Bad qualities that would be good to have.

I know in some med school interviews, they ask you what you think are your bad qualities. Could anyone give me any good examples of things i coud say? I don't want to say, "I don't suffer from bad qualities because i'm perfect". Or,
"I'd have to say my worst quality is that evry saturday night i go out, pick up a prostitute and then kill her."

Reply 1

smileymedic

I think i said I'm not very good at delegating. Because, not delegating kind of means you are working really hard, which is a good thing! But i said i know as a medical student and a Dr i wont have the time or resources to do everything myself and part of working in a team involves delegating. So it was an area i knew i was weak in and would make every effort to resolve. A bit of a wishy washy answer but it worked for me!

Reply 2

jamie7

1

Try to think of things that you've never done before and how you would overcome those. For example, you may have never worked as part of a team, but as long as u say how you would deal with this difficulty then that's one of the things they are looking for.

Reply 3

Renal

17

"Well, if I wasn't so modest, I'd be perfect."

:wink:

Reply 4

Fluffy

15

So addicted to precription meds you know the BNF backwards including the pharmacology of everything :wink:

Reply 5

Fluffy

15

smileymedic

I think i said I'm not very good at delegating. Because, not delegating kind of means you are working really hard, which is a good thing!

Or that you are working so hard that you could make silly mistakes (could literally be fatal in medcine), that you are not a team player, and are a bit neurotic? :wink:

Reply 6

j00ni

9

I went with 'I sometimes find it hard to unwind and relax, and may take things too seriously/work too hard' which oddly enough is the truth. I countered it by saying what extracurricular activities I would do and how I would like to try many new things when i got to uni, making new friends etc

Reply 7

Renal

17

Has anyone actually been asked this question in a proper interview?

Reply 8

FruitcakeLiz

1

Renal

Has anyone actually been asked this question in a proper interview?

Yup at liverpool, or perhaps keele i cant rememeber.

Reply 9

smileymedic

yep, at notts and sheffield

Reply 10

Renal

17

Really? Did they just want to piss you off?

Reply 11

medic_rules

I got what did I percieve to be my weaknesses and then they did the strengths question this was at Leicester in 2003

Reply 12

Fluffy

15

Never asked it for medicine, but have been for other things...

Reply 13

Renal

17

Can't imagine why anyone would actually ask it, it's rarely going to provoke the interviewee into an insightful response.

Reply 14

j00ni

9

I think it is a good question as it makes the candidates consider their own shortcomings and what they do to prevent them happening, or what they do to rectify them - qualities which are essential in a doctor imo. I.e. it is necessary for a doctor/med student to be able to indentify gaps in their ability so that they can ask for assistance/teaching where appropriate, so that they improve their skillset, and patients are not put at risk.

I was asked it at my Manchester and Sheffield interviews

Reply 15

Renal

17

j00ni

I think it is a good question as it makes the candidates consider their own shortcomings and what they do to prevent them happening, or what they do to rectify them - qualities which are essential in a doctor imo.

Precisely what the OP in this thread is doing? :rolleyes:

Reply 16

j00ni

9

Renal

Precisely what the OP in this thread is doing? :rolleyes:

Haha touche

Reply 17

Thales

2

I have to agree with Renal here. The question only seems to provoke thoughts such as 'what sounds bad but will in essence make me look good?'

I suppose if people didn't share their interview questions this problem wouldn't exist - if caught off guard with such a question it's rather hard to quickly come up with an answer that works 100% your way.

...

Honesty would also be a solution, I suppose. :wink:

Reply 18

Renal

17

Hah, of course.

Allowing me to tell my interviewer that I take things a bit too seriously, get stressed, tend towards addiction, drink too much... :biggrin: