Worst/Funniest Interview Experiences

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Interviewer: So, how did you hear about our school?
Me: Oh, my sister told me about this school and recommended to me that I apply. When she was applying to medical school she had applied here.
Interviewer: (expectant look on his face, waiting for me to say more) Next question...
Me: (belatedly realizing that he was indirectly asking me why I wanted to go to this school...the whole time afterwards I keep trying to interject comments about why I want to go to this school)

Result: Waitlist

....
At another school:

2nd interviewer of the day: So, how did your last interview go?
Me: (I nonchalantly and dismissively reply thinking that he meant my last school's interview, which went rather poorly since I was repeatedly asked stupid questions about my religious background) Oh yeah, it didn't go so well.
2nd interviewer of the day: (concerned and puzzled look on his face, unsure of what to say)
Me: (realizing he was asking about my first interviewer and nervously laugh) Oh, sorry! I thought you asked me about the last school where I interviewed. My last interview went well! Dr. X was really nice.
 
OK, folks, I think I have THE interview disaster story. Thanks to the stress of my MCAT studying, app process, and school in general, I gained a few pounds. I still wanted to wear this suit that I had bought last year although it was a little tight around the chest area. I wore it anyway with no tank or shirt underneath (it was one of those jackets that's designed to go solo). In the middle of the interview, I sneezed and the two buttons that are on my breasts and just below my breasts flew off my jacket and the flaps sprang open to reveal the packaging tape I used to tape my boobs down to wedge into the suit since a bra made the whole thing too tight.

I covered myself as best I could with my arms folded over me as I ran out in tears. I never went back.


I actually laughed really hard at this one.
 
umm we need to bring back this thread. it made me laugh so hard last year i cried. ok post away so that i can be entertained.
 
lmao, this thread is amazing. I feel so much better about my silly answers after reading these. :laugh:
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by EagerToBeMD
OK, folks, I think I have THE interview disaster story. Thanks to the stress of my MCAT studying, app process, and school in general, I gained a few pounds. I still wanted to wear this suit that I had bought last year although it was a little tight around the chest area. I wore it anyway with no tank or shirt underneath (it was one of those jackets that's designed to go solo). In the middle of the interview, I sneezed and the two buttons that are on my breasts and just below my breasts flew off my jacket and the flaps sprang open to reveal the packaging tape I used to tape my boobs down to wedge into the suit since a bra made the whole thing too tight.

I covered myself as best I could with my arms folded over me as I ran out in tears. I never went back.



I laughed so hard at this one, I almost chocked on my coffee... I just imagined myself in this situation, not even sure what I would do...probably attempt to go back...maybe not :laugh:
 
interviewer: what do you do for fun?
me: I like to bake muffins.
me: i've also just learned how to play handball from my younger brother.
interviewer: (after staring at my legs) that explains how you're still thin after all those muffins!

....result: accepted.

girl interviewees...wear those skirts.
 
interviewer: what do you do for fun?
me: I like to bake muffins.
me: i've also just learned how to play handball from my younger brother.
interviewer: (after staring at my legs) that explains how you're still thin after all those muffins!

....result: accepted.

girl interviewees...wear those skirts.

hahaha...i'm definitely wearing a skirt for my interviews 😉 although it won't be short enought to get a decent view of my legs...how short was yours?
 
Basic Instinct, anyone?

I was just thinking about that movie :laugh: but it probably won't work for a med school interview... and what if your interviewer is a woman....oh, I hope I don't get any jealous menopausal women for my interviews..please God!!! :laugh:
 
i also got the "do you hate anyone" question...

i was interviewing at a school that i wasn't thrilled about -- rude admin, rude faculty, rude students, on top of it being the 4th school i had interviewed at in a week. needless to say, i was at my end, and didn't have the energy to articulate thoughtful answers...

interviewer: do you hate anybody?
me: um *stutter* *pause* *can't think of anything, totally blanking* um, i'm usually a tolerant person, but yeah, i HATE lindsay lohan.
interviewing: really? why? she seems like a nice girl.
me: yeah she SEEMS like a nice girl. but the she goes and loses 15 pounds and suddenly think she's a sex pot.
*DEAFENING SILENCE*

Hahahahahahahaha.....
 
