Turned down post-interview?

[missmarymac8]

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I'm hoping someone will see this and be curious... is there anyone out there who interviewed at KCUMB (or any school, really) and DIDN'T get accepted? I've read on here and heard from students at KCUMB that somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of interviewees get accepted.

I am my own worst critic but I wasn't very good at reading my interviewers. They were completely friendly and didn't seem skeptical or ill-receptive of me, however the "conversational" interview that many had raved about didn't happen for me. It was more of a polite Q and A session....only remotely conversational when I was asked the question "Do you have any questions for us?" which felt like it happened after only 15 minutes into the interview (I would consider this kind of question a wrap-up question).

I am now nervous that I asked too many questions, or didn't show enough interest in osteopathic medicine specifically. My interview lasted about 45 minutes, but that's because I ALWAYS have questions....good questions, I hope.....

Anyone have a similar experience....when you interviewed how did you think it went? If you interviewed at KCUMB and didn't get accepted, were you expecting this? I think this school is fantastic, and I am now nervous that I didn't make the impression that I wanted to. Advice requested😕

 

[prionsRbad]

Ummm hate to burst your bubble, but quite a few people get rejected or waitlisted post interview. Each school is different with respect to how many people they interview vs. how many they accept. Some schools only have a 50% acceptance rate after interview and others are 70-80%. And that's the way the cookie crumbles . . .

 

[missmarymac8]

I know that the interview is part of the application process still. I guess I'm just trying to find out if other people were as unsure of how their interview went as I am. And how many people there were that thought they did great but still didn't get in. KCUMB made it seem that the interview was just to make sure you'd fit in on campus and that you weren't going to try to kill anyone in the near future.

 

[prionsRbad]

I know that the interview is part of the application process still. I guess I'm just trying to find out if other people were as unsure of how their interview went as I am. And how many people there were that thought they did great but still didn't get in. KCUMB made it seem that the interview was just to make sure you'd fit in on campus and that you weren't going to try to kill anyone in the near future.

OK, I see what you mean now. It's hard to tell. I thought I did awesome in my interview at DMU and I was rejected. At my LMU DCOM interview I felt like I did eh, ok and I was accepted. So, from my experience, how I personally felt about the interview was not indicative of getting accepted or rejected. I mean I think you know if you royally screwed things up, but aside from that I think has to do with luck, how many spots are left and who you're up against in the pile of applications up for "the big decision".

Good Luck!

 

[EEL08]

At both of my interviews I felt like I did fairly well but not great. I was accepted at both schools. I was actually worried about feeling great about an interview because it seems a lot of people who feel that way end up getting rejected.

 

[missmarymac8]

Thanks for your advice! I'll stay hopeful....nothing went vastly bad, it's just my interviewers didn't really ask any questions from my answers. So they either thought I adequately answered the question, or didn't think I was interesting enough to go further into whatever subject..... I really just don't know! It seems that most people have heard one way or another within two weeks! Thanks also for the well wishes!

 

[CDO2012]

At one of my interviews I thought I didn't do so well but I got in any way... the only advice I have is to not worry, what happens will happen... good luck

 

[DiverDoc]

For what its worth, I got word that KCUMBs class was approx. 170/250. I think you will be just fine.

 

[spazzz]

i'm going to be the negative nancy here, I was rejected post interview from my top choice. you learn, you drink your pain for a night, and move on. it is what it is, the admissions is a complete crapshoot, and you work with what you have. luckily I was accepted to my other first choice (the one I wanted before I started doing my post bacc) so it's not an issue.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

My best interview was at GA-PCOM, and I was accepted. I felt like the interview could not possibly have gone better. I just really hit it off with both interviewers.

I also had a great interview at Drexel last cycle. The interviewer even told me that I was pretty much in. Then I was waitlisted and rejected.

My GA-PCOM interview went about as well as an interview can go, I think.

