "Why not Hopkins?" is another way of asking "Why our school?"

This. It's pretty similar to the popular question "Why doctor and not nurse/PA/etc?"

 

[TheShaker]

I don't understand why you would walk into an interview and actively try to portray yourself as a candidate that wouldn't fit at their school.


Sent from my iPhone.

I mean, I made my interests extremely clear in my primary and secondary application (to the point where I felt like I was tanking my chances) so I thought it would be okay for me to be honest in the interview. I was tired of putting up a show like I did at my earlier interviews anyway. Like I said, I don't know why they invited me but I might as well be honest and just let them know what I'm about. I really didn't know what that school was looking for in me so I just figured that the best idea is to highlight what is important to me and if it hits whatever reason for their invitation then great.

 

[Member 331305]

I don't understand why you would walk into an interview and actively try to portray yourself as a candidate that wouldn't fit at their school.


Sent from my iPhone.

In OP's defense, the school does have a summer research program, so one could assume that the school does not condemn research or view it as inherently "not mission compliant". IMO asking about a school's established summer research program does not warrant a "Why not Hopkins?" response.

 

[sankri92]

Is this the axe? I mean, I was asking questions at the end of the interview and it's a very healthcare/community oriented school. I asked them two question about their summer research program and my application (primary and secondary) made it very clear that I am research oriented but when I asked the second question the interviewer asked me if I think I should go to another more academic institution. "Why not somewhere like Hopkins?" (his words)

I know it will all be speculation but what does this mean? I mean, it was crystal clear that I cared very much about research but I did talk about more healthcare oriented stuff in the interview. I don't understand why they would invite me for an interview when my desire to participate in research is so off putting to them (I was actually quite confused when I actually got the invite). I mean, I barely have any community service, how do I even remotely fit with your school? Any ideas as to what this means? Did they decide to hint me in on a rejection?

How did you respond to the interviewer's question?

 

[cest la vie]

I think I may know what school this is - I interviewed there also earlier in the cycle. The interview format there is certainly unique, if I'm correct in guessing the school.

Anyways, it's good that you were honest about your interests and didn't bull**** yourself through. So I would just leave it in the interviewers hands to decide whether or not you would be a great fit. It seems like to me that you didn't get a great fit feeling yourself after visiting the school. I would just let it play out and see what happens. You'll get in where you're meant to go.

(No, I'm not hinting towards a rejection.)

 

[yehhhboiii]

It's their way of gauging your interest in their school without asking it explicitly.

 

[cest la vie]

Come to think of it, I was actually asked the question "Why here and not a place like say...Johns Hopkins?" on one of my interviews (a different school). The result: waitlisted. lol

 

[TheShaker]

I wasn't being very clear when I described the situation. The "Why not Hopkins?" question was more of a rhetorical question. It went more like, "You know, if you're so interested in research, then maybe you should think about going to a different, more academically focused school. Like, why not a place like Hopkins? I think it's worth looking into those schools."

But to the poster who asked, I responded by saying that I did not mean to imply that I was not interested in the school, I like it for the reasons that I have stated earlier in the interview, I was simply interested in knowing more about the summer research program. It was probably less articulate though, I was quite flustered.

Anyway, after that little exchange the interview ended. I don't know if it was a way to gauge my interest in the school since I already did get asked the "why us?" question.

 

[Dmr6186]

I think you explained yourself fine after he said that. I agree with the others that maybe he just wanted to see how you'd respond to the question. Maybe he thought you'd reply with a "I would but my MCAT/GPA/whatever..."

Don't worry too much about it.

 

[WompyWomperton]

I don't understand why you would walk into an interview and actively try to portray yourself as a candidate that wouldn't fit at their school.


Sent from my iPhone.

Yeah, don't be yourself. Be the person they want you to be.


Sent from my Dell desktop.
[/sarcasm]

 

[SilverCat]

Yeah, don't be yourself. Be the person they want you to be. [/sarcasm]

Hey, let's face it: schools are looking for people that connect with their "mission". 97.5% of people interviewing are going to try to pretend to have an interest in that mission, be it community service, research, etc, and back up their 'interest' with their activities.

I'm not saying that this is right, but this is the way it is. If you're interviewing at a school with a strong community-service mission, and few research opportunities, and you talk more about your research than volunteer work, the interviewer is going to think you may not be a good fit for the school.

I'm not the biggest fan of these so-called "missions;" I've found many of them just to be fluff. No doubt, there are many schools dedicated to their mission, but I've come across some, for example, that claim to pride themselves on community work, while the med students consider their required community service project to be a joke.

 

[chemsmith]

I had a similar situation earlier in the cycle. I had an interview at a school I had no real desire to go to but applied as a 'safety' per SDN standard operating procedure. It was after I had interviews at research heavy schools that I did want to attend but before acceptances could be released, so I had to go.

I too, had a very research-heavy application and clear research interests. The school had a primary care objective. The interviewer told me that if I was interested in research I was better off at X-school.

I think they smelled my game because they waitlisted me.

 

[WompyWomperton]

Hey, let's face it: schools are looking for people that connect with their "mission". 97.5% of people interviewing are going to try to pretend to have an interest in that mission, be it community service, research, etc, and back up their 'interest' with their activities.

I'm not saying that this is right, but this is the way it is. If you're interviewing at a school with a strong community-service mission, and few research opportunities, and you talk more about your research than volunteer work, the interviewer is going to think you may not be a good fit for the school.

I'm not the biggest fan of these so-called "missions;" I've found many of them just to be fluff. No doubt, there are many schools dedicated to their mission, but I've come across some, for example, that claim to pride themselves on community work, while the med students consider their required community service project to be a joke.

Honestly, the whole concept frustrates me because how is someone who actually cares about people and is genuinely interested in medicine's unique facets supposed to separate himself from all the other applicants, most of whom are "actors," if you will, telling the interviewers whatever they want to hear. I knew so many people in college who would rehearse their interviews and didn't really practice what they preach, so to speak.

 

[saveourpens]

Lol I had a similar experience, with the interviewer mentioning Hopkins as well. Result: Waitlisted.

 

[ScholarStud]

What a jerk. If that is really the type of person that school allows themselves to be represented by, I would take the interviewer's advice and go somewhere else.

 

[TheShaker]

What a jerk. If that is really the type of person that school allows themselves to be represented by, I would take the interviewer's advice and go somewhere else.

I hope I didn't give off the wrong impression. The interviewer was a very nice person and it really did seem like he had a genuine concern on where I end up. So, I wouldn't call him a jerk by any means.

Still though, I'm guessing a waitlist/rejection is in order.