Worst/Funniest Interview Experiences

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Setting: First interview at Cornell, stress is in high gear.

After having a so-so first interview I go to my second interview. I Sit down.

Me: Hi how are you blah blah blah
Interviewer: How are you today?
Me: Good, I got a little nervous being my first interview and I fumbled a few questions
Interviewer: O really Well I will give you a second chance
ME: I answer the questions that I fumbled a bit. Then I respond that I was worried with the interviews because it was my first and I have heard horror stories. I told him I prepared a lot and read up on the school ( At this point its like word vomit outta my damn mouth. I am saying whatever and whenever without a filter, and the adrenaline is pumpin harder than a 13 year old boy after he sees a girl topless for the first time)
Interviwer: Yes well the first interview really affirms everything and the second interview is much shorter.
Me: O man what a douch (in my head)
Interviewer: Has grilled me with a straight face, almost condescending at times with his face leaning on his hand as if he could be doing something way better with his time.

About 7 minutes later into the interview after asking me some questions on my app
Interviwer: So what did you do for the summers:
ME:respond that I was a lifeguard and an aquatic instructor
Interviwer: So did you hear the story of the instructor who brought the kid out on his boat to teach him how to sail and the kid drowned?
Would you do that?
ME: No I did not hear about that story.
Interviewer: he elaborates on the story
ME:wow no I would not do that. The most dangerous thing I would do is take a kid off the deep end with a rescue tube while I wait at the bottom, as I shoot back at him with a smile that screams- Your a smartass
Interviwer: Well thats pretty much it. Nothing really stood out on your application, I just wanted to know what you did over the summers because it was a little unclear on your application.
Me: (I shoulda responded saying then why am i here and im qualified blah blah, because thats what he probably was looking for but i was so stunned and it was my first interview that I just laughed it off and switched it up)


Result: Dont find out till next march but I am bankin on the rejection. Glad it was my first interview because I got the worse experience first, and everything from then on was better and I was prepared. Funny to say the least considering Cornell really tries to give relaxed interviews.
 
🙂
 
Last edited:
sflo said:
Interviwer: Well thats pretty much it. Nothing really stood out on your application, I just wanted to know what you did over the summers because it was a little unclear on your application.
Me: (I shoulda responded saying then why am i here and im qualified blah blah, because thats what he probably was looking for but i was so stunned and it was my first interview that I just laughed it off and switched it up)
Click to expand...

Wow. On the one hand, I guess it's good that the interviewer gave his/her honest opinion so you have no false hope. On the other, the school should really revamp its application process if it forces students to spend money and time traveling to the school, only to be shot down and told that it was a waste. This makes me pretty mad 😡
 
Interviewer: How do you react to stress?
Me: Okay, I'm ready for this. I try to meditate and think about positive outcomes. I have bad dreams about piloting a spaceship into the sun. What the hell did I just say?
Interviewer: (nervous laugh) Is falling into the sun hot?
Me: Make a joke! Make a joke! No, I usually wake up right after everyone else in the ship burns to death. Dear god, what is wrong with me?

later on..
Interviewer: Would you help a patient who wanted to end their life?
Me: Sure. I believe in the patient's right to choose. Who am I, Dr. Kevorkian?
Click to expand...

I have been reading this all day...all 16 pages instead of studying for my medical terminology final and this one is still my favorite. This is freakin awesome. :laugh:
 
sflo said:
Interviwer: Well thats pretty much it. Nothing really stood out on your application, I just wanted to know what you did over the summers because it was a little unclear on your application.
Click to expand...

Nothing you posted from your conversation was definitively negative, just sounds negative in the way you have paraphrased it. However, this statement really seems like if anything was negative, this could have been it. If he said "nothing really stood out on your application" in a way that was clearly negative, you should really contact the school. That would extremely inappropriate. An interviewer should NOT comment either way on your chances for admission.
 
nevercold said:
Nothing you posted from your conversation was definitively negative, just sounds negative in the way you have paraphrased it. However, this statement really seems like if anything was negative, this could have been it. If he said "nothing really stood out on your application" in a way that was clearly negative, you should really contact the school. That would extremely inappropriate. An interviewer should NOT comment either way on your chances for admission.
Click to expand...
I'd be perfectly fine if the interviewer commented positively on my chance for admission 😛
 
nevercold said:
Nothing you posted from your conversation was definitively negative, just sounds negative in the way you have paraphrased it. However, this statement really seems like if anything was negative, this could have been it. If he said "nothing really stood out on your application" in a way that was clearly negative, you should really contact the school. That would extremely inappropriate. An interviewer should NOT comment either way on your chances for admission.
Click to expand...

