What typically makes up "bombing an interview"?

[thegrind33]

Just curious to see if any adcoms have any stories or what constitutes totally bombing an interview, or even a bad or mediocre one

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[Phile98]

I'm curious to know if you've ever heard of what the search bar does. Use it cuz the adcoms shared tons of stories already.

 

[bbdylan87]

I'm curious to know if you've ever heard of what the search bar does. Use it cuz the adcoms shared tons of stories already.

Why are you such a jerk? You've posted numerous replies in the past (some of which you deleted like a coward when you realized that others did not follow the same arrogant footsteps as yourself) belittling others. You're on a site that's for individuals aspiring to be a doctor, either realize what it means to be a doctor or gtfo

 

[Phile98]

@bbdylan87 u mad bro?

 

[dr_kateb]

If everybody just used the search bar there would be nobody posting here at all.

 

[Goro]

Just curious to see if any adcoms have any stories or what constitutes totally bombing an interview, or even a bad or mediocre one

The search function is indeed a wonderful thing. Try searching for "dismissed from med school" as well.

I've posted this previously

· Being unprofessional for any reason. An example is addressing a faculty member by their first name. Another is chewing gum during the interview. If you have a dry mouth, suck on a lozenge instead. BTW, the interview lasts all day. Acting unprofessionally during your tour, like yelling at a parking attendant, or trashing the school, or expecting the Admissions Office staff to hang up your coat or fetch you coffee is duly noted and affects your fate accordingly.


· Not taking the interview seriously, like showing up poorly dressed. This is suit and tie time (and nice dress/outfit/suit for the ladies). You're going into character. Yes, if the airline loses your luggage, we understand that.


· Do NOT be arrogant. People who think that they're God's gift to Medicine do not go into Medicine.


· Being too shy or nervous. Being quiet is OK; being monosyllabic or robotic is not.


· Not making eye contact is also a no-no (yes I'm aware that in some cultures, one does not look elders in the eye, but this is the USA and you need to look people in the eye here).


· Any hints of immaturity will be lethal for your chances. We expect you to be thoughtful and self-aware. Would you admit the gal who, when asked a hypothetical, "What would you do in this situation?" answers, "Oh, that wouldn't happen."


· Showing you're greedy.


· Showing any hint of entitlement. This includes the “I was accepted to XSOM, so what are you going to do for me?” The answer will be “Good luck and have fun at XSOM.”


· Being clueless as to why you're choosing Medicine as a career.


· Doing this because your mom/dad wants you to be a doctor (or don't think you can be doctor).


· Completely lacking people skills (4.0 automatons are a dime a dozen, really).


· Showing that you're more interested in research than Medicine. This might be OK at Stanford, but it won’t fly at most other schools.


· Still being the hyper-gunner...I rejected a 4.0 gal who wanted to answer the questions I asked of another person in the interview panel. I don't want to admit someone who will be in my office whining about how they got a 95 on an exam and deserved a 96.


· Having a flat affect. This might be due to medication, or a mental or personality disorder. You ever meet someone who could never crack a smile? I don't want someone like that touching patients.


· Copping an attitude. I asked a woman why she didn't have any volunteer experience. She replied that she was too busy working. Fair enough, some people have lives, but she copped an attitude while delivering this, and I just wrote down "reject".


· Coming in with scripted answers and being unable to deviate from said script.


· Being ill-prepared for fairly common interview questions (e.g. Why this school? Why Medicine?)


· Thinking that always circling back to your accomplishments and how great you are impresses us.


· Making excuses for misdeeds. We had rejected someone once who had some fairly benign misdemeanors, but blamed it on the policemen who gave him the tickets.


· Don’t do show and tell. I don’t want you pulling out a binder with your resume or portfolio. Let your application speak for you.


· Being a babbling idiot. These are those people who can't answer a question concisely. I've sure you've met people like this...why bother using one word when ten will do? I suspect that they’re thinking for an answer while they're speaking, so the mouth is going while the brain tries to come up with something.


· It’s OK to gather your thoughts, but it’s not OK to blank out. This group includes the people who do something like this (and I am NOT making this up!):

goro: So tell me about this trip to Honduras
Interviewee: Well, we went there for a mission trip and...what was the question?
goro: (thinking: reject!)


Or the guy who, when asked "How does your hobby relate to the practice of Medicine?", and can't even say "It doesn't", and definitely can't even BS an answer, but sits there in a coma?

