Blog Submissions: Awkward Interview Moments Series

Welcome to a new series that will start after Match Day. Some of us have been through an exhausting, grueling interview season of fake smiling, wearing uncomfortable polyester-blend suits, and asking nonessential questions about programs that are all essentially the same. During these 3 months, most of us have probably encountered an awkward moment with an interviewer - whether it be on our parts or the assistant professor of [insert medical specialty] or current resident. And we want to hear about it! We will compose a blog about the most awkward moments we encountered on the interview trail 2009-2010. All submissions will be anonymous, and don't fret, overly cautious MS4s, this blog will not go up until everyone has matched. Blog readers, come out of the woodwork, and participate - send your most awkward interview moment to mariamq786@yahoo.com.

-- By Mariam, who will scream if anyone ever asks her, "Do you have anymore questions for me?"

Critical Analysis of a Tile: Part IV

The interview season is winding down, and while I have a pile of 15 thank you cards to write, I am taking a break to provide more blogging entertainment. So now back by popular demand, another critical analysis of drawings on tile.

Farrah: The size of these kites couldn't really generate enough lift when compared to the placement of the string and the size of the bows. The message of "be free" doesn't exactly make sense in a hospital setting. What is this child trying to imply? Be free of medical treatment? The parents who avoid vaccination aren't setting anything free other than a new epidemic of mumps. Be free of disease? How is being free of disease related to kites? If you set a kite free, it doesn't have a brain, and it can't feel the importance of its liberation. It might even land in a local river, suffocate a swan, and leave a baby swan behind who thinks it's ugly while it is raised amongst the ducks! Finally, these supposed "kites" look strikingly similar to a spermatozoa with a crude drawing of the mitochondria in the tail. I don't know where these sperm are going to "be free," but I do know it's inappropriate for children.

Mariam: I am wondering what exactly the association between hospitals and kites is, too, Farrah. But, really, who can fathom what kind of crazy shit goes on in a kid's mind? One interpretation is that the kid is stuck in the hospital and weird people keep waking him up to poke him and check on him, and maybe he wants to "be free" of the hospital and walk out AMA*. I highly don't recommend that because then insurance doesn't pay for your visit, and who the hell wants to pay a $30,000 hospital bill out of pocket? Also, I'd like to point out the inaccuracy of the tile as well - first of all, kites are not free - they are tethered by a string and held by a snot-nosed kid (such as the one who painted this tile). In fact, they are totally operator-dependent. If a kid wanted to make an accurate (albeit irrelevant) tile about freedom, he should have painted some birds. Now, birds are totally free.

*= Against medical advice

--By Mariam and Farrah, who spent this past week making jokes about Dr. Spaceman.