Health Care Knowledge in Interviews

[JayhawkDoc]

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The questions about health care always come up in interviews. What is the best way to be prepared for these types of questions? Any advice on the best places to look to broaden your knowledge of healthcare?

 

[213965]

I read Tom Daschle's book "Critical - What we can do about the health - care crisis" and found it very helpful. I read the beginning section in depth (current status and facts), skimmed the middle (history of health-care reform), and read the end when I found time (his proposed action plan). It's a relatively small book and easy reading; I was able to get through what I needed in 2-3 hours, or mostly airport/layover time. Hope this helps.

 

[NPEMTIV]

The questions about health care always come up in interviews. What is the best way to be prepared for these types of questions? Any advice on the best places to look to broaden your knowledge of healthcare?

Read Reuters and other Health News topics online. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[Dissected]

I read Tom Daschle's book "Critical - What we can do about the health - care crisis" and found it very helpful. I read the beginning section in depth (current status and facts), skimmed the middle (history of health-care reform), and read the end when I found time (his proposed action plan). It's a relatively small book and easy reading; I was able to get through what I needed in 2-3 hours, or mostly airport/layover time. Hope this helps.

That was probably a good idea considering Daschle is Obama's new head of health and human services.

I got asked very few health-care questions. Did you mean ethical questions or health-care legislation type things? UW has a good bioethics website explaining just about any situation you might find yourself in. I would read up on Obama's proposed plan and all things Daschle as well.

 

[DrMidlife]

For about two and a half years now, I've read the following every day:

1. NYT, WSJ and BBC health pages
2. KevinMD.com, a blog that covers lots that the news doesn't, and links to other physician blogs

For bioethics, there's a bioethics tutorial at the U of Washington. (Edit:...that DoctorB just also posted, d'oh.)

I will probably read Daschle's book, but that's preaching to the choir. Whatever side of the single-payer-universal-healthcare argument you're on, it will serve you better (in med school interviews) to read the opposing side. So, for example, I am THRILLED by what Massachusetts is doing, but I go straight to KevinMD to find out why "it won't work."

Best of luck to you.

 

[NPEMTIV]

2. KevinMD.com, a blog that covers lots that the news doesn't, and links to other physician blogs

👍👍 Great resource! I read him too.

 

[rajaholick]

All my interviews were right around election time so i read up on obama's and mccain's health care plans
wasn't really asked about those in particular but at 2 of my interviews i was asked how i'd solve the health care crisis
i was probably asked the question because of the amount of time i spend volunteering at free health clinics
i was also asked to compare the health care situation in rural america to rural india (where i was born)

 

[bleeker10]

What helped me in interviews was my experience volunteering at a free health clinic. I was able to talk about healthcare disparities for minorities and the uninsured from a statistical point of view and from real life experience. I just read up on Obama's plan, healthcare systems in England and other Western European countries and compared them to our current healthcare system. I looked at our system from a supply and demand viewpoint and looked at the pros and cons. Also, I read books by Atul Gawande and Jerome Groopman. They talk a lot about ethics for physicians and mistakes doctors make and how to change them.

I have had 2 interviews at allopathic schools and 1 at LECOM-E. Only one of the allopathic interviews lasted longer than 20 minutes (it was 1 hour). In that interview, we were able to talk about insurance issues, problems with the pharmaceutical industry, and the lack of adequate amounts of physicians. The other interviews were only 20 minutes and I only had time to tell the interviewers about myself and maybe touch briefly on my view of the biggest issue in healthcare (large number of uninsured people). I wouldn't worry too much about having a large grasp of healthcare knowledge for interviews. Just make sure you know some basic issues in healthcare today.

 

[rocketbooster]

What helped me in interviews was my experience volunteering at a free health clinic. I was able to talk about healthcare disparities for minorities and the uninsured from a statistical point of view and from real life experience. I just read up on Obama's plan, healthcare systems in England and other Western European countries and compared them to our current healthcare system. I looked at our system from a supply and demand viewpoint and looked at the pros and cons. Also, I read books by Atul Gawande and Jerome Groopman. They talk a lot about ethics for physicians and mistakes doctors make and how to change them.

I have had 2 interviews at allopathic schools and 1 at LECOM-E. Only one of the allopathic interviews lasted longer than 20 minutes (it was 1 hour). In that interview, we were able to talk about insurance issues, problems with the pharmaceutical industry, and the lack of adequate amounts of physicians. The other interviews were only 20 minutes and I only had time to tell the interviewers about myself and maybe touch briefly on my view of the biggest issue in healthcare (large number of uninsured people). I wouldn't worry too much about having a large grasp of healthcare knowledge for interviews. Just make sure you know some basic issues in healthcare today.

me, too, and the real problem in health care, IMO, is what kind of ppl are mainly uninsured. it pretty much boils down to the disparities among socioeconomic classes, not just among minorities. there are plenty of rich minorities and poor whites.