Well yes it was not too negative from the post but the fact that he straight up grilled me and gave me a condescending look throughout interview definitely was negative especially his tone. I agree with your comment on how an interviwer should compose himself but to each his own. I am not a huge fan of that particular school where this scenario occured and honestly do not feel as if I would be a great fit anyway so I am not even going through the hassle of bringing it to the attention of the school. Things happen for a reason and I believe if it's meant to be its meant to be.
 
sflo said:
Well yes it was not too negative from the post but the fact that he straight up grilled me and gave me a condescending look throughout interview definitely was negative especially his tone. I agree with your comment on how an interviwer should compose himself but to each his own. I am not a huge fan of that particular school where this scenario occured and honestly do not feel as if I would be a great fit anyway so I am not even going through the hassle of bringing it to the attention of the school. Things happen for a reason and I believe if it's meant to be its meant to be.
Click to expand...

Seriously though, an individual interviewer cannot ultimately guarantee admission or rejection. From time to time a comment will be diametrically opposed to the actual outcome (more often "You'll get in for sure!" followed by a rejection) and an applicant gets upset. It can be a legal minefield. It's only fair to each interviewee that the interviewers remain neutral in their comments.
 
i guess i will throw this out there, but the crazy day i had both my columbia and nyu interviews i was really sick, like barely able to think and walk sick, but i still went.
the very first question my interviewer asked me at nyu was "So. why not a 4.0?"
i couldnt figure out if he was being serious or not... i thought he wasnt at first so i kind of chuckled but then he kept looking at me all seriously and i mumbled something about some classes being harder than others... but definitely was not expecting that! so out of left field...
sigh.. i really want to go to nyu too lol
 
I was interviewing with a really nice first year who was about 6 years younger than me. Things were going well, actually I was having a good time talking with him and then he asked me what my favorite TV shows were.

Me: Well I don't watch much TV. I like Lost and House.
Him: I like House a lot too.
(Why I didn't stop here, I don't know...)
Me: I've also been rediscovering Murder She Wrote. I've been renting old seasons from the library.
Him: *blank look*
Me: You know, Murder She Wrote?? With Angela Lansbury?
Him: Yeah, I don't know who she is... (he was sooo nice about it, just trying to play it off)
Me: You don't know Angela Lansbury? She was the Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast! The show is kind of like Columbo (a show I have never seen by the way, but if he had never heard of Murder She Wrote, why I thought he would get another reference to a TV show that was out before he was born is completely and totally beyond me).
Him: Oh, OK.
Me: Yeah, I'm a dork...

Good Lord! Can anyone shut me up please?!?!
 
CarrieBad said:
I was interviewing with a really nice first year who was about 6 years younger than me. Things were going well, actually I was having a good time talking with him and then he asked me what my favorite TV shows were.

Me: Well I don't watch much TV. I like Lost and House.
Him: I like House a lot too.
(Why I didn't stop here, I don't know...)
Me: I've also been rediscovering Murder She Wrote. I've been renting old seasons from the library.
Him: *blank look*
Me: You know, Murder She Wrote?? With Angela Lansbury?
Him: Yeah, I don't know who she is... (he was sooo nice about it, just trying to play it off)
Me: You don't know Angela Lansbury? She was the Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast! The show is kind of like Columbo (a show I have never seen by the way, but if he had never heard of Murder She Wrote, why I thought he would get another reference to a TV show that was out before he was born is completely and totally beyond me).
Him: Oh, OK.
Me: Yeah, I'm a dork...

Good Lord! Can anyone shut me up please?!?!
Click to expand...

If I were your interviewer, I would accept you.🙂 I like Murder She Wrote and Columbo. I did not know that people my age actually new about these shows!
 
Bacchus said:
This 1st year has to be older than I am and I heard of Murder She Wrote and know who Angela Lansbury is...you're interviewer was uncultured. 😉
Click to expand...
Yes, I do consider Murder She Wrote to be the center of culture... 😉
 
chad5871 said:
Angela Lansbury originated the role of "Mame" in the Broadway musical. 👍
Click to expand...

