eternalkeener Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Hey Everyone, What are your thoughts about any of us complaining about an interviewer through the OAS or by phone? I'd like to complain about the one who cut me off continually as he didn't wait patiently to introduce my topic in a succinct way and instead just cut me off with incisive questions about things I was just about to say or EVEN about things I had already said. I don't want to ruin my chances by being difficult or by seeming typically Type A and annoying them further. But... there is my MMI score at stake and possibly my acceptance... Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jselina Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 i had an interviewer just like that! hmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hking03 Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 That specific station interviewer may have been instructed to act that way to gauge how you responded to confrontational/abrasive characteristics as patients and fellow professionals may not always put there best foot forward in stressful situations. Having said that... You could ask if there is a complaints process. Did the survey have any opportunity to express this kind of thing? I think it kind of did... Not sure though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iicii Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 well...I think the "silver lining" of this situation is that he prob acted that way towards all applicants....also, it's one of many stations...but yea, I wasn't in that situation so I can't really understand the severity. Hey Everyone, What are your thoughts about any of us complaining about an interviewer through the OAS or by phone? I'd like to complain about the one who cut me off continually as he didn't wait patiently to introduce my topic in a succinct way and instead just cut me off with incisive questions about things I was just about to say or EVEN about things I had already said. I don't want to ruin my chances by being difficult or by seeming typically Type A and annoying them further. But... there is my MMI score at stake and possibly my acceptance... Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiceWine Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hey Everyone, What are your thoughts about any of us complaining about an interviewer through the OAS or by phone? I'd like to complain about the one who cut me off continually as he didn't wait patiently to introduce my topic in a succinct way and instead just cut me off with incisive questions about things I was just about to say or EVEN about things I had already said. I don't want to ruin my chances by being difficult or by seeming typically Type A and annoying them further. But... there is my MMI score at stake and possibly my acceptance... Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks. i'm really sorry to hear that Eternal. Last year and the year before, i swear i had the same interviewer who woudln't look at me when i answered. he looked bored and plays with his pen or jacket while i was responding to a scenario. it could be just the interviewer...even though MMI is supposed to be "standardized." I guess there's no perfect solution to interviewing applicants.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayan Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hey Everyone, What are your thoughts about any of us complaining about an interviewer through the OAS or by phone? You should totally do it. And be really obnoxious about it too. Don't be afraid to drop a couple of F-bombs and overt threats while you're at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iicii Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 one of my was arms crossed and frowning the whole time...I think it's just the interviewer, or their attempt to create and intimidating environment i'm really sorry to hear that Eternal. Last year and the year before, i swear i had the same interviewer who woudln't look at me when i answered. he looked bored and plays with his pen or jacket while i was responding to a scenario. it could be just the interviewer...even though MMI is supposed to be "standardized." I guess there's no perfect solution to interviewing applicants.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Thanks for all the advice! I'm going to tone down Mayan's advice though, lol! I can understand your point Mayan - it does not look good. I think I'll gently ask whether there's a complaint process first and proceed delicately from there. It's good to know that some of you have had the same experience though, even though I don't wish it on anyone!!! He could have been there to be abrasive, or he could be wildly insensitive to the fact that if I don't actually get anything out of my mouth, I'll do really horribly on his station (seems obvious to me that this sort of behaviour would give me a goose egg on the station but it's possible he just didn't realize this, in which case it's extra appropriate to complain). As for the feedback survey, I think they're anonymous... I could have put my name but then it would be linked to all kinds of other things I was pointing out to be improved. I didn't want that. I'll have to choose my words carefully, ommitting the ever-lovable F-bomb, and go from there. thanks for your support, everyone! EK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I don't think you should at all--the point of the interview process, most of the time, is the see how you deal with the interview--the people and not the actual topic at hand. Complaining that an interviewer was pushy or interruptive does not show your strengths...interrupting the interviewer by politely saying "Well, I was actually just about to say!"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I don't think you should at all--the point of the interview process, most of the time, is the see how you deal with the interview--the people and not the actual topic at hand. Complaining that an interviewer was pushy or interruptive does not show your strengths...interrupting the interviewer by politely saying "Well, I was actually just about to say!"