Worst/Funniest Interview Experiences

[Orthonut]

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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.

hahaha

This cannot be real.

Oh I'm sure it is. My best friend's mother (911 dispatcher then, now the supervisor of the whole shebang) anyway, mom once dispatched a large response to a "fu**ture strire" instead of a "structure fire" and she repeated it. Over the radio. Really loudly. To the whole city of a gazillion people. And we all heard it...cause we were working wildland fire for the state dept of forestry lol. Poor friend, we were like "hey Joe, wasn't that your mum?" and for the rest of the fire season the PA at our compound would sound off with "ENGINE 781, report of F*** in the area, I mean smoke in the area of(address) Possible grass fire" (we had a small, out of the way compound)

I totally believe it's real.

 

[QofQuimica]

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?

Your answer is asking for trouble; don't go places where you aren't told to go with these things. Keep it short, uncontroversial, and get off the topic ASAP. Remember, you're answering a silly hypothetical interview question, not presenting a bioethics dissertation diffense or chatting with your buddies over a beer. My personal belief about abortion is that I should avoid discussing my personal belief about abortion with anyone who is in a position of authority above me, including medical school interviewers. 😉

I told him that I'd encourage the girl to talk to her parents about her pregnancy, and that I'd offer to be present when she told them. She is a minor and probably cannot legally consent to the procedure even if she wanted to have it. I emphasized that I would do what I could to help her tell them, but I would not do anything illegal. He moved on at this point. I suppose he could have pressed me and asked what if she was pregnant due to incest or the parents would behave violently toward her if she told them. If he had, I'd have reminded him that these people are my hypothetical good friends, and presumably I wouldn't be close friends with people who abuse and molest their own children. 🙄

 

[xylem29]

I learned this the hard way - don't ever mention the word dentistry during an interview.

 

[baylormed]

I learned this the hard way - don't ever mention the word dentistry during an interview.

Haha, I mentioned it in three of my interviews, and I got into those three schools.

Granted, it was in another context.

Interviewer: So, I see your father is a dentist. So why didn't you choose to go into dentistry instead?
Me: Well....{insert reasoning here}.

 

[Koch]

Interviewer: So why did you get a B in X English class?
Me: I don't know, in classes like that its all about how you write, and I guess I don't write very good.... I mean well
Interviewer: Haha, maybe that's the reason.
Me: Hehe (I'm screwed)
Inside the interviewers head: Yeah, well you don't interview too good either.

Rejected.

 

[chad5871]

Interviewer: So why did you get a B in X English class?
Me: I don't know, in classes like that its all about how you write, and I guess I don't write very good.... I mean well
Interviewer: Haha, maybe that's the reason.
Me: Hehe (I'm screwed)
Inside the interviewers head: Yeah, well you don't interview too good either.

Rejected.

I am so worried about getting asked why I got a B in "Ethics and Health Care." I just know that it's going to come up. So, why did I get a B? Because my teacher is an idiot, and thought it would be easier to grade the class if he gave us ALL multiple choice tests and quizzes. Needless to say, I learned absolutely nothing about ethics in that class - instead, I spent needless hours memorizing which author used which examples and which arguments. Often, the questions were worded strangely and confusingly. The class average was a D+ and he refused to curve. It was an awful experience - probably the worst of my undergraduate career.

And I know someone is going to ask me about this in an interview.

 

[PeripateticMD]

How did you apply without a highschool diploma?

I'm guessing he was applying straight out of highschool for one of those 6-8 year programs that is a undergrad/medschool combo deal (with supersized french fries, obviously).

 

[baylormed]

I'm guessing he was applying straight out of highschool for one of those 6-8 year programs that is a undergrad/medschool combo deal (with supersized french fries, obviously).

QofQuimica is a "she," by the way. 🙂

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm guessing he was applying straight out of highschool for one of those 6-8 year programs that is a undergrad/medschool combo deal (with supersized french fries, obviously).

QofQuimica is a "she," by the way.

