Your Interpretation Please.

[TheVirginian]

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Hello,

I interviewed at __________. My interview went like this: basic interview questions then a very long tangent on science fiction authors we enjoyed and how Hollywood has butchered thier work when they converted them to cinema. My interviewer ended with saying I was fantastic. I though this was a positive thing at the time but now Im concerned that my answers to his first few questions were so bad that he decided he didnt need to ask me anymore about. Anyone else been in this situation. Are deviations into mutual interest positive? Let me know what you think.

 

[hra87]

Hello,

I interviewed at __________. My interview went like this: basic interview questions then a very long tangent on science fiction authors we enjoyed and how Hollywood has butchered thier work when they converted them to cinema. My interviewer ended with saying I was fantastic. I though this was a positive thing at the time but now Im concerned that my answers to his first few questions were so bad that he decided he didnt need to ask me anymore about. Anyone else been in this situation. Are deviations into mutual interest positive? Let me know what you think.

lol...I'd expect a rejection.

And since 90% of people here can't tell without a smiley, that was sarcastic.

Sounds like a very positive interview.

 

[SoxPatriots]

Only acceptance I've had so far came after an interview where we talked about the Red Sox for 75% of the interview. I was wondering the same thing as you, and it worked out well.

 

[TheMemoirist]

Hello,

I interviewed at __________. My interview went like this: basic interview questions then a very long tangent on science fiction authors we enjoyed and how Hollywood has butchered thier work when they converted them to cinema. My interviewer ended with saying I was fantastic. I though this was a positive thing at the time but now Im concerned that my answers to his first few questions were so bad that he decided he didnt need to ask me anymore about. Anyone else been in this situation. Are deviations into mutual interest positive? Let me know what you think.

Well, I think that as long as you covered the bases (why you want to be a doctor, volunteering, academic interests, etc.) at some point in the interview, then these types of deviations are definitely a good thing.

In one of my interviews that became an acceptance, the thread of conversation somehow got moved over to talking about foreign accents for a while (long story), which ended up leading into a conversation about experiences abroad, which ended up being a pretty lengthy discussion. The topics of healthcare and medicine didn't return to the conversation for some time after that little diversion, but I definitely think that it was a productive discussion.

I think that as long as you can continue to hold up your end of the conversation if/when an interview gets like this, it's only a good thing. Remember, most interviews are low-stress these days, and more often than not, an interviewer is looking to see how good a fit you are for that school. They already know how well you perform academically by the time the interview rolls around. At the interview, they're looking for other stuff. These little diversions can say a lot about an applicant in that regard.

 

[ShipsDr]

I definitely agree with above posters. I had a very similar thing happen to me, where the interviewer and I talked about sailing for easily 1/2 of the interview. However, we started and ended with medicine and there were 1 or 2 'hardball' questions... both prefaced with "I hate to put you on the spot but....". Followed by an acceptance. It's just the interview style of some people, to make it more a conversation than an interrogation.
Some people will say that ease of interviews have nothing to do with your acceptance/rejection, but I'd say that if he called you fantastic that's a good sign.

 

[bodonid]

Hello,

I interviewed at __________. My interview went like this: basic interview questions then a very long tangent on science fiction authors we enjoyed and how Hollywood has butchered thier work when they converted them to cinema. My interviewer ended with saying I was fantastic. I though this was a positive thing at the time but now Im concerned that my answers to his first few questions were so bad that he decided he didnt need to ask me anymore about. Anyone else been in this situation. Are deviations into mutual interest positive? Let me know what you think.

sounds like you're golden, man. I didn't have this kind of luck! btw, wtf: you are fantastic? Maybe you are, but if an AdCom said that to me, I would probably burst out laughing.

 

[TheVirginian]

lol...I'd expect a rejection.

And since 90% of people here can't tell without a smiley, that was sarcastic.

Sounds like a very positive interview.

You can never forget the smiley or other animation that adds a nice since of emotion to the cold forum. Also appropriate are Thanks for all the posts that was a nice boost to moral. Lets hope I didnt jinx myself.

 

[dan1]

I'd say your probably in. But then again all of us aren't quite on the ADCOM 😉. But keep us posted b/c i'm interested in seeing how it played out!

 

[Rotinaj]

I'd imagine that if they're impressed with your answers over the technical stuff, they probably want to get a feel for your personality after that. They're already flooded with applicants who have great numbers, so really it comes down to picking who is the most personable of those candidates.

 

[MattD]

My interpretation of those sorts of interviews is that you look fine on paper, they like your PS etc, they ask a few of the formal questions, and after that since everything else is up to snuff they want to gauge your personality and interpersonal skills. This is a good thing as it means they have no concerns about the 'hard' stuff that they feel the need to address.