Weirdest/most Intimidating Interview Questions/comments Ever

[cyclin M]

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I am interviewing a prospective student tomorrow, and I am certainly going to enjoy it. I especially like the "choose a chair, but choose wisely" scenario. Thanks for the ideas.

Just curious here. What does that question tell you about the applicant?

 

[Superman78]

Just curious here. What does that question tell you about the applicant?

Put yourself in their shoes. Interviewing applicants is not exactly the bright spot of their day, it's sort of a chore that they have to do aside from their real job, and after a while they get tired of these overachievers saying "me me me, I did this, I did that, I'm great at this, I was at the top of this, I'm a star athlete, I can play the cello..."

So they like to throw a few curve balls because they want to see if this kid sitting across from them is all talk or is actually as sharp as they claim and can use a little wit and humor to fence back. You say, "choose the right chair to sit in - if you choose the wrong one, you will be rejected." So you choose one chair and they say, "that's the wrong chair." Well, the shy, nervous thing to do (that most applicants would do) is just sit in that chair awkwardly. The cheeky thing to do would be to jump to the other chair.

They just want to break the ice and see if you can play along, that's all.

 

[Nanon]

Put yourself in their shoes. Interviewing applicants is not exactly the bright spot of their day, it's sort of a chore that they have to do aside from their real job, and after a while they get tired of these overachievers saying "me me me, I did this, I did that, I'm great at this, I was at the top of this, I'm a star athlete, I can play the cello..."

So they like to throw a few curve balls because they want to see if this kid sitting across from them is all talk or is actually as sharp as they claim and can use a little wit and humor to fence back. You say, "choose the right chair to sit in - if you choose the wrong one, you will be rejected." So you choose one chair and they say, "that's the wrong chair." Well, the shy, nervous thing to do (that most applicants would do) is just sit in that chair awkwardly. The cheeky thing to do would be to jump to the other chair.

They just want to break the ice and see if you can play along, that's all.

The cheekiest thing to do would be to point at each chair and ask, "This one? What about that one?" Of course, you'd have to do it with a sense of humor and a smile on your face. I think it's great!

 

[cyclin M]

Put yourself in their shoes. Interviewing applicants is not exactly the bright spot of their day, it's sort of a chore that they have to do aside from their real job, and after a while they get tired of these overachievers saying "me me me, I did this, I did that, I'm great at this, I was at the top of this, I'm a star athlete, I can play the cello..."

So they like to throw a few curve balls because they want to see if this kid sitting across from them is all talk or is actually as sharp as they claim and can use a little wit and humor to fence back. You say, "choose the right chair to sit in - if you choose the wrong one, you will be rejected." So you choose one chair and they say, "that's the wrong chair." Well, the shy, nervous thing to do (that most applicants would do) is just sit in that chair awkwardly. The cheeky thing to do would be to jump to the other chair.

They just want to break the ice and see if you can play along, that's all.

Ahh I see now. That is pretty clever. Instead of looking at an application, essays, or asking relevant interview questions they screw with the interviewee which gives them so much more information about the applicant.

 

[JackInTheBox]

Ahh I see now. That is pretty clever. Instead of looking at an application, essays, or asking relevant interview questions they screw with the interviewee which gives them so much more information about the applicant.

They've already looked at your application and essays. The interview is to get to know you as a person because nobody wants a stiff, boring doctor who is completely awkward in any situation that doesn't involve a textbook or lab bench. Plus, not every patient you see is going to be warm and welcoming. A good number are going to be complete douchebags.

The people who get accepted aren't the ones with the best applications or who give the best answers during the interview. It's the ones who have the best applications and answer the interview questions with the right combination of poise, humility, and if it fits the situation, sense of humor.

 

[cyclin M]

They've already looked at your application and essays. The interview is to get to know you as a person because nobody wants a stiff, boring doctor who is completely awkward in any situation that doesn't involve a textbook or lab bench. Plus, not every patient you see is going to be warm and welcoming. A good number are going to be complete douchebags.

The people who get accepted aren't the ones with the best applications or who give the best answers during the interview. It's the ones who have the best applications and answer the interview questions with the right combination of poise, humility, and if it fits the situation, sense of humor.

Thanks for that Jack, I never knew that before. Now I know what to do for these interviews.👍

 

[Excelsius]

I am interviewing a prospective student tomorrow, and I am certainly going to enjoy it. I especially like the "choose a chair, but choose wisely" scenario. Thanks for the ideas.