Yes and yes. 🙂

 

[Heimerfink]

Interviewer: What is your biggest weakness?
Me: First Impressions
Interviewer: Actually, I'm an ER doc, which means that first impressions are all I get, and they are very important.


<stomach drops>

 

[Stolenspatulas]

I am so worried about getting asked why I got a B in "Ethics and Health Care." I just know that it's going to come up. So, why did I get a B? Because my teacher is an idiot, and thought it would be easier to grade the class if he gave us ALL multiple choice tests and quizzes. Needless to say, I learned absolutely nothing about ethics in that class - instead, I spent needless hours memorizing which author used which examples and which arguments. Often, the questions were worded strangely and confusingly. The class average was a D+ and he refused to curve. It was an awful experience - probably the worst of my undergraduate career.

And I know someone is going to ask me about this in an interview.

sorry to be rude, but you are a freak of nature. calm down. dont you realize the avg gpa for a med school matriculant is not all As? every 10 threads or so there's someone fearing that their C in orgo will keep them out of med school.

I can almost guarantee that no interviewer will bring up the B due to the fact that you think its a scar on your record.

 

[chad5871]

sorry to be rude, but you are a freak of nature. calm down. dont you realize the avg gpa for a med school matriculant is not all As? every 10 threads or so there's someone fearing that their C in orgo will keep them out of med school.

I can almost guarantee that no interviewer will bring up the B due to the fact that you think its a scar on your record.

Oh I know that - I have a good number of B's (and some in pre-req's too). My post was referring to the fact that I actually got a B in Ethics, especially Ethics & Health Care, when it is a generally well-known fact that Ethics should be an easy A (at least at my institution). I know that I shouldn't freak out about it, I'm just wondering how that is going to reflect on me and my ethics, and I fear that interviewers are going to test my ethics by asking me crazy ethical questions.

I'm not worried because I got one B - that would be freakish...

 

[docbest]

We were having a conversation about the student life at the school.
interviewer: Some students watch TV everytime (he went on to tell me what he does on his free time )... I only watch two TV shows, _____ &_____
me: wait, you don't watch 24?
interviewer: no
me: prison break?
interviewer: no
SVU? no, monk? no (I just kept spitting out shows until he gave me a really weird look)
me: I only watch the shows when they start new seasons
interviewer: Oh, I was wondering myself.

I should have really stopped; obviously, he doesn't like students watching lots of TV. Anyway, I'm still waiting to hear from them, He was really cool though.

 

[docbest]

trying to re-awaken the thread

 

[number77]

Not related, but I was trying to volunteer at a lab.
Researcher: What kind of laboratory methods are you familiar with?
Me: Uh...electrophesis....uh.........you know that one where you put it in the tube and the big molecules drain out because the small ones get stuck in the gel?
Researcher: Gel filtrations
Me: Yea................and paper chromatography...................*awkward silence*

 

[number77]

This happened to me a couple years ago...

Famous surgeon interviewer with a smile on his face: "What's the last movie you enjoyed?"

Me, after anxiously trying to recall the last movie I saw: "Apocalypse Now"

...i was waitlisted!

How long did it take you to answer?

 

[alwaysaangel]

Haha if we're gonna do lab stuff:

I applied for this undergrad lab position on campus.

Him: So you have a 3.6 GPA.
Me: Yes, and its slightly higher than that because my first semester was in fall freshman extension so its not on that transcript.
Him: Hmm. You want to go to medical school?
Me: Thats my intention.
Him: You should probably reconsider that - this GPA is just not going to get you there. 😕
Me: Well I have to respectfully disagree.

From there it just went further down hill, he essentially continued to rip apart my resume (he clearly hadn't read it prior to inviting me for an interview).

The interview ended like this:
Him: Well, I don't think you're going to fit in well here.
*silence*
Me: Ok thank you for your time.

As I walked out through his lab there were about 20-30 people working there. Everyone of them was Chinese (as was he). He was a racist ****ing bastard.