Interviewer: "What do you like to do for fun?"
Me: Usual answer about performing and spending time with friends/family...
Interviewer: "What else do you like to do for fun?"
Me: Well I also like watching TV and movies, I like to be lazy...

I was just like - I can't believe I told my interviewer I am LAZY! :laugh: It totally slipped out, and I'm really not lazy - but it's nice if I ever have free time to just lounge around the house and not do much of anything.
 
nice one chad! i think its good though that you answered so truthfully...im sure they probably hear a lot of canned responses to tons of questions. So your honesty probably shines through a lot better than youd expect given your "lazy" answer! 👍

and as a sidenote, this is what usually happens when someone asks me what I do for fun:

me: well i dont know if you can classify this as "fun," but I have this unusual hobby of swimming, biking and running myself into exhaustion.

not funny. but it does bring about a tale I heard a while back...

There was this man who just lost his wife and he was very depressed.
He would sit around all day and do nothing but eat comfort foods.
Finally, one day he says to himself, "life is not worth living. I want to commit suicide and end all this pain."
So he thinks of ways in which he can take himself out...but every time he considers a method, he says to himself, "No, that's way too painful."
So he decides that he will induce a heart attack on himself by running around the block as hard as he can.
He goes out and runs his heart out and he passes out on the sidewalk...out of exhaustion.
He gets disappointed he failed in his attempt and goes out again the next day to try and kill himself by running himself into a heart attack.
Same results. He just passed out on the sidewalk and woke up wondering why he hadn't died.
This scenario kept repeating itself and he noticed he had to run more and more before he would collapse.
Then one day he woke up and realized he was cured from his depression.
It's amazing what a healthy body can do for the mind 🙂
 
I told my UAMS interviewers that I wanted to practice in a big city and that I wasn't interested in primary care. I guess I get points for honesty, but here at Rural Family Practice University, that probably was the wrong move. :laugh:
 
Here's a really "fun" thing that happened at one of my interviews:

Interviewer: What do you think is your best strength, the one that will serve you best when you're a doctor

Me: Well, I'm a really social person, I enjoy being around people, and I'm really not very shy.

Interviewer: So what do you do for fun?

Me: Hmmm I do a lot of singing, I like to go on long walks or hikes, I read a lot, occasionally play a videogame or two...

Interviewer: Alone?

Me: uhmm....yeah....


Great. So now he thinks I'm a pathetic soul with no friends. I might as well have told him I like to shut myself in my room to drink and listen to "Piano Man".
 
Here's a really "fun" thing that happened at one of my interviews:

Interviewer: What do you think is your best strength, the one that will serve you best when you're a doctor

Me: Well, I'm a really social person, I enjoy being around people, and I'm really not very shy.

Interviewer: So what do you do for fun?

Me: Hmmm I do a lot of singing, I like to go on long walks or hikes, I read a lot, occasionally play a videogame or two...

Interviewer: Alone?

Me: uhmm....yeah....


Great. So now he thinks I'm a pathetic soul with no friends. I might as well have told him I like to shut myself in my room to drink and listen to "Piano Man".
haha that's not too bad!
 
I was at a school notorious for a "pressurized" panel interview. Things were going great, I had all three members of the panel smiling and laughing (even the guy obviously commissioned to play "Bad Cop." I was asked a question about organ transplants and priorities, and I handled it fine and we moved on. Then a couple minutes later Bad Cop brought up the movie La Touristas or whatever it's called, and was talking about how he had recently seen it and the people in that movie killed tourists to harvest their organs. I interjected with "Just to be clear, I'm against that."

Two of the panelists started cracking up, and Bad Cop was angrily smirking while obviously trying hard not to laugh.

Accepted two weeks later.

That's probably the only half-interesting thing that happened that I can remember. It's been a while.


Edit: Actually, this probably doesn't belong on "WORST" interview answers. Oh well. I'm too lazy to post it where it belongs.
 
