Horrible interview skills

[idiotface]

I only had 40 hours of shadowing from ER and family medicine. It was never an issue at any school I applied to. Makes me wonder what the unwritten requirements are going to be in 10-20 years. Oh and I got into ARCOM. I got the call yesterday!

Wow! Awesome. Have a good time in med school. I'm going to encourage my friend to apply there, as well lol. That would be funny if she gets in and you start seeing her next year.

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[bears1992]

Wow! Awesome. Have a good time in med school. I'm going to encourage my friend to apply there, as well lol. That would be funny if she gets in and you start seeing her next year.

How has this current cycle been treating you? Did you apply this year?

 

[idiotface]

How has this current cycle been treating you? Did you apply this year?

Yes, I have done MD and Im going to DO soon after. No invites yet, but hopefully Ill get one next month.

 

[Neurosa]

So I have only read the first, fifth and sixth page of the comments so I have no idea if someone has mentioned this already or that you have already done that (if you have awesome and forget what I said) but here it goes:

First of all congrats on re applying. I think it is telling a lot about your character (in a positive way) that you are willing to get up again after being rejected. Keep fighting the good fight!
With regards to your interview: Practice practice practice. Not just repeat questions and answer them but try to make contact with different people (say hi once in a while to people in elevators for all I care) so you can practice your social skills. You are going to need social skills in medicine.
And third of al: move out of your parents house. Get a job. Preferably patient contact related but if you can't go work in a supermarket for all I care. Take this year to grow as a human being by getting financial responsibilities. That will a) get your dad off your back with the hurry up, go to bed school so you can move out attitude and b) it will show a level of maturity in the interviews and c) it will give you confidence. I love being able to pay my own bills and even though I sometimes have to sacrifice things that I want to do, I would not want it any other way. After med school you are going to have residency. That is going to be tough. If you have to combine that with figuring out how to adult for the first time it will just be more difficult.
Good luck. I do hope you get in.

 

[westbill]

I don't feel bad during the interview, but the results are bad. I can reflect on my interview experience. First one was at a DO med school and I thought that I had connected with my interviewer. I wore a suit and all, but you know some of the fatal flaws of a med school interview that they talk about? I feel like I may have had some of them. Firstly, I went blank when he asked me why I wanted to be a doctor. I did this because he started writing as soon as I started talking and so I thought I said something wrong. After he talked and I became comfortable, I was able to answer the question. Unfortunately, one of the reasons I provided was that my father got me interested in medicine. It may have easily been misconstrued as I'm applying only because of my dad. I listed some other reasons on top of that. I thought we connected in that his father also told him to apply to med school. We also connected in that we both wanted to do pro sports and thought we could be good enough. All in all, he spent most of the time persecuting me for my lack of EC involvement and criticizing the nature of my research and lack of biology/medical research. I thought he should appreciate all fields of research equally, so this quickly turned me off to the school. I spent the whole time with one other interviewee, who I thought was boring and robotic. The irony is that he probably got accepted and I didn't. I ended up getting waitlisted and later withdrew.
Second was for a pharmacy receptionist position, or so I thought... I got to the interview and they told me it was for pharmacy tech when I told them that it was for the receptionist position as stated in the newspaper listings. They knew I wasn't certified for the pharmacy tech position so the interview was REALLY short and they ended up essentially ignoring me.
Third was for a med scribe position. I told my interviewer that I was applying for med school and I could not devote at least a full year to the job. He told me that it would be a problem, but I didn't know the interview was off. I still arrived at the interview and he wasn't there so I called him and asked him where he was. I told him 10 months or so was nearly a year and still a good amount of time to dedicate to the job. He gave in and arrived at the interview. I don't really know what I did wrong. The only thing I imagine that was bad was that I didn't know that a CVA was a stroke. I knew it stood for cerebrovascular accident, and I know what a stroke is. I just never made the connection. He made me take a typing test and he said I type about as fast as him. I think it was about 60 wpm or so, but I don't think that was the problem. I improvised well and I thought I did a good job, but not so... I received the denial e-mail the following weekend.
Fourth was for another med scribe position. I didn't wear a suit, but I didn't think it was necessary. I dressed semi-formal with what I thought was more creative and unique than the cliche suit-and-tie. Also, I didn't bring my resume thinking that they would have it. I thought I did well in the interview and I thought I had quite a bit to offer. Once again, I received a denial e-mail. I promptly reached out to my interviewer and pretty much begged for feedback. She said it was because I didn't have a suit and tie, I didn't bring my resume, and the other applicants had more to offer...
But what's more devastating to my morale is having applied to nearly 40 positions and not hearing back from so many of them. I know there may be correctable mistakes or bad luck involved, but no matter what, recurrent failure is always confidence-draining.
And what's worse is that I tend to get on people's bad side. Like when I shadowed a doctor once, I thought it was okay to bring out my phone to text and that wasn't exactly well-received. Or the fact that I volunteered at a hospital and I was pretend-shooting ID clips into the bin. I like basketball, sue me... I also got in a bit of trouble as a tutor because I gave someone credit for multiple tutoring sessions and so I was allegedly promoting "cramming."
And the list goes on and on and essentially it's a pattern of inappropriate behavior that seems to be giving a bad impression. If it's not one thing, it's the other. When I stop doing one abrasive thing, then I start doing another. It goes back as far as I can remember. Like in middle school, when people walked by my desk, I would try to trip them then laugh about it. Also, in my math classes, I would go to sleep and the teacher would throw chalk at me to wake me up. What is wrong with me? What if I never become personable? Forget about being a doctor, I may end up being homeless because any job requires you to get along with others. Even a cashier has to get along with the supervisor. Trust me, I worked as one before and it sucks! So in other words I suck. Is there hope or no? But yeah I'll look at the resource you posted. Thanks.