I guess SDN is not just a source for students, but for interviewers as well. What would you do if I asked you: "Which chair would you recommend me to pick?" If you recommend me the wrong chair or refuse to recommend any, then it can be more revealing about you as the interviewer. There is also the post-decision question: "Do you mind if I switch my chair?" after you tell the student that the chair is wrong...

Would I be incorrect to assume that most of these off-the-wall questions are asked only when the student seems to be immature? Personally, I think many questions listed here would not be appropriate to ask of a non-trad applicant with a lot of experience in dealing with people and self-confidence. Though asking about the number of gas stations in the US is a valid question as it reveals what kind of thinker you are. They use questions like that before they hire you at places like Google or Microsoft. On the other hand, asking someone like that to sing is somewhat lame. If I were the interviewer and someone really sang, I'd make sure he/she doesn't get in. Somehow that seems to = spinelessness. You need a lot of guts in this profession.

 

[cutekittypi]

Ahh I see now. That is pretty clever. Instead of looking at an application, essays, or asking relevant interview questions they screw with the interviewee which gives them so much more information about the applicant.

I personally think the chair question is pretty witty...cant always be too serious...
although if that were the whole interview i could see where i would be upset

 

[87138]

At one interview I was dead tired from all the traveling (several interviews in a few days), and the guy's office had a regular chair across from his desk, and a big bean bag chair off towards the side. I walked in the room, shook his hand and introduced myself, looked at my options and told him "I'm gonna sit in the bean bag chair if you don't mind" and just sat down before he said anything. He waited a few second in silence, then said "you know, no one ever does that. People seem to be afraid of that thing. But I like it better this way, we both feel more relaxed."

Accepted, by the way.

 

[Nanon]

On the other hand, asking someone like that to sing is somewhat lame. If I were the interviewer and someone really sang, I'd make sure he/she doesn't get in. Somehow that seems to = spinelessness. You need a lot of guts in this profession.

Although I understand your point, as someone who has spent a lot of time on stage, I can tell you that singing a cappella in front of strangers is never spineless. If I was asked to do something like that, I'd assume I was being tested on my ability to think on my feet, my sense of humor, my ability to handle stressful situations and yes, my spinefulness. 😉 But I'm an optimist, so I don't tend to think that the interviewers want to see me fail.

 

[Nanon]

At one interview I was dead tired from all the traveling (several interviews in a few days), and the guy's office had a regular chair across from his desk, and a big bean bag chair off towards the side. I walked in the room, shook his hand and introduced myself, looked at my options and told him "I'm gonna sit in the bean bag chair if you don't mind" and just sat down before he said anything. He waited a few second in silence, then said "you know, no one ever does that. People seem to be afraid of that thing. But I like it better this way, we both feel more relaxed."

Accepted, by the way.

Of course! I likes your style. 😎

 

[Excelsius]

Although I understand your point, as someone who has spent a lot of time on stage, I can tell you that singing a cappella in front of strangers is never spineless. If I was asked to do something like that, I'd assume I was being tested on my ability to think on my feet, my sense of humor, my ability to handle stressful situations and yes, my spinefulness. 😉 But I'm an optimist, so I don't tend to think that the interviewers want to see me fail.

Of course, I agree with you. If you are a singer, then it is ok to ask you to sing. Maybe the interviewer wants to verify that your ECs are truthful or simply likes to hear a song. So this wouldn't apply in that case. On the other hand, if the interviewer asks a physics geek who has never sang in his life, this would be ridiculous (probably pretty ugly too).

 

[medicalCPA]

Of course, I agree with you. If you are a singer, then it is ok to ask you to sing. Maybe the interviewer wants to verify that your ECs are truthful or simply likes to hear a song. So this wouldn't apply in that case. On the other hand, if the interviewer asks a physics geek who has never sang in his life, this would be ridiculous (probably pretty ugly too).

😕 I don't understand your stance. If I was asked by an interviewer to sing, I would sing. But I would ask him first, "Are you sure you REALLY want to hear me sing, because the only place I do so is in the shower." Then I would break out into a song from my home country, and teach him to dance as well. Nothing serious, just a few body movements as done in Western Africa. No kidding.

...Would you absolutely refuse to "sing your theme song" if an interviewer asked?

 

[aebvd97]

My most bizarre question this interview season has been: "Fast-forward, you're 85 years old and you die. What do you want your epitaph to read?" Really caught me off guard.

