Goro's guide to DO school interviews

[Goro]

You should have an understanding of what health care is like in the US these days. This includes:
shortage of Primary care docs
student debt driving people to specialties
that we don't have a doctor shortage, but a distribution problem
that health care is more and more market driven
the differences between the Canadian and the US systems
What a "single payer" system actually entails
What "fee for service" means
Know what the ACA means for patients in a Big Picture sense
Know what are the most pressing health care problems (ie, obesity, HIV/AIDS, HCV, cancer, mental illness etc)

Be able to answer tis common question: If you could wave a magic wand and fix health care in the US, what would you do?" A variation of this is "President Obama calls you up for advice on how to fix health care in the US. What do you tell him?"

Hello @Goro,

How well-versed should we be regarding the current political climate of healthcare (i.e. Obamacare)? I had a mock interview with a professor who conducts MD interviews and he advised that I should be somewhat aware. Should I be expecting some time spent on questions regarding the healthcare system in a DO one?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my question.

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[Dohnut]

I think an important point to remember is that honesty does not equal truth.
Often people confuse the two. Just because you're being honest about your opinion, doesn't make it a reasonable one. Maybe if you've ever had to defend yourself by saying, "Hey, I'm just being honest." or "I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking.", you should censor yourself, or at least think before you speak a little more.

As far as human capacities are concerned, there's no Truth, only perspectives.

 

[Shammyguy3]

i wonder how often the difference between US & Canadian systems come up, I've never thought of that one before

 

[Bones 2020]

i wonder how often the difference between US & Canadian systems come up, I've never thought of that one before

Maybe it's important for canadian applicants to US schools to know?

 

[Dohnut]

If you think that's silly wait until you get in and get points deducted for not repeating the standarized patient's preferred name more than once throughout the conversation or losing points because you didn't do "reflective listening" where you basically just repeat what the SP said. There is a lot stuff in medical school that isn't exactly sensible to everyone.

It actually makes perfect sense and helps a ton in practice.

 

[Dohnut]

The lesson for these interviews is pretty much this, there is no one right answer but there are definitely wrong answers.

Sounds like healthcare to me, lol

 

[Dohnut]

@Goro, what do you perceive as a "good enough" reason to want to be an osteopathic physician?

If am I being completely honest, I just want to be a doctor and don't especially care if its MD or DO. I have borderline stats so I am applying to both. That is obviously not something I will disclose, I guess, but I am struggling as to what other direction to go in. I do like the focus on health as opposed to disease and the enhanced patient communication, but those sound cliche.

My primary care doctor from ages 15 through ~21 was a D.O. and I liked him a lot, is that something I should mention? I don't think I really liked him because he was a DO, I think he was just a good guy and a good doctor...

He did do some OMT on me a few times, right after I started college and working in a lab and was getting a lot of neck and back pain. Should I mention that as well? I am trying to avoid personal anecdotes about illness and such, I feel that they come off as sappy and potentially insincere.

Might I suggest doctor of pharmacy?

The answers to your questions are all in Goro's opening posts of this thread.

 

[Dohnut]

The card is honestly the best solution. A homeless person is not going to opt out of using a food card just because he cant use it on alcohol.

Only if you constantly carry a few with you & they have small enough balances on them as not to be traded down for cash like pro sports drafts lol.

J/k. I really liked a lot about the food place gift card idea when I first read it.

 

[Dohnut]

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[Dohnut]

Hello @Goro,

How well-versed should we be regarding the current political climate of healthcare (i.e. Obamacare)? I had a mock interview with a professor who conducts MD interviews and he advised that I should be somewhat aware. Should I be expecting some time spent on questions regarding the healthcare system in a DO one?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my question.

I'm no Goro but I would and do when I'm at work refer to it as what it is, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Because people can like or dislike the President, but the ACA is a law and calling it what it is can minimize personal bias for or against Obama himself.

The opinion on the contents and effects of ACA is and should be, yours.

 

[Gandyy]

Yea, no you should never call it ObamaCare. That makes you sound ignorant. Thats just the name the media gave to the ACA.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

I'm no Goro but I would and do when I'm at work refer to it as what it is, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Because people can like or dislike the President, but the ACA is a law and calling it what it is can minimize personal bias for or against Obama himself.

The opinion on the contents and effects of ACA is and should be, yours.

In my interviews no one asked me about the aca. I did talk about disruption problems though.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

It actually makes perfect sense and helps a ton in practice.

I think it's important to be genuine, but maybe some people want a scripted doctor.

 

[Oh_Gee]

when asked an ethical question, is it best to

A. talk about both sides and then take one of the sides and explain

or

B. take one side, explain it (and see if the interviewer asks about the other side)

i like A but i'm worried that it might seem like i'm not being direct with my answer

 

[Dohnut]

I think it's important to be genuine, but maybe some people want a scripted doctor.