You should understand that the medical profession is populated by people with all manner of personalities, so while your self-admitted lack of interview skills can definitely be overcome, the descriptive explanations of your interpersonal mishaps and your incessant self-denunciations strongly suggest you need to seek professional help so you can navigate your life, which might in turn culminate in a successful medical school experience.

 

[GwBXtRTrVktW9E]

You've got a weird undergrad premed office, dude. Nothing you can do about that though. If you're looking to adapt LordLana's method of preparation, I've attached a list of questions that a friend and I put together over the course of our undergrad of all the interview questions from any position we ever applied to, including med schools. Could serve as a starting point. Best of luck for the next one!

Hey, I was wondering if you could send me the list as well? I would really appreciate it

 

[idiotface]

So I have only read the first, fifth and sixth page of the comments so I have no idea if someone has mentioned this already or that you have already done that (if you have awesome and forget what I said) but here it goes:

First of all congrats on re applying. I think it is telling a lot about your character (in a positive way) that you are willing to get up again after being rejected. Keep fighting the good fight!
With regards to your interview: Practice practice practice. Not just repeat questions and answer them but try to make contact with different people (say hi once in a while to people in elevators for all I care) so you can practice your social skills. You are going to need social skills in medicine.
And third of al: move out of your parents house. Get a job. Preferably patient contact related but if you can't go work in a supermarket for all I care. Take this year to grow as a human being by getting financial responsibilities. That will a) get your dad off your back with the hurry up, go to bed school so you can move out attitude and b) it will show a level of maturity in the interviews and c) it will give you confidence. I love being able to pay my own bills and even though I sometimes have to sacrifice things that I want to do, I would not want it any other way. After med school you are going to have residency. That is going to be tough. If you have to combine that with figuring out how to adult for the first time it will just be more difficult.
Good luck. I do hope you get in.

Im thinking about going to the Career Development Center at my university to practice. To be honest, the feedback I was given by the last school was illuminating and he gave me feedback I haven't had throughout my mock interview prep. Go figure... It really puts things into perspective and now everything makes sense. I have been interviewing like that for a long time dating back to my first DO interview in May '15. I thought that was a positive thing, being relaxed and smiling and treating my interviewer as an acquaintance or friend. However, this is the first time I'm being told that this is not the way to do it. This makes me honestly feel more confident because I'd rather be more serious when speaking. I don't want to leave my dad just yet and I want to make sure that everything will be fine with him in the future. Right now is not a good time. I'm actually going back to college in the upcoming year. I do have some bearing in the financial responsibilities as it is right now because my dad is practically illiterate for all intents and purposes and he needs someone to take care of anything that requires reading, writing, or technology. Yes, I appreciate the "adulting" that I'm doing right now because I know how much it's going to help later. Thanks and if I don't get in, it will be alright. I have no regrets. I just want to get in where I fit in. If that's not medicine, then so be it.

 

[idiotface]

You should understand that the medical profession is populated by people with all manner of personalities, so while your self-admitted lack of interview skills can definitely be overcome, the descriptive explanations of your interpersonal mishaps and your incessant self-denunciations strongly suggest you need to seek professional help so you can navigate your life, which might in turn culminate in a successful medical school experience.

Wow, that was a long sentence. Okay, I know everyone is telling me to seek help. I will do it when I feel the time is right, which is when I feel it is truly out-of-control. Right now, I don't feel like that. I will post about it if that time ever comes. Thanks.

 

[idiotface]

Applied to 27 schools most of them in early-mid august. DO schools done in September. I have an interview coming up. Wish me luck ppl. I think Ill be fine. Tomorrow im going to the dry cleaners. Oh and an appointment with the career development center will hopefully be in the works. Hope im not too late. I dont want to mess this one up. Ive been in school and volunteering. Discussing returning to my physics lab now that the PI has more time on his hands. My friend got good news, he got a 508 and so now he will be applying. Lets cross our fingers for him, as well. Thanks, Ill check back in later.

 

[idiotface]

went on my first interview and got there super late cuz i was trying to figure out how to tie my tie right before the interview. I thought it was tied but i forgot the dry cleaners unties it so i spent nearly 45 minutes trying to figure it out. i recorded my interview so i could listen to it later and i thought it was pretty decent. at the end, he said im a funny guy and a no-nonsense kind of guy, what you see is what you get, and i seem pragmatic. it was a 15-minute interview, very short. I got another interview invite btw and its schedule some time in december. no MD interviews yet, thank god i applied DO. i think we hear back in 6-8 weeks. im struggling with whether to apply to more DO schools like pcom and kcu, for example. i think i can at least manage to get into my in-state DO. thanks, will update later.

 

[Wiggly Tuff Da Ruff]

went on my first interview and got there super late cuz i was trying to figure out how to tie my tie right before the interview. I thought it was tied but i forgot the dry cleaners unties it so i spent nearly 45 minutes trying to figure it out. i recorded my interview so i could listen to it later and i thought it was pretty decent. at the end, he said im a funny guy and a no-nonsense kind of guy, what you see is what you get, and i seem pragmatic. it was a 15-minute interview, very short. I got another interview invite btw and its schedule some time in december. no MD interviews yet, thank god i applied DO. i think we hear back in 6-8 weeks. im struggling with whether to apply to more DO schools like pcom and kcu, for example. i think i can at least manage to get into my in-state DO. thanks, will update later.

gl bro. taping the interview's kinda weird tho, and probably not allowed.

