Guest tea Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 hi everyone... I happened to talk to someone who used to interview for ubc medicine admission. He fired questions at me. I thought i did a decent job answering him... His feedback was: I'm not assertive enough.... too wishy washy...!!! huh??wishy washy? never heard a doc said that to me before. i thought i was polite and diplomatic... and he calls me wishywashy and did a good job of not answering his question. He said i'd be a good politician. Ouch!!! can anyone help me? considering my interview is on sunday. I'm too nervous now... Kirsteennnnn.... help meeee.... j/k. But seriously... any suggestion anyone? please? i'll treat you to a piece of hedgehog.. alright I'm serious now... does anyone have any suggestion to help me be assertive without appearing to be pushy and confrontational? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ClimbOn Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Hello tea Just before my UofA interview, a med student asked me a series of practice ethical questions, and I also answered them "diplomatically". His feedback was: It doesn't hurt to lay out the arguments for both sides, but don't just say something that pleases both sides. Stick to one side, and don't change sides (unless you made a really stupid answer right at the start). If the interviewers start grilling you on your answer, stick with your position. That was his suggestion to me, and I used it in my interview. It made me sound a bit more assertive compared to my usual more easy-going attitude. I probably won't know how good this tip is until I receive the "final" letters in the summer........ hope this helps....and of course, just be confident! If you've been invited to an interview, you're already very high up in the applicant pool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tea Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 I like your word: "easygoing" better than what that doc told me.. "wishy-washy". To me it sounded like i've no back bones. Thanks for the tip. I was practicing my assertiveness by trying to be stern and strict to my dogs... but it didn't work. Are you interviewing at UBC? or going to the info session? if i see you... we'll have some hedgehogs. tea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 You know, it's not necessarily being stern or strict, or even being assertive, but rather being confident. You've been offered this interview because on paper, you've got the numbers and credentials to be accepted to med school. The next challenge, that of the interview, is to figure out if you have the maturity, background knowledge, and personality to fit well into the class and the potential to develop as a strong physician (a tough set of requirements to assess for in a short interview day!). The thing is, is that being confident is something that comes easy for some individuals, and perhaps a little tougher for others. However, as a physician, and even as a med student, you are going to come up against all sorts of dilemmas and issues where you and your actions are going to be of huge significance to a patient. This might include delivering a baby on your own, performing your first lumbar puncture where you're sticking a needle deep into someone's spine, disagreeing with a nurse or another health care worker as to the proper treatment for your patient, and any number of other potential situations where your self-resolve and self-confidence will be tested. Obviously, you aren't trying to fit into that old, crusty surgeon stereotype of "Sometimes wrong, but never in doubt", and carry around that sort of "I can do no wrong" God-complex, but certainly, being able to show confidence in your opinions, and not being afraid to evaluate and take a side in a contentious issue are both attributes that every physician needs to have. As far as confidence goes, if you believe in yourself, and what you are saying, you should do fine. Don't go in there trying to be something you are not, or answering questions the way you think they should be answered. If you are confident in your beliefs and opinions, yet give consideration to both sides of the conflict, then you're doing what any good physician should do. Best of luck! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Hi there, First off, try not to let the UBC interviewer's review undermine what confidence you've already built. Try to take it and use it to improve what you've already got and then put it out of your mind from here on in. One item that often works quite well is to ask yourself some questions, or have someone else ask you them, but tape record your responses. Listening to these may provide you with a bit of a different perspective as to how you sound to others when you interview. For example, you might see for yourself that you're talking a little quietly, or perhaps too quickly, or perhaps you may be using too many verbal crutches such as the "likes", or "umms" of the colloquial conversational lexicon. By hearing these for yourself, you may be more convinced of taking alternate approaches during your next practice session. Cheers, and best of luck, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chemgirl Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Here's my opinion: state both sides of the story and rationalise them, then pick what you think is the best answer given the evidence that you have presented and elaborate why. If another wrench is thrown in which may cause you to change your answer, DON'T BE AFRAID TO! I disagree with the advice that you shouldn't "amend" your answer even when you are grilled, even if you think you perhaps should amend your answer. I think that makes you come across as inflexible and morally rigid, two traits that aren't extremely desireable. I have the personal experience to proove it as well. Last year, I was given the advice (from two other med students) that I should NEVER change my answer, I should stick with it no matter what. I had an ethical question in which the interviewers threw in other details after I had answered the first time that would have caused me to change my answer. Since I didn't think you should do that, come hell or high water, I stuck with that answer. I thought that was what you were supposed to do. I did that for several questions. I came out of that room thinking I had kicked ass, that I had assertively stood up to them when they tried to get me to change my mind! So I didn't get in, and I went to the admissions people to find out why. Imagine my surprise when I heard that my interviewers biggest complaint about me was that I was NOT flexible! That I wouldn't change my mind when presented with alternate scenarios! That I was inflexible during moral dilemmas! My jaw dropped to the floor! WTF! I thought you weren't supposed to change your mind! THis year, the only advice I followed was BE YOURSELF. If someone asked me a question and I answered it one way, then I felt like changing something if they brought up a point I hadn't considered, I changed it! Just like anyone would in the "real world" when presented with alternate viewpoints. And... I'm in this time. My point is, while it is important to be able to formulate your opinion and state your reasons why, DON'T feel like you can't EVER change it... where does that myth come from anyways? