newtide1980 Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Hi Folks, I am prepping for CaRMS interview questions, and I was wondering how best to respond to questions about life events (e.g. "tell me about a mistake you made", "how do you deal with conflict", "describe your greatest weakness", etc.). When choosing a concrete example, is it better or OK to choose a medical example or a non-medical example? The reason I am asking is that I did grad school and did a number of different things very non-medical prior to applying to med school, and was wondering if it is OK to draw in these experiences. Also, I am finding it difficult to come up with good examples from my clerkship (e.g. I have rarely had any interpersonal conflicts to resolve; I have never had to disagree with a superior, etc.). Thanks for any input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 If your pre-medical experiences offer better examples, then use those. No reason that the examples have to be medical, unless asked specifically about patient care issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renin Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Hmm, I didn't have a lack of interpersonal conflicts to draw on from clerkship - haha; but I am a stubborn stick in the mud, so... ... in regards to your question, you can use any examples to draw upon. Be ready to defend if they ask you specifically a clinical based question, why you are deferring to your pre-med days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtide1980 Posted January 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Thanks a lot Lactic Folly and Renin ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happybluedoc Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 Has anyone received a Dalhousie IMG interview invitation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerroger Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 You will find that CaRMS interviews will focus a lot on clinical situation questions. You are applying for a job as a doctor after all... Be prepared to explain difficult, challenging clinical situations you encountered. Clerkship was a fruitful time for this. It does not matter who you are. You got stuff to say if you finished med school. If you don't have these experiences and what you learned at the tip of your tongue sit down for awhile and do some reflecting. You gotta have this stuff down cold. Practice for this interview. Go to your med school student services and ask what resources they have. UofT offered pretty decent mock interviews. Know why you are applying for a speciality and what downsides exist in that given specialty. By the end of the CaRMS tour you will get slick at interviewing. But you don't want your first couple of schools to be "practice" interviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtide1980 Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Thanks for your advice, rogerroger ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ophtho_gunner Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 has anyone got a genuine weakness example which is NOT "I am a perfectionist, I am too critical of myself, I am a very shy person, Its hard for me to say no, I am very self-conscious...." I am having difficulty finding a weakness in myself which is unique and which no one else on Earth has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 For what it's worth from an M3, I get frustrated a little too easily sometimes, and I have a hard time multi-tasking. I usually focus more on how I have learned to work around my weaknesses, which I think is what they are really asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Why does the weakness have to be unique? The key is that it should be genuine and believable, while at the same time not raise any red flags. As ellorie said, you can frame this as a hurdle you have worked to overcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ophtho_gunner Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Why does the weakness have to be unique? The key is that it should be genuine and believable, while at the same time not raise any red flags. As ellorie said, you can frame this as a hurdle you have worked to overcome. My good friend had a genuine weakness which he mentioned at his interview that he tended to be quiet in personal life (this does not mean he was anti-social although extroverts always look at introverts as antisocial, he was into Zen, Rumi, German Nature Mysticism, Hermann Hesse etc so his personality was that way in social gatherings) and this had affected him because quietness meant people did not notice him and he was not able to avail many opportunities which require face time/talk talk talk/networking, although interviewers took it to mean that he is quiet in personal life AND work life AND has tendency to be anti-social, despite him having great reference letters (which are only possible if you can TALK to ppl in clinic) ... and of course he was not given a residency spot in ophtho last year. But God, he is an amazing person, which other ophtho applicant has read Hermann Hesse through and through? So I think this "genuine and believable" thing about weakness is meaningless as any weakness can be interpreted into a possible threat the resident could be for a program (after all CanMEDs 6 roles encompass and encroach on every aspect of one's life). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 My friend had a genuine weakness that he was quiet in personal life (this does not mean he was anti-social although extroverts always look at introverts as antisocial), although interviewers took it to mean that he is quiet in personal life AND work life AND has tendency to be anti-social, despite him having great reference letters (which are only possible if you can TALK to ppl in clinic) ... and of course he was not given a residency spot. So I think this "genuine and believable" thing about weakness is meaningless as any weakness can be interpreted into a possible threat the resident could be for a program (after all CanMEDs 6 roles encompass and encroach on every aspect of one's life). How do you know this is what the interviewers inferred from his answer, or that this statement was the _one thing_ that held him back? If personality is a concern, they would match up with their own impressions during the interview, as well as feedback from others. If the person is felt to be likeable and strong, it is unlikely that an admission of being "quiet" would be a deal-breaker. They'd be able to tell that you were on the reserved side during the interview/elective anyway. Example of genuine and believable, as above: "I used to find multi-tasking challenging, as any time a new task came up, I would get distracted from what I was working on, as I wanted to get it off my plate at once, and it took me extra time to resume where I left off. Now, I keep a written list of all my to-dos, marked by priority. When I'm given a new task, I write it down immediately and am able to see where it fits into all the things I have to do. The bonus is that I've never forgotten to do something on time, and people comment on how organized I am." