Worst/Funniest Interview Experiences

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Interviewer: Asks what I would do if I were a resident and my attending didn't agree with X treatment option I wanted done for my patient.
Me: Give well thought out answer with multiple points and examples.
Interviewer: "Eh, no. This is how I would answer the question".... Goes on and tells me that he would wait until it was his turn to present at grand rounds and to present a paper that demonstrates the usefulness of X treatment.
Me: FML
 
I hate when interviewers ask you what you would do in a scenario you're trying to enter training for.

You're applying to medical school. Chances are you're still an undergrad. The interviewee will really have no intelligent perspective whatsoever on resident-attending relationships. When I was applying I had no idea wtf grand rounds were.
 
Interviewer: So whats your spirit animal, an animal who characterizes you as a person?
Me:........A panda. Because they're cute

I answered the question with why pandas are my favorite animal and I just remembered the question was whats my spirit animal, not my favorite....


Is there any good answer to this?
 
It's perfectly OK to ask questions where you have no inside knowledge. The question above was really "You and your boss have a disagreement; what do you do?"

Maybe the interviewer thought it was a teaching moment, but I disagree with his answer; this type of question may have a few wrong answers, but no right answers. "Wait for rounds", indeed! :smack:

jonnythan said:
I hate when interviewers ask you what you would do in a scenario you're trying to enter training for.

You're applying to medical school. Chances are you're still an undergrad. The interviewee will really have no intelligent perspective whatsoever on resident-attending relationships. When I was applying I had no idea wtf grand rounds were.
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A good answer is any one that you can justify. Again, this is one that has no single correct answer, and therefore is a good interview question. Y'know, too many of you see the world in stark black and white terms. Sometimes there are no right and wrong answers.

Interviewer: So whats your spirit animal, an animal who characterizes you as a person?
Me:........A panda. Because they're cute

I answered the question with why pandas are my favorite animal and I just remembered the question was whats my spirit animal, not my favorite....


Is there any good answer to this?
 
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steelersfan1243 said:
Interviewer: So whats your spirit animal, an animal who characterizes you as a person?
Me:........A panda. Because they're cute

I answered the question with why pandas are my favorite animal and I just remembered the question was whats my spirit animal, not my favorite....


Is there any good answer to this?
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Omg are we the same person? I was asked a similar question and also said a panda...because they eat for at least 12 hours a day lolz
 
I have this exact shirt, so I guess I know what my answer will be.
http://shirt.woot.com/offers/the-panda-is-my-spirit-animal
steelersfan1243 said:
Interviewer: So whats your spirit animal, an animal who characterizes you as a person?
Me:........A panda. Because they're cute

I answered the question with why pandas are my favorite animal and I just remembered the question was whats my spirit animal, not my favorite....


Is there any good answer to this?
Click to expand...
rachiie01 said:
Omg are we the same person? I was asked a similar question and also said a panda...because they eat for at least 12 hours a day lolz
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SweetFast said:
At a recent interview everyone was sitting in the reception area and the admissions director asked us to each tell a fun fact about ourselves. One of the other interviewees mentioned that he knew a lot of useless banana facts and told us that Uganda had the highest per capita consumption of bananas.

It was funny and everyone chuckled, when suddenly a guy (who I thought of as "Super Bro") asked loudly: "Do you know what the average length and thickness of a banana is? or will it make me feel inadequate?"

Everyone got super quiet and the admissions director just moved on. I don't think Super Bro realized how inappropriate he was or how bad he sounded because he continued to make comments like that the rest of the day.
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omg, I'm cringing thinking/reading about this.
 
SweetFast said:
At a recent interview everyone was sitting in the reception area and the admissions director asked us to each tell a fun fact about ourselves. One of the other interviewees mentioned that he knew a lot of useless banana facts and told us that Uganda had the highest per capita consumption of bananas.

It was funny and everyone chuckled, when suddenly a guy (who I thought of as "Super Bro") asked loudly: "Do you know what the average length and thickness of a banana is? or will it make me feel inadequate?"

Everyone got super quiet and the admissions director just moved on. I don't think Super Bro realized how inappropriate he was or how bad he sounded because he continued to make comments like that the rest of the day.
Click to expand...
395847d5f7b617e88f6330d1b8236908_400x400.jpeg
 
SweetFast said:
At a recent interview everyone was sitting in the reception area and the admissions director asked us to each tell a fun fact about ourselves. One of the other interviewees mentioned that he knew a lot of useless banana facts and told us that Uganda had the highest per capita consumption of bananas.