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UBClebronjames Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 I have a feeling that the advice to stick to your intial stand in an ethical or difficult situation is TRUE but you are confusing the nature of its use. Let me explain: when you are asked to clarify where you stand on a specific issue you should either take Stance A or Stance B (or Stance C etc..) BUT you should NOT switch between A & B and try to find a ideal middle ground route that in pracitical medicine is rare and open to opinion and more ethical problems. However, as in the case that you mentioned, if you are presented with new details or information then the whole set of tools to work with changes and thus the possibility of a different decision for you to make is justified. In this regard you might stay with your original decision, or change it... Rarely in medicine, as with life, are there absolutes, and this follows for med interviews as well. You should be flexible to new information, talking to senior physicians/ethical boards, and at the same time you should be firm in regard to your decision when you have made it during a hospital crisis moment. Interviewers, I assume, will try and see if they can change your initial opinion with the force of their own opposing views. You might feel like you need to agree with them but just use your common sense and stick to your guns... this is where the belief you should not change your stance comes from and to me it makes sense. hope this makes sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Hi there, Interviewers, I assume, will try and see if they can change your initial opinion with the force of their own opposing views. I agree with what was said above, i.e., the interviewers (often, the medic in the interviewing team, interestingly ) will try to challenge your point of view without revealing their own. My take is that they're trying to see the lie of your integrity, i.e., given the knowledge and beliefs that you have expressed, how do you react when these tenets are challenged. Do you cave when someone of authority is offering you the opportunity, or do you stand by what you believe to be the best option? Additionally, in the interviews that I've had thus far, I've gotten the feeling that these types of questions have been used for two other purposes: 1) if offered an additional piece of information do you have the ability to re-evaluate the situation and present the best resolution again, whether that resolution coincides with your previous response or not; 2) when placed under pressure, can you logically consider a broad scope of alternatives. Often, in these situations, as in most ethical situations, there are a few alternatives. As long as you can back them up in a logical manner, that demonstrates that you are/were trying to act in a way that is just (represents the best interests of your patient and their families and any other parties involved) then you shouldn't be found negligent and your interviewer should have little problem with what you determine. To wit, at my interview this past weekend I was given one beezer of an ethical scenario which had apparently happened to the doctor with whom I interviewed, during their training. I'd never come across any such question in any book. It really tested all of the previously-mentioned factors, and the interviewer certainly dotted the scenario with plenty of bait to potentially sway the resolution one way or another. To be truthful, it was a real mire, and tough to think through. However, I found that it helped to try to maintain a clear head and keep the reasons for my resolution in mind when I provided my final answer. I asked the interviewer after I'd given my response what their response was to the situation. Their tack was slightly different from mine but they conceded that my thinking and approach was sound and neither one of us would have been found negligent by a court of law. Uh, phew. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tea Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 hi Chemgirl, you're in already? Congratulations......what school are you at? Luckily, at the UBC interview, no one grilled me. They just asked why do i want to change career... that's all. But, I was prepared for that and anticipated that question. Interestingly, seeing that i've volunteered overseas for the past 5 years, the MD of the team grilled me. I guess he was trying to make sure that i didn't lie. He asked me question such as ... what do you commonly encountered (disease-wise) in third world country? what can be done about it? The reason why i've felt bad after the interview was that they had no questions for me for the "activities outside of class" part. One of the interviewers looked at the "structured question given" and laughed. His followed up comment was, "well... you've done a lot outside of class". Next section.....!!! huh? but, i thought I was doing just the same as everyone else, don't you want to clarify anything? On top of that.... somehow, I kinda made one of the interviewers came close to tears... oops! Well... needless to say.. i felt bad afterward. tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UBClebronjames Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Hey tea could you outline how you got your interview to almost cry? I am having a hard time trying to figure out how could that happen? If I am intruding, please ignore this question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tea Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Well, we were discussing the nature of my work, and i must said something 'cuz this interviewer got all teary eyes. After they close their folders, then they were more relaxed and tell me more about themselves and then i found out the reason. I ended up "interviewing" my interviewers... J/k. tea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chemgirl Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 wow tea, it sounds like you had an emotional interview, and I'm glad that the grilling was a non-issue. Hopefully this will translate into an acceptance for you! Since you asked, I just found out I got in at U of A. So I will hope for some good news for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tea Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 Congratulations.... again and again. I can only imagine what you're feeling... I'd be "floating" ... since the weight will be totally off of my shoulders. I'm so happy for you. tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chemgirl Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 thanks tea that's so sweet! I have tried three times to get to this point so it is quite a relief to be here. Hopefully you will not have such a long time of it. Is this your first interview? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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