 

[idiotface]

gl bro. taping the interview's kinda weird tho, and probably not allowed.

Weird but effective. When I played it back, I thought I sounded nice and personable actually. I feel like I have the potential to be great at interviewing. Although, I am still worried I wont get it in cuz I was so late. There was this student ambassador who talked to us and gave us a tour. He got into med school in Pakistan, but moved here and started med school over again. He told me that it doesn't matter that I was late though I remain incredulous. I would love to go there cuz its in NY and a really nice part I might add. Only downside is theres no on-campus housing and you have to kinda commute or find housing nearby. If I dont get in, I feel like I might have to just take a step back and do a master's and reevaluate my life and see if medicine will still be worth it. Or if just getting a regular job for the time being is the best thing to do. I hope I never let all of these failures get to me when I get older. Will update later.

 

[Goro]

Weird but effective. When I played it back, I thought I sounded nice and personable actually. I feel like I have the potential to be great at interviewing. Although, I am still worried I wont get it in cuz I was so late. There was this student ambassador who talked to us and gave us a tour. He got into med school in Pakistan, but moved here and started med school over again. He told me that it doesn't matter that I was late though I remain incredulous. I would love to go there cuz its in NY and a really nice part I might add. Only downside is theres no on-campus housing and you have to kinda commute or find housing nearby. If I dont get in, I feel like I might have to just take a step back and do a master's and reevaluate my life and see if medicine will still be worth it. Or if just getting a regular job for the time being is the best thing to do. I hope I never let all of these failures get to me when I get older. Will update later.

Did you ask permission to record the interview??????

 

[SpoiledMilk]

OP, recording someone without their consent is bad taste and terrible judgment, regardless of your motivations to improve your interviewing skills. You are very fortunate that this school was in NY which is a one-part consent state, otherwise you are looking at the risk of criminal prosecution.

Before you decide to try this stunt again, read up on the following 11 states that require two party consent to record a conversation Recording Phone Calls and Conversations | Digital Media Law Project

Just don't do it again.

 

[idiotface]

Did you ask permission to record the interview??????

No, why would I go up to my interviewer and say, "Hi, hows it going, mind if I record our conversation today?" It wouldn't exactly be authentic, plus it would be awkward, and give the interviewer a bad first impression. I didn't think anything of it. I assumed it would be fine. I don't know, I thought it was a civil liberty to be able to record conversations without the other party's permission if you are a part of that conversation. Have you been hearing about the numerous sexual assault cases going on these days? I feel like this impedes victims' ability to gather evidence should there be something incriminating or pertinent to a case. While it can be considered a violation of privacy, do you not concede that right to privacy when you are communicating with someone else? Who would consider their interaction with another person as continuous with the realm of privacy? Privacy is what someone is in if they feel like they are not being watched or recorded. By virtue of conversation with another person, you already are being watched and listened to. While federal law allows one-party consent, I cannot see the argument for two-party consent restrictions that those states have adopted. Why are you asking, though? I thought you blocked me, Goro.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

went on my first interview and got there super late cuz i was trying to figure out how to tie my tie right before the interview. I thought it was tied but i forgot the dry cleaners unties it so i spent nearly 45 minutes trying to figure it out.

oh buddy please learn how to tie your own tie in under 45 minutes

 

[idiotface]

OP, recording someone without their consent is bad taste and terrible judgment, regardless of your motivations to improve your interviewing skills. You are very fortunate that this school was in NY which is a one-part consent state, otherwise you are looking at the risk of criminal prosecution.

Before you decide to try this stunt again, read up on the following 11 states that require two party consent to record a conversation Recording Phone Calls and Conversations | Digital Media Law Project

Just don't do it again.

Thanks for telling me this. And yes I guess I deserve reproach, however I can do it again, not necessarily in an interview, as long as it's a one-party state because I am that consenting party. Furthermore, how would I be facing prosecution if the other party is unaware? For the other party to find out, they would have to find out that I was recording and to do so is, in and of itself, a violation of privacy yet at the least demands a warrant for search, does it not? Also, I wonder how it would be treated if one party is in a one-consent state and the other is in a two-party consent state? I guess it depends upon which state the hypothetical plaintiff is in. Therefore, it seems you must be aware of which state the person you are calling is in before you can record. Or maybe federal law overrules state law in such a hypothetical case because federal law allows one-party consent recording.

 

[idiotface]

oh buddy please learn how to tie your own tie in under 45 minutes

before i learn how to do it under 45 minutes, im just going to focus on learning how to tie it period... lol its such a pain cuz i was following the visual instructions online and they weren't clear to me. but yea i royally messed up. idk what im gonna do if i dont get in this year. my mom told me to apply to nycdoe maybe i can become a teacher. idk...

 

[SpoiledMilk]

SMH. @gonnif

 

[idiotface]

SMH. @gonnif

sheesh i cant say nothin, maybe this sdn personal diary was a bad idea.

 

[jcorpsmanMD]

@idiotface you got some issues man and I hope you figure them out before you ever start medical school. consent or no consent, it’s weird for you to tape your conversation with an interviewer. plus the fact that you’re defending it by saying they didn’t even know, thus it’s okay, just makes me believe you have terrible judgement. I wouldn’t want somebody with that thinking taking care of me or my family.. just some food for thought.

