Worst/Funniest Interview Experiences

[baylormed]

a load? that was just one post.

"a load of sarcasm"... not posts....sarcasm.

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[Nomemory]

Him: So why medicine?
Me: Well the only other thing I'd want to do is teach and I don't know that I'd be a remarkable teacher but I'm certain I could be a great doctor.
Him: So why wouldn't you be a remarkable teacher?
Me: sweat and silence (oh my GOD!!! why did i just SAY that?!)
Him: Being a doctor is a lot like teaching.
Me: More sweat and more silence (great, I just told this guy I'd be a crappy doctor)

Next interviewer for the day:
Him: How would you go about changing a patient's self-destructive behaviors?
Me: (like a ranting lunatic) Well I'd just lay it on the line! (pounds desk with fist)
Him: Do you think that would work?
Me: *slaps forhead* No! But I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Him: You're right. It wouldn't.

Later that interview:
Me: I hate doctors.

Who DOES that?!!!!!? I seriously couldn't have done worse at this interview if I'd taken off all my clothes, farted and walked out.

 

[cooldreams]

Him: So why medicine?
Me: Well the only other thing I'd want to do is teach and I don't know that I'd be a remarkable teacher but I'm certain I could be a great doctor.
Him: So why wouldn't you be a remarkable teacher?
Me: sweat and silence (oh my GOD!!! why did i just SAY that?!)
Him: Being a doctor is a lot like teaching.
Me: More sweat and more silence (great, I just told this guy I'd be a crappy doctor)

Next interviewer for the day:
Him: How would you go about changing a patient's self-destructive behaviors?
Me: (like a ranting lunatic) Well I'd just lay it on the line! (pounds desk with fist)
Him: Do you think that would work?
Me: *slaps forhead* No! But I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Him: You're right. It wouldn't.

Later that interview:
Me: I hate doctors.

Who DOES that?!!!!!? I seriously couldn't have done worse at this interview if I'd taken off all my clothes, farted and walked out.

that would be one for the record books though... koodos...

 

[Karina 07]

Him: So why medicine?
Me: Well the only other thing I'd want to do is teach and I don't know that I'd be a remarkable teacher but I'm certain I could be a great doctor.
Him: So why wouldn't you be a remarkable teacher?
Me: sweat and silence (oh my GOD!!! why did i just SAY that?!)
Him: Being a doctor is a lot like teaching.
Me: More sweat and more silence (great, I just told this guy I'd be a crappy doctor)

Next interviewer for the day:
Him: How would you go about changing a patient's self-destructive behaviors?
Me: (like a ranting lunatic) Well I'd just lay it on the line! (pounds desk with fist)
Him: Do you think that would work?
Me: *slaps forhead* No! But I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Him: You're right. It wouldn't.

Later that interview:
Me: I hate doctors.

Who DOES that?!!!!!? I seriously couldn't have done worse at this interview if I'd taken off all my clothes, farted and walked out.

You should totally test out that theory by doing that in another interview.

 

[Depakote]

Him: So why medicine?
Me: Well the only other thing I'd want to do is teach and I don't know that I'd be a remarkable teacher but I'm certain I could be a great doctor.
Him: So why wouldn't you be a remarkable teacher?
Me: sweat and silence (oh my GOD!!! why did i just SAY that?!)
Him: Being a doctor is a lot like teaching.
Me: More sweat and more silence (great, I just told this guy I'd be a crappy doctor)

Next interviewer for the day:
Him: How would you go about changing a patient's self-destructive behaviors?
Me: (like a ranting lunatic) Well I'd just lay it on the line! (pounds desk with fist)
Him: Do you think that would work?
Me: *slaps forhead* No! But I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Him: You're right. It wouldn't.

Later that interview:
Me: I hate doctors.

Who DOES that?!!!!!? I seriously couldn't have done worse at this interview if I'd taken off all my clothes, farted and walked out.

You should totally test out that theory by doing that in another interview.

Interviewer: So why medicine?
Student: *methodically strips off clothes, lets out machine-gunner fart, struts home nude, waits for acceptance*

 

[baylormed]

Interviewer: So why medicine?
Student: *methodically strips off clothes, lets out machine-gunner fart, struts home nude, waits for acceptance*

An acceptance...into their psychiatric hospital.

 

[Encrypted]

This is officially my favorite topic at SDN. I think we need some humor here with all the stress.

 

[goodoldalky]

Not really a bad response on my part, but.. lol.. @ NYMC.