Not to mention that she was the original Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd! (as long as we're geeking out about musicals...😀)
 
at Interview #1:

Interviewer: So what do you think about (insert bioethical issue)? Is it moving too fast, too slow, or just right?
Me: (look of fright as I realize I have no idea what has happened in the field in the last 10 years) um.... (30 seconds) let me think.... (30 seconds)... hmm...
Me: well.... I haven't heard anything in the news about it lately... so I guess I'd have to say it's not moving too fast? Cus I haven't heard anything?

Still got an acceptance a week later, so you never know!
 
BarefootinDC said:
at Interview #1:

Interviewer: So what do you think about (insert bioethical issue)? Is it moving too fast, too slow, or just right?
Me: (look of fright as I realize I have no idea what has happened in the field in the last 10 years) um.... (30 seconds) let me think.... (30 seconds)... hmm...
Me: well.... I haven't heard anything in the news about it lately... so I guess I'd have to say it's not moving too fast? Cus I haven't heard anything?

Still got an acceptance a week later, so you never know!
Click to expand...


I hate that feeling when they ask you a question and you realize "oh lord, i have no idea, stall..stall..stall" while they are waiting for your answer. :laugh:
 
pausing to think is a good thing. I should of done it even for questions I knew answers to right away 🙁
 
funkydrmonkey said:
If I were your interviewer, I would accept you.🙂 I like Murder She Wrote and Columbo. I did not know that people my age actually new about these shows!
Click to expand...

I would like to give you as many thumbs up as possible. I am, unfortunately, limited to 9:

👍👍👍👍👍 👍👍👍👍
 
Interviewer: If you could take anyone in the world to lunch, who would it be?
Me: Can the person be possibly fictional?
Interviewer: ...hesitates... ok, fine.
Me: I'd choose Arjuna, he's my favorite character from the Bhagavad Gita.
Interviewer: ...ok, why?
Me: Well he's the greatest warrior in the world, he gets to meet God face to face, and he was a great thinker.
Interview: Oh, well now who would you take to dinner? and this time it's gotta be a real person alive right now.
Me: Hmm, I'd choose this neurologist I met earlier this year. I had dinner with him before, but I can't remember his name, it's very long.
Interviewer: How can you invite someone to dinner if you don't know his name?!
Me: Well I've got his business card in my wallet, I can check it real quick if you want.
Interivew: Nah, I wouldn't know him anyway.
Me: I go on to explain why I chose that guy...

Still haven't heard back from the school. Maybe next time I won't draw on any ancient Hindu texts for my interview answers.

EDIT: Got into that school, maybe I should be bringing up Hindu texts MORE often, hehe.
 
Last edited:
pianola said:
I would like to give you as many thumbs up as possible. I am, unfortunately, limited to 9:

👍👍👍👍👍 👍👍👍👍
Click to expand...

You've still got a finger left (or did that tenth thumb fall off in the course of many years of diligent practice)?
 
At a Dental School interview....


Interviewer: so what do your parents do for a living?
Me: they are Doctors. one is a ______ and the other is a ______
Interviewer: (feeling that i implied he is less than them) No, your parents are physicians; Dentists are doctors too.😱

ouch
 
I used the watch Murder She Wrote all the time. I love mystery stuff... I like the Hercule Poirot TV series and Agatha Christie's books; I love Monk and Psych so much! Anything mystery is awesome.

... yes even if it's Matlock.
 
pianola said:
I wish we had enough stories to create an "I thought you said..." thread. :laugh:
Click to expand...

My favorite one from the most bizarre interview moment thread:

At Temple:

Everyone is sitting in the waiting room, getting ready for the financial aide presentation. This guy walks, really sweaty and nervous, and everyone asks him what is wrong. He says, "I really wanted to go here, but I completely messed up my interview, and now I have no chance." Everyone tells him it couldn't be that bad, and asks him what went wrong.

He explains, "Well, my interviewer asked 'My wife is Persian, but I'm not. What are your feelings on that?.' The problem was, that's not what I thought he said. I could have sworn he said, 'My wife is a virgin, but I'm not. What are your feelings on that?,' so that's the question I proceeded to answer...."