 

[ButImLETired]

"What's the most interesting thing you've done in the past year?" (my answer "actually, the past year has been painfully boring"- good job, LET)

"If you were at a party and didn't know anyone, what would they say about you the next day?" (my answer "what kind of party?"- wow, I'm really good at this)

"What would your friends say are your 3 best qualities and one worst flaw?"

"What do you regret?"

"What's your personal philosophy? What would you teach other people?"

"What is your leadership style?"

 

[CrepesofWrath]

Interview prep tells us that the interview is a chance to show them who you are, beyond what's on paper. If your initial response to a question is humorous (within taste), why wouldn't that be appropriate, especially if the question is an icebreaker? We're not supposed to be robots - the notion that a small amount of humor somehow indicates that you're not taking the interview seriously is ridiculous. That being said, one corny joke with a self-depreciating smile is about as far as I would go.

If it was the first thing they said as I walked in the room, my response to the chair question above would be to ask the interviewer if they were a doctor/med school student - if yes, then to ask if I could sit in their lap.

With regard to some of the other interview "transcripts" (the one that mentioned the orchestra, the one about going to yale, the one where the interviewer seemed bored), your job as an interviewee is to communicate with your interviewer. You have to actively participate in the conversation - if the conversation is drifting away from your application and why you are there, move it back. Engage your interviewers. Watch their body language - are they bored, are they tired, have they already made up their minds? Your interviewer is the one who presents your application to the full committee, so you can't afford to be shy.

If the interviewer had already made up his/her mind to reject me and was waiting for the interview to end, I would at least ask why and ask what I should do differently for next time.


Oh, some crazy questions/situations:

I got one during the winter where the interview was held in this stuffy room with the heater turned on full blast. The interviewer asked if I could open the window, but when I went to open it, the window was stuck shut. I didn't know it at the time, but the window wasn't meant to open - he just wanted to see how long I would try.

I also got one where the interviewer asked me how often I masturbate. True story. I said, deadpan, "Not as often as I deserve."

A friend told me about a panel interview where there wasn't a chair for her to sit down, just a table with three interviewers seated behind it.

 

[mets1986]

I got "what is a hidden talent of yours that NO ONE not even your parents and closest friends know about you..."

i thought...well I'm the kind of person that wouldn't keep a talent like that hidden....and then said something ridiculous and not true that made no sense...

accepted however!

 

[DrChristianTroy]

1) If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?


2) Interviewer: "I think that you would be a great match for Jefferson Medical School" (I was at an interview at the University of Maryland, however Jefferson was his alma mater.)

 

[aznb0y129]

"What's the most interesting thing you've done in the past year?" (my answer "actually, the past year has been painfully boring"- good job, LET)

"If you were at a party and didn't know anyone, what would they say about you the next day?" (my answer "what kind of party?"- wow, I'm really good at this)

"What would your friends say are your 3 best qualities and one worst flaw?"

"What do you regret?"

"What's your personal philosophy? What would you teach other people?"

"What is your leadership style?"

I got this question and a variation of the party question. "If you were at a party with 30-40 people and you didn't know anyone, how would you behave?"

My answer: If I don't know anyone, why am I at this party in the first place? Result: accepted 😀

 

[chad5871]

2) Interviewer: "I think that you would be a great match for Jefferson Medical School" (I was at an interview at the University of Maryland, however Jefferson was his alma mater.)

Wow, did he correct himself?

 

[DrChristianTroy]

Wow, did he correct himself?

No. That was the best part. He then went on to tell me why my background and experiences makes me a good candidate for Jefferson. He then asked if I had applied there. (I did but never received an interview)

Therefore, I attempted to get the conversational back on track by telling him how I had applied there but was much more impressed by the program at Maryland.

After this weird detour, the rest of the interview went very well. I guess I will find out how well it went in a few days (it has been 4 weeks since the interview).

 

[Vihsadas]

My most bizarre question this interview season has been: "Fast-forward, you're 85 years old and you die. What do you want your epitaph to read?" Really caught me off guard.

The wayne state secondary actually has a something similar: "How would you want to be remembered at the end of your life?" I intro'd it at my own funeral, and then had myself get whisked away to different places/scenarios in the current time as an ethereal observer. My interviewer loved it. lol.