Note: I'm alright at Spanish, taken it for years, but I don't consider myself fluent by ANY means. I'm just okay at it and will never be very GOOD unless I am in a position where I have to speak it everyday. Anyway:

Interviewer: So, it looks like you've taken a lot of Spanish classes. Can you speak Spanish?
Me: Un poquito - a little bit.
Interviewer: Well, are you still taking Spanish classes?
Me: Yeah, I took Medical Spanish last semester and I'm taking a Spanish cinema course this semester.
Interviewer: Good.. Maybe you can get better than "un poquito", then.
Me: Touché!
Me: I speak un poquito French, too.

 

[Quix]

That answer made me smile.

 

[happy2Bdoc]

Not really a bad response on my part, but.. lol.. @ NYMC.

Note: I'm alright at Spanish, taken it for years, but I don't consider myself fluent by ANY means. I'm just okay at it and will never be very GOOD unless I am in a position where I have to speak it everyday. Anyway:

Interviewer: So, it looks like you've taken a lot of Spanish classes. Can you speak Spanish?
Me: Un poquito - a little bit.
Interviewer: Well, are you still taking Spanish classes?
Me: Yeah, I took Medical Spanish last semester and I'm taking a Spanish cinema course this semester.
Interviewer: Good.. Maybe you can get better than "un poquito", then.
Me: Touché!
Me: I speak un poquito French, too.

that's cute

at my interview at AECOM:

Interviewer: so the Bronx is not a bad place to live at all.
Me: REALLY?? (surprised look)


hahahah...i was put on the hold list!

 

[CagedBird]

This is officially my favorite topic at SDN. I think we need some humor here with all the stress.

Haha...this is one of my favorite topics too..you guys crack me up.

 

[docbest]

I was speaking with a staff of the school after my interview - I am assuming she's part of the admissions commitee.
Lady - So what do you think about the weather here?
me: okay, it won't be a problem for me.
Lady: Really? You guys have cold weather in the east coast too, right?
me: Yes but seriously, 30F is cold but 2F is colder, we've not had snow in months now ...
Lady: Well, hope you get interviews in other places
me: No, I don't mean it like that, I would really like to come here and I had to explain why I think the coldness would not be a factor for me.

still waiting

 

[monkeymeg2]

interviewer: so...do you know what percentage of people are uninsured in the US?
me: about 15%
interviewer: and what's the population of the US?
me: umm...2 billion?
interviewer: (some silence...just gives me a strange look)
me: well, i do know that there are 45 million people uninsured......
interviewer: (laughing)...try more like 300 million

i really thought he must of thought i was a huge idiot...i was sitting there trying to do the math as quickly as possible...i was like "15%...now what would i multiply 45 mil by to get the population...hmm..."...and then i just said 2 billion (1/3 of the world population, oh man)...not a shining moment...

 

[docbest]

interviewer: so...do you know what percentage of people are uninsured in the US?
me: about 15%
interviewer: and what's the population of the US?
me: umm...2 billion?
interviewer: (some silence...just gives me a strange look)
me: well, i do know that there are 45 million people uninsured......
interviewer: (laughing)...try more like 300 million

i really thought he must of thought i was a huge idiot...i was sitting there trying to do the math as quickly as possible...i was like "15%...now what would i multiply 45 mil by to get the population...hmm..."...and then i just said 2 billion (1/3 of the world population, oh man)...not a shining moment...

I guess 3 billion would have been better that 2 billion - he might assume you simply made a mistake with the zeros

 

[runindownadream]

interviewer: so...do you know what percentage of people are uninsured in the US?
me: about 15%
interviewer: and what's the population of the US?
me: umm...2 billion?
interviewer: (some silence...just gives me a strange look)
me: well, i do know that there are 45 million people uninsured......
interviewer: (laughing)...try more like 300 million

i really thought he must of thought i was a huge idiot...i was sitting there trying to do the math as quickly as possible...i was like "15%...now what would i multiply 45 mil by to get the population...hmm..."...and then i just said 2 billion (1/3 of the world population, oh man)...not a shining moment...

that is really cute. i hope that the interviewer just realized that you were nervous. so funny though....

 

[runindownadream]

here goes. i was the last interviewee of the day and clearly a bit tired from being nervous for my first interview ever (this school had two interviews per interviewee). He was running late with the previous interviewee, AND had skimmed my app for some random info.
interviewer: dobrie den (good day, in russian and pollish)
me: uh oh, hi.
interviewer: wait, you do know russian right?
me: da
interviewer: so, tell me about yourself.
me: uhhh. (short but deafening silence)
me: in general? uh, do you mind if i go by my little cheat sheet here (I had a little notebook with me, and was just trying to break some awkward ice with a joke-like comment --WHAT IN GODS NAME WAS I THINKING)
interviewer: NO! Come on now. I have your AMCAS right here, tell me something that I wouldn't get from reading it (but you didn't read it!!!!)


yeah..it was kinda shaky from there on...somehow we got onto religion and I was pretty concerned that he knew my religious views...cause I'm not very religious and he's catholic....

yeah...waitlisted...ouch

 

[Allie86]

Bad interview throughout. As a rule, if it starts bad, chances are it'll end badly as well. So the interviewer is foreign, has an accent, and stops me 3 seconds after each meticulously constructed answer to write down something that doesn't resemble my original answer in anyway. He also asked me some pretty inappropriate questions, like when did your parents come to this country .. wtf?!