Interviewer: How many schools did you apply to?
Me: (Being the first time I was asked this question): I told the truth...😱

Result: Pending

Another Interview:
Interviewer: So Why do you want to come to our school?
Me: Uhhhh... (I completely blanked)

Result: Waitlist
 
i was at a school notorious for a "pressurized" panel interview. Things were going great, i had all three members of the panel smiling and laughing (even the guy obviously commissioned to play "bad cop." i was asked a question about organ transplants and priorities, and i handled it fine and we moved on. Then a couple minutes later bad cop brought up the movie la touristas or whatever it's called, and was talking about how he had recently seen it and the people in that movie killed tourists to harvest their organs. I interjected with "just to be clear, i'm against that."

two of the panelists started cracking up, and bad cop was angrily smirking while obviously trying hard not to laugh.

Accepted two weeks later.

That's probably the only half-interesting thing that happened that i can remember. It's been a while.

Edit: Actually, this probably doesn't belong on "worst" interview answers. Oh well. I'm too lazy to post it where it belongs.

evms?
 
haha i dont think i had anything too hilarious happen at my med school interviews but i remember something funny during my harvard undergrad interview. my personal statement was about a brain dissection adn the x files. i had 2 interviewers, a younger female and an older male, and i was telling them about how i have been watching the x files since i was 6 and cutting up a brain was so awesome. I also used very graphic, maybe too much so, language when i was describing this dissection, so the older male asked "is there any reason you are wearing all black today?" implying i guess that im some dark twisted, gory goth person.... and i wasnt even wearing all black! i had grey pants on. lol.
lol, yeah, thats my story...
from my NYU interview, this isnt too funny, but the guy said "i am about to ask you a very hard question. i need to go back ot the committee and tell them why you are so great, so i need you to tell me something remarkable about yourself." i start telling him abouut my background, blah blah, anda fter 10 min we get to my research and he interjects with "THAT is what you need to open with!" but it was on my application!!! lol i think he never read my app because at least 3 times he said that i should have mentioned such and such on my app...
 
I had an afternoon interview with a school's Dean of Admissions after having had an earlier interview that morning with one of the school's professors.

Me: As my earlier interviewer (oops, can't remember his name!) and I were discussing...
Interviewer: Who did you interview with earlier?
Me: (silence) umm... (I went on to describe my first interviewer without remembering his name, as if playing Taboo)
Interviewer: Dr. ______.
Me: (sheepish) Right. Haha, I could only think of your name.

Later in the conversation, I tried to refer to the first interviewer again, and the Dean had to remind me of his name. Again.
 
Interviewer: How many schools did you apply to?
Me: (Being the first time I was asked this question): I told the truth...😱

So how are you supposed to answer this question? I just read a few threads suggesting to tell the truth since eventually med schools will see to how many you applied anyway...
 
So how are you supposed to answer this question? I just read a few threads suggesting to tell the truth since eventually med schools will see to how many you applied anyway...
Umm...try to avoid answering that question.

In my latest interview, the interviewer asked me the same thing. I told him I don't have an exact number but I applied to schools in this area and this area. And I change the subject. He comes back to it and asks which ones. I list out a few (I don't even remember which ones!) and he writes them all down. I don't understand why interviewers ask that question, but it always makes me uncomfortable when they want actual names 🙄
 
So how are you supposed to answer this question? I just read a few threads suggesting to tell the truth since eventually med schools will see to how many you applied anyway...

I just tell the truth. "Initially I applied to 29 but I realized it was too expensive to apply to so many so I narrowed my choices down and submitted 23 secondaries."
 
At one of my recent interviews:

Interviewer: So what was your major?
Me: English and Biology.
Interviewer: Oh, English! What books have you read recently?
Me: Uhhhhh....*takes 10+ seconds to remember and answer*

😉 I felt pretty dumb. One of my interviews at this school went GREAT, so I hope that makes up for my awkward interview.
 