 

[Lucca]

If you think that a post is unprofessional, insulting, or aggressive then you should report it to the mods. Please dont use the thread to open up a flame war.

 

[dodolol21]

@Goro The thing is, everyone I've met at interviews so far has been personable, not socially awkward, and genuinely nice. It's difficult to think that only half of us are going to make it to an acceptance.

 

[Lucca]

@Goro The thing is, everyone I've met at interviews so far has been personable, not socially awkward, and genuinely nice. It's difficult to think that only half of us are going to make it to an acceptance.

lol we talked about that at the interview I attended. We were talking about how everyone was cool and nice and the whole group was really diverse.....and then we were like "but that class size tho..."

 

[thegrind33]

@Goro The thing is, everyone I've met at interviews so far has been personable, not socially awkward, and genuinely nice. It's difficult to think that only half of us are going to make it to an acceptance.

See that’s kind of why I’m asking this because I haven’t really seen anyone that I think said something extreme as posted in other threads.

 

[dodolol21]

See that’s kind of why I’m asking this because I haven’t really seen anyone that I think said something extreme as posted in other threads.

I've barely even seen someone not dressed well (i.e. suit too big/doesn't fit, awkward belt/shoe combo, weird tie/shirt). nada

 

[FreeRadicals]

You forget to talk.

 

[Goro]

@Goro The thing is, everyone I've met at interviews so far has been personable, not socially awkward, and genuinely nice. It's difficult to think that only half of us are going to make it to an acceptance.

Sample size error!

 

[FreeRadicals]

@gonnif @Goro Does 'flexing' (in terms of clothing) affect how an interviewing committee sees an interviewee?

 

[curbsideconsult]

See that’s kind of why I’m asking this because I haven’t really seen anyone that I think said something extreme as posted in other threads.

Here's the thing: what y'all see when you're hanging around each other waiting for your interview is completely different from what interviewers see.

Some more examples to add to Goro's, unfortunately believable, long list:

• I've had someone look like they were about to fall asleep every time I talked
• Another candidate talked negatively about another health profession
• I had such a hard time getting words out of an interviewee that I wanted to go out and get them an alcoholic beverage just so they'd loosen up. I would have settled for cough syrup
• I've heard from other student interviewers at my school that some of their interviewees let their guard down a little too much just because they weren't interviewing with a faculty member
• A friend of mine said she had a couple of interviewees who couldn't answer the "why medicine?" question very well (I know Goro already mentioned this, but I thought it worth mentioning again just to show that this still happens at multiple institutions)

If you ever get a chance to be a student interviewer, you should do it. Then you'll see how sadly true and frequent these instances are. When you're an interviewee and in rooms full of some of the most awesome people you've ever met, it's hard to imagine that these folks could blunder their interviews. When you get on the other side of the table you think, "SDN don't lie man."

 

[Goro]

@gonnif @Goro Does 'flexing' (in terms of clothing) affect how an interviewing committee sees an interviewee?

Huh? Are you talking about something like this?
https://www.quora.com/What-does-flexing-mean

If you are, I don't pay attention to stuff like that.

Here's the thing: what y'all see when you're hanging around each other waiting for your interview is completely different from what interviewers see.

Some more examples to add to Goro's, unfortunately believable, long list:

• Another candidate talked negatively about another health profession
• I've heard from other student interviewers at my school that some of their interviewees let their guard down a little too much just because they weren't interviewing with a faculty member

We've rejected a number of people who have been this stupid. I recall that one person stated trashing our school to the student guide during the tour.
Curb's comment in bold are 1000% correct

 

[Angus Avagadro]

The search function is indeed a wonderful thing. Try searching for "dismissed from med school" as well.

I've posted this previously

· Being unprofessional for any reason. An example is addressing a faculty member by their first name. Another is chewing gum during the interview. If you have a dry mouth, suck on a lozenge instead. BTW, the interview lasts all day. Acting unprofessionally during your tour, like yelling at a parking attendant, or trashing the school, or expecting the Admissions Office staff to hang up your coat or fetch you coffee is duly noted and affects your fate accordingly.


· Not taking the interview seriously, like showing up poorly dressed. This is suit and tie time (and nice dress/outfit/suit for the ladies). You're going into character. Yes, if the airline loses your luggage, we understand that.


· Do NOT be arrogant. People who think that they're God's gift to Medicine do not go into Medicine.