 

[chiz2kul]

As far as comments, I was told by one school "You won't get a gun and knife club here. If you want to work with poor people you probably should apply to schools in Detroit or Chicago." At a different school a friend of mine with a super high MCAT score, who grew up in a less than ritzy area, was told "we don't see a lot of people with your background doing this well on the MCAT."

And for those strugging with the "tell me about yourself" question, make sure you have an answer - as practically every interview ever (jobs too) will start with it. I talk a bit about my family, where I grew up, spend a tiny time talking about my journey through college and decision on a major, and then spend more time talking about my hobbies (more so than "extra-curriculars", goals in life, and personality). This is the time to show them that you are unique and not just a pre-med robot filled with clinical experience and research.[/quote]

This is GREAT! Wish I had read this before all my interviews...oh wells..

About five minutes after speaking in detail about my father's severe illness and death (in response to what brought me to medicine), and after we had moved on to a totally different topic, my interviewer suddenly asks:

"So, how's your dad doing these days?"

Um...still deceased?

😱😱😱

 

[Vihsadas]

And for those strugging with the "tell me about yourself" question, make sure you have an answer - as practically every interview ever (jobs too) will start with it. I talk a bit about my family, where I grew up, spend a tiny time talking about my journey through college and decision on a major, and then spend more time talking about my hobbies (more so than "extra-curriculars", goals in life, and personality). This is the time to show them that you are unique and not just a pre-med robot filled with clinical experience and research.

This is GREAT! Wish I had read this before all my interviews...oh wells..


😱😱😱

I start out this question with something like, "My friends would probably describe me as someone who...". Then tell a funny story in my life pertaining to that quality, and then move on to more substantial things.

 

[Excelsius]

😕 I don't understand your stance. If I was asked by an interviewer to sing, I would sing. But I would ask him first, "Are you sure you REALLY want to hear me sing, because the only place I do so is in the shower." Then I would break out into a song from my home country, and teach him to dance as well. Nothing serious, just a few body movements as done in Western Africa. No kidding.

...Would you absolutely refuse to "sing your theme song" if an interviewer asked?

Your case is specific too - while you may not have had formal training, you have experienced it as part of your cultural upbringing and may have even mentioned it in your essays. My background is completely different. I have never sang nor do I like pop music (classical mostly). If the interviewer, knowing my background, chooses to seriously ask me to sing something instead of inquiring about something else in my background, that would be an insult, probably worse than mocking certain aspects of religious views. It also signifies that the interviewer doesn't really care about what you have done and it's downhill from there. Signing would be the humiliation on top of the failure.

That's just not a serious question unless you have a singing background. The purpose of the question is to find out not about your singing abilities, but rather your response to the inquiry - humor, wittiness, and the ability to face something you're not prepared for.

 

[Excelsius]

Interview prep tells us that the interview is a chance to show them who you are, beyond what's on paper. If your initial response to a question is humorous (within taste), why wouldn't that be appropriate, especially if the question is an icebreaker? We're not supposed to be robots - the notion that a small amount of humor somehow indicates that you're not taking the interview seriously is ridiculous. That being said, one corny joke with a self-depreciating smile is about as far as I would go.

If it was the first thing they said as I walked in the room, my response to the chair question above would be to ask the interviewer if they were a doctor/med school student - if yes, then to ask if I could sit in their lap.

With regard to some of the other interview "transcripts" (the one that mentioned the orchestra, the one about going to yale, the one where the interviewer seemed bored), your job as an interviewee is to communicate with your interviewer. You have to actively participate in the conversation - if the conversation is drifting away from your application and why you are there, move it back. Engage your interviewers. Watch their body language - are they bored, are they tired, have they already made up their minds? Your interviewer is the one who presents your application to the full committee, so you can't afford to be shy.

If the interviewer had already made up his/her mind to reject me and was waiting for the interview to end, I would at least ask why and ask what I should do differently for next time.


Oh, some crazy questions/situations:

I got one during the winter where the interview was held in this stuffy room with the heater turned on full blast. The interviewer asked if I could open the window, but when I went to open it, the window was stuck shut. I didn't know it at the time, but the window wasn't meant to open - he just wanted to see how long I would try.

I also got one where the interviewer asked me how often I masturbate. True story. I said, deadpan, "Not as often as I deserve."

A friend told me about a panel interview where there wasn't a chair for her to sit down, just a table with three interviewers seated behind it.

