Strange Interview Questions of 2007

[Entei]

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S'up, Surgery Forum? This board has been a little on the quiet side lately, so I figured I would try to liven it up by sharing some of the strange interview questions I've had so far on the trail. Perhaps some of you would like to do the same, and then we can all cry-- er, I mean laugh together.

(BTW, strange doesn't mean illegal. I've been asked the "do you have plans for a family/are you married/have a significant other? questions so many times, I consider them part of the standard barrage now.)

1.) "Who is your best friend?" (Yes, he wanted me to name names.) Follow up question was "If I could call your best friend right now, tell me what he would say about you, good and bad." Ok, this was the standard "tell me your strengths and weaknesses" but presented in a different way... with names! Not too weird for a start...

2.) "What is the most important thing that a surgeon does for his/her patient?" I almost feel bad sharing this one, since this is one PD's "big question," so if he asks you, pretend to be surprised and think it over carefully before answering.

3.) "What accomplishment in med school are you most proud of and why?" followed by "Tell me about a 'great case,' either interesting pathology, or a great catch that you made, or a patient that you really identified with." Not exactly unexpected, but... ugh. Are there any med students out there who have ever made a "great catch" all by themselves? I haven't been so lucky.

4.) "What are you looking for in a residency program, and how are you evaluating the residency programs you interview at?" Completely fair questions... except this guy followed up by challenging me on every answer: "Do you REALLY think that's a good way to evaluate a program? Is that REALLY important?"

5.) "Why should we hire you instead of one of those other applicants sitting outside?" Ok, yeah, this one's covered in Iserson, but I didn't really expect anyone to actually ask it in this way. But, watch out! At least someone out there does.

6.) "Ok, let's say you match here. In a few months from now, what will your evaluations say?" Meh, more strengths and weaknesses. Why can't anyone ever just ask "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"

7.) "In your Dean's letter, your ortho evaluation says you were 'compassionate.' Tell me how you feel about that." Uh, that's a good thing, right?

8.) "What was your score on the MCAT? What was the breakdown? And what was your score on the writing sample?" I could barely remember that there even WAS a writing sample on the MCAT. I thought that section was meaningless?

9.) "Would you rather have a loved one die suddenly or suffer from a disease like Alzheimer's?" I swear this one's real. Kind of a downer.

10.) "How do you deal with distractions?" Ok, this is at least an easy version of...

11.) The Mother of All Weird Interview Questions: "Do you know what [Obscure Nonsurgical Disease, the Name of Which I Will Edit Out in a Feeble Attempt to Preserve Some Anonymity] is?" When I replied that I did not know, this interviewer requested that I look up the definition in a 20 year old medical dictionary that he just happened to have lying around in his office. Then, as I was looking up the definition in Ye Olde Medikal Dikshunary, he continued to ask me questions: "So, tell me why you want to come to this program. What makes you think you'd be a good resident here?" Priceless. This is my favorite moment of Interview Trail of Tears 2007 so far. I dare someone to top this.

I can tell from the dazed look I see on some people's faces at those post-interview lunches that you guys have been hit with some doozies too. Share 'em!

 

[filter07]

"List all the ways my program is different from your home program"

 

[dopetown]

11.) The Mother of All Weird Interview Questions: "Do you know what [Obscure Nonsurgical Disease, the Name of Which I Will Edit Out in a Feeble Attempt to Preserve Some Anonymity] is?" When I replied that I did not know, this interviewer requested that I look up the definition in a 20 year old medical dictionary that he just happened to have lying around in his office. Then, as I was looking up the definition in Ye Olde Medikal Dikshunary, he continued to ask me questions: "So, tell me why you want to come to this program. What makes you think you'd be a good resident here?" Priceless.

What is the interviewer looking for here? Does he/she want you to stop what you're doing and answer the question while making eye-contact or that you continue with your search with your head down while you talk?

 

[butterfly0660]

The weirdest question I have gotten is, "Lets say you are an anthropologist who has just discovered a primitive tribe. You can give them 3 items that embody just exactly what it means to be a surgeon. What would you give them?" He then followed that up with the same question, only substitute medical student for surgeon.

 

[Dr JPH]

Not necessarily strange, but completely random.

"Where did you get that tie?"

 

[Entei]

What is the interviewer looking for here? Does he/she want you to stop what you're doing and answer the question while making eye-contact or that you continue with your search with your head down while you talk?

I think he wanted me to multitask and see how I do under a bit of pressure. I continued to talk to him as I flipped pages, and after a bit of this, he started to get a little more impatient "So, did you find it yet?" This guy was definitely from the old school.

I would love to know what they're looking for with the anthropology one. I'd fail that one completely because I can only think of maybe two objects, and they're lame ones. So weird.

I think that home program one is actually a pretty good question. I've gotten asked a lot of times "how did you like your home institution?" and while it's a straightforward question, it can be tough to answer. Of course you want to seem happy and well adjusted, but you can't seem too enthusiastic or else you give them the impression that maybe you just really want to stay at your home program. That reminds me... I've had interviewers from my school who were trying to bait me into complaining about my school. That's always fun to deal with too.

