Stupid things people say during interviews

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Cornfed101

Cornfed101

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I looked all over for a thread on stupid things people say during interviews and there aren’t any recent ones. I just had to share this story:

Talking to my mentor today and she had some colleagues (husband and wife) at a Virginia medical school that were both on the admissions committee. They had a son applying to school there who seemed like a shoe in (great stats, great ECs, etc.)

During his interview with faculty he was asked what the role of empathy is as a doctor and the idiot said “empathy is just an excuse for incompetence.” He was obviously rejected.

Any other stupid responses any of you have heard of or witnessed firsthand?
 
It was not a stupid response but just an honest one
I got interview for a job
Manager:why do you want to join this company!?
Me:bcuz you pay more than my current job

I got hired
 
One of my friends (who has zero finance experience) somehow landed an interview at a top notch hedge fund after undergrad.

Firm: So why do you want to work for us?
Friend: honestly, I have no idea. Im not even sure why Im here.
Firm: Hmm you know, I respect that answer.

Rejected. For obvious reasons haha
 
Cornfed101 said:
During his interview with faculty he was asked what the role of empathy is as a doctor and the idiot said “empathy is just an excuse for incompetence.” He was obviously rejected.
Click to expand...

That response is not only stupid, it doesn't make sense. Why does someone who has empathy have to be incompetent?
 
Foriegn ex-rph said:
It was not a stupid response but just an honest one
I got interview for a job
Manager:why do you want to join this company!?
Me:bcuz you pay more than my current job

I got hired
Click to expand...
I don't see how it being an honest answer precludes it from being stupid. In the context of a medical school interview, it's a pretty awful thing to say.
 
and 99 others said:
I don't see how it being an honest answer precludes it from being stupid. In the context of a medical school interview, it's a pretty awful thing to say.
Click to expand...

Haha yeah that would be lethal in a med school interview.

Interviewer: Why do you want to be a doctor?
Premed: It pays more than my current job
Interviewer: That's not hard
 
RJ McReady said:
That response is not only stupid, it doesn't make sense. Why does someone who has empathy have to be incompetent?
Click to expand...

It is the flip-- it is saying that someone who is incompetent gets by through expressing empathy. The patient is satisfied despite the clinician's incompetence because they felt heard and understood.

It is a terrible response to give at an interview, perhaps something heard at the dinner table from a physician-parent lacking in empathy trying to explain why they had no respect for empathetic physicians.

I feel sad for everyone involved.
 
LabileEmotions said:
I believe it is rare that people intentionally say stupid things in interviews, as in the examples cited here.

Occasionally, folks unintententionallly blurt out unfelicitous remarks. In many instances, these can be walked back real time. "I didn't mean it to come out that way, what I meant was....."

The bigger risk is that interviews make people stupid. The pressure of the 30 minute interview, where people can feel as if their entire life's work is on the line and the opportunity to become doctor is at stake, can be deeply unsettling. The heart races, the mind whirs, the mental gears won't engage and you are nearly paralyzed in a cold, clammy sweat. Questions become difficult to hear, your answers, if you can call then that, come out in a jumble. You struggle to find the right words, often missing. Your attempts at complete sentence result in non sequiturs. You ramble on, completely disoriented. Time races on, but also slows down. And then you hear " OK, it was nice meeting you. Best of luck."

That is the reality for many medical school interviewees. Interview can make even the smartest person stupid. As an analog, watch a rookie ace pitcher who has been lights all season, pitching in a key World Series game in the opponents ball park. You will often see that he can't find the plate. His heart is simple racing too fast, beyond the level where he can perform. Many interviewees too won't be able to find the plate when their game is on the line.
Click to expand...

This stresses the importance of practice interviews, and learning to control your nerves.
 
As someone who's been to more interviews than I can count, I used to struggle with nerves. I finally fixed it by just mentally coming into the interview thinking it was going to be a fun conversation, and that I was excited (even if I was terrified). Focus on smiling, pump yourself up, etc.
 
LabileEmotions said:
It is rare that people intentionally say stupid things in interviews, as in the examples cited here.

Occasionally, folks unintententionallly blurt out unfelicitous remarks. In many instances, these can be walked back real time. "I didn't mean it to come out that way, what I meant was....."