Anyhow:

He: What are your three strengths?
Me; **Have this question down: Dedicated, focused, and bright**--- "I think I'm dedicated, focused, and brilliant"
He: oh REALLY!

On hold a couple opf weeks later. Then an acceptance a couple of weeks afterwards. I was expecting a rejection with a shoe or something.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

Bad interview throughout. As a rule, if it starts bad, chances are it'll end badly as well. So the interviewer is foreign, has an accent, and stops me 3 seconds after each meticulously constructed answer to write down something that doesn't resemble my original answer in anyway. He also asked me some pretty inappropriate questions, like when did your parents come to this country .. wtf?!

Anyhow:

He: What are your three strengths?
Me; **Have this question down: Dedicated, focused, and bright**--- "I think I'm dedicated, focused, and brilliant"
He: oh REALLY!

On hold a couple opf weeks later. Then an acceptance a couple of weeks afterwards. I was expecting a rejection with a shoe or something.

brilliant?!?! wow. cant believe you pulled that.

 

[KaraKiz]

My bad interview at a group learning/PBL school (no "lectures") (CCLCM):

Interviewer: So how do you think you would do in a no lecture type of learning environment?
Me: Im sure it would take some getting used to, having had lectures all throughout college, but I have always been good at teaching concepts to myself. I mostly studying alone and teach myself from my textbooks.
Interviewer: So, you took a really hard graduate seminar and got an A.. what did you do when you were stuck on a problem and couldnt figure it out?
Me: Well, I was the only undergraduate in the class. On top of that, I was a very young senior at 20 and everyone else was a graduate student. So I did not have the background of most of the other sutdents in the class. I would re-read the question several times and made sure I understood what it was asking for. Then I would read my textbook to find out some more about the topic.
Interviewer: What if the answer wasn't in the textbook, and you still couldnt figure it out?
Me: I would try to look it up in other books or on the internet. If I still had a really hard time, I would go see my professor during his office hours. No one else ever went, so I usually had the full hour to myself. He would usually help steer me in the correct direction.
Interviewer: So, you wouldnt try to figure it out for yourself?
Me: Of course I would, but if I was really stuck, he was helpful.
Interviewer: I see.

*CRAP! Their curriculum is all self directed studying and I just told them I would pester my professors to tell me the answers...*

Oh and same interviewer..
Interviewer: So why don't your parents want you to go into medicine?
Me: Well, my parents are very traditional.. My father thinks I should go into pharmacy so I can get done with my degree quickly and make money faster. My mom keeps saying that no man will ever want to marry a woman doctor b/c he knows she will neglect their family.. She cries for the future of her neglected grandchildren and says I am going to be a bad mother if I become a doctor.. *laughing at silly traditional parents*
Interviewer: Well, they are right. It is hard to raise a family, and my wife isn't even a doctor.

Open mouth, insert foot. Waitlisted/hold list or whatever they call it.

 

[Mr. McDuck]

My bad interview at a group learning/PBL school (no "lectures") (CCLCM):

Interviewer: So how do you think you would do in a no lecture type of learning environment?
Me: Im sure it would take some getting used to, having had lectures all throughout college, but I have always been good at teaching concepts to myself. I mostly studying alone and teach myself from my textbooks.
Interviewer: So, you took a really hard graduate seminar and got an A.. what did you do when you were stuck on a problem and couldnt figure it out?
Me: Well, I was the only undergraduate in the class. On top of that, I was a very young senior at 20 and everyone else was a graduate student. So I did not have the background of most of the other sutdents in the class. I would re-read the question several times and made sure I understood what it was asking for. Then I would read my textbook to find out some more about the topic.
Interviewer: What if the answer wasn't in the textbook, and you still couldnt figure it out?
Me: I would try to look it up in other books or on the internet. If I still had a really hard time, I would go see my professor during his office hours. No one else ever went, so I usually had the full hour to myself. He would usually help steer me in the correct direction.
Interviewer: So, you wouldnt try to figure it out for yourself?
Me: Of course I would, but if I was really stuck, he was helpful.
Interviewer: I see.

*CRAP! Their curriculum is all self directed studying and I just told them I would pester my professors to tell me the answers...*

How is re-reading the problem, utilizing the textbook, and checking other sources of information (i.e., other books and the internet) not trying to figure it out yourself?

