What's your answer to this classic residency interview question?

[flightnurse2MD]

I'm sure at some point during the conversation- what are your strengths and weaknesses will be asked. How does one answer the weaknesses part of the stem? I'm debating between saying either kryptonite or virgin's blood....

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Kkshake]

Do that annoying thing where you turn your weakness into a positive.

 

[mvenus929]

Do that annoying thing where you turn your weakness into a positive.

You don't necessarily have to turn it into a positive (like 'I care too much' or 'I'm too hard working'), but you should not let it leave a sour taste in the interviewers mouth. For instance, you shouldn't say something like 'I often leave things unfinished'.

My tactic is to use a real weakness, and explain what I'm doing to work on it. In my case, public speaking--I have a few anecdotes of disastrous speaking incidents, and emphasize what I have been doing to get over my fear and to become a better speaker. You could say 'I have some difficulty with organization, but have been working on a system that allows me to make sure I complete all my work in a timely manner'.

 

[SpecializedSurgeon]

You don't necessarily have to turn it into a positive (like 'I care too much' or 'I'm too hard working'), but you should not let it leave a sour taste in the interviewers mouth. For instance, you shouldn't say something like 'I often leave things unfinished'.

My tactic is to use a real weakness, and explain what I'm doing to work on it. In my case, public speaking--I have a few anecdotes of disastrous speaking incidents, and emphasize what I have been doing to get over my fear and to become a better speaker. You could say 'I have some difficulty with organization, but have been working on a system that allows me to make sure I complete all my work in a timely manner'.

Awareness/insight and doing something about it. Perfect.

 

[SunsFun]

Latin women

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Be honest. As long as your weakness is something that you can show improvement on, you can use it. My weakness was interrupting people, and I've worked on that.

 

[Tenk]

Acute traumatic blood loss. It's why I work in the ED. I'm about 10 seconds away from the rapid transfuser.

 

[meddoc135]

How about setting high standards/ trying to aim for perfection and then being too hard on onself when things dont go according to plan? ( this is genuine weakness, always felt that my projects / tests/ werent 'that good' and then berating myself.) Its not lack of confidence ( or is it?)