 

[Porco Rosso]

interview process is haphazard. only thing you can do is prepare, stay optimistic, and be yourself. there isnt anything else you can do. if they like what they see, they will call you. Plus, who knows what goes on behind the closed doors at the admissions committee meetings.

the fact that you asked questions shows that you have an interest and enthusiastic about attending the school.

when I interviewed, I took my notepad front of the interviewers and started to ask questions. midway through, they told me that alloted time for interview is running out and suggested that I should personally contact them for any other inquiries.

It is not a bad thing.


One interesting thing I learned is:
AAMC is looking into offering only a single USMLE exam in your fourth year instead of taking I/II. Ofcourse this is far away but interesting...

 

[missmarymac8]

Thanks all! I'll keep my head up.

 

[Dakayus]

I was rejected from a few schools and wait listed for KCUMB. Anyways, they just seemingly want to have people who are well thought out as well as mature enough with the right drive and motivation to be a good doctor. Initially my interview answers for why do and why doctor weren't explained well enough so after a good revision, then I was accepted on my last interview *whew*. I was basically assuming that I would get in everywhere since it's a 10-40% chance you won't get accepted, but those are the ones who did what I did.

 

[scpod]

.....the admissions is a complete crapshoot, and you work with what you have.....

It's interesting to me that people so often use the "crapshoot" analogy for med school admissions when I think they mean it's really just a random role of the dice. They are different things entirely, yet "crapshoot" really does describe it well in some ways. In the game of craps, like almost any game with a random component, you can improve your chances by knowing the game well, focusing on a strategy and using your powers of observation well. But, that one role of the dice can ruin everything. You may come into an interview well-prepared and do everything perfectly....but you remind the interviewer of his daughter's evil boyfriend, or the man who took his lollipop away when he was 3 years old, or his strange Uncle Billy whom he visits once a year in prison, and he blackballs you just for that.

What I'm really saying is that you can't rely on how you thought you did on your interview. I've interviewed hundreds of job applicants in my life and actually had a lot of fun with some of them....but didn't hire the applicant because s/he simply wasn't what I was looking for. All you can do is prepare as well as possible and hope that you get a fair chance. If you fail, pick yourself up and try again elsewhere, or next year.

 

[scdocusc]

this is true. I interviewed with VCOM twice. Which is interesting seeing as they screen their applicants. Ultimately they said "I wasnt a fit for their school". Post interview is a very hard time. My suggestion is to go in there with a red freaking power tie on and completely OWN that interview. You direct where the heck the conversation leads and go out with a bang. I did well on every interview I had but the one I nailed felt different. I walked out of it knowing that I controlled the whole game. Its a good feeling. The only way this method would fail is if your interviewer had a lazy eye and you couldnt stop staring at it. That might hurt your chances post interview.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

The OP was accepted to KCUMB about 2 seconds after posting this, for what its worth.

 

[missmarymac8]

Yeah she did! Sorry, I guess I should have posted again to let anyone else know that even if you think you had a weird interview, you may just still get in! The things I think I did well: Looked my interviewers in the eye, used a mild amount of humor, had well thought out responses that still managed to be spontaneous-sounding. Things I would not have done if I could do it again: endorse euthanasia, fiddle with my hands, ask questions not directly related to the school, forget to say "thanks for your time" at the end. oh well....I'm just glad it's over, and I'm on my way!🙂

 

[rockdascrubs786]

OK, I see what you mean now. It's hard to tell. I thought I did awesome in my interview at DMU and I was rejected. At my LMU DCOM interview I felt like I did eh, ok and I was accepted. So, from my experience, how I personally felt about the interview was not indicative of getting accepted or rejected. I mean I think you know if you royally screwed things up, but aside from that I think has to do with luck, how many spots are left and who you're up against in the pile of applications up for "the big decision".

Good Luck!

honestly, i felt like i did horrible at DCOM. my answers were genuine, but i kept saying "ummm", "FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTLLLLLLLYYYY" and the list went on. I interviewed at other schools much better and it was a mixed bag, some acceptances and some waitlists. Good luck, I hope everything works out for ya.

 

[singinfifi]

Gotta tell ya, I'm kinda terrified I'm going to wind up on Nova's "post interview rejection" list.


::hides under a blanket::