Lucky for me he convinced me I had no desire to work with pretentious dingus PhDs and I never did research which was probably a good choice for my sanity.

But I really wish I had ended the interview with "Well you could have saved us both a lot of time if you had even glanced at my resume prior to inviting me here. Then you would have realized I don't have a 4.0 and am not Chinese which are apparently requirements to work with your highness. Thank you for wasting my entire afternoon."

Sadly I'm too wussy for that. I did however end up working in an office that has a lot of contact with labs, I always took an extra long time to send out stuff to his lab

 

[Piyush]

Some school, some state, about a month ago:

Interviewer: Tell me one person you would want to see right now, and one person you dont want to be around you right now.

Me: I would really want my grandpa with me right now. He is really inspirational, and I feel that I can get over any obstacle, or something nervous like an interview, when he is near me..blah blah

**Really really wired look on the Interviewer's face cause he said ahead of time this was supposed to be a laidback, relaxed, lets be friends like thing**

**Me looking at his face and feeling not too good about having him infront of me**

Me: And on the other side, I really dont like interviewers cause they really pose as impassable hurdles that just are difficult to get across

5 miliseconds later 😱 !!! Did I just take a big fat gun and shoot myself in the foot!!!

 

[chad5871]

Some school, some state, about a month ago:

Interviewer: Tell me one person you would want to see right now, and one person you dont want to be around you right now.

Me: I would really want my grandpa with me right now. He is really inspirational, and I feel that I can get over any obstacle, or something nervous like an interview, when he is near me..blah blah

**Really really wired look on the Interviewer's face cause he said ahead of time this was supposed to be a laidback, relaxed, lets be friends like thing**

**Me looking at his face and feeling not too good about having him infront of me**

Me: And on the other side, I really dont like interviewers cause they really pose as impassable hurdles that just are difficult to get across

5 miliseconds later 😱 !!! Did I just take a big fat gun and shoot myself in the foot!!!

I hate to say it, I don't know if you could have come up with a worse answer for the second part of the question.

 

[SailCrazy]

I hate to say it, I don't know if you could have come up with a worse answer for the second part of the question.

It's not that hard. You could have mentioned your probation officer or that bitch/prick who slapped the bull**** restraining order on you. 😀

 

[crimsonkid85]

student interviewer: so, you write for the school newspaper.
me: yup, i joined at first to practice writing.
interviewer: really?
me: yup, all freshmen have to take a writing course, and i knew coming into college that i wasn't that great at writing, so i wanted a chance to practice in a low-stress setting.
interviewer: but you stayed with it, even after the course?
me: well, i really liked the people there, and the dedication they had towards putting out a daily paper.
interviewer: so would you say that your experiences there made you a better writer?
me: well, um...i'm not sure... *pause* ...i mean, yes!
inteviewer: so you think you're a good writer.
me:... *pause* at least, i'd like to think so...
interviewer: interesting. but i notice sophomore year that you got all B+'s in your humanities classes.
me: *shocked silence*...well, i learned that journalistic writing and essay writing were very different.. *pause* and i was very busy with extracurriculars *pause* and when I had a time crunch and I had to choose between science classes and humanities classes...well, for me the choice was pretty obvious.
inteviewer: i see. moving on...

i still got accepted 3 wks later, so take that, mr. student interviewer! 😀

 

[DocWoodyBear]

I liked the post with "who me?"


By the way, many scientists and researchers are now from India, China, and Latin America. We have to "import" researchers because:

A: We aren't graduating enough scientists
B: Few educated U.S. citizens would take such low-paying research jobs (most of us want to be the bossy doctors above them)

The guy might have been racist, but I have my doubts. 👎

 

[Kfire326]

Int: On your secondary you said you're interested in Emergency Medicine, right?
Me: mmhmm
Int: Why?
Me: I like the fast-paced nature of it (etc, etc). But that might be bec-
Int: Oh, but don't you think that's just because most of your exposure to medicine has been in the ED?
Me: Yes, it could be. I'm not su-
Int: So how can you be sure you want to go into Emergency?
Me: Well I'm not sure, I just know I like it so far.
Int: mmhmm *forced nod*