... Just curious: Is there a source that talks about this particular purpose of the interview, Cnussey? I was not aware that this was the 'point' of having this type of interviewer. I've heard so many mixed opinions (including yours) about why these types of interviewers are there. Btw I did fortunately resort to "Well, I was actually just about to say..." At least I have that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Just curious: Is there a source that talks about this particular purpose of the interview, Cnussey? I was not aware that this was the 'point' of having this type of interviewer. I've heard so many mixed opinions (including yours) about why these types of interviewers are there. Btw I did fortunately resort to "Well, I was actually just about to say..." At least I have that... Then you should be pleased with your composure and move on. And yes, take a look at some of the med-school interview books and their web pages and all over this forum: dealing with stress and an argumentative/uninterested interviewer is part of the strategy often. I had one interviewer last year who would purposefully put his face in his hand and sigh. You finish your question and have to prompt him to give follow-up questions. You have to deal and move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TankMasterFlex Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I've heard from several people that some interviewers are specifically told to be like this. Some of them pretend like they're bored, some challenge you, some cut you off, and some are told to be very friendly. I don't know for sure if this is actually true or not, but I definitely experienced this to some degree and just went with it. I do remember reading a while back from Calgary that an interviewer was doing something like this and the staff at Calgary admissions were interested to hear about it... I don't think complaining will affect your chances either way as I don't see how they can justify changing your interview score, but it probably won't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ace of Spades Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 ...but it probably won't hurt. I don't see how it could help either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I don't see how it could help either. That's really interesting to hear about the disinterested/difficult interviewers you've had. Perhaps they were testing composure then. I'll take a deeper look into the research. I need to move my focus away from the potential 'goose egg on that station' theory anyway, as it's just not helping me concentrate on other things! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 A response to what AceOfSpades said- It might help them by following up with an interviewer who should be reprimanded, if that is the case, or it might help them give better instructions next year? (I'm not saying the interviewer should be reprimanded- I know what Cnussey is saying could very well be valid) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hking03 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 That's really interesting to hear about the disinterested/difficult interviewers you've had. Perhaps they were testing composure then. I'll take a deeper look into the research. I need to move my focus away from the potential 'goose egg on that station' theory anyway, as it's just not helping me concentrate on other things! Thank you. i would suggest you contact moo... only because he is a mod on this site and he also underwent the training for ubc interviews for the mmi this year. if you wanted some information direct from the source that might not be a bad place to start. having said that, i'm sorry for putting moo on the spot- i don't see him having a problem with helping as he's been great about passing information out regarding other aspects of medicine... having said that... this may be a sensitive subject as it could border on some sort of confidentiality agreement between ubc and the interviewers... anyways, to add to my previous post- i'm 99% sure that the dude who interviewed you was told to act that way and did so with every applicant. some are a little more dramatic than others... or can be more convincing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruij Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Hey Everyone, What are your thoughts about any of us complaining about an interviewer through the OAS or by phone? I'd like to complain about the one who cut me off continually as he didn't wait patiently to introduce my topic in a succinct way and instead just cut me off with incisive questions about things I was just about to say or EVEN about things I had already said. I don't want to ruin my chances by being difficult or by seeming typically Type A and annoying them further. But... there is my MMI score at stake and possibly my acceptance... Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks. The exact same thing happened to me! Maybe it was the same interviewer. I was asked questions that I was just about to say, and alot of the times I was cut off even before I was able to finish my sentence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquadon Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 The exact same thing happened to me! Maybe it was the same interviewer. I was asked questions that I was just about to say, and alot of the times I was cut off even before I was able to finish my sentence. I wasn't ever cut off, but one of my interviewers seemed intensely passionate about the question and with every possible solution I gave she would simply say "We've tried that and it doesn't work!". The first time I understood what she was saying, after the next 3 or 4 shoot downs of my solutions I kind of threw my hands up and said "This is a really complex situation and I'm sorry I don't know anymore potential solutions off the top of my head!