While I don't necessarily agree with sitting in the lap solution (especially if you're a male), you handled that other question great. That's the whole point - a lot of people freak out at such questions, but most of them can be answered humorously. Another answer would be "It depends whether the number of my gfs is >0 and how close I am to finals." Or a more weird answer "depends on how exciting my classes and the teachers are."

 

[funkymunkytoes]

Question: Why life?

My response: [long, pensive pause]..... derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.



I still don't know what that means!!!

 

[cyclin M]

I also got one where the interviewer asked me how often I masturbate. True story. I said, deadpan, "Not as often as I deserve."

Wow this is ridiculous. If someone asked me that I would respond with this:

 

[Retsage]

Put yourself in their shoes. Interviewing applicants is not exactly the bright spot of their day, it's sort of a chore that they have to do aside from their real job, and after a while they get tired of these overachievers saying "me me me, I did this, I did that, I'm great at this, I was at the top of this, I'm a star athlete, I can play the cello..."

So they like to throw a few curve balls because they want to see if this kid sitting across from them is all talk or is actually as sharp as they claim and can use a little wit and humor to fence back. You say, "choose the right chair to sit in - if you choose the wrong one, you will be rejected." So you choose one chair and they say, "that's the wrong chair." Well, the shy, nervous thing to do (that most applicants would do) is just sit in that chair awkwardly. The cheeky thing to do would be to jump to the other chair.

They just want to break the ice and see if you can play along, that's all.

That is ****ing absurd. It's a chore? Don't sign up for the job, then. The premeds interviewing are stressed out enough without some bored ******* with something to prove making them more miserable with inane furniture-based questions.

 

[cyclin M]

That is ****ing absurd. It's a chore? Don't sign up for the job, then. The premeds interviewing are stressed out enough without some bored ******* with something to prove making them more miserable with inane furniture-based questions.

I agree.

And Superman78, about putting ourselves in their shoes: why don't they put themselves in our shoes and recognize that this too was once one of their most important moments of their life. But that said, there will always be power trippers and if I run into one I am going to request another interviewer so I don't get screwed by chance.

 

[Excelsius]

Question: Why life?

My response: [long, pensive pause]..... derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.



I still don't know what that means!!!

The only answer to that is "why not?" Just a random process that happened simply because a speck of dust in the universe had a nice soup conducive to production of self-sustaining blobs of decomposable organic matter.

Now if your interviewer is a religious nut, then you are in it deep. You better answer: because Emanuel willed it.

 

[diosa428]

Your case is specific too - while you may not have had formal training, you have experienced it as part of your cultural upbringing and may have even mentioned it in your essays. My background is completely different. I have never sang nor do I like pop music (classical mostly). If the interviewer, knowing my background, chooses to seriously ask me to sing something instead of inquiring about something else in my background, that would be an insult, probably worse than mocking certain aspects of religious views. It also signifies that the interviewer doesn't really care about what you have done and it's downhill from there. Signing would be the humiliation on top of the failure.

That's just not a serious question unless you have a singing background. The purpose of the question is to find out not about your singing abilities, but rather your response to the inquiry - humor, wittiness, and the ability to face something you're not prepared for.

I think you're being a little bit overdramatic. First of all, I'd say about 50% of my interviewers didn't know my background and had not read my application before the interview (or at least asked questions that seemed to imply this). Now I agree that asking someone to sing when you didn't notice it on their app would be bizarre, but I fail to see how that is insulting. Second, I've had interviewers confuse me with other applicants, so it's possible that they could just have the wrong person, and you getting personally offended would certainly not help the situation. Which is why humor would be key.

 

[diosa428]

I agree.

And Superman78, about putting ourselves in their shoes: why don't they put themselves in our shoes and recognize that this too was once one of their most important moments of their life. But that said, there will always be power trippers and if I run into one I am going to request another interviewer so I don't get screwed by chance.

Sorry, but this is completely self-centered. "WHY can't my interviewer who is taking time out of their very busy schedule to talk to me just think about how I feel???" Each interviewer has their own agenda and knows what they are looking for in an applicant. Like it or not, they are not there to coddle you and ask you all the questions that you are comfortable with so you can get accepted. They will likely find someone who does meet what they're looking for, so either suck it up and do your best or go home. Advancing your career in medicine is a game and the game isn't over when you get into med school, it's just the beginning. So get used to it.