 

[gonnif]

OP, recording someone without their consent is bad taste and terrible judgment, regardless of your motivations to improve your interviewing skills. You are very fortunate that this school was in NY which is a one-part consent state, otherwise you are looking at the risk of criminal prosecution.

Before you decide to try this stunt again, read up on the following 11 states that require two party consent to record a conversation Recording Phone Calls and Conversations | Digital Media Law Project

Just don't do it again.

sheesh i cant say nothin, maybe this sdn personal diary was a bad idea.

@idiotface you got some issues man and I hope you figure them out before you ever start medical school. consent or no consent, it’s weird for you to tape your conversation with an interviewer. plus the fact that you’re defending it by saying they didn’t even know, thus it’s okay, just makes me believe you have terrible judgement. I wouldn’t want somebody with that thinking taking care of me or my family.. just some food for thought.

1) My first response to @idiotface is "you have the right to remain silent" and I suggest you use it
2) Second, as @DV-T points out, NY State has a single consent law. However, from the moment you list a medical school on AMCAS, you have agreed to follow student handbook and other school-specific policies, most of which will have language that prohibits this behavior directly ("No interview may be recorded") or indirectly ("all standards of confidentiality and professionalism will be maintained") that could be used as basis for rescinding an acceptance
3) I will add this to my list of "Really, Really Dumb Premed Ideas"

 

[coppernickel]

Hey there, just to add another deterrent: if you're like me, and you know someone is recording you or videotaping you, you may not act as natural. I think recording yourself would complicate the dynamics and your interviewer wouldn't know the cause, and just assume that was "you on your best." Cringe.

Recording yourself is also essentially like taking a picture of a written exam you've just taken before you submit it to your professor/proctor. What is the point in later looking at that picture especially if you don't know what the correct answers are? It's just ineffective anxiety taming. You're going to get your grade later, you don't know the grading criteria exactly, and you can't change any of your answers anyway.

You know, it would be a worthy exercise to think about why you did that. Don't write about it here though. I think people asking you to get some help is really just a blunt way of saying you need to do some guided exploration of yourself. It's difficult to do it on your own, and usually a trained professional can help you.

 

[Goro]

Thanks for telling me this. And yes I guess I deserve reproach, however I can do it again, not necessarily in an interview, as long as it's a one-party state because I am that consenting party. Furthermore, how would I be facing prosecution if the other party is unaware? For the other party to find out, they would have to find out that I was recording and to do so is, in and of itself, a violation of privacy yet at the least demands a warrant for search, does it not? Also, I wonder how it would be treated if one party is in a one-consent state and the other is in a two-party consent state? I guess it depends upon which state the hypothetical plaintiff is in. Therefore, it seems you must be aware of which state the person you are calling is in before you can record. Or maybe federal law overrules state law in such a hypothetical case because federal law allows one-party consent recording.

Well, for starters, you have stated that you arrived late for the interview. Admissions offices do look at SDN. So, you might be very well looking at a rejection or a rescinding of an accept, if they can figure out who you are. Based upon your post history, this might be easier than you think.

 

[YayPudding]

Is idiotface real

I don't even know who I am anymore

 

[idiotface]

Sigh... I came here to share my problems anonymously hoping for acceptance and not persecution, but that is not happening. So I guess I'll be taking a long break from SDN.

My final rebuttal: Sure, what I did was weird, but I think you guys are exaggerating just a little bit. I might not be able to justify what I did to you guys, but personally I don't regret it. It's not just ineffective anxiety taming, it is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE anxiety taming. During that interview, I had actually said something that I wasn't too confident in, but since the interview was going so fast I forgot what it was. I was about to begin my psychological fixation on it, but then I remembered I was recording and I could always play it back and figure out what was making me neurotic. Then, I got that sense of comfort and I was able to remain focused on the rest of the interview and I was able to remain normal with the other interviewees during the tour and the rest of my day was free of that irreversible neurosis. What may seem like a docile and manageable anxiety to you guys is a relentless psychological prison sentence to me. Sometimes, it feels I am trapped in my own brain when I can't remember what made me neurotic in the first place and I can't let it go. It feels like death would be a sweet release.

Next time I come back on here, it will be just to tell of the final outcome and I'm sure it will be what everyone here including myself expects. Despite the fact that it seems everything is going wrong, I won't give up because I believe in myself. I believe I can improve and I believe I can shake this anxiety bug, but it will take a long time of focusing on myself and time away from my family because they are crazier than me. I want to be near other people who are normal and not near other people who have problems themselves.

Thanks.

 

[YayPudding]

I sincerely wish you all the best, dude

 

[Skiiiiiing]

Sigh... I came here to share my problems anonymously hoping for acceptance and not persecution, but that is not happening. So I guess I'll be taking a long break from SDN.

My final rebuttal: Sure, what I did was weird, but I think you guys are exaggerating just a little bit. I might not be able to justify what I did to you guys, but personally I don't regret it. It's not just ineffective anxiety taming, it is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE anxiety taming. During that interview, I had actually said something that I wasn't too confident in, but since the interview was going so fast I forgot what it was. I was about to begin my psychological fixation on it, but then I remembered I was recording and I could always play it back and figure out what was making me neurotic. Then, I got that sense of comfort and I was able to remain focused on the rest of the interview and I was able to remain normal with the other interviewees during the tour and the rest of my day was free of that irreversible neurosis. What may seem like a docile and manageable anxiety to you guys is a relentless psychological prison sentence to me. Sometimes, it feels I am trapped in my own brain when I can't remember what made me neurotic in the first place and I can't let it go. It feels like death would be a sweet release.

