Weirdest/most uncomfortable interview question?

[BurberryDoc]

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That's too bad for me, then. Be rude to me and I'm going to tell you. I wouldn't change a thing about that interview.

lmao, yes - too bad for you indeed...the person on the other side of the table holds your future in their hands like a small wounded bird.

 

[Pacna]

lmao, yes - too bad for you indeed...the person on the other side of the table holds your future in their hands like a small wounded bird.

I'm not one to let someone in a position of power get away with treating someone poorly. I consider almost everyone equal in etiquette and moral requirements (with a few exceptions for the mentally ill, etc). If that's not valued at that school, then I don't want to go there anyways. (I really do, but you know)

 

[BurberryDoc]

I'm not one to let someone in a position of power get away with treating someone poorly. I consider almost everyone equal in etiquette and moral requirements (with a few exceptions for the mentally ill, etc). If that's not valued at that school, then I don't want to go there anyways. (I really do, but you know)

I agree with you, but in a competitive process like this, standing on principle can do more harm than good. That's all I'm saying - I'm not saying I disagree with your opinion, but I don't think it was a good move to act on it is all.

 

[knv2u]

The questions "Why doctor? Why not PA / therapist / nurse / dentist / EMT?" IS perfectly innocuous. Asking "Why doctor? Why not PA / therapist / nurse / dentist / EMT?" to male candidates and "Why doctor? Why not just be a nurse?" to female candidates is blatant sexism.

😱

But as Goro has already pointed out, the question is equally applicable and posed to male candidates as well. I had a roommate (male) that was a nursing student and a good number of his classmates were male (a close approximation to an even split percentage wise). How do you know that the interviewer didn't ask male candidates the same question? You don't; therefore, I think it is erroneous to describe his conduct as "blatant sexism."

It also seems that the position being proffered by yourself and some of the other posters is that there are certain benign questions that are perfectly acceptable to ask a male, but not a female. Isn't differential treatment of the genders considered de facto sexism? I think Goro is truly taking the perspective of a feminist.

 

[Pacna]

I agree with you, but in a competitive process like this, standing on principle can do more harm than good. That's all I'm saying - I'm not saying I disagree with your opinion, but I don't think it was a good move to act on it is all.

No question there. From a strategic position, it was a terrible idea. From a personal position, I think I made the right decision. That's more important to me. Of course, I'd be singing a different tune if I wasn't accepted elsewhere. 😛

 

[LizzyM]

Sir, is there any questions that we can refuse to answer, but without making ourselves look bad by not answering tehm?

That's a tough one.... If someone were to ask me a totally illegal question, such as whether I planned to have children, I might be tempted to pretend I misheard it and say, "Did you just ask me if I would have your children? ??" That might put the interviewer on the defensive.

I suppose you could ask, "Did you just ask me ___? I'm surprised you would ask that." Then keep silent. I would expect that the interviewer will get the idea that the question was inappropriate and will move on.

Some questions (that I don't ask) such as "what is the last fiction book you read for pleasure?" are just a way of making conversation, assessing your vocabulary and spoken language skills and judging your critical thinking skills. If you aren't a reader, you could say, "I'm not much for novels but I enjoy [film, number puzzles, clog dancing]and spend my free tme that way." That at least gives the interviewer a topic to question you about without discussing the most recent book you've read, "Horton Hears a Who".

As for the Q: where will you be in 10 years? A: An attending.... there are so many different options as a practicing physician. Will you be in an ambulatory care setting? an ICU or other high tech environment? Are you most interested in the care of the elderly, the very young, women, the mentally ill or some other subset of the population? This is an opportunity to describe what you know about the practice of medicine and what sort of medical practice attracts you. Just saying "attending" is like somone in high school saying they want to go to college and in 5 years they hope to be a teacher without any idea of whether they'd like to teach HS or preschool and if they see themselves in a rural, suburban or urban district and a public, private or charter school if given all those choices. Where do you see yourself in 10 years is basically a "what is your entry level dream job" question. If you act like that's a stupid question, the interviewer may suspect you don't know much about the practice of medicine.