The bigger risk is that interviews make people stupid. The pressure of the 30 minute interview, where people can feel as if their entire life's work is on the line and the opportunity to become doctor is at stake, can be deeply unsettling. The heart races, the mind whirs, the mental gears won't engage and one is nearly paralyzed in a cold, clammy sweat. Questions become difficult to hear, your answers, if you can call then that, come out in a jumble. One struggles to find the right words, often missing. Attempts at complete sentences result in non sequiturs. You ramble on, completely disoriented. Time races on, but also slows down. And then you hear " OK, it was nice meeting you. Best of luck."

That is the reality for many medical school interviewees. Interview can make even the smartest person stupid. As an analog, watch a rookie ace pitcher who has been lights all season, pitching in a key World Series game in the opponents' ball park. You will often see that he can't find the plate. His heart is simple racing too fast, beyond the level where he can perform. Many interviewees too won't be able to find the plate when their game is on the line.
Click to expand...
Ugh, could you have made this anxiety-inducing comment any more vivid lol. I didn't need this level of reality at the start of interview season!!
 
Raises hand. “I didn’t like pharmacy cause I didn’t want to memorize medication names” If I had a time machine, I would go back to Strangle myself. You’re right, interviews make people stupid. Also, I was running a fever. But still, I would go back strangle myself if I had Stewies time machine.
 
LizzyM said:
It is the flip-- it is saying that someone who is incompetent gets by through expressing empathy. The patient is satisfied despite the clinician's incompetence because they felt heard and understood.

It is a terrible response to give at an interview, perhaps something heard at the dinner table from a physician-parent lacking in empathy trying to explain why they had no respect for empathetic physicians.

I feel sad for everyone involved.
Click to expand...

There’s data that physicians who are perceived as empathetic by their patients are less likely to be sued for the same complications as physicians who aren’t, so it’s not totally wrong. It’s just dumb to say at an interview lol.
 
I was asked to tell an original joke at a job interview once.

My default answer is my favorite joke I have made up - a two to five minute joke where the punchline is a very subtle explanation of why the chicken crossed the road (You basically just add as many details and specifics as you can because they have nothing to do with the punchline and it is funny because you just waste time for a little chuckle).

I find the joke hilarious. Needless to say, I have only gotten 5 of the 6 jobs I have interviewed for lol
 
MemeLord said:
I was asked to tell an original joke at a job interview once.

My default answer is my favorite joke I have made up - a two to five minute joke where the punchline is a very subtle explanation of why the chicken crossed the road (You basically just add as many details and specifics as you can because they have nothing to do with the punchline and it is funny because you just waste time for a little chuckle).

I find the joke hilarious. Needless to say, I have only gotten 5 of the 6 jobs I have interviewed for lol
Click to expand...

In your defense, who asks that in an interview? Was it an interview to be a stand up comedian?
 
Hey memes where’s the Michigan Monday thread? Aren’t you unlocking?
 
RJ McReady said:
That response is not only stupid, it doesn't make sense. Why does someone who has empathy have to be incompetent?
Click to expand...

I didn't get it either that he meant by that response. Maybe he didn't understand what empathy actually means?
 
LabileEmotions said:
It is rare that people intentionally say stupid things in interviews, as in the examples cited here.

Occasionally, folks unintententionallly blurt out unfelicitous remarks. In many instances, these can be walked back real time. "I didn't mean it to come out that way, what I meant was....."

The bigger risk is that interviews can make people stupid. The pressure of the 30 minute interview, where people can feel as if their entire life's work is on the line and the opportunity to become doctor is at stake, can be deeply unsettling. The heart races, the mind whirs, the mental gears won't engage and one is nearly paralyzed in a cold, clammy sweat. Questions become difficult to hear, your answers, if you can call them that, come out in a jumble. One struggles to find the right words, often missing. Attempts at complete sentences result in non sequiturs. You ramble on, completely disoriented. Time races, but also slows. And then you hear " OK, it was nice meeting you. Best of luck."

That is the reality for many medical school interviewees. Interviews can make even the smartest person stupid. As an analog, watch a rookie ace pitcher who has been lights out all season, pitching in a key World Series game in the opponents' ball park. You will often see that he can't find the plate. His heart is simply racing too fast, beyond the level where he can perform acceptably. Many interviewees too won't be able to find the plate at game time.
Click to expand...

