What word or phrase should I avoid using during an interview?

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"I want to help people"
 
"like"
"you know what I'm saying?"


I have another question though. Is it appropriate to use "yeah?" For example, saying "Yeah, I completely agree." Should I say "Yes, I completely agree?" If so, I should start changing my speech now..
 
I'd say stay away from whole sentences, but it looks like you're well on your way!
e_phn said:
do you know anymore word or phrase?
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"Is," is a rather inflammatory word, I think. If I were you, then I'd try to either slip in racial slurs into each of my answers (ADCOMs love that) or point to how medicine has worked against your theories on eugenics.
 
"safety school" 😉
 
RxnMan said:
I'd say stay away from whole sentences, but it looks like you're well on your way!

"Is," is a rather inflammatory word, I think. If I were you, then I'd try to either slip in racial slurs into each of my answers (ADCOMs love that) or point to how medicine has worked against your theories on eugenics.
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This might be a stupid question.

Can you give an example of what you mean by that?
 
Is "cool" an inappropriate term to use? That came out during a particularly relaxed parts of one of my interviews.
 
e_phn said:
This might be a stupid question.

Can you give an example of what you mean by that?
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Sarcasm is lost on you, huh?

If you really can't think of anything, don't say "ummmmmm" or "welllll" trying to buy time. Sit with it, ask the interviewer if you can have a few seconds to think about it, and move from there. I'm a California girl, so using "like" in inappropriate places might be a problem for me. I'm working on it.
 
sorry, i don't like sarcasm.

i am being serious.
 
Two that come to mind:
"Kill all humans"
"Hey sexy lady, want to kill all humans?"

-->The use of "obviously" should be extremely sparse. You don't want to come off as obnoxious.
 
e_phn said:
This might be a stupid question.

Can you give an example of what you mean by that?
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OK, in the spirit of helping out (and because I think this might be an ESL-type situation). I was joking. Most of these replies are jokes because your question, while well-intentioned, is rather silly.

Get a MSAR or similar book with a bunch of example interview questions. Then read through them, pick a few, and answer them in front of the mirror. Practice some more. Get a friend and have them record you while they interview you. See how you react. Practice in front of the mirror some more. This is how I practiced.

In terms of answers, I always tried to link back my answers to things I wrote about in my essays. For example, I worked in an ER for a long time. When I was asked a question about clinical experience, I always used a story about my time in the ER.
 
RxnMan said:
OK, in the spirit of helping out (and because I think this might be an ESL-type situation). I was joking. Most of these replies are jokes because your question, while well-intentioned, is rather silly.

Get a MSAR or similar book with a bunch of example interview questions. Then read through them, pick a few, and answer them in front of the mirror. Practice some more. Get a friend and have them record you while they interview you. See how you react. Practice in front of the mirror some more. This is how I practiced.

In terms of answers, I always tried to link back my answers to things I wrote about in my essays. For example, I worked in an ER for a long time. When I was asked a question about clinical experience, I always used a story about my time in the ER.
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okaayy.
 
there's no such thing called "a silly question".

only you think so, well, you have to deal w/ that.
i have no problem.
 
str8flexed said:
"like"
"you know what I'm saying?"


I have another question though. Is it appropriate to use "yeah?" For example, saying "Yeah, I completely agree." Should I say "Yes, I completely agree?" If so, I should start changing my speech now..
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what category it falls into (slang, informal or improper interview etiquette), but I believe say "yeah" looks bad on your part. I have the same problem (hard to say yes when I've been saying yeah since grade school). I also tend to drag out my okays like it was caught in my throat. That might be the reason why I didn't get the position I interviewed at last.

OP: On a similar topic, say 'Hello' instead of 'hi.' It might already common knowledge but I'm just putting it out there just in case.
 
if you're interviewing with a PhD researcher, and they ask you why you don't want to go into medical research, do NOT say "i want more people interaction" or something equally as snotty. PhD's are constantly running around to conference this and that, etc, so that's a lie. say something more personally related like, "it's just not a good fit for me".
 