 

[DokterMom]

Asking "Why doctor? Why not PA / therapist / nurse / dentist / EMT?" to male candidates and "Why doctor? Why not just be a nurse?" to female candidates is blatant sexism.

😱
But as Goro has already pointed out, the question is equally applicable and posed to male candidates as well. I had a roommate (male) that was a nursing student and a good number of his classmates were male (a close approximation to an even split percentage wise). How do you know that the interviewer didn't ask male candidates the same question? You don't; therefore, I think it is erroneous to describe his conduct as "blatant sexism."

It also seems that the position being proffered by yourself and some of the other posters is that there are certain benign questions that are perfectly acceptable to ask a male, but not a female. Isn't differential treatment of the genders considered de facto sexism? I think Goro is truly taking the perspective of a feminist.

Did you read the entire sentence? It said asking males one question and females another was sexism. Asking the same question to both genders is not. That said, asking "Why not just be a nurse?" to female candidates (even if asked the exact same way to male candidates) can feel sexist to young women who hear that question all the time from people who are being sexist about it, and for that reason, I'd suggest the question be worded more carefully.

 

[BamaNicole]

That's a tough one.... If someone were to ask me a totally illegal question, such as whether I planned to have children, I might be tempted to pretend I misheard it and say, "Did you just ask me if I would have your children? ??" That might put the interviewer on the defensive.

.

I had to fight the urge to say "Are you offering?"

 

[monkeyfeet]

That's a tough one.... If someone were to ask me a totally illegal question, such as whether I planned to have children, I might be tempted to pretend I misheard it and say, "Did you just ask me if I would have your children? ??" That might put the interviewer on the defensive.

Hah. Not as hilarious, but I've deflected this and similar questions ("Aren't you kind of old to be applying to med school?" "Don't you want to get married?" etc.) with responses like, "I've given a lot of thought to pursuing this career path at this stage in my life, and I've certainly asked myself the same question, but I'm absolutely certain I want to become a physician because..." then transitioning into my "Why medicine?" answer. Has worked out pretty well for me so far...

 

[knv2u]

Did you read the entire sentence? It said asking males one question and females another was sexism. Asking the same question to both genders is not. That said, asking "Why not just be a nurse?" to female candidates (even if asked the exact same way to male candidates) can feel sexist to young women who hear that question all the time from people who are being sexist about it, and for that reason, I'd suggest the question be worded more carefully.

Based on the context of the thread, I inferred that you were assuming that this was the case with the poster(s) in this thread (i.e. that her interviewer asked the nurse question only to females and other questions to males), and I was attempting to challenge that assumption. I erred.

 

[SN12357]

Hah. Not as hilarious, but I've deflected this and similar questions ("Aren't you kind of old to be applying to med school?" "Don't you want to get married?" etc.) with responses like, "I've given a lot of thought to pursuing this career path at this stage in my life, and I've certainly asked myself the same question, but I'm absolutely certain I want to become a physician because..." then transitioning into my "Why medicine?" answer. Has worked out pretty well for me so far...

This is a really good way to handle these types of questions.

 

[Shjanzey]

As for the Q: where will you be in 10 years? A: An attending.... there are so many different options as a practicing physician. Will you be in an ambulatory care setting? an ICU or other high tech environment? Are you most interested in the care of the elderly, the very young, women, the mentally ill or some other subset of the population? This is an opportunity to describe what you know about the practice of medicine and what sort of medical practice attracts you. Just saying "attending" is like somone in high school saying they want to go to college and in 5 years they hope to be a teacher without any idea of whether they'd like to teach HS or preschool and if they see themselves in a rural, suburban or urban district and a public, private or charter school if given all those choices. Where do you see yourself in 10 years is basically a "what is your entry level dream job" question. If you act like that's a stupid question, the interviewer may suspect you don't know much about the practice of medicine.

