What is Your Greatest Weakness?

[PublicHealth]

How do you answer this question without revealing a weakness that may jeopardize your chances of admission?

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[crazy250]

say the weakness and then say how you improved

 

[Integra96]

Say something along the lines of, "well, my greatest weakness is not being able to think of what my greatest weakness is". That'll teach 'em. 🙂

Honestly, I can't even remember how I answered that question in my last interview. Something along the lines of worrying about details too much or whatnot...

 

[Chrisobean]

my greatest weakness is reading this board all day
im almost actually wanting my boss to come back from vacation so i have some work to do

 

[johnnyjringo]

I always went with "too idealistic" and that I sometimes overestimated people's desire/ability to do their best...and added that I had done some serious reflecting to help correct the mistakes that it lead to. Don't know if its great, but I managed to get in everywhere I interviewed. (of course, that may be on account of my good looks!)

 

[DD214_DOC]

Honestly, it would be that I lose interest in things that bore me and cannot force myself to do them. This probably wouldn't be a good thing to tell an interviewer though, so I get the pleasure of thinking up something else.

I would have to say that I have way too many interests and try to fulfill them all, which leaves me being good at a lot of things instead of being really great at a few.

 

[Galaxian]

"My greatest weakness is that I find it hard to suppress my contempt for people, especially you!" watch the acceptances roll in after that little gem!

Seriously, spend more time on your strengths, and find a way to tie in a weakness or two with your strenghts (i.e. hard working people might find themselves having a tough time dealing with people who have a more relaxed work ethic, detail oriented people might lose sight of the big picture and what not). Never, ever, let out anything that might let them believe that you are not a team player, or are arrogant, easily distracted, or a psychopath. For the most part the "what are you weaknesses" question is bullsh*t which they understand is answered with lies, which is a commentary on the entire interview process as a whole.

BTW, the toughest question I got asked on the med school interview trail was--"If I accepted you today, why would I regret my decision in a year." Try worming your way out of that one!

 

[craig_rt]

BTW, the toughest question I got asked on the med school interview trail was--"If I accepted you today, why would I regret my decision in a year." Try worming your way out of that one!

Hey, that's a great question! How did you answer it?

Craig

 

[Halcyon440]

I got this question at a job interview and answered with something like "I am too much of a perfectionist". It's something that's not really negative per se. I said that it sometimes made me slightly less efficient.

 

[astrisize]

When I got asked about what I thought my greatest weakness in medical school would be, I was brutally honest. I told them that I'm not entirely comfortable around the elderly and that geriatrics would initially be a very tough rotation for me. But I went on to say that through my time spent abroad last year (incorporate positives!), I spoke and interacted with people of many ages from many backgrounds, cultures, experiences, etc. Because of this, my ability to relate to others has increased and I have no doubt in my ability to care for the elderly. While the first weeks in geriatrics will probably be unnecessarily demanding for me personally, I'm confident that I will overcome what is left of my childhood anxiety as I meet the people under my care.

I said something along those lines. Who knows if being honest was a good idea but I hate thinking that they honestly want you to jump through all those hoops. I mean, why ask if they already know that you'll give one of the 5 canned answers to this question anyway? Maybe it's idealism but I think they really want to get to know YOU during these interviews.

I'll have to let you know if they like honesty or not...haven't heard from the school yet.

 

[gick]

I got this question in an interview: " What do you perceive will be your greatest weakness as a medical student?" I totally was not prepared, so I skirmed around for a while. I then finally thought of something, but I expected questions to revolve around general weaknesses or weaknesses as a physician.

 

[allmightylong]

Originally posted by gick
I got this question in an interview: " What do you perceive will be your greatest weakness as a medical student?"

how about keeping your sanity from the work load.

 

[AverageMan]

I said it's my reluctance to trust the other members of a team I'm working with; how I have a tendency to feel that if I'm not the one doing something I don't really feel comfortable that it will be done adequately. As such I would unecessarily take charge of a group and then take all of the major work myself while delegating trivial jobs to the rest of my group, making life difficult for me and underutilizing my group members. I then say how I'm working through this problem now with my work on an ambulance squad, where I have to trust my crewmate that they'll do their jobs and I'll do my part, because no one person can do it all, which is an important lesson to take to heart in medicine.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by PublicHealth
How do you answer this question without revealing a weakness that may jeopardize your chances of admission?

This is one way I answered it.

I think my greatest weakness is my tricep strength on the benchpress. If I could bring those up, I would probably have a higher lift total. (I started powerlifting)

Coops

 

[dr.doolittle]

Haven't been to any interviews yet, but I'd have to say one of two things...
1) emotional attachment (I've worked in geriatrics/hospice care) which can obviously lead to burnout
2) I'm not fluent in Spanish (pathetic when Spanish is spoken in so many communities throughout the U.S.)
I'm working on these issues (through awareness and active learning), but they're currently weaknesses of mine.

 

[PublicHealth]

After a considerable amount of reflection, I concluded that my greatest weakness is my inability to clean my room.

On a serious note, the question "what do you think your greatest weakness will be as a medical student?" may be answered as follows:

"Probably my curiousity to explore a topic in greater depth, and to gain a grasp of all the current research in the area. I realize that this may not always be possible as a medical student, simply due to the volume of information that I will be taught, but I am confident that my clinical training at [insert school name] will provide me with substantial insight into a range of medical topics."

 

[ixitixl]

I was asked this question as my ONE completely successful interview. I followed in line with PublicHealth and Galaxian and said that I am a horrible, horrible cook. The adcom seemed to appreciate the humor. They didn't pursue the question any further.