Cutting me off more than once in the same answer doesn't exactly reduce stress at my first interview of the season...! --> waitlisted
----------
Other interview:

Int: I'd like you to give me two weaknesses of yours.
Me: **answer**
Int: Okay, anything else?
Me: *jokingly* Nothing comes to mind...*pause*...other than my mothers cooking *smile*
Int: *serious look on his face* Oh? What do you mean?
Me: *thinking: wtf?!?!? its a damn joke...* Well uh, I remember someone telling me, I think it might have been my dad...(talking to myself, but out loud): wait was it? Maybe it was another family member. It could have been my uncle...probably. No, i think it was my dad. In fact, yes, it was my dad! He said that theres no food like a mothers food...
Int: ...heh, okay.

??? Got in 2 weeks later.

 

[Godisgood]

 

[Godisgood]

Some school, some state, about a month ago:

Interviewer: Tell me one person you would want to see right now, and one person you dont want to be around you right now.

Me: I would really want my grandpa with me right now. He is really inspirational, and I feel that I can get over any obstacle, or something nervous like an interview, when he is near me..blah blah

**Really really wired look on the Interviewer's face cause he said ahead of time this was supposed to be a laidback, relaxed, lets be friends like thing**

**Me looking at his face and feeling not too good about having him infront of me**

Me: And on the other side, I really dont like interviewers cause they really pose as impassable hurdles that just are difficult to get across

5 miliseconds later 😱 !!! Did I just take a big fat gun and shoot myself in the foot!!!

😕 I have no clue what u were thinking when u said that!!

 

[Godisgood]

At the end of a very good interview with an M4 I asked her what residency programs she was applying to. She said anesthesiology. I stupidly told her I am scared of that field because an anesthesiologist friend of the family lost a patient after disregarding the dr's orders and eating an apple before surgery (she started vomiting while under and aspirated). She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Well damn now I am scared too."

Now I'm on hold 🙁

that is hilarious!! It is crazy sometimes the things you say under pressure!!

 

[kelaskov]

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?

Wow- there's a good chance that an answer like the one above would bring you a rejection letter from the medical school I attend. I know people on our admissions committee who have flat out rejected applicants who have worked at crisis pregnancy centers and applicants who are blatantly anti-choice when being interviewed.

First- If you don't know the legalities- don't assume. Minors have a right to privacy and in many states so telling the parents could be a breach of privacy and therefore illegal.

Moreover- implying that you'd basically make the decision for your patient by not refering will definitely raise red flags with many faculty.

It's good to remember that the person interviewing you may just be an abortion provider as well as a clinical instructor at the med school. Likewise, they may be the faculty advisor for the anti-choice group on campus- even so, indicating you would not refer for a legal and safe medical procedure is likely to raise red flags.

 

[Nomemory]

😕 I have no clue what u were thinking when u said that!!

Uh, I think that's the point of the thread. 😉 You say nutty stuff when under that kind of pressure. I know for myself, when I get so nervous I just can't SHUT UP and I'll keep talking until I've said something idiotic. And then I'll REALLY get nervous and the cycle continues in a downward spiral straight into the bowels of hell. 😱 It's very difficult to sit there quietly with one's own anxiety while staring into the face of the person capable of shattering your life's dreams. At least for me. 😳

 

[gujuDoc]

sorry to be rude, but you are a freak of nature. calm down. dont you realize the avg gpa for a med school matriculant is not all As? every 10 threads or so there's someone fearing that their C in orgo will keep them out of med school.

I can almost guarantee that no interviewer will bring up the B due to the fact that you think its a scar on your record.

hahahahaha I had a friend who had like 1 C on her whole application with a very high GPA and high MCAT score and she used to freak out all the time this past year about her 1 C on her application. It was pretty hillarious actually. But she got a decent amount of interviews and at least one acceptance and a few schools which haven't yet told her whether she's accepted, waitlisted or rejected.