 

[Stolenspatulas]

My bad interview at a group learning/PBL school (no "lectures") (CCLCM):

Interviewer: So how do you think you would do in a no lecture type of learning environment?
Me: Im sure it would take some getting used to, having had lectures all throughout college, but I have always been good at teaching concepts to myself. I mostly studying alone and teach myself from my textbooks.
Interviewer: So, you took a really hard graduate seminar and got an A.. what did you do when you were stuck on a problem and couldnt figure it out?
Me: Well, I was the only undergraduate in the class. On top of that, I was a very young senior at 20 and everyone else was a graduate student. So I did not have the background of most of the other sutdents in the class. I would re-read the question several times and made sure I understood what it was asking for. Then I would read my textbook to find out some more about the topic.
Interviewer: What if the answer wasn't in the textbook, and you still couldnt figure it out?
Me: I would try to look it up in other books or on the internet. If I still had a really hard time, I would go see my professor during his office hours. No one else ever went, so I usually had the full hour to myself. He would usually help steer me in the correct direction.
Interviewer: So, you wouldnt try to figure it out for yourself?
Me: Of course I would, but if I was really stuck, he was helpful.
Interviewer: I see.

*CRAP! Their curriculum is all self directed studying and I just told them I would pester my professors to tell me the answers...*

Oh and same interviewer..
Interviewer: So why don't your parents want you to go into medicine?
Me: Well, my parents are very traditional.. My father thinks I should go into pharmacy so I can get done with my degree quickly and make money faster. My mom keeps saying that no man will ever want to marry a woman doctor b/c he knows she will neglect their family.. She cries for the future of her neglected grandchildren and says I am going to be a bad mother if I become a doctor.. *laughing at silly traditional parents*
Interviewer: Well, they are right. It is hard to raise a family, and my wife isn't even a doctor.

Open mouth, insert foot. Waitlisted/hold list or whatever they call it.

I dont see any problem in how you articulated your response to how you fare with self-directed learning. I think it was an awesome answer. Of course you would go to your prof bc it was an available choice for you. The interviewer is an idiot if he doesn't think you reasoned correctly.

 

[CagedBird]

KaraKiz, I agree with everyone else, I think you articulated that response VERY impressively. That A in the graduate level seminar is the personal experience should have shown that you have some experience with PBL...I would have accepted you without a doubt!

 

[essence]

Him: So why medicine?
Me: Well the only other thing I'd want to do is teach and I don't know that I'd be a remarkable teacher but I'm certain I could be a great doctor.
Him: So why wouldn't you be a remarkable teacher?
Me: sweat and silence (oh my GOD!!! why did i just SAY that?!)
Him: Being a doctor is a lot like teaching.
Me: More sweat and more silence (great, I just told this guy I'd be a crappy doctor)

Next interviewer for the day:
Him: How would you go about changing a patient's self-destructive behaviors?
Me: (like a ranting lunatic) Well I'd just lay it on the line! (pounds desk with fist)
Him: Do you think that would work?
Me: *slaps forhead* No! But I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Him: You're right. It wouldn't.

Later that interview:
Me: I hate doctors.

Who DOES that?!!!!!? I seriously couldn't have done worse at this interview if I'd taken off all my clothes, farted and walked out.

ahaha that hilarious...what in the world prompted you to say you hated doctors!!?

 

[em8r]

these are hilarious!

I had a weird reaction to one of those 'hypothetical' questions:

interviewer: so let's speak hypothetically here - if you were a captain in the airforce, and you had six men under your charge, and you were flying in a plane that was crashed over the ocean, and you were all stuck on a lifeboat with no hope for rescue, and only had supplies for five men, and had no choice but to throw somebody overboard or else everybody dies...what would you do?
me: wow...that's hard one.
me: (thinking)
me: so i HAVE to throw somebody overboard?
interviewer: yeah
me: or everbody else dies?
interviewer: yup
me: I can't just wait for a rescue boat or something?
interviewer: nope
mekay..well i guess...i ...would...uh...consult the, uh, other men on the boat and ask for a volunteer? then if there were no volunteers i would, uh...wait for three days and see if we get rescued, then if not..i would ask for a volunteer again...if nobody volunteers, i can't justify having one of my men die under my care, so i would, uh, (and here's where I start to get choked up) throw myself overboard.
interviewer: well...it's good that you considered consulting your men because being in a medical setting involves being part of a team. you're going to be part of tough situations like that and etc.

ugh..that never happened to me before! and everything else was going so well

 

[BellyDancingDoc]

these are hilarious!