Next time I come back on here, it will be just to tell of the final outcome and I'm sure it will be what everyone here including myself expects. Despite the fact that it seems everything is going wrong, I won't give up because I believe in myself. I believe I can improve and I believe I can shake this anxiety bug, but it will take a long time of focusing on myself and time away from my family because they are crazier than me. I want to be near other people who are normal and not near other people who have problems themselves.

Thanks.

Hey man I would consider professional help, this is some real stuff you're going through.

 

[coppernickel]

Sigh... I came here to share my problems anonymously hoping for acceptance and not persecution, but that is not happening. So I guess I'll be taking a long break from SDN.

My final rebuttal: Sure, what I did was weird, but I think you guys are exaggerating just a little bit. I might not be able to justify what I did to you guys, but personally I don't regret it. It's not just ineffective anxiety taming, it is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE anxiety taming. During that interview, I had actually said something that I wasn't too confident in, but since the interview was going so fast I forgot what it was. I was about to begin my psychological fixation on it, but then I remembered I was recording and I could always play it back and figure out what was making me neurotic. Then, I got that sense of comfort and I was able to remain focused on the rest of the interview and I was able to remain normal with the other interviewees during the tour and the rest of my day was free of that irreversible neurosis. What may seem like a docile and manageable anxiety to you guys is a relentless psychological prison sentence to me. Sometimes, it feels I am trapped in my own brain when I can't remember what made me neurotic in the first place and I can't let it go. It feels like death would be a sweet release.

Next time I come back on here, it will be just to tell of the final outcome and I'm sure it will be what everyone here including myself expects. Despite the fact that it seems everything is going wrong, I won't give up because I believe in myself. I believe I can improve and I believe I can shake this anxiety bug, but it will take a long time of focusing on myself and time away from my family because they are crazier than me. I want to be near other people who are normal and not near other people who have problems themselves.

Thanks.

I am sorry you feel this way and are going through this. I hope you continue to take steps to improve your life and your situation, and that you find a support system. You are right, I can't say what is effective or not for you. Sincerely, I wish you the best.

 

[RenegadeOkapi]

OP, the main issue with recording med school interviews is that the school may perceive your recording as a violation of the confidentiality

Sigh... I came here to share my problems anonymously hoping for acceptance and not persecution, but that is not happening. So I guess I'll be taking a long break from SDN.

My final rebuttal: Sure, what I did was weird, but I think you guys are exaggerating just a little bit. I might not be able to justify what I did to you guys, but personally I don't regret it. It's not just ineffective anxiety taming, it is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE anxiety taming. During that interview, I had actually said something that I wasn't too confident in, but since the interview was going so fast I forgot what it was. I was about to begin my psychological fixation on it, but then I remembered I was recording and I could always play it back and figure out what was making me neurotic. Then, I got that sense of comfort and I was able to remain focused on the rest of the interview and I was able to remain normal with the other interviewees during the tour and the rest of my day was free of that irreversible neurosis. What may seem like a docile and manageable anxiety to you guys is a relentless psychological prison sentence to me. Sometimes, it feels I am trapped in my own brain when I can't remember what made me neurotic in the first place and I can't let it go. It feels like death would be a sweet release.

Next time I come back on here, it will be just to tell of the final outcome and I'm sure it will be what everyone here including myself expects. Despite the fact that it seems everything is going wrong, I won't give up because I believe in myself. I believe I can improve and I believe I can shake this anxiety bug, but it will take a long time of focusing on myself and time away from my family because they are crazier than me. I want to be near other people who are normal and not near other people who have problems themselves.

Thanks.

OP, we all wish the best for you. Please don't take any negative comments as personal attacks but useful criticism. When you get into medical school, you'll have to face crazy amounts of stress and criticisms in your clinical rotations, and once you place into residency, you'll be still under a critical eye of your attending. I'm dreading it myself, as I also have anxiety issues.

Regarding the interview recording. Some universities have rules that you cannot record interviews or MMI's probably because they're concerned that you may give an unfair advantage to a friend or relative who comes for a later interview. You may think that recording it may be purely beneficial to yourself, but some schools might not see it that way.

Please don't let this affect your mental health and focus on your upcoming interviews. Phrases like "relentless psychological prison" and "death would be a sweet release" are very concerning to me. You've done your best in the NY one, so no use fretting over it now. Good luck!

 

[bubbles07]

OP, the main issue with recording med school interviews is that the school may perceive your recording as a violation of the confidentiality


OP, we all wish the best for you. Please don't take any negative comments as personal attacks but useful criticism. When you get into medical school, you'll have to face crazy amounts of stress and criticisms in your clinical rotations, and once you place into residency, you'll be still under a critical eye of your attending. I'm dreading it myself, as I also have anxiety issues.

Regarding the interview recording. Some universities have rules that you cannot record interviews or MMI's probably because they're concerned that you may give an unfair advantage to a friend or relative who comes for a later interview. You may think that recording it may be purely beneficial to yourself, but some schools might not see it that way.

Please don't let this affect your mental health and focus on your upcoming interviews. Phrases like "relentless psychological prison" and "death would be a sweet release" are very concerning to me. You've done your best in the NY one, so no use fretting over it now. Good luck!

