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Is there a website where one can find questions that programs have asked in the past?
A Question About Questions
- Thread starter clement
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Some people will talk about this in the interview feedback section or interview feedback threads.
Remember, though, that many programs use residents to interview applicants. And since residents leave so quickly (every few years) it is hard to come up with a complete list of "stock questions" that get asked every year.
If you are truly that concerned, it is not a bad idea to ask residents that you are working with what THEY were asked when they interviewed.
Might I suggest calming down just a little bit? I know it is an anxiety-filled process. It is also, however, a long-ass process that stretches over many months (until March). If you're this anxious now, you're going to have a stroke by January.
Remember, though, that many programs use residents to interview applicants. And since residents leave so quickly (every few years) it is hard to come up with a complete list of "stock questions" that get asked every year.
If you are truly that concerned, it is not a bad idea to ask residents that you are working with what THEY were asked when they interviewed.
Might I suggest calming down just a little bit? I know it is an anxiety-filled process. It is also, however, a long-ass process that stretches over many months (until March). If you're this anxious now, you're going to have a stroke by January.
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clement - I appreciate your anxiety about interview questions, as I am concerned about it myself. However, a word of advice - make an effort to find some information on your own (SDN has been around for close to 10 years now, and the same questions come up every year) - others on the forum will appreciate it and will be more likely to respond and help you out.
That being said, I came across this article from the AMA (referenced here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=352004&highlight=interview+questions)
and it looks quite helpful:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/abo.../the-residency-interview-making-most-it.shtml
Highlights:
If you are prepared to answer the following list, you should be ready for many of the questions you will face.
Why did you choose this specialty?
Why are you interested in this program?
What are your goals?
Tell me about yourself?
What did you do before medicine? (To an older student)
Why should we pick you?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Where else have you applied?
Are you interested in academic or in clinical medicine?
Do you want to do research?
Where will you rank us?
What was the most interesting case that you have been involved in?
Present a case that you handled during medical school.
Do you plan to do a fellowship?
What could you offer this program?
How do you rank in your class?
Do you see any problems managing a professional and a personal life?
Are you prepared for the rigors of residency?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
What questions do you have?
The following is a list of some uncommonly asked questions as reported by students:
Are you religious?
What is the one event you are proudest of in your life?
What do you plan to do after residency?
What are your hobbies?
What do you think about housestaff unionization?
How would you redesign the health care system?
Why did you get (a certain) low grade?
Questions to Ask During Interviews
Education/Philosophy:
What is the philosophy of the program?
Who are the faculty?
What kind of curriculum is offered?
How many hospitals participate in the program?
Is a thesis or publication required during training?
Is there time and funding for conferences and meetings?
To what extent do residents manage patients?
What is the patient mix and what are the community demographics?
Do residents perform surgery?
Is the program changing, and why?
What do residents here like most and least?
What are the research, clinical, teaching opportunities?
What is the scope of experience I can expect?
What is the program like (in the sub-specialty I'm interested in)?
Where are the graduates of the program now?
How much elective time is there and how is it usually used?
Is the Chairperson staying?
What percentage of graduates enter fellowships?
How is the training divided?
What are the weaknesses of the program?
Do residents have time to read?
How available are the attendings (including nights and weekends)?
What were the results of the last accreditation visit?
Are there any joint residency activities?
What is the patient mix? Does it reflect the community demographics?
What kind of community outreach might we be involved in?
Competitiveness of the Program:
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?
What is the ownership of this institution?
How financially stable is the program?
Quality of Life:
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?
Are their support groups?
Is there an Office of Minority Affairs? What is its role?
How many residents are there?
What is call schedule like?
What happens if someone is sick?
Characterize faculty-resident relationships.
What is the relationship between this program and other specialties?
Have any housestaff left, and why?
What do you expect of your housestaff?
Is there a house staff grievance process?
How are complaints handled?
What is the parental leave policy?
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?
Do you have maternity/parental leave?
Does the curriculum include training in cultural competence?
Is training offered in medical Spanish or other languages?