At one of my recent interviews:

Interviewer: So what was your major?
Me: English and Biology.
Interviewer: Oh, English! What books have you read recently?
Me: Uhhhhh....*takes 10+ seconds to remember and answer*

😉 I felt pretty dumb. One of my interviews at this school went GREAT, so I hope that makes up for my awkward interview.
haha yeah, there's always one Great one and one really awkward one. I'm glad it's not just me! 😛
 
I just tell the truth. "Initially I applied to 29 but I realized it was too expensive to apply to so many so I narrowed my choices down and submitted 23 secondaries."

See, submitting 23 secondaries is normal. Doing 49 is psycho...
 
At one of my recent interviews:

Interviewer: So what was your major?
Me: English and Biology.
Interviewer: Oh, English! What books have you read recently?
Me: Uhhhhh....*takes 10+ seconds to remember and answer*

😉 I felt pretty dumb. One of my interviews at this school went GREAT, so I hope that makes up for my awkward interview.

When interviewers ask me what I like to do for fun, I say I like to read. Then they ask me which books I have read recently, and I blank... I have a bad habit of picking up books, and reading them, without paying attention to the titles...
 
haha yeah, there's always one Great one and one really awkward one. I'm glad it's not just me! 😛

lol, also in that interview, I realized I was chewing gum just as I sat down, so I had to swallow it before I started talking.
 
Umm...try to avoid answering that question.

In my latest interview, the interviewer asked me the same thing. I told him I don't have an exact number but I applied to schools in this area and this area. And I change the subject. He comes back to it and asks which ones. I list out a few (I don't even remember which ones!) and he writes them all down. I don't understand why interviewers ask that question, but it always makes me uncomfortable when they want actual names 🙄

Hmmm... I guess I really have to decide what I'm going to answer to this one. I don't want to sound fake by saying "i don't remember to which ones i applied", but I also don't plan on telling them the truth 🙂
 
So how are you supposed to answer this question? I just read a few threads suggesting to tell the truth since eventually med schools will see to how many you applied anyway...
I also tell the truth on that question.
But its a vague...non-numerical, non-nominal truth that just says, "I want to be a doctor and I will not let this opportunity slip by me." I go on to mention that I was previously concerned about my MCAT but now that I have that problem addressed, I am being far more selective on which schools I am considering.

In a related question, sometimes I have also been asked with which other schools I have interviewed. Again, honesty seems to work and I haven't received any weird looks when I told them. However, one interviewer did try to convince me that if I graduate from a DO school in California--that I would be granted an MD degree. I just raised my eyebrows...because, well that is news to me lol. I didn't want to correct their understanding and I just said something like, "Oh, I didn't know that."
 
When interviewers ask me what I like to do for fun, I say I like to read. Then they ask me which books I have read recently, and I blank... I have a bad habit of picking up books, and reading them, without paying attention to the titles...

Yeah, the reason it took me so long to answer is because I have a hard time with titles, sometimes. 😕 I knew I had been reading a poetry compilation, but I couldn't remember the title.
 
lol, also in that interview, I realized I was chewing gum just as I sat down, so I had to swallow it before I started talking.

Swallow the gum on purpose? I've never done that in my life 🙂 and I'm not sure I can, I would probably choke on it :laugh:
 
Swallow the gum on purpose? I've never done that in my life 🙂 and I'm not sure I can, I would probably choke on it :laugh:

Yes, I normally don't swallow gum because my mom told me I would get appendicitis if I did that when I was a kid. 😉 But I wasn't about to take it out right in front of my interviewer, so I swallowed that sucker, lol!
 
Hmmm... I guess I really have to decide what I'm going to answer to this one. I don't want to sound fake by saying "i don't remember to which ones i applied", but I also don't plan on telling them the truth 🙂
Well...I always tell them I applied to the UC schools (a californian not applying to their own state schools is just ridiculous 😛) And then, pick and choose a couple schools that are similar to the schools you're interviewing at. If it really comes down to it...tell them the truth. Just avoid it for as long as you can.

I really don't like that question because I don't want the interviewer making assumptions about what I think about their school. For example, I was interviewing at a school in the midwest, and they asked me that question. I give them my typical answer, and then they say: "Well, you'd probably want to go to a UC school over our school" And, I hate it when they say that, because that's generally not the case...so I think it's important to emphasize that you like their school a lot when telling them the other schools you applied to.
 
