I have been compiliing a list of questions to ask at interviews from previous posts on SDN. Since the search function is down I will post my list here.
You'll notice this is a very long list and many of the questions can be answered on the programs' websites. My plan to make this more manageable is to identify any straightforward questions about the curriculum, patient population, research, etc. that aren't answered on the website and ask the residents/faculty the bulk of these. For interviews with PD's, I'm going to be more selective and choose about 5-7 questions that address more philosophical issues (e.g. what does your program offer that is unique? what aspect of your program are you most proud of? what qualities are most important to you in selecting residents?). My hope is that these open-ended questions will allow me to evaluate how well my goals/priorities fit with the philosophy of the program, and at the same time give a glimpse of the PD's personality and passion for their program. Tried it once and it seemed to work pretty well, so we'll see how it goes from here. Anyway, here's the list:
GENERAL
What is the philosophy of the program?
What makes this program so unique?
What do you like most about your training program?
In what areas can the program improve itself?
What process do you have for improving the residency? For evaluating rotations?
What is the relationship between this program and other specialties?
How many residents are there?
How are residents evaluated? How often? By whom? How may they give feedback?
Have any housestaff left, and why?
What do you expect of your housestaff?
How are complaints handled?
CURRICULUM
What kind of curriculum is offered?
How many hospitals participate in the program?
To what extent do residents manage patients?
What is the patient mix and what are the community demographics
What is the scope of experience I can expect?
How is the training divided?
How much elective time is there and how is it usually used?
What is call schedule like?
What are the clinical, non-clinical, and administrative responsibilities of the residents?
Do residents have time to read?
What is the structure of the last year of residency?
Teaching opportunities?
What happens if someone is sick?
Does the curriculum include training in cultural competence?
Is training offered in medical Spanish or other languages?
Is the program or hospital involved in any projects to help the underserved?
What kind of community outreach might we be involved in?
Volume of patients in inpatient and outpatient services
Number of services through which you can expect to rotate
How work is distributed; logistics such as hours; size of teams
Is there funding for continuing medical education course and conferences
What elective opportunities are available
Is there a formal didactic curriculum, and what is its structure?
What programs exist for resident education (e.g. lectures, grand rounds, board review courses.)?
What are the required rotations for the first year? Subsequent years? Where do they take place?
Is there a formal mentoring program for new residents, and do faculty serve as mentors?
What type of structure for supervision is in place?
How does the resident's autonomy change as he/she progresses through the program?
FACULTY/PROGRAM STABILITY
Who are the faculty?
Is the Chairperson staying?
How available are the attendings (including nights and weekends)?
What is the ownership of this institution?
How financially stable is the program?
Characterize faculty-resident relationships.
Do you foresee any changes in the next three years?
What recent changes has the program undergone?
Level of contact with attending staff; opportunities for direct instruction
What is the status of the program's accreditation?
If there were any citations at the last review, what has been done to correct them?
When is the next Residency Review scheduled?
What changes are anticipated in the program over the next 5 years
RESEARCH
Is a thesis or publication required during training?
Is there time and funding for conferences and meetings?
What research opportunities are available? What is the availability of funding for research?
Major research interests within the department
Is there "protected" time for research?
COMPETITIVENESS/FELLOWSHIPS
Where are the graduates of the program now?
What percentage of graduates enter fellowships?
What do you look for in a candidate?
How many people do you rank?
How do your residents perform on boards?
What is this program most respected for?
Is help available for finding jobs/fellowships?
How well do residents perform on board certification exams?
What Medical schools do current residents represent
What is the ownership of this institution?
How financially stable is the program?
ATMOSPHERE/FACILITIES:
What do residents here like most and least?
What is the mix of married and unmarried residents?
What is the racial/ethnic/gender breakdown of residents?
Do the residents socialize as a group?
How are the individual call rooms?
What is the library like?
Can you easily photocopy articles you need?
Where are the lockers?
Do men and women have equal facilities?
Are there fitness facilities?
BENEFITS:
Do you offer health, life, disability insurance?
What is the salary?
What is your meal plan?
What kind of vacation time do you offer?
Do you have sick days?
FOR RESIDENTS:
What contact will I have with clinical faculty?
How are the attendings to work with?
What is the average daily work load for interns? Is it varied?
How much didactic time is there? Does it have priority?
What types of clinical experiences will I have?
What is the work schedule? Call schedule? Time off?
What is the patient population I will see?
Are you happy? Was this a good match for you?
Do the residents socialize as a group?
Would you choose this program again?
How receptive are faculty?
Is support staff adequate?