Unexpected Interview Question; How to Answer?

[700825]

So I was at an interview when I got the following questions:

1. If you had the choice of any school in the country where would you go (top 3)?

2. Then follow up, of the places you applied what are your top 3?

What is the appropriate answer to these questions. I just gave them my honest answer (the school I was interviewing at was included on list 2), but I am not sure whether that was the right choice.

If that was a bad answer, is a LOI or something similar in order? Did I set myself up for a rejection?

Any advice would be appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[LizzyM]

Interesting... maybe interested in what your priorities are, what you are looking for in a medical school. If you are a prestige ***** or most interested in being close to home or low tuition... it could be a strategy to know what you want so that a deal can be struck to get you there if it seems like a good fit from their end. (See the negotiation book, Getting to Yes)

 

[700825]

Interesting... maybe interested in what your priorities are, what you are looking for in a medical school. If you are a prestige ***** or most interested in being close to home or low tuition... it could be a strategy to know what you want so that a deal can be struck to get you there if it seems like a good fit from their end. (See the negotiation book, Getting to Yes)

Thanks for your answer! That is kind of what I was thinking, but I'm not sure. I mentioned price, research opportunities, and strong clinical affiliations as my justification for my list, but I'm not sure if those are good reasons?

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for your answer! That is kind of what I was thinking, but I'm not sure. I mentioned price, research opportunities, and strong clinical affiliations as my justification for my list, but I'm not sure if those are good reasons?

Very good. Not so good might be my BFF told me its a good school, my grandmother will be bragging to all my friends if I get in here, and I like the pass-fail curriculum because working hard for grades is just wearing me out.

 

[mimelim]

Very good. Not so good might be my BFF told me its a good school, my grandmother will be bragging to all my friends if I get in here, and I like the pass-fail curriculum because working hard for grades is just wearing me out.

Funny, I didn't say anything about pass-fail, because frankly I didn't even know there were different grading schema at different schools, but I definitely told multiple interviewers that I thought that grades were stupid and that good or bad they never really changed what I did.

 

[LizzyM]

Funny, I didn't say anything about pass-fail, because frankly I didn't even know there were different grading schema at different schools, but I definitely told multiple interviewers that I thought that grades were stupid and that good or bad they never really changed what I did.

Well, you must have had good grades because if someone who didn't have good grades told me they didn't change anything after getting a bad grade, I'd really doubt their suitability for medical school.

 

[mimelim]

Well, you must have had good grades because if someone who didn't have good grades told me they didn't change anything after getting a bad grade, I'd really doubt their suitability for medical school.

*cough* 3.4 *cough*

 

[LizzyM]

*cough* 3.4 *cough*

But a 3.4 in rocket science...