Rapport & trust building increases patient compliance versus the command & control or the scripted approach. Good rapport and trust between providers and patients, imho, dramatically increases the power & efficacy of the best drug that is placebo. Patients are humans and have the humanistic side too.

When I was in pharmacy school, the situation was similar to yours and I thought it was some totally unnecessarily politically correct BS too. Only came to appreciate it a year or two into real world practice & interacting with real patients instead of the fake and standardized ones.

 

[IslandStyle808]

when asked an ethical question, is it best to

A. talk about both sides and then take one of the sides and explain

or

B. take one side, explain it (and see if the interviewer asks about the other side)

i like A but i'm worried that it might seem like i'm not being direct with my answer

I would take side A, because sometimes on an off chance your interviewer may not ask and will think you didn't consider the other options. By taking route A, it will show the interviewer you are weighing both options from the get go.

 

[Goro]

You answer from the heart. For example: if you anti-abortion, say so and why.

A is only acceptable when the interviewers asks you to state both sides of an ethical issue. This is a very important issue because even if you're very much against something, you still need to be able to see it from the other side. This is a reflection of the flexibility of your mind to examine issues.

when asked an ethical question, is it best to

A. talk about both sides and then take one of the sides and explain

or

B. take one side, explain it (and see if the interviewer asks about the other side)

i like A but i'm worried that it might seem like i'm not being direct with my answer

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Rapport & trust building increases patient compliance versus the command & control or the scripted approach. Good rapport and trust between providers and patients, imho, dramatically increases the power & efficacy of the best drug that is placebo. Patients are humans and have the humanistic side too.

When I was in pharmacy school, the situation was similar to yours and I thought it was some totally unnecessarily politically correct BS too. Only came to appreciate it a year or two into real world practice & interacting with real patients instead of the fake and standardized ones.

I don't deny that rapport and trust building are important, but I still feel it's all scripted and rapport/trust can be built without it. Perhaps when I get to rotations I'll see things differently.

 

[Dohnut]

.

 

[Oh_Gee]

When an interviewer asks to switch roles between interviewer and interviewee, what kind of questions would be appropriate to ask them(i become the interviewer/faculty and they're the prospective candidate) ? would asking them questions that they asked you earlier be wrong even if i'm genuinely interested in their response

 

[Goro]

Meaning when they ask "do you have any questions for me?"???? Please clarify.

 

[Oh_Gee]

Meaning when they ask "do you have any questions for me?"???? Please clarify.

i've heard of some instances where the interviewer asks to switch roles so the premed is now the interviewer and can ask his interviewer questions as if the ADCOM is now a premed

 

[Goro]

I've never heard of that before! But it is a good idea. It let's the interviewer know if you have any clue as to what a med school is looking for.

Imagine e you were now an OMS2 at XCOM. You're on the interview committee. What questions would YOU be asking prospective students?

 

[Seth Joo]

i wonder how often the difference between US & Canadian systems come up, I've never thought of that one before

Probably because there are more Canadians coming to DO schools than in years past, most Canadian provinces now recognize DOs to have the same practice rights as MDs, some have differing requirements for practicing there though it is still not as straightforward as it is here in the US, I think that could be a reason why they might ask you that on an interview.

 

[Oh_Gee]

I've never heard of that before! But it is a good idea. It let's the interviewer know if you have any clue as to what a med school is looking for.

Imagine e you were now an OMS2 at XCOM. You're on the interview committee. What questions would YOU be asking prospective students?

why (osteopathic) medicine? tell me about yourself, the usual

but would it be ok to ask them ethical questions?

 

[StudyLater]

My answer to "Why osteo?" will be, "Because I want to practice medicine. Next question please."

 

[Goro]

Sure!

why (osteopathic) medicine? tell me about yourself, the usual

but would it be ok to ask them ethical questions?

 

[melofellow108]

Hey @Goro , I have question. I had an interview 3 weeks ago and I have no idea how to gauge how it went. He asked the standard questions and his questioning portion of the interview was done within 12-15mins. I tried to keep the conversation going by trying to get my answers to lead to more follow up questions, but he didnt ask any and went straight to the next question. So I took that as either my answer was sufficient enough that it didnt warrant a follow up question or he just didnt care.

After I asked all my questions, we went completely on a tangent after I asked a question that was completely unrelated to the med school, sciences, etc. And we ended up talking for 10 mins about sports. At that point, I felt like he was more engaging. Was that completely inappropriate? Although, after the interview he did say he really enjoyed the interview (not sure if thats just a standard thing to say).