It was funny and everyone chuckled, when suddenly a guy (who I thought of as "Super Bro") asked loudly: "Do you know what the average length and thickness of a banana is? or will it make me feel inadequate?"

Everyone got super quiet and the admissions director just moved on. I don't think Super Bro realized how inappropriate he was or how bad he sounded because he continued to make comments like that the rest of the day.
Click to expand...
I can't decide whether being present for this would be more funny or awkward.
 
SweetFast said:
At a recent interview everyone was sitting in the reception area and the admissions director asked us to each tell a fun fact about ourselves. One of the other interviewees mentioned that he knew a lot of useless banana facts and told us that Uganda had the highest per capita consumption of bananas.

It was funny and everyone chuckled, when suddenly a guy (who I thought of as "Super Bro") asked loudly: "Do you know what the average length and thickness of a banana is? or will it make me feel inadequate?"

Everyone got super quiet and the admissions director just moved on. I don't think Super Bro realized how inappropriate he was or how bad he sounded because he continued to make comments like that the rest of the day.
Click to expand...

nwts said:
I can't decide whether being present for this would be more funny or awkward.
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I'm voting for funny -- but then, I have an irreverent sense of humor. Similar comments throughout the day though puts a different spin on things.
 
Her: What's the most recent book you've read?

Me: The murder of Roger Aykroyd.

Result: acceptance, hah hahaha ah

Major spoiler: it's about a doctor who commits blackmail and murder. He's also the main character.
 
An interviewer asked me, "If you could be an animal, what would it be?"

I don't much care for these sorts of questions, and before I could stop myself I heard myself blurting out, "A honeybadger, 'cause honey badger don't care."

That one earned me deafening silence and a dirty look.
 
SPQR MD said:
An interviewer asked me, "If you could be an animal, what would it be?"

I don't much care for these sorts of questions, and before I could stop myself I heard myself blurting out, "A honeybadger, 'cause honey badger don't care."

That one earned me deafening silence and a dirty look.
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I mean, that was voted as my spirit animal by my team, for exactly that reason, so...I'd have said the same!
 
calisurfer19 said:
Not as bad as some I've seen in the thread, but these were all in the same 30-min interview with the chair of the admissions committee

Interviewer: Something to the effect of "How would you describe yourself?"
Me: "Sarcastic"...(pause and try to recover as I realize what I've just said with)..."but mostly just to get other people to laugh"
Interviewer: ...writes down 'Sarcastic' in large letters and loudly underlines it

Interviewer: "What's one thing you would change about yourself?"
Me: "I don't know, I like me."
Interviewer: ...blank stare, not buying it
Me: ...make a joke about getting nervous when getting interviewed. Got him to at least force a chuckle from this response

Interviewer: ...asks me about my 2 brothers (I don't have 2 brothers and tell him this, but for some reason feel it's a great time to bring up the untimely death of my only sibling)
Me: ....please don't ask a follow up question, please don't ask a follow up question
Interviewer: "When did your sibling die?"
Me: "Ugh, I hate talking about this"

I brought that last one on myself, I know. Laughing about the whole thing now though.
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Update: Accepted to this school!
 
Justtheworst said:
Interviewer: "What super power would you like to have?"
Me: "Mind reading because it would be a lot more straightforward understanding people." [**** did I really just say that? Now I look like a evil villain with terrible communication skills.]

Result: Well, I'm in my second application cycle now and I'm still struggling with coming off as a normal human being.
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I dont think that was a bad answer, necessarily. I just think your reasoning was off. Maybe "mind reading, so that I can understand the true intentions of someone that purposefully hurt humanity" lol cliche, but not too bad.

btw was that your only II? i would have been DEVESTATED to make it that far and then have to reapply.
 
Im76at711 said:
I dont think that was a bad answer, necessarily. I just think your reasoning was off. Maybe "mind reading, so that I can understand the true intentions of someone that purposefully hurt humanity" lol cliche, but not too bad.

btw was that your only II? i would have been DEVESTATED to make it that far and then have to reapply.
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I had 2 interviews that cycle and just got the second II of this cycle. Reapplying is indeed the worst.
 
