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What are some tricky, unexpected interview questions you've come across?
Started by mariposas905
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I literally read this 5 times and got dizzy
So emo
"So I lagswitched this scrub on CoD4..."
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I have a whole bag of them. No, I'm not sharing. Many of them I stole outright from the Interview Feedback forum.
It seems I found better questions out of the DO schools...Many of the top MD schools simply ask the classics, like "Why us?" "Where do you see yourself in ten years?", and this one was very common at top schools: "Explain that C in Biochem."
It seems I found better questions out of the DO schools...Many of the top MD schools simply ask the classics, like "Why us?" "Where do you see yourself in ten years?", and this one was very common at top schools: "Explain that C in Biochem."
"Imagine yourself in three instances: in the past as a pre-med, the present right now as a medical school student, and the future as a trained physician. Explain to me how you plan to be a good doctor (using your experiences/skills) in each of the instances."
^It was something like this, but it was sure the hardest one yet. I stumbled quite a bit.
^It was something like this, but it was sure the hardest one yet. I stumbled quite a bit.
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My hardest questions were:
"Why would you choose our school over [my top choice school]?" -- It's almost as if they knew that school was my top choice and were trying to trip me up....
"What were you like as a little kid?" -- I was caught totally off guard and started rambling, pretty sure I sounded completely delusional as I talked about my imaginary friends and my insect collection
"Why would you choose our school over [my top choice school]?" -- It's almost as if they knew that school was my top choice and were trying to trip me up....
"What were you like as a little kid?" -- I was caught totally off guard and started rambling, pretty sure I sounded completely delusional as I talked about my imaginary friends and my insect collection
This happened to me! They asked for 5 weaknesses, I got stuck at 4.
I once got asked if I would eat human flesh to survive in a plane crash scenario (from the already deceased...).
That was my favorite post to ever hit SDN.
Hey @Goro , here's a new interview question to add to your list. 😛
What on earth did you say?
That's dreadful
What did you say?
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors
By Piers Paul Read
Two of the survivors were medical students. Great read, btw.
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I really detested the "Why shouldn't we accept you" question, especially since I ended up rejected there.
and lol @ what goro said. Not gonna lie, my first thought when I saw adcoms on this forum was "they are just gonna take everything we share about our insecurities and use them against us during interviews" lol still love you though
and lol @ what goro said. Not gonna lie, my first thought when I saw adcoms on this forum was "they are just gonna take everything we share about our insecurities and use them against us during interviews" lol still love you though
you must've answered the question too well
I had a "what was something that surprised you about the school when you arrived here?" question that I had no idea how to respond to. I rambled something along the lines of "the students seemed really collaborative and willing to work together. The interviewer responded with "Is this not how your undergrad was? Why were you surprised about this?". It was super awkward.
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still extremely bitter about it.
"My biggest weakness is not having 5 weaknesses"
Interviewer: Describe a time in the last month when you showed empathy?
Interviewer: You've done a lot of research. Explain to me how you aren't using medicine as a future means to fund a lab/research?
Interviewer: Describe an ethical dilemna you have faced?
Me: Presented ethical dilemma I faced
Interviewer: Okay, that's great-- tell me about another ethical dilemma you have faced?
Interviewer: You've done a lot of research. Explain to me how you aren't using medicine as a future means to fund a lab/research?
Interviewer: Describe an ethical dilemna you have faced?
Me: Presented ethical dilemma I faced
Interviewer: Okay, that's great-- tell me about another ethical dilemma you have faced?
I was starting to forget how much I hated the interview process. Thanks for reminding me.
Holy crap... That's insane
You should have kicked him in the nuts and then gotten him some ice.
"I can see that conducting interviews makes you uncomfortable. Would you like to talk about it? I'm listening."
"You're still alive after that comment. That should be enough."
I got asked by my interviewer this:
So you're on a boat and you have to throw someone off. Who do you throw off?
Me: Who's in the boat?
Them: That's for you to decide.
I have been sitting here for 20 minutes trying to figure out how I would respond to that, and I can't come up with anything.
I was starting to forget how much I hated the interview process. Thanks for reminding me.
I tried explaining my volunteer work as a pianist in a hospital and interacting with patients there. Then I talked about a service trip to Costa Rica. He seemed to like that answer. But what most puzzled me was at the end of my interview, he said "You're very bright and I know you're going to go far. I still don't think you should be a doctor. Of course, if admitted, we would love to have you here." I thought I was getting a straight rejection, but a month later I was accepted.
I would find him on the first day of school and give him the bird
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I said, well if I were dead and some people needed to eat me to live I really wouldn't mind, in fact I would feel honored that in death I was able to help, so yeah I probably would.
Na it was for residency somewhere. I forgot the exact school. Us EM people are weird.
Ohhh... @Goro is Hannibal Lecter? Who knew? It explains a lot when he states his students would eat an interviewee alive. 😛
I got this one, too. Ugh.