 

[Goro]

Jeeze, melo, you need to stop trying to over-dissect this interview and let it go. It's done.

Interviewers aren't there to give you feedback on your answers. They're there to see if you can answer questions, think on your feet, pay attention, and have a conversation like a normal human being.

How on earth is talking about sports inappropriate????!!! Asking about your sex life is inappropriate. Trying to make conversation is not.

And yes, interviewers are coached to be polite.

And for the rest of you, do NOT try to gauge whether it was a good interview or bad. Most people are terrible judges of how their interviews went.

If it was good, then you'll get accepted.

Bad? waitlist or rejection.

That's how you gauge an interview!

Hey @Goro , I have question. I had an interview 3 weeks ago and I have no idea how to gauge how it went. He asked the standard questions and his questioning portion of the interview was done within 12-15mins. I tried to keep the conversation going by trying to get my answers to lead to more follow up questions, but he didnt ask any and went straight to the next question. So I took that as either my answer was sufficient enough that it didnt warrant a follow up question or he just didnt care.

After I asked all my questions, we went completely on a tangent after I asked a question that was completely unrelated to the med school, sciences, etc. And we ended up talking for 10 mins about sports. At that point, I felt like he was more engaging. Was that completely inappropriate? Although, after the interview he did say he really enjoyed the interview (not sure if thats just a standard thing to say).

 

[ortnakas]

Hey @Goro
After I asked all my questions, we went completely on a tangent after I asked a question that was completely unrelated to the med school, sciences, etc. And we ended up talking for 10 mins about sports. At that point, I felt like he was more engaging. Was that completely inappropriate?

My school does group interviews. For the last ten minutes of mine, we talked about skiing in the west side of the country vs. skiing on the east coast. I made fun of the Appalachians compared to the Rockies (maybe not the best plan in retrospect) and now I'm an OMS-II. Nothing at your interview was inappropriate.

 

[learner01]

You should have an understanding of what health care is like in the US these days. This includes:
shortage of Primary care docs
student debt driving people to specialties
that we don't have a doctor shortage, but a distribution problem
that health care is more and more market driven
the differences between the Canadian and the US systems
What a "single payer" system actually entails
What "fee for service" means
Know what the ACA means for patients in a Big Picture sense
Know what are the most pressing health care problems (ie, obesity, HIV/AIDS, HCV, cancer, mental illness etc)

Be able to answer tis common question: If you could wave a magic wand and fix health care in the US, what would you do?" A variation of this is "President Obama calls you up for advice on how to fix health care in the US. What do you tell him?"

Goro, Thank you for your valuable input and time in helping students.

Where would you recommend sometime to go to read about such issues?

thank you

 

[Goro]

google is your friend.

Goro, Thank you for your valuable input and time in helping students.

Where would you recommend sometime to go to read about such issues?

thank you

 

[ReapPremed]

Not to be obtuse, but why is the "holistic" answer so cringe worthy? Is it simply not true or relevant? Is the issue that it's the answer than pops up on Wikipedia and its a lazy feel-good response to the effect of: "I want to treat the whole patient! Because that sounds warm and fuzzy! Just like how you're going to look at my whole app and not just the 504 MCAT..."

Hypothetically, if I am involved in addiction research, and have a genuine interest in the role of community and environment on health and disease... will I get an eye-roll for discussing how I feel this fits with the "body as a unit" philosophy?

Patient education has been the facet of osteopathic medicine those I've shadowed seem to most espouse, as opposed to OMM, but I am curious.

 

[GypsyHummus]

Because it's just a talking point that is cliche at this point.

Not to be obtuse, but why is the "holistic" answer so cringe worthy? Is it simply not true or relevant? Is the issue that it's the answer than pops up on Wikipedia and its a lazy feel-good response to the effect of: "I want to treat the whole patient! Because that sounds warm and fuzzy! Just like how you're going to look at my whole app and not just the 504 MCAT..."

Hypothetically, if I am involved in addiction research, and have a genuine interest in the role of community and environment on health and disease... will I get an eye-roll for discussing how I feel this fits with the "body as a unit" philosophy?

Patient education has been the facet of osteopathic medicine those I've shadowed seem to most espouse, as opposed to OMM, but I am curious.

 

[kubyx]

Not to be obtuse, but why is the "holistic" answer so cringe worthy? Is it simply not true or relevant? Is the issue that it's the answer than pops up on Wikipedia and its a lazy feel-good response to the effect of: "I want to treat the whole patient! Because that sounds warm and fuzzy! Just like how you're going to look at my whole app and not just the 504 MCAT..."

Hypothetically, if I am involved in addiction research, and have a genuine interest in the role of community and environment on health and disease... will I get an eye-roll for discussing how I feel this fits with the "body as a unit" philosophy?