On a more serious note, I guess you could argue that your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness since that is what you're going to be least likely to trust another person with. For instance, if your greatest strength is that you can make a perfect cup of tea, you're going to be least likely to let another person attempt to make a cup of tea for you or for another person if you know you can do it better.

If your greatest strength is something more abstract like "you never give up." It is also you greatest weakness in the sense that you may not be able to tell yourself when it is time to give up, even when it is obvious that you are trying something in vain.

 

[smartreader]

What would the ADCOMs think if I told them that Women were my greatest weakness?

 

[jetjulia]

Originally posted by smartreader
What would the ADCOMs think if I told them that Women were my greatest weakness?

Depends on how cute you are.😀

I actually asked my employer, who asks this question during interviews, what she's looking for in an answer. She told me it tests how insightful you are, how much insight you have about yourself and your own behavior. She said she's also trying to find out how you address your weaknesses. Do you try to understand them or do you let them hold you back?

It might seem like a bull****ty question, but they do ask it for a reason. I think the best approach is to provide an honest answer and also discuss how you've addressed your weaknesses. Unless your answer reveals your psychopathic tendencies, I don't think admitting you're not perfect will hurt you.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by PublicHealth
After a considerable amount of reflection, I concluded that my greatest weakness is my inability to clean my room.

LOL,

Claim your greatest weakness is a fear of washing your hands after you use the restroom. Make sure to slip this in a few minutes after the interview has started and you have already been introduced to/shaken your interviewers hand 😉

Coops

 

[U4iA]

My greatest weakness is my cocaine addiction.

 

[Ernham]

Originally posted by PublicHealth
After a considerable amount of reflection, I concluded that my greatest weakness is my inability to clean my room.

On a serious note, the question "what do you think your greatest weakness will be as a medical student?" may be answered as follows:

"Probably my curiousity to explore a topic in greater depth, and to gain a grasp of all the current research in the area. I realize that this may not always be possible as a medical student, simply due to the volume of information that I will be taught, but I am confident that my clinical training at [insert school name] will provide me with substantial insight into a range of medical topics."

I'd probably reject you for BSing me.

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by PublicHealth
After a considerable amount of reflection, I concluded that my greatest weakness is my inability to clean my room.

On a serious note, the question "what do you think your greatest weakness will be as a medical student?" may be answered as follows:

"Probably my curiousity to explore a topic in greater depth, and to gain a grasp of all the current research in the area. I realize that this may not always be possible as a medical student, simply due to the volume of information that I will be taught, but I am confident that my clinical training at [insert school name] will provide me with substantial insight into a range of medical topics."

Well, good luck with THAT.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by PublicHealth


"Probably my curiousity to explore a topic in greater depth, and to gain a grasp of all the current research in the area. I realize that this may not always be possible as a medical student, simply due to the volume of information that I will be taught, but I am confident that my clinical training at [insert school name] will provide me with substantial insight into a range of medical topics."

LOL. I didn't read this part. Anyone who says this in an interview needs to turn around in their interview chair and START talking out of their mouth ... 🙄

Coops

 

[basupran]

Arnold said it best:
I have no weakness. If I have a weakness, I work at it, and I fix it until it is no longer a weakness but a strength.

I think that is awesome, but it is cocky as hell...

 

[bewitched1081]

i think after 21 years of living in our apple polish society, i've learned what to say in order to make people happy. but i still feel compelled to tell the truth. therefore, in my interviews i was as honest as possible. naturally, this didnt seem to spark the greatest enthusiasm from my interviewers, with the exception of one who was at my top choice! anyway, my greatest weakness: believing that i somehow control what happens to me (i.e. depending on my credentials to get me into medical school, being prideful of my so called accomplishments, thinking that i deserve every good thing in my life...)

 

[rgporter]

I told them it was my lack of patience when I am driving. It's true and I do work on it. They accepted me so it must not have thought I was a complete idiot. Actually in a few places I was able to joke with the interviewer about their horrible traffic (I-495 blows).

 

[Mistress S]

I asked one of my managers once how to answer this question without coming off bad, since by its very nature it asking you to do something that seems contrary to the whole "selling yourself" idea of any interview. She said that it's not so important what you say (as long as its not something horrible), but that you can explain how you have overcome or at least are improving the weakness you give. The point of the question is to see how capable of self-analysis you are, and to demonstrate your ability to problem-solve. I can say from years of interviewing experience that her advice seems to have been right on- the best answers I have gotten to this question were brief, honest self-appraisals, followed by example(s) of how the interviewee had worked on their weakness. The main thing is, you never want to just throw a weakness out there without explaining how you have improved it--don't just say, "I'm a procrastinator" and leave it at that; describe some ways you have worked on your procrastination, such as improving organizational skills, and be prepared to give an example or two. Also, don't fall into the trap of trying to give a weakness that isn't really a weakness--i.e., "I'm a perfectionist" or "I'm a workaholic". Interviewers can see right through that BS and will not respect it as an answer. If your weakness really is something like that, be prepared to explain how it has negatively impacted you and how you are trying to overcome it.

 

[shawred]

Originally posted by astrisize
When I got asked about what I thought my greatest weakness in medical school would be, I was brutally honest. I told them that I'm not entirely comfortable around the elderly and that geriatrics would initially be a very tough rotation for me.

You better get used to old people. Baby boomers are on their way, and the elderly are an integral part of medicine. Unless you go into Peds or Ob/Gyn, expect to see many old people. I would have never used a dislike of the elderly to answer that question. But of course, I love the elderly! 😀

Shawred
MCG (Masters Clinical Gerontology) '02

 

[TheFlash]

sdn is my gift and my curse.