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 P.S. For truly competitive specialties, lack of success in matching does not necessarily mean that anything was _wrong_ with one's application... just that there were more outstanding candidates who filled the spots before the matching algorithm reached you. I do think it would be risky to answer "I'm a perfectionist" or "I work too hard" unless you could show that it was a liability in some way. Some people would take this as too glib otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ophtho_gunner Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 P.S. For truly competitive specialties, lack of success in matching does not necessarily mean that anything was _wrong_ with one's application... just that there were more outstanding candidates who filled the spots before the matching algorithm reached you. I do think it would be risky to answer "I'm a perfectionist" or "I work too hard" unless you could show that it was a liability in some way. Some people would take this as too glib otherwise. If one has reached an interview stage, it probably means the program thinks you are as competitive and accomplished as the next joe interviewing with you, at least on paper. Clearly, an outstanding interview does not make one more academically accomplished than the other applicant who does not get matched so it seems after interview it is more about which personality they want in their program. At least, it seems to be that way for ophtho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Although all interviewees are strong, it does not necessarily mean they are all equal on paper. There is a reason why a few people garner interviews at nearly every program (even the ones they haven't auditioned at), and why others sweat it out with fewer interviews than they'd hoped for. Not disputing that personality plays a big role, especially in the smaller competitive fields. But usually in those fields, on-site electives are very important, and assessment of personality is going to rest more on that first-hand exposure over a period of weeks, rather than a few hours on interview day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerroger Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 P.S. For truly competitive specialties, lack of success in matching does not necessarily mean that anything was _wrong_ with one's application... just that there were more outstanding candidates who filled the spots before the matching algorithm reached you. I do think it would be risky to answer "I'm a perfectionist" or "I work too hard" unless you could show that it was a liability in some way. Some people would take this as too glib otherwise. Yeah, don't say you are a perfectionist. Yawn, everyone says that weakness. It sounds like a cop out even if true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon01 Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 Yeah, don't say you are a perfectionist. Yawn, everyone says that weakness. It sounds like a cop out even if true. state some imperfection that isn't a red flag and then you put the positive twist on it as to how you're actively dealing with it now. ie - i find sometimes when i get home after a long shift i have a hard time leaving work related issues at work or with the hand over person. sometimes i'd call and check in to see how a certain patient was doing or check their bloodwork from home.... it wasn't good for me developing a social life outside of medicine. now i play the guitar often, i entered into this league/gym, etc blah blah just stuff showing you've distracted yourself from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 sometimes i'd call and check in to see how a certain patient was doing or check their bloodwork from home.... Some people aren't going to call this a weakness... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon01 Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 Some people aren't going to call this a weakness... Nope, I agree. I had a hard time separating the two and it became obsessive... time to see my shrink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmitty Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 Some people aren't going to call this a weakness... I think that's the point... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 I think that's the point... Yes, but then you don't want those people to think that *you* think being super-dedicated is not actually something to aspire to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon01 Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 Yes, but then you don't want those people to think that *you* think being super-dedicated is not actually something to aspire to... "super-dedicated" is a pretty big spectrum. When you hit the point you're dedicated to your residency and patients 24 hours a day, even on vacation, it isn't healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 "super-dedicated" is a pretty big spectrum. When you hit the point you're dedicated to your residency and patients 24 hours a day, even on vacation, it isn't healthy. Agree - just want to make the point that if you want to use this as a weakness, you have to portray it as such - as an obsession that isn't healthy, not an occasional conscientious follow-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Stark Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 It's not a weakness, though it's not healthy either. A weakness might be, say, being routinely a bit late in the morning because you get distracted by your laptop/TV/iPad in the evening and don't get to bed early enough. You overcame this by making sure to shut off the TV/computer earlier and keeping the iPad outside the bedroom, and hence are often now early instead. Or something to that effect. I haven't quite overcome that! As for being "conscientious", I have the opportunity to put VPN on my work iPad, which would allow me to login to our EMR from home. There are times when it would be really convenient, but I'm not sure it's a great idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon01 Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 Agree - just want to make the point that if you want to use this as a weakness, you have to portray it as such - as an obsession that isn't healthy, not an occasional conscientious follow-up. Oh yes, I've only been in residency for 5 years and I assure you, it is definitely a weakness for me as it isn't a quick 5-10 minute check before bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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