I also tell the truth on that question.
But its a vague...non-numerical, non-nominal truth that just says, "I want to be a doctor and I will not let this opportunity slip by me." I go on to mention that I was previously concerned about my MCAT but now that I have that problem addressed, I am being far more selective on which schools I am considering.

In a related question, sometimes I have also been asked with which other schools I have interviewed. Again, honesty seems to work and I haven't received any weird looks when I told them. However, one interviewer did try to convince me that if I graduate from a DO school in California--that I would be granted an MD degree. I just raised my eyebrows...because, well that is news to me lol. I didn't want to correct their understanding and I just said something like, "Oh, I didn't know that."

Yep, this sounds like a good approach, give them approximate number of schools and reasoning about why you applied to so many, and then maybe say something special about their school...

I also think that it's not the best idea to lie about something that schools that can pretty easily find out...
 
Yep, this sounds like a good approach, give them approximate number of schools and reasoning about why you applied to so many, and then maybe say something special about their school...

I also think that it's not the best idea to lie about something that schools that can pretty easily find out...

On a completely unrelated note, Violet, your avatar is RIDICULOUSLY cute. 🙂
 
Well...I always tell them I applied to the UC schools (a californian not applying to their own state schools is just ridiculous 😛) And then, pick and choose a couple schools that are similar to the schools you're interviewing at. If it really comes down to it...tell them the truth. Just avoid it for as long as you can.

I really don't like that question because I don't want the interviewer making assumptions about what I think about their school. For example, I was interviewing at a school in the midwest, and they asked me that question. I give them my typical answer, and then they say: "Well, you'd probably want to go to a UC school over our school" And, I hate it when they say that, because that's generally not the case...so I think it's important to emphasize that you like their school a lot when telling them the other schools you applied to.

One of my interviewers specifically asked: Did you apply to UCLA? What about UCSF? What about Stanford? I was just thinking 😱. Then he asked, if you get into those schools, why would you come here to New York...I answered truthfully, and I also emphasized what I liked about the school, but I do not know if it will come back and bite me in the butt...
 
Well...I always tell them I applied to the UC schools (a californian not applying to their own state schools is just ridiculous 😛) And then, pick and choose a couple schools that are similar to the schools you're interviewing at. If it really comes down to it...tell them the truth. Just avoid it for as long as you can.

I really don't like that question because I don't want the interviewer making assumptions about what I think about their school. For example, I was interviewing at a school in the midwest, and they asked me that question. I give them my typical answer, and then they say: "Well, you'd probably want to go to a UC school over our school" And, I hate it when they say that, because that's generally not the case...so I think it's important to emphasize that you like their school a lot when telling them the other schools you applied to.

I agree, you have to let them know that you are interested in their school...but it gets harder if you are actually not that interested but have to come up with something...hope I won't find myself in this situation, so far I'm kind of interested in all schools I'll be interviewing at.
 
One of my interviewers specifically asked: Did you apply to UCLA? What about UCSF? What about Stanford? I was just thinking 😱. Then he asked, if you get into those schools, why would you come here to New York...I answered truthfully, and I also emphasized what I liked about the school, but I do not know if it will come back and bite me in the butt...
Us cali students are given hell for having great state schools! 🙄
 
I agree, you have to let them know that you are interested in their school...but it gets harder if you are actually not that interested but have to come up with something...hope I won't find myself in this situation, so far I'm kind of interested in all schools I'll be interviewing at.
I wouldn't have paid $300-500 to visit the school if I wasn't interested! That's what I think is so ridiculous about that question.

But, yeah, if you always have a reason to why you love the school, I doubt they'll care about what other schools you applied to.
 
On a completely unrelated note, Violet, your avatar is RIDICULOUSLY cute. 🙂


haha 🙂 thanks...I made my profile long time ago...not sure if I would come up with the same picture now...but I agree, that kitten is soooooo cute 😛
 
Top