I think this is an absolutely horrible question. It is a lazy and cliche thing to ask any applicant in almost any setting. I have given professional interviews in a non-medical setting and I have seen others use this question. I can guarantee that whatever you hear come out of your candidates mouth is going to be complete nonsense. All they want is a job, and if they have plans 10 years down the road that don't involve your company they aren't going to share it with you because they want the job. When I interviewed for my current job (6 months ago) they asked me this. Do you think I said anything about med school?

Another thing, I would like to mention. You say this is a chance to talk about your dream job, yet in other places you have advised people not to mention specific specialties (especially surgery) during an interview because that can go against you if you don't have the right stats. So then are you saying someone with average stats who wants to be a surgeon should lie and rave about how awesome family medicine is so that the interviewer doesn't judge them too harshly?

The 10-15 year question is great for high school students. For someone who has decided on Medicine and gone through all the tough work to get into school it is inappropriate. Everyone knows you will probably change your mind during 3rd and 4th year, so the proper assumption is that you will be an Attending. I get your point about a candidate acting like the question is stupid, I am pretty sure most people are cognizant enough to roll with and respond to such a question, but it does not preclude one from cringing inwardly when confronted with it. And I certainly won't shy from giving my unabashed opinion on it in a forum 🙂

 

[LizzyM]

I think this is an absolutely horrible question. It is a lazy and cliche thing to ask any applicant in almost any setting. I have given professional interviews in a non-medical setting and I have seen others use this question. I can guarantee that whatever you hear come out of your candidates mouth is going to be complete nonsense. All they want is a job, and if they have plans 10 years down the road that don't involve your company they aren't going to share it with you because they want the job. When I interviewed for my current job (6 months ago) they asked me this. Do you think I said anything about med school?

Another thing, I would like to mention. You say this is a chance to talk about your dream job, yet in other places you have advised people not to mention specific specialties (especially surgery) during an interview because that can go against you if you don't have the right stats. So then are you saying someone with average stats who wants to be a surgeon should lie and rave about how awesome family medicine is so that the interviewer doesn't judge them too harshly?

The 10-15 year question is great for high school students. For someone who has decided on Medicine and gone through all the tough work to get into school it is inappropriate. Everyone knows you will probably change your mind during 3rd and 4th year, so the proper assumption is that you will be an Attending. I get your point about a candidate acting like the question is stupid, I am pretty sure most people are cognizant enough to roll with and respond to such a question, but it does not preclude one from cringing inwardly when confronted with it. And I certainly won't shy from giving my unabashed opinion on it in a forum 🙂

I don't ask "where will you be" but I do ask a variation to get at the kind of setting/practice the applicant would like to be in . Sure, someone might change their mind but if they like to work with their hands that can be worked into their answer without being specific... if they like the intellectural challenges of diagnostics or the education and counseling of patients that goes on in primary care, that's legit too.... I don't give a fig about interviewing job candidates and that is irrelevant to this discussion.

 

[Reckoner]

 

[Shjanzey]

I don't ask "where will you be" but I do ask a variation to get at the kind of setting/practice the applicant would like to be in . Sure, someone might change their mind but if they like to work with their hands that can be worked into their answer without being specific... if they like the intellectural challenges of diagnostics or the education and counseling of patients that goes on in primary care, that's legit too.... I don't give a fig about interviewing job candidates and that is irrelevant to this discussion.

For the first part -- fair enough. That make sense.

As for the second, how do you figure? There is definite intersection between med school interview and a job interview. The same questions and techniques are used to determine a prospective candidate.

Technique 1 - Credentials [resume vs. AMCAS app]
Technique 2 - Interview [both use this]

The only difference is the subject matter being reviewed, and you will probably get a more truthful representation of the individual from their AMCAS. People lie like crazy on their resumes which makes the job interview even more important in a corporate setting, because you can't even rely on their proposed competency. Interviewing is an art and there are more efficient ways of discovering what you want about someone than the question we were discussing. When you only have 30 minutes every question counts.