These are great! Post MOAR!

 

[tri]

Not necessarily strange, but completely random.

"Where did you get that tie?"

they're probably trying to figure out if you're gay or not =P

 

[Dr JPH]

they're probably trying to figure out if you're gay or not =P

Dont ask dont tell?



I told them that my fiancee bought it for me...that way they couldnt misconstrue the answer. 😉

 

[js255]

One i just got today...

If you could take 3 people to dinner, who would it be and what you order.

another one was...

If you were a color, what color would you be?

 

[Rook16]

One i just got today...

If you could take 3 people to dinner, who would it be and what you order.

another one was...

If you were a color, what color would you be?

ha HA ....we definitely interviewed with the same guy today.

 

[Entei]

God, I hope my interviewers don't read SDN... 😳

I just got two more good ones, hot off the presses:

"Pick one animal that symbolizes your strengths and weaknesses." This is another one I feel bad spoiling, since I think it's this guy's "signature question." If he ever asks you, pretend it's new to you.

Then I had another guy asking me whether or not I wanted to do research, and then when I said I did, he asked me what kind. Then when I said I was open to doing either bench or clinical research, he accused me of having "wishy washy" intentions, and asked me what my reasons were for wanting to do research in the first place, and then when I answered THAT question, he said he wondered whether or not my application to general surgery was born from similar ambivalence about the specialty, and why didn't I want to do "medicine or something" instead of surgery. Every answer I gave him resulted in more badgering. All I could think of was:

Where are people interviewing at where they're getting all these easy, conversational interviews? I'd be delighted to have, just once, that mythical, boring, EASY "why surgery? why here? what do you do in your spare time? any questions for me?" interview. WHY do I get all the weirdos???

Come on, I KNOW I'm not alone. Keep posting!

 

[Samoa]

I just had to break in and say--I love that photo. I want to print it out and wear it under my nametag at all these places.

I didn't get the color question, by the way, but a friend of mine told me it's a standard Microsoft interview question.

 

[mcindoe]

wow, this is a fun thread to read. i can only imagine if i were asked some of those questions, or the interview turned into a badgering session, i'd know at that point that it was going nowhere and probably not the best fit for me. usually at the end of the interview they ask you if you have any questions...so why not try some of these:

-if i called up any resident and asked them what they thought about you, what would they say?

-why should i come to this program? what makes this better than all the others i'm interviewing at? (and then if you want to continue badgering...) do you think you're a better teacher than the others?

-what's your biggest weakness? how do you deal with complications in the OR?

-have you ever failed at something? what was it and how did you deal with it?

i would have hated that attending who went on that rant about wishy-washy intentions...i would have turned it right around on him and said "yeah, i guess i am a little wishy-washy...i certainly feel that way about whether or not i would ever want to come to this program, and i am a little ambivalent about how much i'd like to work with you for the next five years".

if they make you feel like this at the interview, which is the nicest they'll ever be to you, you can only imagine what to expect if you become a resident there. they should be trying to convince you to come to their program, not make you feel like you need to do parlor tricks to match there. you all deserve better.

 

[kaos]

Speaking of illegal questions, it's amazing how many I've gotten. Pretty much more than half of the places I've gone to so far have asked, "So, where else are you interviewing?" I had one, "Are you planning on having kids?"

Craziest questions so far:
"Have you ever played Operation?"
"What are you looking for in a program?"
"Why should we pick you?" (I have to say this is a really tough one to answer.)
"Looks like you're the last one of the day. Saving the best for last, huh? So, who's the best and who's the last?"
"What would you say is the most important quality in an intern?"
"If there was one thing you could change about yourself, what would it be?"
"What do you think of this painting?" (handing me a postcard sized watercolor, which I later found out was done by a previous chairman)

I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting right now. I wonder if the interviewers really enjoy asking us these questions. Kind of sadistic, this process.

 

[Entei]

wow, this is a fun thread to read. i can only imagine if i were asked some of those questions, or the interview turned into a badgering session, i'd know at that point that it was going nowhere and probably not the best fit for me. usually at the end of the interview they ask you if you have any questions...so why not try some of these:

-if i called up any resident and asked them what they thought about you, what would they say?

-why should i come to this program? what makes this better than all the others i'm interviewing at? (and then if you want to continue badgering...) do you think you're a better teacher than the others?

-what's your biggest weakness? how do you deal with complications in the OR?

-have you ever failed at something? what was it and how did you deal with it?

i would have hated that attending who went on that rant about wishy-washy intentions...i would have turned it right around on him and said "yeah, i guess i am a little wishy-washy...i certainly feel that way about whether or not i would ever want to come to this program, and i am a little ambivalent about how much i'd like to work with you for the next five years".

if they make you feel like this at the interview, which is the nicest they'll ever be to you, you can only imagine what to expect if you become a resident there. they should be trying to convince you to come to their program, not make you feel like you need to do parlor tricks to match there. you all deserve better.