I had a weird reaction to one of those 'hypothetical' questions:

interviewer: so let's speak hypothetically here - if you were a captain in the airforce, and you had six men under your charge, and you were flying in a plane that was crashed over the ocean, and you were all stuck on a lifeboat with no hope for rescue, and only had supplies for five men, and had no choice but to throw somebody overboard or else everybody dies...what would you do?
me: wow...that's hard one.
me: (thinking)
me: so i HAVE to throw somebody overboard?
interviewer: yeah
me: or everbody else dies?
interviewer: yup
me: I can't just wait for a rescue boat or something?
interviewer: nope
mekay..well i guess...i ...would...uh...consult the, uh, other men on the boat and ask for a volunteer? then if there were no volunteers i would, uh...wait for three days and see if we get rescued, then if not..i would ask for a volunteer again...if nobody volunteers, i can't justify having one of my men die under my care, so i would, uh, (and here's where I start to get choked up) throw myself overboard.
interviewer: well...it's good that you considered consulting your men because being in a medical setting involves being part of a team. you're going to be part of tough situations like that and etc.

ugh..that never happened to me before! and everything else was going so well

Ooooh, you sound like such a great person!!!

I would accept you in a heartbeat.

 

[omegaxx]

these are hilarious!

I had a weird reaction to one of those 'hypothetical' questions:

interviewer: so let's speak hypothetically here - if you were a captain in the airforce, and you had six men under your charge, and you were flying in a plane that was crashed over the ocean, and you were all stuck on a lifeboat with no hope for rescue, and only had supplies for five men, and had no choice but to throw somebody overboard or else everybody dies...what would you do?
me: wow...that's hard one.
me: (thinking)
me: so i HAVE to throw somebody overboard?
interviewer: yeah
me: or everbody else dies?
interviewer: yup
me: I can't just wait for a rescue boat or something?
interviewer: nope
mekay..well i guess...i ...would...uh...consult the, uh, other men on the boat and ask for a volunteer? then if there were no volunteers i would, uh...wait for three days and see if we get rescued, then if not..i would ask for a volunteer again...if nobody volunteers, i can't justify having one of my men die under my care, so i would, uh, (and here's where I start to get choked up) throw myself overboard.
interviewer: well...it's good that you considered consulting your men because being in a medical setting involves being part of a team. you're going to be part of tough situations like that and etc.

ugh..that never happened to me before! and everything else was going so well

ROFL
I can't think of any other way to answer, except, urg, I'd prolly throw someone else in while that person's asleep

 

[em8r]

Ooooh, you sound like such a great person!!!

I would accept you in a heartbeat.

well it WAS hypothetical
but seriously, it was weird how putting myself in that situation made me so emotional when I was initially so controlled...I needed a minute afterward to compose myself and get the lump out of my throat and thank god one of my interviewers went on that tangent about the qualities of a good doctor...so weird

I got worried afterward, esp. cause one of my answers to their earlier question on 'what would my friends say were my weaknesses' included BEING EMOTIONAL...ugh

 

[BellyDancingDoc]

well it WAS hypothetical
but seriously, it was weird how putting myself in that situation made me so emotional when I was initially so controlled...I needed a minute afterward to compose myself and get the lump out of my throat and thank god one of my interviewers went on that tangent about the qualities of a good doctor...so weird

I got worried afterward, esp. cause one of my answers to their earlier question on 'what would my friends say were my weaknesses' included BEING EMOTIONAL...ugh

Aw, I'll bet you a million dollars that the "tangent" your interviewer went on was designed to give you a moment to collect yourself as well as to indirectly praise your personal character.

I really wouldn't worry about this. You sound like a one-in-a-million applicant to me. So many are all jaded and bitter (including yours truly, I'm sad to say) ... you, not so much.

 

[QofQuimica]

This thread is a hoot! Ok, one of my wackiest interviews last year was at the same med school where I had previously had an absolutely horrific interview over a decade earlier. When I filled out the secondary this time around, it asked if I had ever applied there before, and of course I had to say that I was a reapplicant. So the interviewer asked me about that:

Int: I see that you applied here 10+ years ago and didn't get in.

Me: Right.

Int: Why do you suppose that was?

Me: Well, I got into a screaming match with the interviewer. (Note: this really did happen during my first interview.)

Int: Really! Tell me about it.

Me: Ok, what happened was that we were talking about patients who smoke. And he asked me what I would say to a hypothetical patient who smoked. So I said that I would encourage the patient not to smoke, but that smoking is legal, and the patient has the right to make that decision, and there wasn't anything I could do about it if the patient refused to stop smoking. He didn't like that answer, and he started telling me all about the harmful effects of smoking. And I said I know, but again, it's the patient's right to do it. Things just escalated from there, and the interview ended with the guy literally yelling at me about how he was an oncologist, and smoking killed X number of people per year. I left the room, called my mom, and told her that I wouldn't be going to med school there. Sure enough, the rejection came in the mail promptly.