 

[HopefulReapp]

I was just asked yesterday if I knew the origins of the word "orthopedic." If anyone wants to know: ortho comes from orthogonal and pedic comes from child. If anyone is a pediatric orthopedic physician, the title is redundant.

I don't think it matters too much/at all that I didn't know the roots and I think I was just asked because he was a pediatric orthopedic physician.

Just for irony, I was also asked yesterday "You seem to really have a passion for comforting your patients, why are you here instead of nursing school?"

 

[LizzyM]

For the first part -- fair enough. That make sense.

As for the second, how do you figure? There is definite intersection between med school interview and a job interview. The same questions and techniques are used to determine a prospective candidate.

Technique 1 - Credentials [resume vs. AMCAS app]
Technique 2 - Interview [both use this]

The only difference is the subject matter being reviewed, and you will probably get a more truthful representation of the individual from their AMCAS. People lie like crazy on their resumes which makes the job interview even more important in a corporate setting, because you can't even rely on their proposed competency. Interviewing is an art and there are more efficient ways of discovering what you want about someone than the question we were discussing. When you only have 30 minutes every question counts.

While you might think that a company wants to hear that you'll still be there 10 years from now (many may not expect you to be there in 10 years, particularly if you are interviewing for an entry level job with quite a bit of turnover as people go on to bigger and better things), most medical schools would not expect you to be there in 10 years... in fact, that would be our worst nightmare unless you were, at that point, a junior faculty member. The fact that you lied at a job interview about where you would be in 10 years is not relevant to medical school as it is an interview for a very different purpose.

 

[Shjanzey]

While you might think that a company wants to hear that you'll still be there 10 years from now (many may not expect you to be there in 10 years, particularly if you are interviewing for an entry level job with quite a bit of turnover as people go on to bigger and better things), most medical schools would not expect you to be there in 10 years... in fact, that would be our worst nightmare unless you were, at that point, a junior faculty member. The fact that you lied at a job interview about where you would be in 10 years is not relevant to medical school as it is an interview for a very different purpose.

All valid points, except for the lying part. Not mentioning med school doesn't mean a lie was introduced. I believe the phrase I used was, "Continuing to work hard to realize my dreams." I feel compelled to correct that point because my character is being called into question.

 

[The Buff OP]

That's a tough one.... If someone were to ask me a totally illegal question, such as whether I planned to have children, I might be tempted to pretend I misheard it and say, "Did you just ask me if I would have your children? ??" That might put the interviewer on the defensive.

I suppose you could ask, "Did you just ask me ___? I'm surprised you would ask that." Then keep silent. I would expect that the interviewer will get the idea that the question was inappropriate and will move on.

Some questions (that I don't ask) such as "what is the last fiction book you read for pleasure?" are just a way of making conversation, assessing your vocabulary and spoken language skills and judging your critical thinking skills. If you aren't a reader, you could say, "I'm not much for novels but I enjoy [film, number puzzles, clog dancing]and spend my free tme that way." That at least gives the interviewer a topic to question you about without discussing the most recent book you've read, "Horton Hears a Who".

As for the Q: where will you be in 10 years? A: An attending.... there are so many different options as a practicing physician. Will you be in an ambulatory care setting? an ICU or other high tech environment? Are you most interested in the care of the elderly, the very young, women, the mentally ill or some other subset of the population? This is an opportunity to describe what you know about the practice of medicine and what sort of medical practice attracts you. Just saying "attending" is like somone in high school saying they want to go to college and in 5 years they hope to be a teacher without any idea of whether they'd like to teach HS or preschool and if they see themselves in a rural, suburban or urban district and a public, private or charter school if given all those choices. Where do you see yourself in 10 years is basically a "what is your entry level dream job" question. If you act like that's a stupid question, the interviewer may suspect you don't know much about the practice of medicine.

Thanks for putting your input. Let's say If I'm still a large male (muscle wise) by the time I apply to medical school, if they ask me if I have ever used chemical enhancement would that be a question I can refuse to answer? You know like it's uncalled for to assume somebody uses anabolic steroids.