You should consider partaking in poetry.
 
LabileEmotions said:
The tongue involuntarily is thrust forward in the mouth, dry and thick as if wrapped in gauze. You become, as never before, a mouth breather.

Suddenly, the interviewer fades from view amidst the glare of a dentist's lamp. At its periphery an audience apperars- your mother, your dad, your grandparents, dead for over 10 years, best friends, teachers, neighbors, people you never seen before. Their mouths agape in horror, suddenly break into a silent guffaw.
Click to expand...

Things just got really weird.
 
LabileEmotions said:
Yes, the laughter derived at someone else's expemse is especially pleasing.
Click to expand...
You had an excellent cycle and you still feel upset with the results. Sounds to me like it wasn’t the cycle that was at fault but your own internalized notions of how it ‘should’ have gone for you.This cycle is long and can be taxing, but if you feel defeated by it despite success, that’s on you.
 
Moko said:
To get back on topic..

Me: "What worries you the most about medical school?"
Applicant: "Nothing"
Click to expand...
Do you want applicants who are worried that they can't succeed in medical school? I would say more than simply "nothing" but I also wouldn't want to give off the impression that I was worried I wouldn't do well.
 
EmbryonalCarcinoma said:
Do you want applicants who are worried that they can't succeed in medical school? I would say more than simply "nothing" but I also wouldn't want to give off the impression that I was worried I wouldn't do well.
Click to expand...
“While I am confident in my ability to be successful in medical school, my biggest worry is about the potential lost time with my family.”

Make it clear that you are not worried, but still providing an answer to the question?
 
MemeLord said:
“While I am confident in my ability to be successful in medical school, my biggest worry is about the potential lost time with my family.”

Make it clear that you are not worried, but still providing an answer to the question?
Click to expand...

That's a worry about your family life, not medical school.

Is there anything about medical school that is of concern? You need to be self-reflective. Are you comfortable delivering bad news? Comfortable caring for very sick people who are similar in age to yourself? Comfortable with uncertainty? Comfortable giving feedback to peers? Comfortable receiving feedback in a group setting? Based on what you've found hard in the past, what's going to be tough about medical school?
 
EmbryonalCarcinoma said:
Do you want applicants who are worried that they can't succeed in medical school? I would say more than simply "nothing" but I also wouldn't want to give off the impression that I was worried I wouldn't do well.
Click to expand...
Worries do not necessarily need to be academic in nature. And even if they were, they can be spun positively.
 
LizzyM said:
That's a worry about your family life, not medical school.

Is there anything about medical school that is of concern? You need to be self-reflective. Are you comfortable delivering bad news? Comfortable caring for very sick people who are similar in age to yourself? Comfortable with uncertainty? Comfortable giving feedback to peers? Comfortable receiving feedback in a group setting? Based on what you've found hard in the past, what's going to be tough about medical school?
Click to expand...
I mean...yes to all of the above. I personally have no academic or professional concerns about medical school. To answer your final question, work/life balance is the only thing I have ever really struggled with (and since overcome, at least in an undergraduate context).

I thrive in environments where I can ask ample questions, so maybe an answer of “worried about the clinical years where I may not necessarily have the opportunity to ask as many questions about the content I am learning”? That feels like a weak answer...And this is something I personally have reflected on a substantial amount.
 
MemeLord said:
How would you feel about an answer where the biggest worry is work/life balance?
Click to expand...
I would be satisfied with that answer as it's a valid concern. It's better that people are aware of these demands as it shows a more realistic idea of what medical training might entail.

"I understand that medical training is going to be demanding. My biggest worry would be learning how to successfully juggle my academic responsibilities with my...".
 
Moko said:
To get back on topic..

Me: "What worries you the most about medical school?"
Applicant: "Nothing"
Click to expand...
Interesting. What uhhhh...what else have you, you know, asked an applicant to which they responded poorly. Or hey, even responded well. Feel free to just focus on the questions you ask most often. You know, just for fun. For the thread 🙂
 
and 99 others said:
Interesting. What uhhhh...what else have you, you know, asked an applicant to which they responded poorly. Or hey, even responded well. Feel free to just focus on the questions you ask most often. You know, just for fun. For the thread 🙂
Click to expand...