 

[Nomemory]

Int: I'd like you to give me two weaknesses of yours.
Me: **answer**
Int: Okay, anything else?
Me: *jokingly* Nothing comes to mind...*pause*...other than my mothers cooking *smile*
Int: *serious look on his face* Oh? What do you mean?
Me: *thinking: wtf?!?!? its a damn joke...* Well uh, I remember someone telling me, I think it might have been my dad...(talking to myself, but out loud): wait was it? Maybe it was another family member. It could have been my uncle...probably. No, i think it was my dad. In fact, yes, it was my dad! He said that theres no food like a mothers food...
Int: ...heh, okay.

??? Got in 2 weeks later.

Why do they DO that?! They totally call you out on stuff that you're saying IN PASSING. This happend to me a few times. They'd totally ignore my "real answers" and then want me to elaborate in detail on everything and anything I said in passing. I'd find myself thinking, "what in the HELL just happened here? Why am I talking about this?!". What I learned...

...Rule No. 1 for interviewing: Never, and I mean NEVER, even allude to something unless you want to go into it in detail because they WILL call you out on it. 😱

 

[PepperMD]

Interviewer: Tell me about your best friend in high school.
Me: Well...um... his name was Louie... We had a lot of fun... Like sometimes we'd go to Wal-Mart to the toy section where they have the big tower of rubber balls and we'd take some balls and run around playing ball-tag in Wal-Mart... but that's probably not quite what you're looking for...

At that point I got a hold of myself and gave more reasonable BS about relying on eachother and listening and trust, etc...

Luckily, the interviewers sort of just looked bemused and moved on...

 

[viciouz]

This thread is awesome.

 

[doctorbettyrock]

This thread is therapeutic 😛 😛

 

[degoo_]

my first interview:

interviewer:tell me about a time when you had to compromise to resolve a conflict?
me:Well, blah blah
interviewer:Well, that's not you compromising now is it, she did.
me:Umm, yea that's true
interviewer:Ok, so tell me a time
me:Ummm, *made up some random stuff*
interviewer:blank BLANK stare. Ok, next question

later in the interview...

interviewer:So, do you think a doctor should be a leader in the community
me:Well, a doctor must ....
interviewer:blank BLANK stare, well, umm, do you think doctors should assume community leadership roles?
me:Well, a doctor must... (not realizing it was the same fu##in question)

dam.😕

 

[Nomemory]

...okay well there's actually no story here but I'm trying to inject my complaints where I can...

I just got rejected from the school at which I interviewed best (was that grammatically effed?). Why does this suck? I'll tell you why it sucks: because. It was the one school where my *****ic comments were under or close to 20%. Everywhere else they were hovering around 95-98%. See the problem? Bah! Me too. 😡

 

[go_mountaineers]

Interviewer: Do you hate anybody?
Me(before I could stop myself): I hate stupid people
Lucky for me the guy was a surgeon, he laughed and I was accepted shortly after.[


Man if I was that interviewer I definitely would have accepted you too; I can't stand stupid people...it's nice to see there's someone out there besides my friends and I that say the exact same thing.]

 

[Nomemory]

Interviewer: Do you hate anybody?
Me(before I could stop myself): I hate stupid people

Lucky for me the guy was a surgeon, he laughed and I was accepted shortly after.[Man if I was that interviewer I definitely would have accepted you too; I can't stand stupid people...it's nice to see there's someone out there besides my friends and I that say the exact same thing.]

Stupidity is not a choice, it's a condition. Take it a step further and you get, "I hate ******s". I mean, come on dude. 😡 🙄

 

[LadyKae]

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*

 

[Wanna_B_Scutty]

Wow- there's a good chance that an answer like the one above would bring you a rejection letter from the medical school I attend. I know people on our admissions committee who have flat out rejected applicants who have worked at crisis pregnancy centers and applicants who are blatantly anti-choice when being interviewed.