Patient education has been the facet of osteopathic medicine those I've shadowed seem to most espouse, as opposed to OMM, but I am curious.

My take on it is that it's

1) Trite - overused answer, everyone thinks to say it, and it means very little

2) It's a not-so-subtle jab at allopathic medicine

Ultimately, I'm pretty certain every DO deep down understands that their approach to medicine is probably no different than an MDs approach. I work with both MDs and DOs and I would never be able to discern their training if their credentials were withheld from me.

 

[ReapPremed]

My take on it is that it's

1) Trite - overused answer, everyone thinks to say it, and it means very little

2) It's a not-so-subtle jab at allopathic medicine

Ultimately, I'm pretty certain every DO deep down understands that their approach to medicine is probably no different than an MDs approach. I work with both MDs and DOs and I would never be able to discern their training if their credentials were withheld from me.

The other DO I shadowed pretty much had that view. I am sure plenty of MDs like patient education and being holistic too! And plenty of MDs are also in primary care and help the under-served. Still, schools seem to want the answer:

1) Does tying a research or clinical experience to the "body as a unit" philosophy make the answer any less lame?

2) Otherwise, do you really need to witness OMM to make the case?

 

[mfrey28]

Any person interviewing at a DO school should be familiar with the osteopathic tenets. I would highly suggest reading The D.O.s: Osteopathic Medicine in America by Norman Gevitz. I read it after being accepted but wish I would have been able to read it before interviewing.

 

[ReapPremed]

I've read through it, and AOA and AACOM literature. Its a good historical overview. I guess where I find myself struggling is in the showing rather than the telling, and connecting my experiences as a pre-med to osteopathic tenets in a way that says "yes this is right for me." I had thought I could try to discuss addiction research in the context of the "body as a unit" philosophy, and link my teaching experience to the focus on patient education and communication. If that is a flimsy reason what is a strong one?

Would @Goro or any DO adcoms be able to shed light on this? I'm probably over-thinking this. Or not seeing something.

 

[Goro]

Not to be obtuse, but why is the "holistic" answer so cringe worthy? Is it simply not true or relevant? Is the issue that it's the answer than pops up on Wikipedia and its a lazy feel-good response to the effect of: "I want to treat the whole patient! Because that sounds warm and fuzzy! Just like how you're going to look at my whole app and not just the 504 MCAT..."

Hypothetically, if I am involved in addiction research, and have a genuine interest in the role of community and environment on health and disease... will I get an eye-roll for discussing how I feel this fits with the "body as a unit" philosophy?

Patient education has been the facet of osteopathic medicine those I've shadowed seem to most espouse, as opposed to OMM, but I am curious.

The other DO I shadowed pretty much had that view. I am sure plenty of MDs like patient education and being holistic too! And plenty of MDs are also in primary care and help the under-served. Still, schools seem to want the answer:

1) Does tying a research or clinical experience to the "body as a unit" philosophy make the answer any less lame?

2) Otherwise, do you really need to witness OMM to make the case?

I've read through it, and AOA and AACOM literature. Its a good historical overview. I guess where I find myself struggling is in the showing rather than the telling, and connecting my experiences as a pre-med to osteopathic tenets in a way that says "yes this is right for me." I had thought I could try to discuss addiction research in the context of the "body as a unit" philosophy, and link my teaching experience to the focus on patient education and communication. If that is a flimsy reason what is a strong one?

Would @Goro or any DO adcoms be able to shed light on this? I'm probably over-thinking this. Or not seeing something.

I think that you'll be fine if you simply stick explaining what your research was, just like you were at any MD interview. Trying to spin it as related to osteopathic principles smacks of the mistake some people make of trying to to tie everything back to medicine, even hobbies.

 

[deleted831695]

Not to be obtuse, but why is the "holistic" answer so cringe worthy? Is it simply not true or relevant? Patient education has been the facet of osteopathic medicine those I've shadowed seem to most espouse, as opposed to OMM, but I am curious.

I wouldn't find it necessarily cringe-worthy if the person can speak more about it (tying the other tenets), relate it to their experiences and perspectives, etc. Of course, if you say something simple like "I hope to be a DO because I like holistic medicine. MDs focus on treating the disease, but not the patient. Therefore, I want to practice whole body patient care", then that's obviously bad.

Any person interviewing at a DO school should be familiar with the osteopathic tenets. I would highly suggest reading The D.O.s: Osteopathic Medicine in America by Norman Gevitz. I read it after being accepted but wish I would have been able to read it before interviewing.

As long as the person understands whole-person patient care (mind, body, and spirit) and the connection between structure and function, they should be fine. In the end, it's all for one question (Who DO?"), albeit an important one.