 

[Goro]

If I may build upon my learned colleague's comment, in the 2008 election, Sarah Palin was asked by Katie Couric about what books or magazine she regularly read. Ms Palin drew a complete blank. That particular moment revealed a lot about Ms Palin.

Some questions (that I don't ask) such as "what is the last fiction book you read for pleasure?" are just a way of making conversation, assessing your vocabulary and spoken language skills and judging your critical thinking skills. If you aren't a reader, you could say, "I'm not much for novels but I enjoy [film, number puzzles, clog dancing]and spend my free tme that way." That at least gives the interviewer a topic to question you about without discussing the most recent book you've read, "Horton Hears a Who".


To me the "are you using or ever have..." does cross a line. It's liek asking "have you ever used an illegal drug?" An answer like "I find that question offensvee" is a professional way to deal it it. But to say to an intervewer that they were rude is a sure way to get rejected.



. Let's say If I'm still a large male (muscle wise) by the time I apply to medical school, if they ask me if I have ever used chemical enhancement would that be a question I can refuse to answer? You know like it's uncalled for to assume somebody uses anabolic steroids.

 

[NavyDoc23]

During one of my interviews I was asked where I have interviewed at already. The interviewer then asked if I was accepted to those schools, would I choose one of them over the school I was interviewing at. Felt very uncomfortable and wasn't sure how to answer the last one without saying that I think less of the school I was interviewing at.

 

[LizzyM]

During one of my interviews I was asked where I have interviewed at already. The interviewer then asked if I was accepted to those schools, would I choose one of them over the school I was interviewing at. Felt very uncomfortable and wasn't sure how to answer the last one without saying that I think less of the school I was interviewing at.

I think that the only way to answer these "where have you interviewed?" questions is to say, "I am here because I am very interested in attendin [med school name]. I hope you've invited me to interview because you are very interested in learning if I will be a good fit here. If I am not admitted here, I do hope that I will matriculate elsewhere later this year/next year."

If I may build upon my learned colleague's comment, in the 2008 election, Sarah Palin was asked by Katie Couric about what books or magazine she regularly read. Ms Palin drew a complete blank. That particular moment revealed a lot about Ms Palin. .

Palin did seem clueless as times but I do recall that was a question about reading newspapers, not books and magazines. and even back in 2008 many of us were getting our news from a variety of online sources and not a newspaper dropped on our doorstep in the morning. I thought that the questions was ignorant and culturally incompetent when it comes to rural life in the 21st century. "How do you get information about news and current events?" is better than "What newspapers do you read?"

 

[SN12357]

Palin did seem clueless as times but I do recall that was a question about reading newspapers, not books and magazines. and even back in 2008 many of us were getting our news from a variety of online sources and not a newspaper dropped on our doorstep in the morning. I thought that the questions was ignorant and culturally incompetent when it comes to rural life in the 21st century. "How do you get information about news and current events?" is better than "What newspapers do you read?"

The exact wording of the question was "And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this — to stay informed and to understand the world?"

A little awkwardly worded transcribing directly but it's pretty clearly a question about how you stay informed. Even if you read online the websites still have names. Palin had no answer.

 

[DokterMom]

Palin did seem clueless as times but I do recall that was a question about reading newspapers, not books and magazines. and even back in 2008 many of us were getting our news from a variety of online sources and not a newspaper dropped on our doorstep in the morning. I thought that the questions was ignorant and culturally incompetent when it comes to rural life in the 21st century. "How do you get information about news and current events?" is better than "What newspapers do you read?"

Still -- Even though I got most of my news online 'way back' then, I would have been able to unhesitatingly answer that I regularly read the ___ and ___ online and ___, ___ and ___ monthly. I have a hard time buying that it was the 'medium' that caused her confusion...

 

[mehc012]

blehhhh late post late post Xfinity is the devil.

 

[deleted480308]

Thanks for putting your input. Let's say If I'm still a large male (muscle wise) by the time I apply to medical school, if they ask me if I have ever used chemical enhancement would that be a question I can refuse to answer? You know like it's uncalled for to assume somebody uses anabolic steroids.