Sigh... I came here to share my problems anonymously hoping for acceptance and not persecution, but that is not happening. So I guess I'll be taking a long break from SDN.

My final rebuttal: Sure, what I did was weird, but I think you guys are exaggerating just a little bit. I might not be able to justify what I did to you guys, but personally I don't regret it. It's not just ineffective anxiety taming, it is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE anxiety taming. During that interview, I had actually said something that I wasn't too confident in, but since the interview was going so fast I forgot what it was. I was about to begin my psychological fixation on it, but then I remembered I was recording and I could always play it back and figure out what was making me neurotic. Then, I got that sense of comfort and I was able to remain focused on the rest of the interview and I was able to remain normal with the other interviewees during the tour and the rest of my day was free of that irreversible neurosis. What may seem like a docile and manageable anxiety to you guys is a relentless psychological prison sentence to me. Sometimes, it feels I am trapped in my own brain when I can't remember what made me neurotic in the first place and I can't let it go. It feels like death would be a sweet release.

Next time I come back on here, it will be just to tell of the final outcome and I'm sure it will be what everyone here including myself expects. Despite the fact that it seems everything is going wrong, I won't give up because I believe in myself. I believe I can improve and I believe I can shake this anxiety bug, but it will take a long time of focusing on myself and time away from my family because they are crazier than me. I want to be near other people who are normal and not near other people who have problems themselves.

Thanks.

I honestly think that you are fine, you just need some time away to heal, I feel exactly like, you. Don't worry once you are in its much better.

 

[bubbles07]

Hedge your bets apply to as many as you can, D.O. as many as u can. I was reading succeeding in "Medical school interview and its like a light bulb went off" Buy it and read to cover and cover.

 

[Wiggly Tuff Da Ruff]

@idiotface you got some issues man and I hope you figure them out before you ever start medical school. consent or no consent, it’s weird for you to tape your conversation with an interviewer. plus the fact that you’re defending it by saying they didn’t even know, thus it’s okay, just makes me believe you have terrible judgement. I wouldn’t want somebody with that thinking taking care of me or my family.. just some food for thought.

Ditto. It's like saying a crime isn't a crime because no one knew. That's not how logic works.

 

[SoppyElk]

Wow this thread tho. I hope OP realizes that there are a lot more interviews in med school(SP exams, pt interactions, taking a history etc.), so it's not something that's going to go away anytime soon. Secretly taping a professional interview, even if there's a reason, is just bizarre. Definitely can't do that in med school *cough HIPAA*

 

[narla_hotep]

Any updates on idiotface's application cycle? Just read the whole thread (yay procrastination!) and I'm like, personally invested in this guy's life now. He reminds me of myself in high school haha. I managed to get into med school though so I guess I've gotten better at hiding my self loathing since then? Now time to work on the self-centeredness that leads to me talking about myself in every post But seriously, @idiotface , hope everything is going better now.

 

[idiotface]

Any updates on idiotface's application cycle? Just read the whole thread (yay procrastination!) and I'm like, personally invested in this guy's life now. He reminds me of myself in high school haha. I managed to get into med school though so I guess I've gotten better at hiding my self loathing since then? Now time to work on the self-centeredness that leads to me talking about myself in every post But seriously, @idiotface , hope everything is going better now.

thnx 4 asking, im finishing up my psych course. im also doing physics research. im contacting a local volunteer intiative to volunteer as a med scribe. im doing hospital volunteering as well. im asking doctors to shadow, i did some shadowing of surgical residents. i saw crazy stuff- pseudoaneurysms, fistulas, endarterectomy, and other stuff. the more i see and do medicine, the more I like it and the more I am humbled by it. A patient in the ER who had a pseudoaneurysm was put on a high dose of morphine that dropped her BP dangerously low and she proceeded to lose consciousness. The family members noticed the precipitous drop and the loss of consciousness and began to emotionally break down and cry in fear of the worst. The resident quickly requested the infusion of narcan to counteract the effects of morphine along with an oxygen mask to bring her back. Remarkably, her pressure rose and she came back to us and opened her eyes likely unaware of what just happened. It illustrates the profoundly delicate balance between life and death that a vulnerable patient straddles atop and the power a physician has to bring the patient back to life and happiness. It was a spiritual experience for me and it shows that there is truly nothing like medicine. But anyway, i have an interview in a few days. it will be my 2nd for the cycle. My tie is pre-tied and I've been there before so I think I'll be okay. I'll also have some things to talk about. Thanks for relating to me, narla hotep. I always thought that more people could relate to me but were not eager to share. That's part of the progress that we can make together. Please stay in touch.

 

[narla_hotep]

Cool, thanks for replying. Glad you're liking shadowing, you can see some pretty cool stuff. I've actually been shadowing more since I started med school than before lol. Got to see a leg amputation the other week, and today I helped diagnose a patient's shoulder injury at a free clinic. But if you can do all that stuff before applying, you're ahead of the game. Good luck on your next interview!

 

[DrfluffyMD]

Idiot face, you gave us a lot of details about your personal life, to the point that an adcom can figure out who you are. Please refrain from that and edit those things about shadowing out.