If that ever actually happened, and if your school is in the USA, then your school is in violation of Federal law- specifically, the 1995 Medical Training Nondiscrimination Act. Regardless of what you may think, the Feds see forcing someone to violate their religious or moral beliefs as discrimination.

As I understand it, your institution could be stripped of Health & Human Svcs funds including Medicare, Medicaid, etc. So frankly, I doubt this ever happened. But if it did...

Here's a copy of the relevant law:

1995 Medical Training Nondiscrimination Act
(a) IN GENERAL- The Federal Government, and any State that receives Federal financial assistance, may not subject any health care entity to discrimination on the basis that--
`(1) the entity refuses to undergo training in the performance of induced abortions, to provide such training, to perform such abortions, or to provide referrals for such abortions;
`(2) the entity refuses to make arrangements for any of the activities specified in paragraph (1); or
`(3) the entity attends (or attended) a postgraduate physician training program, or any other program of training in the health professions, that does not (or did not) require, provide or arrange for training in the performance of induced abortions, or make arrangements for the provision of such training.

 

[gujuDoc]

God SDN is being stupid. I was trying to quote the person who said something about taking it a step further with saying "I hate ******s". That's a bit much because ******ation is a result of several physical and mental conditions such as downs syndrome.

Stupidity on the other hand is not.

Oh and I hate stupid people though I might not answer it that way in an interview question. I think I'd say I don't particularly hate anyone but there have been people who's views I've disagreed with on occasions or who's actions I've disagreed with.

 

[JennyB]

Gave that exact same answer and got in. Dont tell people what you think they want to hear. I hate when people answer I would go to dentistry school of get my PhD if I couldnt get an MD. That is the worst answer in the world. Come up with something cool. Join the FBI, fish for crab, something much less BLAH!

When my interviewer asked me what I wanted to be if I couldn't be a doctor, I said I wanted to be a marine biologist, and so she listed off reasons why that's a bad decision, and then I said if I couldn't go into something science-related, I would want to be in the CIA. Then she told me why that was a bad decision.

 

[baylormed]

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*

That's amazing.

 

[gujuDoc]

Ok so I don't know about other schools, but I remember hearing once that Dr. Williams of USF's adcom said that the best way to answer the question of

"what do you do if you don't get into medical school this year?" by saying that you'd talk with adcoms to find out what your red flags were and improve upon those red flags and reapply. They don't want to hear that you'd change your career options.

What my response to that would be that I'd do my best to improve any red flags but if things still didn't work out after that I'd probably consider going into another medically related field like PA or something and maybe try again after a few years.

 

[JennyB]

Ok so I don't know about other schools, but I remember hearing once that Dr. Williams of USF's adcom said that the best way to answer the question of

"what do you do if you don't get into medical school this year?" by saying that you'd talk with adcoms to find out what your red flags were and improve upon those red flags and reapply. They don't want to hear that you'd change your career options.

What my response to that would be that I'd do my best to improve any red flags but if things still didn't work out after that I'd probably consider going into another medically related field like PA or something and maybe try again after a few years.

Actually, I said I would reapply, earlier this time, but then she asked me what I'd do if I definitely couldn't be a doctor. I agree that of course you want to show that you'll be persistent and that you are serious about the commitment.

 

[Kfire326]

If that ever actually happened, and if your school is in the USA, then your school is in violation of Federal law- specifically, the 1995 Medical Training Nondiscrimination Act. Regardless of what you may think, the Feds see forcing someone to violate their religious or moral beliefs as discrimination.

As I understand it, your institution could be stripped of Health & Human Svcs funds including Medicare, Medicaid, etc. So frankly, I doubt this ever happened. But if it did...

Here's a copy of the relevant law:

1995 Medical Training Nondiscrimination Act
(a) IN GENERAL- The Federal Government, and any State that receives Federal financial assistance, may not subject any health care entity to discrimination on the basis that--
`(1) the entity refuses to undergo training in the performance of induced abortions, to provide such training, to perform such abortions, or to provide referrals for such abortions;
`(2) the entity refuses to make arrangements for any of the activities specified in paragraph (1); or
`(3) the entity attends (or attended) a postgraduate physician training program, or any other program of training in the health professions, that does not (or did not) require, provide or arrange for training in the performance of induced abortions, or make arrangements for the provision of such training.