Have you ever seen the muscle shirt that says, "no, I don't use steroids but thanks for asking"?

 

[BlueLabel]

Palin did seem clueless as times but I do recall that was a question about reading newspapers, not books and magazines. and even back in 2008 many of us were getting our news from a variety of online sources and not a newspaper dropped on our doorstep in the morning. I thought that the questions was ignorant and culturally incompetent when it comes to rural life in the 21st century. "How do you get information about news and current events?" is better than "What newspapers do you read?"

Great point. The question shouldn't have been asked like that in the first place. The interview definitely wasn't a hit job, and she certainly could have handled that question better, but it wasn't anywhere near as damning as Palin's political enemies (as well as left wing observers) made it out to be.

That said, Palin did tend to make herself an easy target. I personally will never forgive her for her contemptible comments about what she viewed as the futility and absurdity of NIH funding for autism research using Drosophila models.

 

[The Buff OP]

Have you ever seen the muscle shirt that says, "no, I don't use steroids but thanks for asking"?

Yes, I have. But honestly only the noobs (1-2 years of lifting) wear those kind of shirts. I'm more conservative with my body, like my bodybuilding idol Evan Centopani. I always wear a sweater when I'm at the gym and sometimes it comes off just to show what I'm working with lol.

 

[LizzyM]

@The Buff OP, you are expecting people to ask if you ever used illegal drugs? I can't for the life of me imagine anyone of my interviewers ever asking such a question. what's next? "Have you ever smoke crack?" Even if you have, I can't imagine that anyone would ever answer anything other than "no". It is such a stupid question that the person who asks does not deserve an answer other than a raised eyebrow and a "no". I really don't believe you can take the 5th in a med school interview. (refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incrimiante you).

 

[HopefulReapp]

Yes, I have. But honestly only the noobs (1-2 years of lifting) wear those kind of shirts. I'm more conservative with my body, like my bodybuilding idol Evan Centopani. I always wear a sweater when I'm at the gym and sometimes it comes off just to show what I'm working with lol.

Just say no, but that you'll give them some deadlifting tips if they accept you. Said something similar in an interview and got waitlisted 🙁 That being said, he also asked me to show him my squat form, so I'm thinking that he might have been jealous of my depth.

 

[The Buff OP]

@The Buff OP, you are expecting people to ask if you ever used illegal drugs? I can't for the life of me imagine anyone of my interviewers ever asking such a question. what's next? "Have you ever smoke crack?" Even if you have, I can't imagine that anyone would ever answer anything other than "no". It is such a stupid question that the person who asks does not deserve an answer other than a raised eyebrow and a "no". I really don't believe you can take the 5th in a med school interview. (refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incrimiante you).

Oh okay, I was just wondering.

 

[The Buff OP]

Just say no, but that you'll give them some deadlifting tips if they accept you. Said something similar in an interview and got waitlisted 🙁 That being said, he also asked me to show him my squat form, so I'm thinking that he might have been jealous of my depth.

I doubt I will do that, I don't want to rip my pants.

 

[Reckoner]

@The Buff OPwhat's next? "Have you ever smoke crack?"

Finally, an excuse to post this pic! I know it's not quite a medical school interview, but...

 

[mcloaf]

Yes, I have. But honestly only the noobs (1-2 years of lifting) wear those kind of shirts. I'm more conservative with my body, like my bodybuilding idol Evan Centopani. I always wear a sweater when I'm at the gym and sometimes it comes off just to show what I'm working with lol.

👍
Evan is the man.

 

[The Buff OP]

👍
Evan is the man.

Yes, he is. He is very knowledgeable person and has great inspirational talks.

 

[Plecopotamus]

Do you always get this upset about things that really shouldn't be getting such massive reaction out of you? So you're female, a minority, and someone asks why you don't just become a nurse. Big deal. You're going to be dealing with much more if you do in fact become a doctor (if you're not already) or at some point in your life, so learn to let it go and move on with it. Yes, it may be insensitive but if I got this upset about things that really are kind of offhanded remarks I would be dead from a heart attack ten years ago.
. . .
Then, I will take my stand and all hell is going to break loose but until then just be careful what you choose to let upset you and suck up your time and emotions. I mean, really, is SDN worth it?