Im76at711 said:
very similar boat. but mine is, How do you fit 58 Jews into a single car? you put 2 in the front, 3 in the back, and 53 in the ash tray"
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Holy **** dude, I think that's the most disturbing joke I've ever heard.
You say 'similar boat' but he's sinking in the kiddie pool while you're going down to join the freaking Titanic.
 
The fact that this is my third post in here makes me worried that I may not be the best interviewee, but oh well.

Interviewer: So tell me about a time where you made a mistake that resulted in you causing significant harm.

Me: (internally: What???) Um, well when I was a kid my parents got me these hamsters, and after having them for a while there was this one week where I forgot to feed them and they started eating each other until only one was left.

Interviewer: *stares* Okay, and what did you learn from the experience?

Me: To feed your pets?

Interviewer: Genius.
 
mehc012 said:
Holy **** dude, I think that's the most disturbing joke I've ever heard.
You say 'similar boat' but he's sinking in the kiddie pool while you're going down to join the freaking Titanic.
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i know i know, it is HORRIBLE. do you think I can use it to demonstrate my sensitivity to different, diverse cultures? lol
 
wasteofspace323 said:
What? Is that really the first oven joke you've all heard???? I can think of like 4 more right off the top of my head. They were HUGE in middle school.
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Nope, not the first time I've heard one! Just the first time I've heard of an adult thinking it's even remotely okay to repeat it 🙄
 
whatever5 said:
The fact that this is my third post in here makes me worried that I may not be the best interviewee, but oh well.

Interviewer: So tell me about a time where you made a mistake that resulted in you causing significant harm.

Me: (internally: What???) Um, well when I was a kid my parents got me these hamsters, and after having them for a while there was this one week where I forgot to feed them and they started eating each other until only one was left.

Interviewer: *stares* Okay, and what did you learn from the experience?

Me: To feed your pets?

Interviewer: Genius.
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If it makes you feel any better this happened to me too. 🙁
 
Im76at711 said:
looks like we have a sensitive Jew on this forum.
Click to expand...

:caution::sendoff:

latest


wasteofspace323 said:
What? Is that really the first oven joke you've all heard???? I can think of like 4 more right off the top of my head. They were HUGE in middle school.
Click to expand...

Interviewers and adcoms aren't interested in middle school students. There's this thing called maturity expected in applicants.
 
Im76at711 said:
very similar boat. but mine is, How do you fit 58 Jews into a single car? you put 2 in the front, 3 in the back, and 53 in the ash tray"
Click to expand...

Oh, God help me. I have so many awful jokes in my head, and this one came to mind:

Q: What's the difference between a Jew and a canoe?
A: A canoe tips.

EDIT: And, yes, I know they're offensive. I would have better sense than to blurt out something like what the dude I quoted said but still. I hope there's not a middle school regression when people are asked that question.
 
Conflagration said:
Oh, God help me. I have so many awful jokes in my head, and this one came to mind:

Q: What's the difference between a Jew and a canoe?
A: A canoe tips.

EDIT: And, yes, I know they're offensive. I would have better sense than to blurt out something like what the dude I quoted said but still. I hope there's not a middle school regression when people are asked that question.
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Wish I could have you meet my Grandmother. She has a number on her arm. Tell us one of your jokes about black people or gay people. Oh, afraid of pc police?
 
Lucy Arnez said:
Wish I could have you meet my Grandmother. She has a number on her arm. Tell us one of your jokes about black people or gay people. Oh, afraid of pc police?
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I'm sorry that your grandmother lived through such a dark time in history. I couldn't imagine living in that time.

It's so weird, you know? It seems like the Holocaust was human eras ago. But it was actually just in the 1940's.
 
mehc012 said:
Holy **** dude, I think that's the most disturbing joke I've ever heard.
You say 'similar boat' but he's sinking in the kiddie pool while you're going down to join the freaking Titanic.
Click to expand...
The "poorly timed Holocaust joke" card in Cards Against Humanity comes to mind... What a horrible joke...
 
Conflagration said:
Oh, God help me. I have so many awful jokes in my head, and this one came to mind:

Q: What's the difference between a Jew and a canoe?
A: A canoe tips.

EDIT: And, yes, I know they're offensive. I would have better sense than to blurt out something like what the dude I quoted said but still. I hope there's not a middle school regression when people are asked that question.
Click to expand...
Again, horrible but not on the same scale as that other crap. That's a run of the mill 'offensive stereotype' joke, not a holocaust joke.

Both are hugely not interview appropriate though...please let's not make this a horrible-off, OK people?
 
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