Worst interview day AKA signs of a bad program

[SuperFemDoc22]

(This was for Internal Medicine)
So by now I have been on a few interviews. They have all been pretty similiar as far as schedule and treatment goes. Then I go on this awful interview...

I arrive on time hoping to get some coffee before the day starts...no coffee, no bagels, nada. That's ok, I think, some places don't offer that in the beginning. The secretary seats us in a small conference room so that we can begin...a QUIZ! That's right, a 50 question medical quiz. An hour later, quizzes collected we are ready for our interview. No welcome from the program director, not even a smile, not even a damn hello. My interviewer asked me 2 questions and left the rest of the time for me to ask HER questions. Interviews done, now I'm ready for lunch. Only NO LUNCH was offered. ONE chief resident came down to give us a tour of the hospital which he tells us has NO phlebotomist and the only thing you can get online are the labs. Talk about backwards. So tour ends and time to go home. No mention of validating parking so as the final icing on the cake I have to shell out 15 bucks for parking! If this is how they treat their candidates, who knows how they treat their residents!

No, I will not say which hospital it was.

For those who haven't gone on an interview yet and don't see what the big deal was, I'll tell you how it usually goes...

You arrive and are greeted by the security where you get a visitor's pass OR an ID with your name is given to you by the secretary. You are given a folder with hospital info in it (none of this was done by this program). You are usually offered coffee and bagels. The program director welcomes you and may offer to answer questions at that time or later on in the day. Then you usually are brought to morning report. You meets all the chiefs and maybe even the future chiefs. A tour usually follows then your interview. Your interview is a friendly conversation and you are usually asked one of the more common questions, nothing too hard. You are provided lunch and either go to noon conference or have a meet and greet with various interns and residents that answer any questions you have. (some interviews may be after lunch depending). The day usually ends with your parking validated and some closing remarks from the program director.

There is some variation of the above but you get the picture. I don't expect red carpet treatment but I also dont expect such an insulting visit.

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[Samoa]

At one particularly memorable interview, they gave us a handwriting analysis test.

The usual process is different for different fields. In my field, here's what usually happens: Night before: dinner at an expensive local restaurant, open bar. Next morning: arrive, nametag, folder, continental breakfast (i.e.carbs and juice/coffee). Next, program overview (usually a PP presentation). Next, interviews--usually at least 5 or 6, in between which we all sit in a conference room and chat with each other and a couple of residents. Next, lunch (usually sandwiches), and ending with a tour of the hospital including any bells and whistles of which the program is particularly proud.

The only variables tend to be the quality of the food, presence of residents in the conference room, number and length of time between interviews (dependent on # of faculty vs # of applicants present), and length of tour. Occasionally it's a two day affair, where one day is devoted entirely to interviews with researchers.

The day runs most smoothly when the number of interviewers and applicants is evenly matched.

 

[peerie]

I think it is important on our interview trail to see really great programs, really in the middle programs, and then at least one really bad program. I have had my 'really bad program' and I can see what makes it so bad. I felt scared and wanted to leave.

I definitely feel like if this is how they treat me on my first date, God, what must the marriage be like? Sadly, I think there are some really scary programs out there and I have alot of compassion for people who find themselves stuck in one like that. Listening to our instincts is crucial on this interview path, listen to that squinky voice in your head that says "run!!!"

 

[Old_Mil]

The secretary seats us in a small conference room so that we can begin...a QUIZ! That's right, a 50 question medical quiz. An hour later, quizzes collected we are ready for our interview.

That's when you say, "Excuse me, miss, I was under the impression that I was here for an interview - not a test." Then walk out.

No, I will not say which hospital it was but if you absolutely have to know you can PM me.

Honestly, you should. Concealing such information does no one any good.

 

[tybalt]

I think I would personally appreciate knowing so I can cancel if I'm scheduled there...

 

[sandraf]

Wow! They are awful and don't even try to conceal it!

 

[dragonfly99]

It does the OP good...more so that "outing" the program so they can hate on her if they find out who she is.

 

[John Deere Gree]

Honestly, you should. Concealing such information does no one any good.

If I were in the OP's shoes, I wouldn't out the program, period. Seriously it wouldn't be too terribly hard to narrow it down to a certain few, especially since we are still early in the interview season. If they could pin the blame on the exact person, well word can travel to other residency programs.

 

[SuperFemDoc22]

If I were in the OP's shoes, I wouldn't out the program, period. Seriously it wouldn't be too terribly hard to narrow it down to a certain few, especially since we are still early in the interview season. If they could pin the blame on the exact person, well word can travel to other residency programs.

I will say only this, that you do know in advance that there will be a quiz. I think after going there I appreciate some of the other programs a lot more. Really puts things in perspective. So it is good in a way to experience some "less desired" programs.

 

[dragonfly99]

I have heard that some ENT and ortho and other competitive residency programs do this at interviews. I think it would be unheard of for medicine programs. I did hear that Mass General likes to pimp the interviewees about ECG's on rounds, though.

 

[MNgrrl]

I have heard that some ENT and ortho and other competitive residency programs do this at interviews. I think it would be unheard of for medicine programs. I did hear that Mass General likes to pimp the interviewees about ECG's on rounds, though.

This is a myth, at least in the medicine department... I'm a medicine intern at MGH and I can tell you everyone is super nice. There is a panel interview which is a little stressful, but I'm pretty sure the program director would have a fit if he heard of this happening...

Sorry -- just had to dispel that myth before too many people read it and get scared.

 

[dragonfly99]

No it is not a myth. I have multiple friends who interviewed there and got that treatment. However, it's been several years so perhaps they no longer do that. Besides, if getting pimped during rounds about 1 ECG is the worst part of the interview it really isn't that bad...that's not like taking a test or anything. That's more like a normal day on rounds for many med students.
I wasn't trying to trash Harvard/Mass General. Everyone knows it's an excellent institution.

 

[mig26x]

I didnt have any negative experiences in my interview trail. But when I interviewed at a small community hospital in NJ there was this medical student applying for a preliminary position for IM when all of the sudden 2 hours into the interview day she was told that they didnt have any more positions available, that they had filled all of them through the pre-match. the student was very disgusted, I dont know if they ended paying for all her expenses but I think she was going to fight that!!!

 

[dragonfly99]

What was she going to fight? You can't force a program to give you a spot in their program. They are basically holding all the cards.

 

[Winged Scapula]

What was she going to fight? You can't force a program to give you a spot in their program. They are basically holding all the cards.

I assume he meant that she was going to fight being responsible for the cost of her trip when they essentially invited her to an interview when they had no intention of offering her a position.

I'd support a medical student in their "fight" to get programs to stop abusing students like this and try and get reimbursed for their cost.

 

[dragonfly99]

but don't you think that they likely didn't know until that day (or perhaps the day before) that they had already filled the spot? Otherwise why would they waste THEIR own time interviewing someone when they didn't need any more interns.