As per an above post, it's not just "someone" -- it's someone who is presenting himself as a member of an admissions committee on an advising resource that many young, aspiring physicians use and providing what I feel to be inappropriately dismissive answers to a concern that was expressed by someone else and endorsed by other people. If he were not presenting himself as an authority to people on SDN, I likely wouldn't even have commented. If something like this happens in interactions with patients, etc. I don't think twice about it, and in spite of what you seem to think am actually quite able to let things go. In fact, I've actually only complained once in my life about someone doing something sexist, and the circumstances were way further out of line than asking me a question. My responses on a forum where opinions/discussion are meant to be shared just isn't very indicative of my daily life.

The interviewer might very well have been testing the thickness of your skin with this question. You will face a lot of subtle sexism as a female physician, and how you handle such a question will show how prepared you are to handle yourself in such an environment.
. . .
For your own sanity, you're going to have to just forgive a lot of things as ignorance and move on rather than letting angry thoughts simmer.

Although I understand your point, I don't think it makes it "ok", because of the greater implications of what you're saying (replace gender with race and it becomes more overtly problematic) -- can an interviewer decide "people are going to be racist against some physicians, so let's see how well this applicant will respond if I'm racist to him." Also, it means only certain applicants who the interviewer perceives to be of a minority class face this additional test -- it opens the door for subsets of applicants to endure a very different interview process than their peers. Ultimately, I think the point of such "testing" is what prompts like "tell me about a challenge you've had to overcome" are intended to evaluate -- they give all ethnicities/genders the opportunity to show strength or flail, and take a piece of interviewer bias out of the equation.

All that said, I don't think intentional testing is at play in the question of "why not nursing?". As stated above, I don't think the question in and of itself is asked out of malice or even an intention to belittle an applicant. (As Goro mentioned, there are times when it is completely contextually appropriate). It begins to reflect attitudes of interviewers because of the fact that the question does not appear to be uniformly asked in the same way across genders/races. I honestly don't even have as much of a problem with an individual who asks this question as I do with an admissions committee member who sits here and tells me it's not a problem in spite of other people sharing my experience -- hearing an experience of unequal treatment and responding to explain how it's "ok" is far more disappointing than someone subconsciously asking women but not men if they have considered nursing instead. One of these things is done out of a deeply ingrained cultural bias, but the other is done with the opportunity to give thoughtful consideration to the issue.

And as I mentioned to Ashley1989, I don't have any problem with sanity over this issue. Forums are concentrated content, so what you're interpreting to be simmering is just several minutes out of an otherwise wasted delay in an airport . . . not some greater glimpse into my life.

 

[ichor]

I had an interviewer ask what other schools I had been accepted to. Then he asked how I would go about making my final school decision. Honestly, his school was my back-up state school, and I considered cancelling the interview but attending thinking that maybe I would see something there that I liked (I didn't).

I answered by saying that I would look at residency match lists and Step1 averages... Which is a bad answer, but I withdrew very soon after anyway :-D

How would going for humor in a situation like this, or let alone any interview work out? Nonchalantly say, "Oh, I'd put the names of all the schools on pieces of paper and pull one out of a hat." with a little grin and a chuckle.

I'd imagine it's definitely inappropriate for any typical interview, but maybe it's appropriate for an inappropriate question? I'd imagine it's better than being left speechless, no?

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

Interviewer: "Have you ever been around dead people?"
"You have? How did that make you feel?"

The worst part about those questions was the answers I thought of but couldn't say: "Better than the blue guy I was stuffing into the body bag."
"Well, to be honest it felt kind of strange, but I kept cracking jokes along with the veteran ER nurses I was working with."
"Remember your first kiss? It felt just like that."

Luckily I was able to think of a more appropriate response. I got accepted and I'm attending that school now.