You just can't make this stuff up. (Thanks Corey)
 
wifi08 said:
At a Dental School interview....


Interviewer: so what do your parents do for a living?
Me: they are Doctors. one is a ______ and the other is a ______
Interviewer: (feeling that i implied he is less than them) No, your parents are physicians; Dentists are doctors too.😱

ouch
Click to expand...

The first thing that popped into my mind after reading this was a line from the show scrubs:

Dr. Cox (to the interviewer in this case): Are you a real doctor, or are you a doctor like Dr. Pepper's a doctor?
 
Interviewer: So what's the last book you read?
Me: *Frantically searching for the name of the book I read a month ago* Uhhhh *My mind has gone blank* ummm ... I read a really interesting book just recently. I can't remember what it was called, but it had a picture of an apple on it!
Interviewer: .... That doesn't really help us out too much.


(Freakonomics!!!)
 
:laugh: That happens to me a lot. I read a lot and quickly, so I always spend time reading the BOOK not the cover.
 
wifi08 said:
At a Dental School interview....


Interviewer: so what do your parents do for a living?
Me: they are Doctors. one is a ______ and the other is a ______
Interviewer: (feeling that i implied he is less than them) No, your parents are physicians; Dentists are doctors too.😱

ouch
Click to expand...

rogerwilco said:
Someone's got a complex . . .
Click to expand...

Seriously.. I'm sorry, but with all due respect to dentists, when someone tells me they are a "doctor", I think just about everyone assumes they are an MD or DO, not a dentist haha.
 
greenfairy said:
Interviewer: So what's the last book you read?
Me: *Frantically searching for the name of the book I read a month ago* Uhhhh *My mind has gone blank* ummm ... I read a really interesting book just recently. I can't remember what it was called, but it had a picture of an apple on it!
Interviewer: .... That doesn't really help us out too much.


(Freakonomics!!!)
Click to expand...

haha I would have known based on your description. Too bad I wasn't your interviewer.
 
wepio said:
The first thing that popped into my mind after reading this was a line from the show scrubs:

Dr. Cox (to the interviewer in this case): Are you a real doctor, or are you a doctor like Dr. Pepper's a doctor?
Click to expand...

Or, one of my favs:

Dr. Cox: Let's bear in mind that we are shorthanded: There are only four doctors here.
Turk: I counted more than that.
Dr. Cox: I'm talking legitimate doctors, turtle-head. Here pee-pants is a pathologist, so he doesn't count. Johnson is a dermatologist, which is Greek for "fake doctor," and please don't even get me started on you four surgeons.
Todd: There's only two of us.
Dr. Cox: You are so very useless, I counted you both twice.
 
.

*Edit* On second thought, I'll post my story when it's safe to be personally identified here 😛
 
Last edited:
After the interview day, we were all in a big room and the head of the adcom said he wanted feedback. He turned around and had me count the number of people who said they "Enjoyed the panel interview format," "Did not like it much but were ok with it," or "Did not like it at all." I counted it as 6 - 7 -3 out of 17 people, which is an obvious problem.

As I sheepishly walked up to him to say that I had missed someone, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to count myself! With quite a bit of exuberance, I declared, "It's 6-8-3, but was 6-7-3 at first because I forgot to count myself at first." In my head, it was a funny "Hey I made a silly mistake but caught it" kind of thing.

A girl sitting next to me goes, "You realize you just told him that you didn't like his interview process very much, right?"

I kicked myself for almost two hours afterwards. Accepted though!
 
beachblonde said:
Or, one of my favs:

Dr. Cox: Let's bear in mind that we are shorthanded: There are only four doctors here.
Turk: I counted more than that.
Dr. Cox: I'm talking legitimate doctors, turtle-head. Here pee-pants is a pathologist, so he doesn't count. Johnson is a dermatologist, which is Greek for "fake doctor," and please don't even get me started on you four surgeons.
Todd: There's only two of us.
Dr. Cox: You are so very useless, I counted you both twice.
Click to expand...

That episode was on this past week. Awesome👍
 
Interviewer: So, if we only had one available spot for all of you interviewees today, then why should we pick you?