· Being too shy or nervous. Being quiet is OK; being monosyllabic or robotic is not.


· Not making eye contact is also a no-no (yes I'm aware that in some cultures, one does not look elders in the eye, but this is the USA and you need to look people in the eye here).


· Any hints of immaturity will be lethal for your chances. We expect you to be thoughtful and self-aware. Would you admit the gal who, when asked a hypothetical, "What would you do in this situation?" answers, "Oh, that wouldn't happen."


· Showing you're greedy.


· Showing any hint of entitlement. This includes the “I was accepted to XSOM, so what are you going to do for me?” The answer will be “Good luck and have fun at XSOM.”


· Being clueless as to why you're choosing Medicine as a career.


· Doing this because your mom/dad wants you to be a doctor (or don't think you can be doctor).


· Completely lacking people skills (4.0 automatons are a dime a dozen, really).


· Showing that you're more interested in research than Medicine. This might be OK at Stanford, but it won’t fly at most other schools.


· Still being the hyper-gunner...I rejected a 4.0 gal who wanted to answer the questions I asked of another person in the interview panel. I don't want to admit someone who will be in my office whining about how they got a 95 on an exam and deserved a 96.


· Having a flat affect. This might be due to medication, or a mental or personality disorder. You ever meet someone who could never crack a smile? I don't want someone like that touching patients.


· Copping an attitude. I asked a woman why she didn't have any volunteer experience. She replied that she was too busy working. Fair enough, some people have lives, but she copped an attitude while delivering this, and I just wrote down "reject".


· Coming in with scripted answers and being unable to deviate from said script.


· Being ill-prepared for fairly common interview questions (e.g. Why this school? Why Medicine?)


· Thinking that always circling back to your accomplishments and how great you are impresses us.


· Making excuses for misdeeds. We had rejected someone once who had some fairly benign misdemeanors, but blamed it on the policemen who gave him the tickets.


· Don’t do show and tell. I don’t want you pulling out a binder with your resume or portfolio. Let your application speak for you.


· Being a babbling idiot. These are those people who can't answer a question concisely. I've sure you've met people like this...why bother using one word when ten will do? I suspect that they’re thinking for an answer while they're speaking, so the mouth is going while the brain tries to come up with something.


· It’s OK to gather your thoughts, but it’s not OK to blank out. This group includes the people who do something like this (and I am NOT making this up!):

goro: So tell me about this trip to Honduras
Interviewee: Well, we went there for a mission trip and...what was the question?
goro: (thinking: reject!)


Or the guy who, when asked "How does your hobby relate to the practice of Medicine?", and can't even say "It doesn't", and definitely can't even BS an answer, but sits there in a coma?

As usual, GORO has supplied a very comprehensive response. I would like to add " the applicant who couldn't be bothered to review The 4 osteopathic tenets on wikipedia before their interview"
They can go to any allopathic school of their choice as far as I'm concerned.

 

[altblue]

I'm getting the impression from this thread that interviewing is a specific skill to be learned, especially since people can seem to be normal with other applicants but give poor answers in the interviewing room

Guess that's all the more reason to practice

 

[Angus Avagadro]

I'm getting the impression from this thread that interviewing is a specific skill to be learned, especially since people can seem to be normal with other applicants but give poor answers in the interviewing room

Guess that's all the more reason to practice

Of course practice, try to anticipate some questions. We are looking at you as a person and want to get to know you. If we didn't think you were smart enough, we wouldn't be interviewing you. Be calm, show us you are a person. We also will challenge you to show us how you think. Best wishes and Good Luck!

 

[altblue]

Of course practice, try to anticipate some questions. We are looking at you as a person and want to get to know you. If we didn't think you were smart enough, we wouldn't be interviewing you. Be calm, show us you are a person. We also will challenge you to show us how you think. Best wishes and Good Luck!

Many thanks!!

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Oh, almost forgot my favorite bombing an interview. Please remove your tongue stud before the interview. Yes, I had one applicant forget to do this. Remember, professional dress and behavior.

 

[Goro]

I'm getting the impression from this thread that interviewing is a specific skill to be learned, especially since people can seem to be normal with other applicants but give poor answers in the interviewing room

Guess that's all the more reason to practice

I don't know, being a normal human being who knows oneself shouldn't be a skill that has to be learned.

 

[altblue]

I don't know, being a normal human being who knows oneself shouldn't be a skill that has to be learned.