 

[Reckoner]

"Better than the blue guy I was stuffing into the body bag."

You murdered a smurf?

 

[Aerus]

You murdered a smurf?

No, an avatar. Those things are much heavier than a dead person.

 

[Bovary]

This is one of the most common questions asked. Interview Feedback is loaded with these.

Goro, do you have any examples of good answers to those questions ("you could get into a more prestigious school so why are you applying here?"). Can one convincingly rave about the specifics of XYZ's program, or might there always be some lingering suspicion?

 

[Goro]

Good question! The typical answers I've heard include:

• I'm interested in X aspect of your program. (Note: Because I'm at a DO school, we do get allopath calibre applicants who are highly interested in osteopathy, and chose not to apply to MD schools. Thus, the X is usually our OMM curriculum, of which we're more into than some other DO schools, which only give lip service to it).
• It's closer to family
• The location is fantastic
• I'm not interested in Y school; I'm interested in yours.
• My (friend/relative) went here and raved about the program.

Remember, when you guys interview, you're interviewing the school as much as they're interviewing you, so you should have some good reasons to want to go to school A vs B. I can see right now why someone would prefer U Miami over Loyola or Dartmouth! I can feel my blood solidifying just thinking about how cold it is at Mayo!

 

[miss x]

Good responses. Thank you.

 

[capit]

The only odd-ish question I can remember is:

"What's your spirit animal?"

Oh, I wish I'd gotten this question! I don't have an answer, but it's less boring than trying to think of 2 adjectives to describe my mother, or whatever.

 

[Tijou]

I had the "what's your opinion on marijuana use in general? "

 

[touchpause13]

I had the "what's your opinion on marijuana use in general? "

Awkward.
Not sure how I would answer that haha

 

[corndogger]

I had the "what's your opinion on marijuana use in general? "

that's tough... I'd even have a hard time answering "what's your opinion on alcohol use in general?"...pretty sweet, until you have too much?

seriously though, I'd probably say something like it's unhealthy but there are much worse risk factors for the occasional user in the grand scheme of things.

 

[primordialfruit]

Name 3 foods that you eat that are black.

How many children do you plan to have?

If your boyfriend lives in Canada why are you not applying to Canadian schools?

Ugh.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

I'm a pretty passionate speaker in general, and I genuinely cared about this activity, so this exchange killed me --------

"Why do you care about x activity"

Give 3 minute, in-depth, emotional answer

"But WHY do care about x activity"

Give similar, in-depth answer placing emphasis on certain words to highlight importance

"But WHYYYY do you care about x activity"

Literally speaking with the fervor of full speech and debate mode

"Hmmm, honestly I just wanted to hear you say the word 'passion,' but ok "

Then I finished a bit snarky: I'm sorry, I was trying to convey that with a bit more detail through my speech

------ Definitely didn't help myself in that exchange; turned into a post-interview rejection lol 🙂

 

[Mel Belle]

The husband spoke at length about his program now offering social gatherings for some MD applicants, where they serve wine/cheese, watch the applicants interact and they take notes. He said it is helping the Dean determine who is fit for medical school and a career by seeing if they have the interpersonal skills necessary. He welcomes their getting away from such a heavy emphasis on MCAT and GPA scores.

Wonderful idea.

Until medical schools show more effort and assessing applicants ability when it comes to interpersonal skills, I think the heavy emphasis on GPA and MCAT scores will just favor the medical schools. They're all about money anyways.

Personally, I don't think that's a fair thing to do. I'm a very shy person when it comes to strictly social situations. I don't do well in group social situations, because I'm horrible at cutting in, so I just stand there and listen. Not enjoyable. But I have absolutely no problems talking to people for work. And at least from my tutoring experience, I have no qualms with teaching people about something, which I feel is at least somewhat akin to talking to patients. Nor are interviews a problem, aside from the normal level of nervousness or anxiety anyone else would feel.

So I don't see how personal skills outside the work setting is at all relevant to someone being able to perform their job well.