I second this, what are some surprisingly great answers that you liked?


also, one of my friends was asked during his residency interview "You don't have any family in this area, do you think that will affect you during residency if you match with us?"
apparently his interviewer loved his answer; "I know I don't have any friends or family here but I hope that I'm treated like family amongst the people in this program"
 
Last edited:
Moko said:
To get back on topic..

Me: "What worries you the most about medical school?"
Applicant: "Nothing"
Click to expand...
I know I keep talking about this exact topic , and its probably annoying by now, but it's relevant here, again.
"
I would answer being a little nervous about the all nighters/ how time managament will work with 70+ hr weeks and how to minimize sleep deprivation ( I like to think of med school/residency as a joint affair). "

I know I keep talking about sleep, but between hunger and sleep and other basic human needs to surive sleep is the only one I dont have practice giving up for more than short periods of time.( I've fasted during Ramadan, for example.) It's also one of those "silent killer" things where it messes up your performance/mood/health but a lot of people are not aware it's the culprit.Its also the one human need you hear about the most often in the context of medical training.( You don't really hear about starving residents).
Does that sound like i can't take the heat? Or is it a good answer? I always worry about how will i take care of patients if Im not taking care of myself, etc.

Another worry is breaking bad news, Im kind of emotional ( no loud crying, but def a few tears if I had to describe a
baby with no heartbeat.
Click to expand...
 
mwsapphire said:
I know I keep talking about this exact topic , and its probably annoying by now, but it's relevant here, again.
"
I would answer being a little nervous about the all nighters/ how time managament will work with 70+ hr weeks and how to minimize sleep deprivation ( I like to think of med school/residency as a joint affair). "

I know I keep talking about sleep, but between hunger and sleep and other basic human needs to surive sleep is the only one I dont have practice giving up for more than short periods of time.( I've fasted during Ramadan, for example.) It's also one of those "silent killer" things where it messes up your performance/mood/health but a lot of people are not aware it's the culprit.Its also the one human need you hear about the most often in the context of medical training.( You don't really hear about starving residents).
Does that sound like i can't take the heat? Or is it a good answer? I always worry about how will i take care of patients if Im not taking care of myself, etc.

Another worry is breaking bad news, Im kind of emotional ( no loud crying, but def a few tears if I had to describe a
Click to expand...
It sounds like a legit answer in my unprofessional opinion. I would find a way to be more succinct with your long paragraph tho.
 
mwsapphire said:
I know I keep talking about this exact topic , and its probably annoying by now, but it's relevant here, again.
"
I would answer being a little nervous about the all nighters/ how time managament will work with 70+ hr weeks and how to minimize sleep deprivation ( I like to think of med school/residency as a joint affair). "

I know I keep talking about sleep, but between hunger and sleep and other basic human needs to surive sleep is the only one I dont have practice giving up for more than short periods of time.( I've fasted during Ramadan, for example.) It's also one of those "silent killer" things where it messes up your performance/mood/health but a lot of people are not aware it's the culprit.Its also the one human need you hear about the most often in the context of medical training.( You don't really hear about starving residents).
Does that sound like i can't take the heat? Or is it a good answer? I always worry about how will i take care of patients if Im not taking care of myself, etc.

Another worry is breaking bad news, Im kind of emotional ( no loud crying, but def a few tears if I had to describe a
Click to expand...
Both of these are valid concerns imo: balancing work-life responsibilities, and learning how to break bad news. As with the application, the delivery of the content still matters.
 
and 99 others said:
I don't see how it being an honest answer precludes it from being stupid. In the context of a medical school interview, it's a pretty awful thing to say.
Click to expand...
The thing is i am super bad at interviews and i always prepare myself for these kind of questions but when i i actually get asked!!?i just get nervous ...this was what i had in my mind at that time and yes while i was googling for the best answers ,mine was from the #do_not_say_list

But i said it
When i walked out i was 100% sure i did not get that job and i was surprised they called me back
 
Foriegn ex-rph said:
The thing is i am super bad at interviews and i always prepare myself for these kind of questions but when i i actually get asked!!?i just get nervous ...this was what i had in my mind at that time and yes while i was googling for the best answers ,mine was from the #do_not_say_list

But i said it
When i walked out i was 100% sure i did not get that job and i was surprised they called me back
Click to expand...

This thread exists so we can learn from each other's mistakes (and for laughs if we are serious). You are just fine!
 
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