I'm not concerned with doing as abysmally as some of those examples, lol. It's more that I want to make sure I can talk about my interests well and leave a good, and not just decent, impression.

 

[Goro]

I'm not concerned with doing as abysmally as some of those examples, lol. It's more that I want to make sure I learn to articulate my points well and leave a good, and not just alright, impression.

Just relax, be yourself, know what's in your file, and you'll be fine.

If you get the hated "tell me about yourself" question, just pretend you're talking to a long lost aunt from Scotland, who just asked you "So altblue, sweetie, tell me about yourself"

 

[FreeRadicals]

Huh? Are you talking about something like this?
https://www.quora.com/What-does-flexing-mean

If you are, I don't pay attention to stuff like that.
We've rejected a number of people who have been this stupid. I recall that one person stated trashing our school to the student guide during the tour.
Curb's comment in bold are 1000% correct

-If you come in looking “poor” its not going to bother an interviewer who is “rich.” Why risk come in looking “rich” and raise some ire of an interviewer was “poor?”
-I havent done nearly as much interviewing as others but when I did it was often to see how the applicant defended positions, kind of like cross-examination. I have had some applicants talking about their service, wanting to be in primary care, having to work hard in school, yet you ask about who pays for their ivy education, whole gave them the rolex, and how was skiing at aspen.
-then of course there is the applicant who came early in the porsche 911. When asked if it was his Dad’s, “no its mne” was the response. Graduation gift from HS!

Again, do most adcom notice? No but why risk?

So...if an interviewee walks in with Tom Ford Glasses, Dolce Gabbana suit, Hermes tie, LV belt, Gucci shoes the interviewing committee won't judge him/her at all?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Btw I believe all applicants should actually be led to locker rooms before interviews and given scrubs

Then the ones that want to go ortho (aka 50%) should cut the sleeves off to assert dominance right

 

[dr_kateb]

So...if an interviewee walks in with Tom Ford Glasses, Dolce Gabbana suit, Hermes tie, LV belt, Gucci shoes the interviewing committee won't judge him/her at all?

I’ve only heard of Gucci and I had to google the rest. Even if people noticed it’s because of how flamboyant/unprofessional these items look. Even then, rich people don’t need to show off they’re rich.

And if and when I become an attending doc with attending doc money, you’ll still never see me in this.

 

[altblue]

I’ve only heard of Gucci and I had to google the rest. Even if people noticed it’s because of how flamboyant/unprofessional these items look. Even then, rich people don’t need to show off they’re rich.

But how else can you demonstrate your power and success

 

[dr_kateb]

But how else can you demonstrate your power and success

Ask these guys?

These 3 were probably wearing a combined $200 (being generous here) worth of clothing excluding the probably designer glasses on Bill and Steve.

 

[FreeRadicals]

Ask these guys?

These 3 were probably wearing a combined $200 (being generous here) worth of clothing excluding the probably designer glasses on Bill and Steve.

Meanwhile, they each have/had real estate property value over $200M. Bill Gates has a Da Vinci book (worth $30M). These people don't need to show anyone they are rich because EVERYONE knows they are rich. Meanwhile, 'ordinary rich' people find the need to do so.

 

[altblue]

Ask these guys?

These 3 were probably wearing a combined $200 (being generous here) worth of clothing excluding the probably designer glasses on Bill and Steve.

Whoosh

 

[dr_kateb]

Meanwhile, they each have/had real estate property value over $200M. Bill Gates has a Da Vinci book (worth $30M). These people don't need to show anyone they are rich because EVERYONE knows they are rich. Meanwhile, 'ordinary rich' people find the need to do so.

Not really...? I’ve never even noticed any of those items you listed on anyone. Why do you care anyway? Are you planning to show up like what you described?

Whoosh

Point is, what you wear/show off doesn’t matter at all. Some 22 year old med school applicant with overly expensive stuff probably means he/she has rich parents. That’s it.

 

[FreeRadicals]

Not really...? I’ve never even noticed any of those items you listed on anyone. Why do you care anyway? Are you planning to show up like what you described?



Point is, what you wear/show off doesn’t matter at all. Some 22 year old med school applicant with overly expensive stuff probably means he/she has rich parents. That’s it.

If what you are saying is true - it proves that med school interview committees are judgmental (based on looks and not what the interviewee says).

 

[Goro]

So...if an interviewee walks in with Tom Ford Glasses, Dolce Gabbana suit, Hermes tie, LV belt, Gucci shoes the interviewing committee won't judge him/her at all?