"um", "yeah", "dude", "dawg", "naw", "yup", "nope", "So what!", "and your problem is what!?"
and finally..."yeah...shut up"
 
RxnMan said:
OK, in the spirit of helping out (and because I think this might be an ESL-type situation). I was joking. Most of these replies are jokes because your question, while well-intentioned, is rather silly.

Get a MSAR or similar book with a bunch of example interview questions. Then read through them, pick a few, and answer them in front of the mirror. Practice some more. Get a friend and have them record you while they interview you. See how you react. Practice in front of the mirror some more. This is how I practiced.

In terms of answers, I always tried to link back my answers to things I wrote about in my essays. For example, I worked in an ER for a long time. When I was asked a question about clinical experience, I always used a story about my time in the ER.
Click to expand...

i am being dead serious about this question, so please don't jump in and throw sarcasm at me. thank you.
 
e_phn said:
i am being dead serious about this question, so please don't jump in and throw sarcasm at me. thank you.
Click to expand...


I think E Phn has emerged as my favorite SDN poster.
I would choose you as my pre-med advisor in a heart beat.
 
GatorsWearJorts said:
I think E Phn has emerged as my favorite SDN poster.
I would choose you as my pre-med advisor in a heart beat.
Click to expand...

see if i care.
 
e_phn said:
there's no such thing called "a silly question".
only you think so, well, you have to deal w/ that.
i have no problem.
Click to expand...
I got the ESL-vibe because 'phn' is a set of consonants I see a lot in the names of my asian friends, your avatar is Mulan, your sentences (as written) were poor, and you asked a question that could be easily answered by using 'interview tips' in the forum search or looking throught the interview feedback (things that may not be apparent if the language is a barrier). If I was off base, I'm sorry. I've only got the limited information you post to work on.
e_phn said:
i am being dead serious about this question, so please don't jump in and throw sarcasm at me. thank you.
Click to expand...
Look at my second post - that's how I practiced, and that's what worked for me. Good luck.
 
"I see dead people - and I don't shadow a pathologist."
 
I think (to a certain extent) that slang isn't going to kill your interview. Of course one shouldn't be sloppy, and you are taking a chance, when using slang, that you are going to have an interview with someone who is offended by improper English, but the interviewers are human too. I interviewed at three schools, were accepted at two and didn't really worry about my English usage. I'm sure I used "like, ummm, yeah, etc" in my answers. In fact, one of the schools I got into, I really bombed the first question, quite embarrassingly. They asked me "Tell me about yourself", I hate that question because its so general, and its usually at the beginning before you know anything about your interviewer. (Don't really know what information to give) Anyway, at the end of my answer, they asked me, and medicine fits... where? I had completely left medicine out of my answer. urgghh. I thought that I lost any chance there. I was flustered by it for a little while, but after a while, got over it, and tried to make my earlier mishap humorous during the later part of the interview. Anyway, either my attempt at humor fixed the situation, or my mistake (which was actually worse than made to look in this post) didn't really matter, cuz I still got in. And I can promise you my stats didn't get me into that school cuz they're not that great.
 
e_phn said:
i am being dead serious about this question, so please don't jump in and throw sarcasm at me. thank you.
Click to expand...


you should know what phrases not to use in any formal setting....this is no different.
Have you ever been in a formal setting before? If so then you know that you are supposed to keep your back straight, sip tea with your pinky finger pointed high up in the air like AKA's do, and say yes like you are a cockney with family ties to Queen Elizabeth.... :laugh: :laugh:

No really, act like you would act in a formal setting. Be polite, speak your mind in a respectful manner, be well groomed, dont act like you are talking to your HOMMIES!
You know what hommies are, right?
 