Me: Honestly, if you see someone better, you should pick him or her. :smack:
 
Oh, and at another interview:

Admissions office worker is taking me up to my interviewer's office. We get in an elevator, and two other people get in.

Admissions worker (indicating one of the other two people): Oh hey fizzle, this is your interviewer!

Interviewer: Hi.

Me (caught completely off-guard): Hi.

And then a fifteen second ride in the elevator in what has got to be the most awkward silence ever. Talk about a horrendous first-impression. The interview itself wasn't much better 🙁
 
fizzle said:
Interviewer: So, if we only had one available spot for all of you interviewees today, then why should we pick you?

Me: Honestly, if you see someone better, you should pick him or her. :smack:
Click to expand...

😱 wow.
 
This one is kind of bizarre, pretty bad, and really swept my feet out from under me. Interviewed by psychologist:

Interviewer: So tell me about something in your life that you have struggled through that has shaped who you are today. Now I know you struggled through (serious illness I had), lets talk about something a little bit more recent..

Me: Silent thinkin..... (The problem is that basically the reason I am entering medicine is because of this serious illness I had, which is also the reason for the person I am today. Because of this I had pretty much been banking on elaborating on this) After fumbling through a couple of absolutely ridiculous, TERRIBLE answers like "maybe a hard class I have had"

Interviewer: Nothing else???? looking at me in disbelief

Me: I went on to talk about my illness anyway because I really did struggle through it, and it did help shape who I am today.


In retrospect I can think of plenty of things I struggled through..... such as relatives sickness/death etc.... but at the time my mind just went blank....

Doesn't matter though, got accepted!!
 
Purell2 said:
This one is kind of bizarre, pretty bad, and really swept my feet out from under me. Interviewed by psychologist:

Interviewer: So tell me about something in your life that you have struggled through that has shaped who you are today. Now I know you struggled through (serious illness I had), lets talk about something a little bit more recent..

Me: Silent thinkin..... (The problem is that basically the reason I am entering medicine is because of this serious illness I had, which is also the reason for the person I am today. Because of this I had pretty much been banking on elaborating on this) After fumbling through a couple of absolutely ridiculous, TERRIBLE answers like "maybe a hard class I have had"

Interviewer: Nothing else???? looking at me in disbelief

Me: I went on to talk about my illness anyway because I really did struggle through it, and it did help shape who I am today.


In retrospect I can think of plenty of things I struggled through..... such as relatives sickness/death etc.... but at the time my mind just went blank....

Doesn't matter though, got accepted!!
Click to expand...
i had that at one of my interviews too..a ctually at tufts. the lady asked me if i ever had an experience in which i failed at something.... i couldnt think of anything so she kinda thought of ballroom dancing competitions for me.... lolol
 
LOVE this thread! Especially "Who, me?" "Piloting a spaceship into the sun," and "pregnant vs. in prison." Can't wait till I can add my own.

Bumpity bump.
 
Interviewer: So, whats going on in the news right now?

Me: .... um... george bush had a shoe thrown at him?




one interviewer laughs, the other stares at me blankly.
 
Love Love love this thread!

Hoping to contribute soon...well actually since it's about worst interview answers, I guess I hope I don't have to contribute...but let's be honest, I will inevitably say something stupid and you'll hear from me soon. 😀

Bump!
 
This was the FIRST thing I said to my BU interviewer:

Interviewer: So how has your day been so far?

Me: I ran into a cobweb at the library, I havnt coughed like that in a while.

It kinda went downhill from there...lol
 
melv55 said:
Interviewer: So, whats going on in the news right now?

Me: .... um... george bush had a shoe thrown at him?

one interviewer laughs, the other stares at me blankly.
Click to expand...

cause you were wrong

there were two shoes
 
I gotta say though Bush has some nice reflex, I wouldn't wanna see him in a gun fight, he would put chuck norris to shame
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Most Meaningful Experiences
Replies
2
Views
756
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
M
Other Impactful Experiences?
Replies
4
Views
1K
maybefuturedoctor7
M
R
Types of Clinical Experiences
Replies
6
Views
621
LizzyM
LizzyM
T
Length of Nonclinical Volunteering Experiences
Replies
2
Views
952
candbgirl
C
C
Clinical Experiences Too Old?
Replies
2
Views
518
Dr.Freedman MedEdits
Dr.Freedman MedEdits
Top