How do you answer this interview question for Internship?

[GonnaBeAnMD]

I'm not looking for advice to finish a residency - I've already taken up another business venture but I have to get into and finish an internship program. The thing is, I don't know what to say when I get interviewed and the Program Director or whoever is interviewing me asks why I've chosen that program. I don't think they're looking for someone doing 1 year and getting out. Please don't talk me into finishing a residency because I've spent so much time in medical school - it's not of interest to me at this point. Thank you for any advice on what to say... My only thought has been to say "I havent decided my specialty" but I don't think that will sound too good.

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[NotAProgDirector]

How about applying for a prelim IM year, and simply telling the truth -- that you're planning a different career? This will make everyone happy -- you'll get your internship (and hence your license), and the PD will get someone for one year with no further commitment.

 

[DarthNeurology]

How about applying for a prelim IM year, and simply telling the truth -- that you're planning a different career? This will make everyone happy -- you'll get your internship (and hence your license), and the PD will get someone for one year with no further commitment.

Prelim IM years are pretty competitive, i.e. I think mostly folks who are going into opthalmology or something competitive compete for prelim medicine spots. Maybe if you are a US grad with great grades/board scores it won't be a problem, but you might have to be willing to move around the country. There are also transitional years which I think are competitive but don't know a lot about them. I think that prelim surgery spots are much easier to get, but you would really be running around basically as a servant for the surgery residents.

I wouldn't advertise the fact that you are getting out of medicine. While you may do excellently in an internship, this is the hardest part of residency and I would guess most PDs would be very hesitant to take on someone who knows that clinical medicine is not for them and are doing an internship not to eventually be a practicing physician, but to do something else. It also might be a drag to have an intern who is planning on doing something else as this could decrease team morale to have someone on the team who in the end doesn't want to play the game. I wouldn't know what to say as I am planning on practicing medicine. . . so it is hard for me to figure out how to approach this.

I do believe that most PDs want to fill their prelim medicine spots with the best candidates who are going into residencies that need a prelim year like neurology or opthalmology or something like that. It does matter to the PD what you are doing later on as they will favor folks who are in for the long haul. They might guess that you would be last into the hospital and first out and not pull your weight as someone who is definitively committed to clinical medicine.

I would just say that your career deliberations post-preliminary year are a private deliberation at this point, but that you want to excel in your preliminary year.

 

[dragonfly99]

I agree with darth pretty much.
I wouldn't come clean about the fact you aren't planning to continue in clinical medicine. I really don't know anything about your situation, so hard to give advice. If you are an IMG, then I would just tell the PD that you aren't sure yet of which specialty you want to pursue yet (mention something plausible like IM, physical med/rehab, or neurology) but wanted to go ahead and get the medicine intern year under your belt ("It's great experience and will help me with whatever I decide to do in the future") and then just tell him you plan to work hard, etc.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Just curious-- AProgDirector, what say you to these charges? If you were interviewing two equally qualified candidates, and one wanted a prelim spot to pursue neurology training and the other wanted an internship to get licensed and then go into health care consulting or what have you, can you honestly say that you wouldn't be adversely affected by the second candidate's plans? Would you worry he wouldn't be dedicated enough?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Just curious-- AProgDirector, what say you to these charges? If you were interviewing two equally qualified candidates, and one wanted a prelim spot to pursue neurology training and the other wanted an internship to get licensed and then go into health care consulting or what have you, can you honestly say that you wouldn't be adversely affected by the second candidate's plans? Would you worry he wouldn't be dedicated enough?

Personally, I wouldn't care either way. I hold all my prelims to the same standard as my categorical PGY-1's. I don't see why someone who is interested in health care consulting / business would work any differently than someone going into neuro. Either way, they only complete a single year and then move on to something else. Prelims can be less commited to the program regardless, simply because they have no long term commitment to it. Doubt that would be different for neuro vs rad vs business.

My 2 cents, perhaps other PD's would care.

 

[GonnaBeAnMD]

I appreciate your responses and keeping them non-judgemental of my decision 👍 Thanks