A speech professor once told me a story about why one shouldn't say "um":
One of her students was learning Turkish, and decided to study abroad in Turkey to get better at the language. At first, it always took a while to find the right word, and so in her pauses, she would always say "um". Natives would look at her weird when she said "um." It turns out that "um" in Turkish is slang for "vagina."

So every time you say "um," you'd be slipping "vagina" into the conversation. (And maybe other fillers mean inappropriate things in other languages.) I would say that's a pretty good reason to avoid saying "um."

Other advice: Instead of saying some filler, like "Well, you know," pause and think about an answer. There's no need to be talking the whole time, and if you think for a moment, especially for a tough question, it makes you seem like someone who thinks, and not someone who has a bunch of canned answers. Obviously thinking too long might look bad too.
 
Like, um, I don't know, like, what you guys are talking about. I like totally got all these interviews and like totally got into all these schools and stuff. It's like the way we express ourselves and stuff. You know? No need to hate and stuff.

[/sarcasm]
 
sponge said:
So every time you say "um," you'd be slipping "vagina" into the conversation.
Click to expand...

You'd probably be saying the equivalent of "*****", being slang.

Anastasis said:
Like, um, I don't know, like, what you guys are talking about. I like totally got all these interviews and like totally got into all these schools and stuff. It's like the way we express ourselves and stuff. You know? No need to hate and stuff.
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Isn't this how Cali residents interview at UCs? :laugh:
 
"so's your mom" and "so's your face"
 
here is a list, but i just could not stop myself from using them at my interviews:
1. i mean
2. you know
3. like
4. leet
 
e_phn said:
i.e., I definitely know "you know" is one of them.

Do you know anymore word or phrase?


Thanks.
Click to expand...

Try to stay away from discussions that use one or more of the following words: Money, salary, wealthy, rich, millionaire, income, mansion, bentley, mercedes, porsche, lamborghini, prostitute, stripper, Felony. underage. incriminate. Any racist terms, Any sexist terms, Any sexual practices. Any illicit drug references. Most slang. Like, I mean, You know. Um.
Probably don't want to reference any television shows not on the discovery network or the learning channel either.
Hope that helps.
 
sponge said:
A speech professor once told me a story about why one shouldn't say "um":
One of her students was learning Turkish, and decided to study abroad in Turkey to get better at the language. At first, it always took a while to find the right word, and so in her pauses, she would always say "um". Natives would look at her weird when she said "um." It turns out that "um" in Turkish is slang for "vagina."

So every time you say "um," you'd be slipping "vagina" into the conversation. (And maybe other fillers mean inappropriate things in other languages.) I would say that's a pretty good reason to avoid saying "um."

Other advice: Instead of saying some filler, like "Well, you know," pause and think about an answer. There's no need to be talking the whole time, and if you think for a moment, especially for a tough question, it makes you seem like someone who thinks, and not someone who has a bunch of canned answers. Obviously thinking too long might look bad too.
Click to expand...


This is hard to believe since I've been to several talks given by native Turks and they used "um" as a space filler just as much as every other person. I am talking specifically about people who have just moved to the US, not those who have been in a primarily English speaking country for 20 years.
 
..
 
DONT EVER say your a conservative or a republican... you will be rejected on the spot.
 
Dont worry about trying to focus too much on what to say or what not to say... If you are that concerned about what is coming out of your mouth, you wont be able to put together a crafty response which conveys an accurate picture of why you want to be in medicine. Just treat it like any formal interview/formal dinner party... Mind your manners, if you are provided a chance for water/cookie be polite and decline or accept the offer.

I think by focusing too much on the what ifs... You wont be able to sell yourself to the ADCOMs.
 
and thanks everyone else here for answering my question. not very helpful, but a little conducive.
thanks for the nice laugh too!!!! i enjoy some of the funny posts. (sarcasm)

edit: Law2Doc you are an intelligent person. can you be my future physician? j/k. 😍

edit: i need a little laugh before i go crazy, so once again thank you all for the amusing posts (thanks to school works 😉 )
 
I accidently swore during a student interview. I was quoting someone else as I was telling a story, but I wouldn't recommend it.
 