I love those question suggestions!

In all fairness though, yes, being interrogated under the hot lights in that room with that attending DID suck, but I kept my cool, answered his questions/accusations with a level head, and articulated my points well. By the end of the interview, his tone had changed completely to one that was much more warm and inviting, and he did spend a significant amount of time "selling" the program to me. It was definitely a stress interview, but it was a test I think I passed. In retrospect, I'm very satisfied with how the interview went. I think it was not indicative of how they treat their residents, but more about them evaluating how the applicants perform under pressure. I think that's completely fair, but I will admit that I did not expect that I would have an interview experience like this. That's part of the reason I started this thread: partly to vent, but also to share with people what's out there.

But enough Stockholm Syndrome. I just remembered another good one I was asked: "But how do you KNOW you're good with your hands?"

 

[random-dude]

Here are a few I've been asked:

-What was your most uncomfortable moment in medical school? Please describe it.

-Who has had more influence on your life, your father or your mother?

-After reading that I play guitar the interviewer asked: "Who do you think is the greatest guitarist of all time?" After I answered he then told me I was wrong and argued that some dude I'd never heard of was the greatest guitarist. And he wasn't joking. It was awesome.

 

[Hoss62]

--If you could be a superhero who would you be? Luckily a Chief and I were discussing super powers, so I went with it.

I also had an interviewer, tell me she had surfer some "message boards" out there to see what types of things were being said about her program...I smirked and was thinking she was meaning this place. I acted surprised that there were message boards on this subject.

 

[Hoss62]

--If you could be a superhero who would you be? Luckily a Chief and I were discussing super powers, so I went with it.

I also had an interviewer, tell me she had surfer some "message boards" out there to see what types of things were being said about her program...I smirked and was thinking she was meaning this place. I acted surprised that there were message boards on this subject.

 

[mcindoe]

one of my favorite interview questions/experiences happened during a panel interview, where i was in a room being interviewed by three attendings simultaneously. this was the format of each interview at this program, and there must have been 5-6 of them that day, so this was by far one of the more anxiety-provoking and intense interviews. however, by the end of the day, the applicants were tired, but so were the faculty doing all the interviewing, and at my last interview they started out by saying "ok, we've been asking questions all day long. we're tired. you take over for this one and be the interviewer. ask away."

since i had already had the opportunity to respond to the "do you have any questions for us?" question at the preceding interviews that day and had absolutely nothing left to ask, i decided to have some fun. my first--and only--question was the following:

"if i had to move to a desert island to do my surgical residency and could only take along one of you, and i wanted the best possible training, why should i pick you, and why would you be a better choice than the other two sitting next to you?"

not quite what they expected to be asked. and boy, was it fun to watch them answer while they cautiously tried to avoid offending their colleagues. it was entertaining, albeit awkward for them at times, but it was probably the strangest question a med student ever asked them.

some may read that and think it was a stupid move, but that's where i matched.

 

[Entei]

since i had already had the opportunity to respond to the "do you have any questions for us?" question at the preceding interviews that day and had absolutely nothing left to ask, i decided to have some fun. my first--and only--question was the following:

"if i had to move to a desert island to do my surgical residency and could only take along one of you, and i wanted the best possible training, why should i pick you, and why would you be a better choice than the other two sitting next to you?"

not quite what they expected to be asked. and boy, was it fun to watch them answer while they cautiously tried to avoid offending their colleagues. it was entertaining, albeit awkward for them at times, but it was probably the strangest question a med student ever asked them.

some may read that and think it was a stupid move, but that's where i matched.

Wins the thread!

 

[surgdo]

Question:

Your an intern that is on rounds with the attending, chief, and a medical student who is presenting a patient who has a suspected anastomotic leak. The medical student reports the correct lab numbers but the chief is reporting different labs (the wrong ones). As an intern what do you do?

In a perfect world how much time would you devote to residency, personal, and family time (They wanted percentages)?

A nurse is going to get fired for a patient doing poorly when in fact it was the attendings fault and you know it was the attendings fault, what do you do?

You know your in trouble when they start out with "hypothetically" blah, blah, blah.

Also, the best statement from a PD and surgery chair "Our one weakness is we are not very strong in general surgery." I swear to god they both said this in each of their introductions before the interview!

 

[JackBauERfan]

--If you could be a superhero who would you be? Luckily a Chief and I were discussing super powers, so I went with it.

I also had an interviewer, tell me she had surfer some "message boards" out there to see what types of things were being said about her program...I smirked and was thinking she was meaning this place. I acted surprised that there were message boards on this subject.

thats a tough question about superhero's sooooo many good ones out there.

I guess Wolverine would be nice since its hard to kill him...I mean even if superman put a whipping on him, sooner or later wolvering would regenerate. But, superman could just throw him into the galaxy somewhere and it would be hard for wolverine to come back to earth...he'd still be alive though.

hmm.

like i said tough one.

 

[Bitsy3221]

But still evoked a "what the %$@#?!?" look from me:

"Which historical surgical figure do you find the most inspiration from and why?"