Does the program seek and actively recruit minority residents?
How many attendings/faculty are minorities, and are efforts being made to actively recruit them as well?
Does the medical school have an Office of Minority Affairs?
What is the make-up of the patient population?
Is the program or hospital involved in any projects to help the undeserved?
That being said, I came across this article from the AMA (referenced here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=352004&highlight=interview+questions)
and it looks quite helpful:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/abo.../the-residency-interview-making-most-it.shtml
Highlights:
If you are prepared to answer the following list, you should be ready for many of the questions you will face.
Why did you choose this specialty?
Why are you interested in this program?
What are your goals?
Tell me about yourself?
What did you do before medicine? (To an older student)
Why should we pick you?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Where else have you applied?
Are you interested in academic or in clinical medicine?
Do you want to do research?
Where will you rank us?
What was the most interesting case that you have been involved in?
Present a case that you handled during medical school.
Do you plan to do a fellowship?
What could you offer this program?
How do you rank in your class?
Do you see any problems managing a professional and a personal life?
Are you prepared for the rigors of residency?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
What questions do you have?
The following is a list of some uncommonly asked questions as reported by students:
Are you religious?
What is the one event you are proudest of in your life?
What do you plan to do after residency?
What are your hobbies?
What do you think about housestaff unionization?
How would you redesign the health care system?
Why did you get (a certain) low grade?
Questions to Ask During Interviews
Education/Philosophy:
What is the philosophy of the program?
Who are the faculty?
What kind of curriculum is offered?
How many hospitals participate in the program?
Is a thesis or publication required during training?
Is there time and funding for conferences and meetings?
To what extent do residents manage patients?
What is the patient mix and what are the community demographics?
Do residents perform surgery?
Is the program changing, and why?
What do residents here like most and least?
What are the research, clinical, teaching opportunities?
What is the scope of experience I can expect?
What is the program like (in the sub-specialty I'm interested in)?
Where are the graduates of the program now?
How much elective time is there and how is it usually used?
Is the Chairperson staying?
What percentage of graduates enter fellowships?
How is the training divided?
What are the weaknesses of the program?
Do residents have time to read?
How available are the attendings (including nights and weekends)?
What were the results of the last accreditation visit?
Are there any joint residency activities?
What is the patient mix? Does it reflect the community demographics?
What kind of community outreach might we be involved in?
Competitiveness of the Program:
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?
What is the ownership of this institution?
How financially stable is the program?
Quality of Life:
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?
Are their support groups?
Is there an Office of Minority Affairs? What is its role?
How many residents are there?
What is call schedule like?
What happens if someone is sick?
Characterize faculty-resident relationships.
What is the relationship between this program and other specialties?
Have any housestaff left, and why?
What do you expect of your housestaff?
Is there a house staff grievance process?
How are complaints handled?
What is the parental leave policy?
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?
Do you have maternity/parental leave?
Does the curriculum include training in cultural competence?
Is training offered in medical Spanish or other languages?
Does the program seek and actively recruit minority residents?
How many attendings/faculty are minorities, and are efforts being made to actively recruit them as well?
Does the medical school have an Office of Minority Affairs?
What is the make-up of the patient population?
Is the program or hospital involved in any projects to help the undeserved?
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Thank you, babel! Very helpful.
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This comes up each year. As far as I understand it, programs can ask you how you are going to rank them. Programs, though, may NOT "bargain" - "If you rank us first, we will rank you first," etc.
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Truthfully hadn't read through the questions in detail myself, but agreed - I don't think that is an allowed question.
Yeah- I think according to the NRMP match regulations- you can volunteer to tell a program where you are ranking them, but programs cannot solicit from applicants how they are ranking programs (programs can also volunteer to tell applicants how they're ranking them).
It makes sense that one should have a response prepared in the event they are asked inappropriate questions such as the one we are discussing.
you don't want to just be looking at the interviewer indignantly, you should have a tactful way to answer it.
you don't want to just be looking at the interviewer indignantly, you should have a tactful way to answer it.
