Interview Questions?

[mpfeffer]

I'm gearing up for my interviews in the next couple months and have gotten some good tips from previous posts. But, if anyone has more lists of questions that they have been asked or better ways to make a more lasting impression during a interview, then I'm all ears. Thanks!

[simpsons]

I am compiling a list of questions from various sources. I will post them up as soon as I get done with them, hopefully right after my finals week (12/10)

[wackie]

Are you a woman?

I think more women get asked this than men, but, "What will you do if you have kids while in school?"


I still haven't figured out how to answer that. I know the answer, but adcoms might grumble.

[brinapremed]

One question that I rarely see posted is "Tell me about yourself"
I have been to a multitude of interviews and have been asked this at almost every interview. it's kind of surprising how hard it is to sit there and spit out a short bio of YOU. Ah!

[anamaky]

I'm not so sure about this, these types of questions are very inapropriate to ask and the interviewers know better than to ask these questions. I won't say that there aren't some of the members of the good old boys club that still do interviews, but these types of questions are grounds for claiming descrimination.

You should know your application inside and out and be prepared to answer any questions about any negative aspects of your application (a low grade or things of that sort). Be up to date on what's going on in the world of health care today, have an opinion on ethical issues, there really is no right or wrong answer when it comes down to these questions, they just want to see your thought process and whether or not you actually have an opinion.

Are you a woman?

I think more women get asked this than men, but, "What will you do if you have kids while in school?"


I still haven't figured out how to answer that. I know the answer, but adcoms might grumble.

[mdille2]

Actually I was asked similar questions at every interview I went on. It can be discriminatory, but it is a legitimate question in my case. I have 5 children and they need to know that I have a plan.

Marcia

[lexa10881]

Here is an extensive list of questions that interviewers commonly ask. Though you never know what an interviewer may ask. Sometimes they will ask technical questions or questions about the company, so it is a good idea to do your research on the company and to plan your answers accordingly.

examplesof. com/interview_questions/

[rgroller]

the thing about "inappropriate questions" is the interviewer is probably more than likely interested in how you respond to an off-color question/comment, than your actual answer. Doctors are often but in stressful situations and the interviewer may want to see your response to pressure. I was at UMDNJ and the interviewer was asking some bioethical questions and then went into this string of questions about what church I go to and what do I think happens when you die, questions that have nothing to do with medicine/medical school. I knew the guy was just looking for me to snap, but I never did. Just keep your cool.

[bigdoc]

Don't buy into stupid questions about things like your religion and what happens when you die.

Just say, I haven't given those topics a lot of thought, I'm more preoccupied with my immediate scholastic and community obligations and preparing for my entry to Medical school. Don't be afraid to say something like "I'm sorry, is this relevant in some way to my candidacy for your program?" A lot of adcoms are worried you'll report them for inappropriate line of questioning or illegal probing about religion and other subjects that are irrelevant. They are almost as scared as you are. Believe me, I've counseled several adcom members on this.

If they ask what you're going to do with kids in medical school, always answer that you have a big network of family members waiting to take those kids and eliminate your day-to-day responsibilities that would detract from studying. Make it clear that you will NOT take years off of a demanding residency program to raise kids, they don't want their investment to lag behind.

[rgroller]

good advice! a lot of interviewers are from a generation when people would go straight from college to medical school without any breaks in education. Since the average age of starting medical students is around 25-26, many people would probably fall under the heading of "non-traditional" applicants. Many people take time off between college and med school to start a family, etc. and schools should be aware those applicants are no less qualified than the "traditional" applicant. who defines "traditional" anyway?