Int: Interesting. So what would you say if I were to ask you the same question now?

Me: I'd give the same answer.

Int: But I bet you'd be a lot more diplomatic about it now, right?

Me: Naturally. I wouldn't yell back at you if you started yelling at me this time.

Then the interviewer proceeded to ask me what I would do if my friend's 13-year-old daughter came to me to find out how she could get an abortion without having to tell her parents. On a happy note, I did get accepted to this school the second time around. And the second interviewer and I didn't yell at one another, not even once. As it turns out, I couldn't have yelled at him even if I had wanted to; I had a horrible cold and I could barely even speak. So I whispered through the entire interview, and he was leaning across the table to try to hear me.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

This thread is a hoot! Ok, one of my wackiest interviews last year was at the same med school where I had previously had an absolutely horrific interview over a decade earlier. When I filled out the secondary this time around, it asked if I had ever applied there before, and of course I had to say that I was a reapplicant. So the interviewer asked me about that:

Int: I see that you applied here 10+ years ago and didn't get in.

Me: Right.

Int: Why do you suppose that was?

Me: Well, I got into a screaming match with the interviewer. (Note: this really did happen during my first interview.)

Int: Really! Tell me about it.

Me: Ok, what happened was that we were talking about patients who smoke. And he asked me what I would say to a hypothetical patient who smoked. So I said that I would encourage the patient not to smoke, but that smoking is legal, and the patient has the right to make that decision, and there wasn't anything I could do about it if the patient refused to stop smoking. He didn't like that answer, and he started telling me all about the harmful effects of smoking. And I said I know, but again, it's the patient's right to do it. Things just escalated from there, and the interview ended with the guy literally yelling at me about how he was an oncologist, and smoking killed X number of people per year. I left the room, called my mom, and told her that I wouldn't be going to med school there. Sure enough, the rejection came in the mail promptly.

Int: Interesting. So what would you say if I were to ask you the same question now?

Me: I'd give the same answer.

Int: But I bet you'd be a lot more diplomatic about it now, right?

Me: Naturally. I wouldn't yell back at you if you started yelling at me this time.

Then the interviewer proceeded to ask me what I would do if my friend's 13-year-old daughter came to me to find out how she could get an abortion without having to tell her parents. On a happy note, I did get accepted to this school the second time around. And the second interviewer and I didn't yell at one another, not even once. As it turns out, I couldn't have yelled at him even if I had wanted to; I had a horrible cold and I could barely even speak. So I whispered through the entire interview, and he was leaning across the table to try to hear me.

10+ years?!??!?

 

[QofQuimica]

10+ years?!??!?

I'm a non-trad, obviously. The first time I applied to med school there was in 1992. They might not have even known that I had applied before if I hadn't told them, actually. One of the other schools where I was a reapplicant didn't have a previous record of me having ever applied. On the other hand, it was kind of fun to fill out the part of the secondary where it asked me what I had done to improve my app since the last time I applied. I started with: got my high school diploma.

 

[Cirrus83]

You guys aren't going to beleive this but............. I have a buddy who applied to a six-year medical program right out of highschool. In his interview, he was asked about a scenario where a female patient repeatedly came to his clinic with different STD's. After treatment, she continued to have unprotected sex and contracted new ones. He was asked what he would do in that situation. He replied, "Well, as a physician my first priority would be to treat her disease. Then I would probably tell her to stop being a *****." The interviewer actually chuckled and said he wasn't sure if that wasn't in order. I couldn't beleive it. And he got in. Crazy huh?

lol sounds about right =)

 

[chad5871]

Then the interviewer proceeded to ask me what I would do if my friend's 13-year-old daughter came to me to find out how she could get an abortion without having to tell her parents.

So, what was your answer? That's a really difficult question. First of all you must consider the legal consequences. If abortion is illegal at the time you become a doctor, then I would say you need to remove yourself from the situation before you get caught in a mess. Secondly, there are a lot of ethical and moral dilemmas with this situation. What are your personal beliefs regarding abortion? What are the girl's parents' personal beliefs regarding abortion? Did she become pregnant because of her own fault or was she raped (I am assuming he is asking this question from the standpoint that it was her own fault)? You must also bring up the point of treating people that you know personally. I know that some doctors feel this gets in the way of objectivity and ultimately may alter the physician's treatment of the patient. Either way, I would sit down with her and talk with her. I would advise her strongly to consult her parents before making any decisions. They are most likely going to find out anyway, and the more you try to hide something or lie about it, the worse the situation becomes. Also, since this decision possibly affects the overall health of the patient, and because the patient is a minor, her parents have a right to know. Personally, I would have a very difficult time telling the parents if it were against the daughter's will, but I am guessing that some physicians would do this. Finally, I would refer her to a clinic for young, pregnant women who are in a situation similar to hers. I am not referring to an abortion clinic, but a clinic where she could get the help she needs and be able to talk to people that will help her make an advised decision. Overall, my feelings on abortion are that, unless the mother's physical or mental health is at risk, other alternatives must be considered and ruled at as impossibilities before abortion can be considered. In this circumstance, I feel that as a physician I would be unable to refer her directly to a clinic where she could obtain an abortion.