And if it's a private school that receives no funding from the federal or state government?

 

[Wanna_B_Scutty]

And if it's a private school that receives no funding from the federal or state government?

Does the school recieve any research funds from the NIH? NIH is part of Health & Human Svcs.

Does the school have a residency program? All residency programs are funded by the Feds.

Does the school have a clinic that takes Medicare/Medicaid?

As I understand it, if the answer to any of these questions is "yes," a school that failed to follow the law could be stripped of these Federal funds.
---
Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer. You'd want to consult an attorney with any further questions about this.

 

[Allie86]

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*

HAHAHHAHAHAH... CRACKED me up dude.

Well anyway, I remembered one of mine. It was my first interview and I had suit issues.. I bought it while I was abroad, my pants were too big so I had to jam my thumbs into my pockets and keep them hoisted up during the whole tour/freakin hour long hike. Also, my shoes were a NIGHTMARE, my toes were all skinned cleanly across 10 minutes into it, and blood was practically pooling from the gash at my heel. So I hung at the back of the tour group so I wouldn't flash anyone while going up the stairs, and frankly I didn't concentrate on anything being said since I couldn't really hear from the back.

Anyhow, my first interview was with the head of the admission commitee (pressure anyone?) who'se been interviewing for over a decade..

Interviewer: So come in to my office.. you just came back from the tour ay? what'd you see..?
Me: **BLAAAAANK** ... Patients .. and.. ER.. and.. Shock trauma!
(Note.. this school didn't not have a shock trauma center)
INterviewer: oh really? what else?
Me: **nooo it's not over?!?!** Well the hospital is just amazing, really state-of-the-art, just wonderful, I loved it .. amazing.. amazing .. (and insert about 5 more 'amaizngs' .. Note that their hospital is actually pretty small and mediocre.. but it was my first interview so I was impressed)
Interviewer: **Pause.. bewildered look.. is this girl on something** .. OK, so have you ever been to a hospital in this country? (not really sarcastic, he knows I spent most of my life in another country)

Just in case you think it'd get better, Later on..

Interviewer: What is Medicine to you
Me: **oh baby.. I got this one.. I have 2 paragraphs practically memorizes.. alright GO!**... uhh.. independence? (No where in my rehearsed answer is there 'independence')
Interviewer: independence?... ok.. is that it?
Me: **Thinking.. .silence** Ya.



Oh. I got in.

and places where I nailed the interview and did no make a fool of myself?.. waitlist.. Logic clearly breaks down somewhere along th eline in this process.

 

[gujuDoc]

Actually, I said I would reapply, earlier this time, but then she asked me what I'd do if I definitely couldn't be a doctor. I agree that of course you want to show that you'll be persistent and that you are serious about the commitment.

Yeah truee!! I think I'd say that I'd try to go into another medically related field. now if they keep going on about it after that, to me that's obnoxious

 

[omegaxx]

At my Alma Mater (and this is after 6 interviews so you think I'd be all drilled by now):

Interviewer: So, what's your biggest fear in this profession?

Me: Urg, killing somebody?

Interviewer: stares

Me: Yeah, killing somebody. I mean, I can't imagine if I were the resident and then a patient died and I knew it was all my fault and I could have stopped it. The guilt would have been...monstrous.

Interviewer: silently looks at his question sheet Well, my next question is--what are some of the things you could do to overcome this fear?

Me: Um, not take it so seriously?

Interviewer: stares

Me: Yeah... I mean, everyone makes mistakes, right? And it's hard to get by in medicine without making any...


Interviews count for 50% at my school, so needless to say I'm not looking at an acceptance.

 

[doctorbettyrock]

Interviewer - What is one of your weaknesses?

Me - I can be sensitive. (long awkward silence).