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted March 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 I wasn't ever cut off, but one of my interviewers seemed intensely passionate about the question and with every possible solution I gave she would simply say "We've tried that and it doesn't work!". The first time I understood what she was saying, after the next 3 or 4 shoot downs of my solutions I kind of threw my hands up and said "This is a really complex situation and I'm sorry I don't know anymore potential solutions off the top of my head!" Thanks for the advice everyone, and hking03, I might just contact moo. I was advised by a med student today NEVERRRRR to whisper a word of complaint because he felt it would really affect their view and judgment of me in the admissions process. He had such a visceral reaction that I'm very reluctant to complain now. But I'll check with moo. I'm sorry for all the others who had a similar experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted March 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Thanks for the advice everyone, and hking03, I might just contact moo. I was advised by a med student today NEVERRRRR to whisper a word of complaint because he felt it would really affect their view and judgment of me in the admissions process. He had such a visceral reaction that I'm very reluctant to complain now. But I'll check with moo. I'm sorry for all the others who had a similar experience! oops, moo can't receive messages. probably for reasons such as this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloh Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 There's nothing wrong with putting such a testy interviewer in the MMI as a form of an MMI experiment, as long as it is the last MMI station. If the students were specifically instructed that it is supposed to be a one-way conversation (unless requesting a prompt question), then this can severely throw off an applicant and put them in a bad mood for the subsequent stations. IMO, it's very unfair and it is a big issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiceWine Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 If the students were specifically instructed that it is supposed to be a one-way conversation (unless requesting a prompt question), then this can severely throw off an applicant and put them in a bad mood for the subsequent stations. IMO, it's very unfair and it is a big issue. i kinda agree with this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hking03 Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 There's nothing wrong with putting such a testy interviewer in the MMI as a form of an MMI experiment, as long as it is the last MMI station. If the students were specifically instructed that it is supposed to be a one-way conversation (unless requesting a prompt question), then this can severely throw off an applicant and put them in a bad mood for the subsequent stations. IMO, it's very unfair and it is a big issue. Yeah, I definitely empathize with the situation. I personally don't feel like I was put in an overly testy situation with regards to the interviewers, but it may have just been how I handled the stations or who my interviewers were. I definitely had a couple that were more stoic than others... but nothing to write home about. As for putting it at the end... the logistics of that would be hard to manage as everybody starts at a different station and would therefore end at a different station, or have to sit and wait for that station to come up unless they have different interviewers perform the last sation in which case they may have slightly different styles and elicit a slightly different response from the applicant, which could possibly take away from the point of the station. I think that having the interviewers act differently and be randomized gives a truer reflection of what a typical day might be like, not just for a doctor but for anybody that works with people. It's not like your last customer of the day at the grocery store is always going to be a jerk, it might be the first... or you might have more than one (or none). How you handle that is important and unfortunately, it can have a negative impact on other interactions but you need to be aware of that and work through it as best you can. Put on a happy face and shut it out until you can process it. Having said that, I felt pretty crummy about one of the stations... I walked out of it thinking it couldn't have gone any worse than it did, but I pushed it out of my mind and moved on, put a smile on my face and spent some time developing my thoughts for the next station. I came back to it after the MMI was over and walked through it to see if I could have done somthing differently. So, I definitely agree that it sucks to have a testy interviewer, and I agree that it can impact how other stations go... but that's the whole point isn't it? To see how we respond in less than ideal conditions... as that's going to give the adcoms an opportunity to see how we function under stress and ultimately move us away from coached responses and prepared statements. Just my thoughts on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloh Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 I think that having the interviewers act differently and be randomized gives a truer reflection of what a typical day might be like, not just for a doctor but for anybody that works with people. It's not like your last customer of the day at the grocery store is always going to be a jerk, it might be the first... or you might have more than one (or none). Then prior to the interview, they should caution the students that some of the interviewers may talk back to you. This is almost the same situation as a woman going to a dentist and instead of getting her teeth cleaned, she gets a pap smear instead. It's not that the woman is incapable of going through a pap smear, but she's not expecting it and thus the reactions would not be representative of that persons true personality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larrivee Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Then prior to the interview, they should caution the students that some of the interviewers may talk back to you. This is almost the same situation as a woman going to a dentist and instead of getting her teeth cleaned, she gets a pap smear instead. It's not that the woman is incapable of going through a pap smear, but she's not expecting it and thus the reactions would not be representative of that persons true personality. Nice analogy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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