 

[ClinPathDO]

thnx 4 asking, im finishing up my psych course. im also doing physics research. im contacting a local volunteer intiative to volunteer as a med scribe. im doing hospital volunteering as well. im asking doctors to shadow, i did some shadowing of surgical residents. i saw crazy stuff- pseudoaneurysms, fistulas, endarterectomy, and other stuff. the more i see and do medicine, the more I like it and the more I am humbled by it. A patient in the ER who had a pseudoaneurysm was put on a high dose of morphine that dropped her BP dangerously low and she proceeded to lose consciousness. The family members noticed the precipitous drop and the loss of consciousness and began to emotionally break down and cry in fear of the worst. The resident quickly requested the infusion of narcan to counteract the effects of morphine along with an oxygen mask to bring her back. Remarkably, her pressure rose and she came back to us and opened her eyes likely unaware of what just happened. It illustrates the profoundly delicate balance between life and death that a vulnerable patient straddles atop and the power a physician has to bring the patient back to life and happiness. It was a spiritual experience for me and it shows that there is truly nothing like medicine. But anyway, i have an interview in a few days. it will be my 2nd for the cycle. My tie is pre-tied and I've been there before so I think I'll be okay. I'll also have some things to talk about. Thanks for relating to me, narla hotep. I always thought that more people could relate to me but were not eager to share. That's part of the progress that we can make together. Please stay in touch.

You might want to learn how to tie a dress tie as you will be doing it daily in medical school and as a physician.

 

[Skiiiiiing]

Get some help dawg!

 

[ReapPremed]

Just speaking as another applicant here. But...

I'm sorry you've had a lot of anxiety about the interview process. Its hard to have your whole future hinge on one interaction like that. But you really need to not do stuff like record people without their consent. And do you need to learn to make judgments like "Am I going to look better without a tie, or with a tie and 45 minute late?" It seems like you're trying to rigidly adhere to social scripts, and when you go off script you don't know what to do. Try talking to people at work or where you volunteer.

I notice in your posts you when you talk about the things doctors do you get lost in the weeds of medical jargon. I've been advised against doing this. (1) No matter what you're going to sound like a novice or a fool when an expert is reading your essay. You don't need to show them you were paying super close attention during shadowing. You're applying to go to school to learn that stuff for real. You understand that, right? (2) Those details don't matter. What mattered is that the doctor had to make a decision where someone's life was at stake. Did you appreciate that gravity and do you think you can handle being in that position? You want to enter a service profession so your story should place the people you're going to be serving, and the relationship you hope to have with them, front and center. Her blood pressure at any given moment in that story does not matter. You can see that, yes?

Learn How to Tie a Tie | Tie-a-Tie.net

Go here, look in a mirror, and do a half-windsor knot a few times a day leading up to your interview. Tightening a pre-tied tie will look like messy garbage anyway.

 

[idiotface]

thx every1 luckily i got into a DO school that spent 7 minutes interviewing me with a $1500 deposit and $80-90k annual costs, hooray or whatever. But more to the point, i've been feeling the application blues more than any other cycle. I just feel alone. I feel like this is going to be a permanent chip on my shoulder. Is this going to be my story? Having good stats and EC's but not being able to get into MD because of my interviews? I just want to know that there's someone else in my shoes. Every time I hear about a pre-med having trouble, it's always something like mcat or gpa. i cant tell you how many ppl in my undergrad (its a terrible school) cant get into US allopathic because of one of those two reasons. More often than not, its the mcat cuz we have grade inflation. the gpa story is more common at other institutions. So is there any DO or Carribean student who had to settle because of interview deficiencies? Just anyone? Anyway, I was at an interview at a place 6 hours away so I was staying the night at a motel. And yes, I can't run away from the truth any longer. IT IS BEING AT HOME THAT DRIVES ME INSANE. I dont care if it was a nasty cheap motel that was 10ft by 10ft, it was exponentially better than the nice house I had at one time with my family. I know certain ppl on here want to believe I'm naturally crazy but Im not. Sorry Goro and other cynics. every1 around me is not normal so what would u expect from me? each day i approach the inevitable, a bit of optimism slips away. the med students ive met are not perfect, some are weird or unfriendly and they still got in. how flawed must i be then? i want to know that this happens to others, i cant be the only one.
to reply to others: yes, im sure adcoms can figure out who i am. whatever
i didnt get lost in medical terms, one can easily extract the main point of the story
nope, never learned to tie my tie. it was pre-tied and im sure it was ok.

 

[narla_hotep]

Aw @idiotface dont be upset... you just casually glossed over the fact that you got into a DO school, and I know it's not what you initially wanted, but the fact remains that YOU GOT INTO A MED SCHOOL If you say that your self esteem and other problems stem from living at home, this DO acceptance will hopefully be a ticket to live somewhere else and hopefully get yourself out of that situation. DO students learn basically the same things as MD students, and it doesn't make you any worse of a doctor. I still hope you get into an MD school, but DO is nothing to be upset about either.

 

[idiotface]

Aw @idiotface dont be upset... you just casually glossed over the fact that you got into a DO school, and I know it's not what you initially wanted, but the fact remains that YOU GOT INTO A MED SCHOOL If you say that your self esteem and other problems stem from living at home, this DO acceptance will hopefully be a ticket to live somewhere else and hopefully get yourself out of that situation. DO students learn basically the same things as MD students, and it doesn't make you any worse of a doctor. I still hope you get into an MD school, but DO is nothing to be upset about either.

Well, the question stands. Is there any other story like mine?
Maybe from now on, the story is i got a 29, 3.7. not exactly a lie, i did get a 29. and you can take my 3.75 and round down. i dont want to have to explain this stuff to people every time. maybe a minor caveat that wasn't explained previously, i had a legal issue disclosed that almost certainly affected my admission prospects. i chose to not discuss it on this thread until now but what the heck, why stop at just poor interviews, family separation, and anxiety? so the story runs deep and is not something i want to have to go into every time someone asks me about my pre-med experience. so let me pose the question once more: Is there any other example of someone in a similar situation? Seriously, i mean dont i have the right to be upset if i feel like im uniquely terrible in a way that no one else is?

