Internal Med Interview Questions

[deleted463521]

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Hello,

I'm currently prepping fo my first interview and I'm on a roadblock on a certain question that seems to pop up often.

Talk to me about a case.

I know that by interesting it doesn't have to be: publish worthy, a zebra, a complicated case; just something that piqued your interested.

However, I'm interested in knowing if the case has to be, or it's recommended to be from the same specialty I'm applying to. My most interesting cases for me are not directly related to internal medicine. For me, it was a index finger pollicization. A surgery I observed of a little kid that did not have a thumb and my ortho preceptor was transfering his second finger to become a thumb.

 

[Donald Juan]

As a surgeon, I would think it was sort of strange if I asked a potential candidate about any interesting cases and they told me about a case of DKA or CHF. Can't say for sure if IM would think the same way.

 

[Crayola227]

I don't know why this is your example case. You can't come up with one that is general medicine and not surgical? Or focus on what was an interesting medical point in your example?

I mean, medicine is pretty broad as a field.... and you're a student.... and you want to go into IM.

You really want me to believe in 3 years of exposure that's the best you can do while talking to an internist?

You must have other patients that were interesting. Do yourself a favor and think of them.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

If I ask you this, especially in IM, I could care less what the case is. If you choose a non-IM case, you just need to be ready to talk about it and why you choose it. If you choose an ortho case, be prepared to answer "so why did you choose IM instead of ortho?"

 

[deleted463521]

If I ask you this, especially in IM, I could care less what the case is. If you choose a non-IM case, you just need to be ready to talk about it and why you choose it. If you choose an ortho case, be prepared to answer "so why did you choose IM instead of ortho?"

Thank you.
I chose this because I was just mind boggling and fun to watch a kid get an index transfered to where his thumb is and be able to use it as a thumb eventually, with all the tendons transfered and muscles. Regardless, clearly know my reasons about why I want to be an internist and not a surgeon or and orthopedist.