How's that for a long-winded answer?

 

[Cirrus83]

interviewer: so...do you know what percentage of people are uninsured in the US?
me: about 15%
interviewer: and what's the population of the US?
me: umm...2 billion?
interviewer: (some silence...just gives me a strange look)
me: well, i do know that there are 45 million people uninsured......
interviewer: (laughing)...try more like 300 million

i really thought he must of thought i was a huge idiot...i was sitting there trying to do the math as quickly as possible...i was like "15%...now what would i multiply 45 mil by to get the population...hmm..."...and then i just said 2 billion (1/3 of the world population, oh man)...not a shining moment...

lol I would have laughed the moment you said 2 billion if I was your interviewer. At least you knew how many people were uninsured, but it's pretty hilarious that you knew that but you didn't know approximately how many people live in the US Very much a reversal of what most people would know.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

lol I would have laughed the moment you said 2 billion if I was your interviewer. At least you knew how many people were uninsured, but it's pretty hilarious that you knew that but you didn't know approximately how many people live in the US Very much a reversal of what most people would know.

how do you know everyone else has had more sex than you? Im guessing if you've had sex once, thats more than 30% of the premeds here.

 

[Cirrus83]

So, what was your answer? That's a really difficult question. First of all you must consider the legal consequences. If abortion is illegal at the time you become a doctor, then I would say you need to remove yourself from the situation before you get caught in a mess. Secondly, there are a lot of ethical and moral dilemmas with this situation. What are your personal beliefs regarding abortion? What are the girl's parents' personal beliefs regarding abortion? Did she become pregnant because of her own fault or was she raped (I am assuming he is asking this question from the standpoint that it was her own fault)? You must also bring up the point of treating people that you know personally. I know that some doctors feel this gets in the way of objectivity and ultimately may alter the physician's treatment of the patient. Either way, I would sit down with her and talk with her. I would advise her strongly to consult her parents before making any decisions. They are most likely going to find out anyway, and the more you try to hide something or lie about it, the worse the situation becomes. Also, since this decision possibly affects the overall health of the patient, and because the patient is a minor, her parents have a right to know. Personally, I would have a very difficult time telling the parents if it were against the daughter's will, but I am guessing that some physicians would do this. Finally, I would refer her to a clinic for young, pregnant women who are in a situation similar to hers. I am not referring to an abortion clinic, but a clinic where she could get the help she needs and be able to talk to people that will help her make an advised decision. Overall, my feelings on abortion are that, unless the mother's physical or mental health is at risk, other alternatives must be considered and ruled at as impossibilities before abortion can be considered. In this circumstance, I feel that as a physician I would be unable to refer her directly to a clinic where she could obtain an abortion.

How's that for a long-winded answer?

I think your answer would politicize it far more than you'd want...which could very well lead to an uncomfortable arguement with your interviewer.

Of course, I actually ventured out a little into the politics of a particular topic at my own interview, but that was only after my interviewer had revealed her own politics (which happened to gel with mine, or I would have just kept my mouth shut lol)

 

[Cirrus83]

how do you know everyone else has had more sex than you? Im guessing if you've had sex once, thats more than 30% of the premeds here.

How very very close to the truth

 

[Cirrus83]

My bad interview at a group learning/PBL school (no "lectures") (CCLCM):

Interviewer: So how do you think you would do in a no lecture type of learning environment?
Me: Im sure it would take some getting used to, having had lectures all throughout college, but I have always been good at teaching concepts to myself. I mostly studying alone and teach myself from my textbooks.
Interviewer: So, you took a really hard graduate seminar and got an A.. what did you do when you were stuck on a problem and couldnt figure it out?
Me: Well, I was the only undergraduate in the class. On top of that, I was a very young senior at 20 and everyone else was a graduate student. So I did not have the background of most of the other sutdents in the class. I would re-read the question several times and made sure I understood what it was asking for. Then I would read my textbook to find out some more about the topic.
Interviewer: What if the answer wasn't in the textbook, and you still couldnt figure it out?
Me: I would try to look it up in other books or on the internet. If I still had a really hard time, I would go see my professor during his office hours. No one else ever went, so I usually had the full hour to myself. He would usually help steer me in the correct direction.
Interviewer: So, you wouldnt try to figure it out for yourself?
Me: Of course I would, but if I was really stuck, he was helpful.
Interviewer: I see.