 

[Disciple of Sattar]

You had an application package that was good enough to get you into a DO school, but not an MD school, that's all that happened. You're being overly dramatic. If you want to go to med school and become a practicing physician, go to the DO school. If you don't want to go to med school and become a physician, then go do something else.

Nobody is going to ask you why you didn't go to an MD school, and if they do, you can just ignore them.

 

[narla_hotep]

I'm sure there are lots of other stories like yours. I've had similar things happen with a few jobs I applied for in college - they were super excited about me until the interview stage, and then silence. But you know what I did? I worked on it and practiced and did mock interviews before med school instead of just being upset about being uniquely horrible. And anyway, you don't know for sure that you didn't get into MD schools due to your interview. It could be your MCAT, or likely the legal issue you disclosed (honestly that could be a bigger part than the interview depending on what it was). And anyway, if you go to a DO school, I doubt anyone will ask you why you did DO instead of MD. It's really rude to just ask someone if they did DO because they wanted to or because they didn't get into MD, so I doubt you will get many of those questions.

So... yeah you do have the right to be upset if you want, but it would be counterproductive and unnecessary. I know mental illness doesn't always follow logic (God knows I keep being anxious about things despite understanding exactly why I don't need to be) but do try to keep this in perspective.

 

[idiotface]

Well, I looked on MDapps and I actually do see some bad situations. However, it may be that people are not updating their profile or misrepresenting their stats or just unreliable. Or it could mean that they really are not enjoying success. Regardless, I feel so alone in the severity of my situation. I feel the weight and burden of my problem in everything I do. Nevertheless, I will attend med school next fall. If it's a DO program, I will be ready and happy for the journey. And maybe I shouldn't lie about my pre-med experience. It doesn't matter. The sooner I leave, the better. Only 7 more months and I'll be counting the days lol. Thanks to everyone who gave me encouraging words. Thanks @bubbles07 , @narla_hotep , @YayPudding , @coppernickel , @ScottTenorman54 , @bears1992. It makes a difference when people still treat you normal even when you have exposed the contrary. Crazy people don't want to be reminded that they're crazy or that they have a problem. I will continue to update.

 

[Violagirl]

I just read through the entirety of this thread. You jumped through some major hoops to get that med school acceptance. Congratulations! Well done, what a great accomplishment.

 

[bubbles07]

Well, I looked on MDapps and I actually do see some bad situations. However, it may be that people are not updating their profile or misrepresenting their stats or just unreliable. Or it could mean that they really are not enjoying success. Regardless, I feel so alone in the severity of my situation. I feel the weight and burden of my problem in everything I do. Nevertheless, I will attend med school next fall. If it's a DO program, I will be ready and happy for the journey. And maybe I shouldn't lie about my pre-med experience. It doesn't matter. The sooner I leave, the better. Only 7 more months and I'll be counting the days lol. Thanks to everyone who gave me encouraging words. Thanks @bubbles07 , @narla_hotep , @YayPudding , @coppernickel , @ScottTenorman54 , @bears1992. It makes a difference when people still treat you normal even when you have exposed the contrary. Crazy people don't want to be reminded that they're crazy or that they have a problem. I will continue to update.

No problem dude, I understand your situation and I think u did the right thing. Im still stuck for now, but Im going to keep trying. Now that you are in there would not be much time for u to think of the past its time to look forward, and smile and to be honest who cares if ur a d.o. or m.d. just giving it ur all everyday is the most important thing. Try your best and work hard to be the best u can. There are others who never got into and they live in a field of broken dreams and despair. I understand apathy and the darkness, but I will continue to fight. Most people are to caught up in their own lives to give a crap about d.o. or m.d., so do it for yourself. Dont think that you are crazy your fine bro, everyone gets lonely sometime or another and at times family can make it worse because they dont understand what u are going thru. I advise u to take some time to just relax and do other things visit friends go see a movie I mean star wars is out take ur family or something or u could watch paddington go to the mall have some fun. Get out all your negative emotions and channel it to something constructive. Take time to relax because med school is another challenging 7 years. You will do fine get back into a good mentality one that wants to help others. You are not crazy, just a depressed realist like myself.

 

[idiotface]

No problem dude, I understand your situation and I think u did the right thing. Im still stuck for now, but Im going to keep trying. Now that you are in there would not be much time for u to think of the past its time to look forward, and smile and to be honest who cares if ur a d.o. or m.d. just giving it ur all everyday is the most important thing. Try your best and work hard to be the best u can. There are others who never got into and they live in a field of broken dreams and despair. I understand apathy and the darkness, but I will continue to fight. Most people are to caught up in their own lives to give a crap about d.o. or m.d., so do it for yourself. Dont think that you are crazy your fine bro, everyone gets lonely sometime or another and at times family can make it worse because they dont understand what u are going thru. I advise u to take some time to just relax and do other things visit friends go see a movie I mean star wars is out take ur family or something or u could watch paddington go to the mall have some fun. Get out all your negative emotions and channel it to something constructive. Take time to relax because med school is another challenging 7 years. You will do fine get back into a good mentality one that wants to help others. You are not crazy, just a depressed realist like myself.

Lol ok btw what's paddington?