Hi, guys.
Moose - I'm glad I didn't have YOUR interviewer!!!! Jeez!!!
My interviews were a little different. I prepared for everything by reading EVERY post on the interview feedback forum. I also researched answers to ethical questions - what doctors actually do. I also keep up on the news every day anyway, so I knew what was going on with health care reform.
My first interview was with a PhD who teaches anatomy. His first question - before I even got sat down - was "Tell me why you want to be a doctor" I basically just elaborated on what I said in my personal statement.
Then we just had a casual conversation about stuff in my application - where I went to school, what I do for fun, where I lived before (Albuquerque), and things I did in my previous career as an engineer.
Then he asked me the ethical question. "Suppose you are a 3rd year student and you stay up all night with a patient. You see another 3rd year fudge Hematocrit values in the patient's chart. What do you do?" I said I would obviously give my colleague the benefit of the doubt - he has been up all night with me and mistakes can happen! The interviewer said "Ok, but you discover that he has flat-out lied to look good to the attending. What do you do?" My response was basically shock and I said that patient care comes FIRST - ahead of "looking good" and he seemed to like what I said.
Next, he asked me if I could invite any 3 people - living or dead - to dinner, who would it be? I said I'd invite Stephen Hawking - a renowned physicist and author of several books - his research has been fundamental to our understanding of the universe - but he is also a quadrapalegic (?sp?). Next, I would invite Pres. Obama because I respect his opinions and all that he has overcome to be the first African American president. Then, I said I would invite my husband. 🙂 That got us into a conversation about what my husband does and our lives together.
Then, he asked me - based on my work experience - what is one thing I liked and one thing I would change about how doctors interact with patients. I used specific examples of particular patients and doctors (of course I stayed within HIPAA rules and left out names and certain details). That got us into a discussion of health care reform.
By that time, the interview was over.
My next interview was with another PhD. It was supposed to be with 2 people, but 1 of them couldn't make it.
She asked me "Tell me something that I don't know from your application." I talked about how I left the KC area to go live in New Mexico and how much I missed HOME. I talked about how much I LOVE living here again and how my husband and I don't want to leave. I talked about how much I LOVE living on my mini-farm in Leavenworth County. (WARNING: THIS WAS ALL 100% TRUE). That got us into a discussion of Leavenworth County - she lives there too.
She asked me when I am a doctor, if I practice in Leavenworth - who do I see my patient base as being? I talked about the demographic make-up of the county, etc.
Then she asked me if I could get the ear of one politician - what would I say about health care reform? I presented BOTH sides of the argument very logicially ("I see the point of patients who cannot afford PET scans without insurance, but I also understand that medicine is a business and doctors must be able to put food on the table too"). Then I stated my opinion. Then I said what I would say to the politician and what I would do.
Next we had a LONG discussion about how I am older, how I am married, and how I could handle being in class with people 8-9 years younger and in a different place in life as me. We talked about my support system - the difficulties of going back to school, etc. It was actually a GREAT discussion.
Then that interview was over too. It seemed like they were way too short, honestly. 🙂
I hope this helps, guys!