What gonnif said. Some of us Don't give a rat's was about uber name fashions. I'm an 'LL Bean/Eddie Bauer guy myself.

And 99.9% of interviewees dresses if they're going to a funeral anyway

 

[dr_kateb]

If what you are saying is true - it proves that med school interview committees are judgmental (based on looks and not what the interviewee says).

Yes and no... you’re supposed to dress professionally. I don’t think any adcom would care if you came in with $400 prescription RayBans and a good tailored suit. It would matter if you came in with a $2000 leopard D&G suit and showy Gucci glasses.

 

[Goro]

So if asked this, your perspective is that I should not try to focus on medicine or school and instead focus on hobbies, family, interests, upbringing, etc? I've always gotten different advice from different people on how to address this type of question.

100 % this. Pre-meds have this delusion that everything they talk about, everything they breathe, every waking thought has to be about Medicine.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

So...if an interviewee walks in with Tom Ford Glasses, Dolce Gabbana suit, Hermes tie, LV belt, Gucci shoes the interviewing committee won't judge him/her at all?

Nope...just noted appropriate professional dress.

 

[Lucca]

So...if an interviewee walks in with Tom Ford Glasses, Dolce Gabbana suit, Hermes tie, LV belt, Gucci shoes the interviewing committee won't judge him/her at all?

I would wonder why they would spend so much on a way-too-shiny Italian suit when something bespoke and English would look twice as good for half the cost. Here’s the thing about Hermés ties: if you need people to know you are wearing one, you can’t afford it. LV belts are loud. Gucci shoes are nice, but if they are even the tiniest bit scuffed I will think that you don’t have the wherewithal to properly take care of beautiful things, much less patients.



Jk no one will care.

 

[Boola Boy]

100 % this. Pre-meds have this delusion that everything they talk about, everything they breathe, every waking thought has to be about Medicine.

I would say it's pre-health advising committee's doing. I recorded a mock interview, and some feedback that I got was that I did not connect my response to the "tell me about yourself" question to my motivation for medicine. I was like whaa???

My biggest fear is that they'll ask me a question about my research like "what kind of experiment would you run if you got these results", and I won't be able to answer the question.

But otherwise, I'm just gonna try to relax and carry a conversation as if the interviewer is a professional colleague. Respectful, but relaxed.

Edit: I also think practicing too much will make you sound forced and scripted. Consider common interview questions, think of answers, say them out loud to a friend or two. Anymore than that, I'll start sounding like a robot

Edit2: Also, eye contact. I can't trust people that don't look me in the eye. "Eyes are the windows to the soul", there's a reason that saying exists.

 

[DrElliotReid]

When I was in medical school, as an M4 I was a student member of the admissions committee. Life, medical school, residency...it's all about prep for the important things. If you show up in a blinged out Gucci suit or decide to carry a purse with logos/rhinestones plastered all over it = poor judgement/poor preparation. Rich people can be stupid.

When in doubt, be safe. Shine through your interview, not with your material belongings. I can't speak for every interviewer, but my objective was to have a conversation, get to know you more as a person, discover your personality as much as I can, and also see if you prepared. It shouldn't feel like an interrogation. This would've been through a series of both standard interview questions and benign things like "How was your trip" if from out of town. I won't fault someone for being nervous, but being nervous to the point you can't answer a question, again is bad prep.

Leaving a good impression would mean the following to me:
1) Being dressed in standard interview attire
2) Able to clearly and genuinely answer my questions and show focus (ie...not start answering and then stop and ask me what the question was again, if you weren't sure in the beginning ask for rephrasing or repeat or else you'll seem like you're not paying attention).
3) Act professionally, even if the conversation/interview is casual and I'm a student interviewer. It doesn't mean you can lean back in your chair and sit like you're in the basement of a friend's house.

Don't underestimate the student interviewer. At my school we were equal to faculty on the committee. I reviewed applications and scored them independently for potential interviews. I presented my interviewees to the committee and I voted with equal weight as professors/faculty on those being presented.

 

[Goro]

Don't underestimate the student interviewer. At my school we were equal to faculty on the committee. I reviewed applications and scored them independently for potential interviews. I presented my interviewees to the committee and I voted with equal weight as professors/faculty on those being presented.

If anything, my student interviewers are harsher on our interviewees. They take people who will be their future peers, and their profession, very seriously!