The Interview

[Premed315U]

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How do people usually respond to this question? "What reasons would you give for us not to accept you?" I notice it's a popular q on interviewfeedback.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Tell them the best reason is that you had to sell drugs in order to pay AMCAS to verify your transcript and cause you lots of stress. Then when you weren't verified for 2 months, you went out and beat up kids on the street to relieve the stress. Then on your way to the interview you spit on some old person just for fun.

That's what I say...

 

[grasshopper]

I only got it once (Yale), but I understood it like the weaknesses question . . .don't know if this is a good approach, but I didn't know what else to do . . .

 

[Premed315U]

How do people usually answer the weakness question without handing the admissions committee a reason not to accept them? Do you way simple things like impatience or work toooooo hard? Or do you give examples about weaknesses? How exactly do interview questions work?

 

[kutastha]

Originally posted by Premed315U:
•How do people usually answer the weakness question without handing the admissions committee a reason not to accept them? Do you way simple things like impatience or work toooooo hard? Or do you give examples about weaknesses? How exactly do interview questions work?•

Make your weaknesses positive. Things like, "Sometimes I put people before myself" or "I give too much of myself" or "i work too hard". Always turn these "weaknesses" into positives. And never ever use procrastination or time management problems as a weakness.

Andrew

 

[Scooby Doo]

kutastha...
I completely disagree with you here. The weakness question I feel is a question of sincerity in part and partly a good self analysis of yourself.

The answers, "I am a perfectionist" or "I work too hard" are such BULL$HIT!!!!!!!!
I refuse to use those answers even though sometimes they true...give an honest answer that won't incriminate you too much. If you use these answers you come over as a prepared bull$hiter who is only saying what they want to hear.

 

[md2be06]

I have to agree with Andrew on this one. Sorry Scooby. It's all about spin in the interview. Turn everything into a positive. I know it's BS, but adcoms are looking for a reason to reject you, don't give them one. If you're asked about something on your application that sticks out, don't make excuses for it, just spin it in a positive light.

 

[Premed315U]

What would some of you guys say for why the school shouldn't accept you? I'm drawing a blank on the basic type of response.

 

[kutastha]

Thank you for your input Scooby, although I never said to be insincere. The interview is a complex dichotomy between the interviewer and the interviewee. When I am in an interview, I try to break away from this dichotomy and communicate with the interviewer on a personal level. I am certainly not going break that by giving some weakness without adding some positive spin there with it - without which would allow a vulnerable moment. I'm trying to place myself in a positive light with the interviewer. What would would you suggest one say in response to these questions? I'm not lying to my interviewers. I hear too often on SDN "What should I say?" or "What should I do?". I just am myself and am confident enough to give answers about myself that I am comfortable with. I expect nothing less from myself.

Andrew

 

[Jonny-5]

Canned answers like "I work too hard" or "I give to much" are heard all day by adcoms. Both scooby AND andrew are right. Yes, be yourself (most important) and say what your *real* weaknesses are. No one's problem is that they give too much (you would not want to achieve personal goals like being a doctor; ie- you would probably walk the streets helping people like batman or that guy from Kung-Fu: the legend continues).

Anyway, answer truthfully with real problems. Like, sometimes I have a temper, or I don't argue well, or I am not the best of freinds, etc (of course explain in detail with examples). The adcoms appreciate the honesty and will remember you for the truthful and probably unique answer.

Ok, enough. Donecakes.

Adios.

 

[tidy_kiwi]

My answer to this question is that I was too modest.... 😛

But the best way to answer this type of question is to be honest but also to acknowledge the weakness and let the adcoms know that you are aware of it and how you try to remedy/counteract it. Doctors are supposed to be human.....and most humans I know have flaws.

 

[coop]

i agree partially with both sides, you need to be honest, but there's no way you should leave it as a hanging negative, you should definately spin it around in some way, show some positive which is either the cause or result of the negative.

I've never gotten the "why not accept you" but I have had the "weaknesses" question. I said stubborness, then qualified it to what I think is sort of a misconception of stubbornness because I challenge people to provide good logical evidence in an argument for me to be convinced of their side. Often people percieve this as stubbornness when I mean to be simply intellictually challinging. I do know that I could, through changes in demeanor and tone, work to make my intentions of not being stubborn more clear to others.

That's the jist of what I've said to this question. So I take it from weakness, to potential strength, to things I could work on to improve that potential strength. I think this is a fair twist of the question.

 

[NickasaurusRex]

My interviewer told me that the only thing the admissions committees want to see is that 1) you know what your weaknesses are and 2) you are *doing something* about them. As long as you can answer those two things, I'd think that whatever you would decide to tell them would be okay.