Also, premeds seem incredibly naive to me and I'm only a 3rd year med student. I can only imagine how physicians who have been practicing for 20+ years feel. Sorry, but this "most important moment of your life" probably seems mundane to them. They've already had the most important medical school interview, then the most important residency interview, then the most important fellowship interview, then the most important job interview, then the most important chairman interview, etc etc. Additionally, if your interviewer is old, it was a LOT easier to get in back then, so they are likely to REALLY underestimate what premeds have to deal with now, and the precariousness of getting in.

 

[Excelsius]

I think you're being a little bit overdramatic. First of all, I'd say about 50% of my interviewers didn't know my background and had not read my application before the interview (or at least asked questions that seemed to imply this). Now I agree that asking someone to sing when you didn't notice it on their app would be bizarre, but I fail to see how that is insulting. Second, I've had interviewers confuse me with other applicants, so it's possible that they could just have the wrong person, and you getting personally offended would certainly not help the situation. Which is why humor would be key.

If the interviewer is joking, it is not as bad, but it is nevertheless very awkward and feeble. Can you imagine yourself inviting a scientist for an interview with a lot of research and other scientific background and then ask him to sing for you? Even as a joke, that's not the smartest thing to do. I am not saying I wouldn't go along and take that as a lame joke, but I'd probably have a negative opinion of the interviewer and perhaps the school. I don't think you can understand where I am coming from unless you are a non-trad who has been working in the industry for years. And by the way, as part of my team at work, I have done over 10 interviews so far. There are many ways to throw someone off. Singing is lame. It's something you would ask of either an immature undergrad or someone who does it as an EC.

 

[cyclin M]

Sorry, but this is completely self-centered. "WHY can't my interviewer who is taking time out of their very busy schedule to talk to me just think about how I feel???"

I see what you did there. You took what I said, over-dramatized it and made it seem like a whiny emo complaint. Nowhere did I ask for them to "coddle" anyone, but if their time is so valuable why waste it asking pointless questions? And I have nothing against people who ask questions to see a different side of you, it's just the people who are clearly power tripping. I'm sure we can agree on that.

 

[Retsage]

If an interviewer's time is that valuable, he/she should not be volunteering to interview. Is that so hard to understand? The interview half hour or hour is ultimately about you, not about them. I don't care how busy their schedule is. My schedule is pretty busy too, but I spent hundreds of dollars and took off in the middle of everything, sleeping on futons, waiting for hours in airports, just to get down there.

If you are too busy to interview students, do not interview them. If you are going to interview students, don't be a power-tripping douchebag about it and don't believe that your interviewees somehow *owe* you for granting them the grand honor of your presence. Thank you letters notwithstanding.

 

[Excelsius]

If an interviewer's time is that valuable, he/she should not be volunteering to interview. Is that so hard to understand? The interview half hour or hour is ultimately about you, not about them. I don't care how busy their schedule is. My schedule is pretty busy too, but I spent hundreds of dollars and took off in the middle of everything, sleeping on futons, waiting for hours in airports, just to get down there.

If you are too busy to interview students, do not interview them. If you are going to interview students, don't be a power-tripping douchebag about it and don't believe that your interviewees somehow *owe* you for granting them the grand honor of your presence. Thank you letters notwithstanding.

Surprisingly, this is something that I'll agree with you - but not the bolded part. Your effort is really irrelevant in this process. You have exerted much more effort during your undergrad studies anyway. And even if it was effortless for you to have an interview, that would still not mean that the interviewer has any right to be upset about his time. These are completely separate. But you are right that the interviewer has an allocated time for you and there is no excuse about "busyness." The people who hate interviewing students should stop doing it and get on with the next, more important activity.

I was thinking that one possibility for a bad interviewer could be if the panel selects a particular student for interview and the interviewer happens to disagree with the panel and as a result is antagonistic towards the student. I don't know how exactly this decision process works.

 

[linguini]

If an interviewer's time is that valuable, he/she should not be volunteering to interview. Is that so hard to understand? The interview half hour or hour is ultimately about you, not about them. I don't care how busy their schedule is. My schedule is pretty busy too, but I spent hundreds of dollars and took off in the middle of everything, sleeping on futons, waiting for hours in airports, just to get down there.

If you are too busy to interview students, do not interview them. If you are going to interview students, don't be a power-tripping douchebag about it and don't believe that your interviewees somehow *owe* you for granting them the grand honor of your presence. Thank you letters notwithstanding.

Welcome to the bottom of the food chain. It'll cause you much less angst if you just accept it.