Just be yourself. Try to act as professional as possible, but if you have a choice between being relaxed and sincere (in your mannerisms) vs. being wooden and scripted, I'd pick relaxed and sincere anyday.
 
adiddas125 said:
Dont worry about trying to focus too much on what to say or what not to say... If you are that concerned about what is coming out of your mouth, you wont be able to put together a crafty response which conveys an accurate picture of why you want to be in medicine. Just treat it like any formal interview/formal dinner party... Mind your manners, if you are provided a chance for water/cookie be polite and decline or accept the offer.

I think by focusing too much on the what ifs... You wont be able to sell yourself to the ADCOMs.
Click to expand...


I strongly agree with this. I am just picturing an SDNer sitting down to an interview and cylcing through the list of things not to say that they got from this site, having them go through their mind over and over and over again during the first question. They end up using all of them in their first answer.

Trust me, it happens all the time to JD on Scrubs.
 
Entrepreneurdoc said:
DONT EVER say your a conservative or a republican... you will be rejected on the spot.
Click to expand...

Not true at all. It is dependent on the school and interviewer. Some schools are more conservative. This is something that comes out with schools that have a lot of questions on ethics (ex. Loyola). However, if you can back up your argument go for it. I assumed that my interviewers at loyola would be more conservative and religious but got into a very spirited debate about stem cell research and whether it is equivalent to abortion and genocide. We had a lot of fun with the argument.

You need to be able to read people-- which if you do not have the skills to do so, you will run into problems with patients too.

Other suggestions with interviewing-- know your application backwards and forwards. Read current events (esp. about medical issues). Don't say you like something if you cannot speak intelligently about it. Don't use "Um", "like", "really", "totally" or any curse words
 
Entrepreneurdoc said:
DONT EVER say your a conservative or a republican... you will be rejected on the spot.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately in our politically correct society, you have to come across as a bleeding heart liberal who saved HIV kids in Africa to get into medical school.

I am a Republican, but I will definitely be answering ethical questions as if I were a democrat/liberal.
 
MDGuy07 said:
Unfortunately in our politically correct society, you have to come across as a bleeding heart liberal who saved HIV kids in Africa to get into medical school.

I am a Republican, but I will definitely be answering ethical questions as if I were a democrat/liberal.
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Thats quite unfortunate that you have to "morph" yourself in order to try and match the school you are bidding for. There is no need to do that! Just come across as an intelligent human being.

I am a democrat, but I didnt save kids in africa or whatever you categorize with bleeding heart liberals. Its all about stating who YOU are as an individual. Being a doctor means more than being a conservative/liberal/insert your political leaning here. Answer your questions as how you would approach these problems yourself. If you try any match the political leanings of the school/city then you will come across as a "poser"! I am sure if you state your reasoning in a modest way it will be an acceptable answer, regardless of political preference.
 
MDGuy07 said:
Unfortunately in our politically correct society, you have to come across as a bleeding heart liberal who saved HIV kids in Africa to get into medical school.
Click to expand...

Of course. It isn't fair that liberals control the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the White House. By God, someday we'll get a Republican in the Oval Office!
 
Rafa said:
Of course. It isn't fair that liberals control the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the White House. By God, someday we'll get a Republican in the Oval Office!
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Haha...true true.
 
Rafa said:
Of course. It isn't fair that liberals control the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the White House. By God, someday we'll get a Republican in the Oval Office!
Click to expand...

Let's be honest. Colleges and Universities today are far left wing compared to mainstream America.....

If you can't admit that, there is no point in speaking with you.
 
Wow MDGuy07 there is a lot of maturity in that post right there!

Like vtucci said, the political leanings of a college campus depends on where you are.

Now if you can't admit that, then there is no point in speaking with you.
 
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