*CRAP! Their curriculum is all self directed studying and I just told them I would pester my professors to tell me the answers...*

I think they were looking for you to say that you spoke with your other classmates who understood that particular topic better. At least that's the vibe I get from reading this.

Oh well.

 

[chad5871]

I think your answer would politicize it far more than you'd want...which could very well lead to an uncomfortable arguement with your interviewer.

Interesting thought. Perhaps simpler is better? I guess I was just trying to demonstrate how loaded that question was - there are way too many factors to consider for me to give what I would think of as an acceptable "simple" answer.

 

[Nomemory]

ahaha that hilarious...what in the world prompted you to say you hated doctors!!?

I think my being an ignoramus had something to do with it. The rest was nerves.

 

[Cirrus83]

Interesting thought. Perhaps simpler is better? I guess I was just trying to demonstrate how loaded that question was - there are way too many factors to consider for me to give what I would think of as an acceptable "simple" answer.

To be honest...I'm not entirely sure how you'd dance around it if your interviewer actually brought such a topic up...just look at this new thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=364427

Look at the post times to see how quickly this sort of topic will get you in deep doo doo.

Unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE you know your interviewer's political leanings on the topic...I would avoid it at all costs, just because it's not going to hurt the interviewer at the end of the day, but it can definitely hurt you if you get into a huge argument and start calling your interviewer a murderer lol.

 

[Falco2525]

how do you know everyone else has had more sex than you? Im guessing if you've had sex once, thats more than 30% of the premeds here.

Come on guys you got to at least get some to take some of the anxiety off of the applicaiton process

 

[chad5871]

To be honest...I'm not entirely sure how you'd dance around it if your interviewer actually brought such a topic up...just look at this new thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=364427

Look at the post times to see how quickly this sort of topic will get you in deep doo doo.

Unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE you know your interviewer's political leanings on the topic...I would avoid it at all costs, just because it's not going to hurt the interviewer at the end of the day, but it can definitely hurt you if you get into a huge argument and start calling your interviewer a murderer lol.

Okay, I see your point now. I guess if I am asked this question I can say how I would objectively handle the situation.

Now, enough off-topic interview advice. Let's get back to those awful, terrible, stinky, embarassing, crazy, and humorous interview answers!

 

[BellyDancingDoc]

I was on an Ortho rotation, and the Peds team was going to be throwing two IM nails in this girl who had a nasty open both bone forearm fracture. I wasn't on the team, but wanted to scrub on the case. So I go to ask the chief doing the case, and what comes out of my mouth?

"Hey, is it okay if I watch you nail that 10-year old this morning?"

Whoops.

This is one for the ages.

 

[chad5871]

I was on an Ortho rotation, and the Peds team was going to be throwing two IM nails in this girl who had a nasty open both bone forearm fracture. I wasn't on the team, but wanted to scrub on the case. So I go to ask the chief doing the case, and what comes out of my mouth?

"Hey, is it okay if I watch you nail that 10-year old this morning?"

Whoops.

Wow. This cannot be real.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

Come on guys you got to at least get some to take some of the anxiety off of the applicaiton process

This idea should be moved to the "wake up and smell the roses, med school isn't everything" thread.

A great workout, right Falco?

Hey einstein im on your side.... I just had to say it. hah.

 

[KaraKiz]

KaraKiz, I agree with everyone else, I think you articulated that response VERY impressively. That A in the graduate level seminar is the personal experience should have shown that you have some experience with PBL...I would have accepted you without a doubt!

You know, thats what I thought too, but he seemed to have a problem with it.. It was just weird - like he was looking for another answer and kept asking me questions to get that specific answer, know what I mean?

It was his general attitude. I felt like I wasn't saying something he wanted to hear.

 

[KaraKiz]

I think they were looking for you to say that you spoke with your other classmates who understood that particular topic better. At least that's the vibe I get from reading this.

Oh well.

I'll bet thats what it was.. i felt like i kept "missing" the correct answer..

But none of the grad students wanted to talk to me! I was the punk undergrad in the graduate seminar... lol

 

[Jejton]

I started with: got my high school diploma.

How did you apply without a highschool diploma?

 

[KaraKiz]

I dont have a high school diploma.

I dropped out at 16 b/c I had applied to my state university and got in as an early acceptance student. So I got my GED. No one really cares. Plus, graduating from college with honors in biochemistry and a 3.96 probably doesn't hurt my case.