Interview advice for those lacking in common sense

[itscomplicated]

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I found an opportunity that would be a good match for me, but given my luck lately, I'm more nervous than I should be. Not that it matters, but I'll cut to the chase here since every time I ask a question, people get hung up on this: I started in IM and switched to another field, and I completed & am board-eligible in my new field.
This job would be for a large organization that has clinics across several states. I'll have an in-person interview with the regional manager at the local clinic in a couple of weeks. But, tomorrow, I have a skype interview with basically the CMO. I'm not worried about the interview itself, but two things are bugging me:

What is the dress protocol in that instance? In other words, is a suit the best option, or can I just go in daily business (shirt / tie)?

Now, the bigger question is about talking about the switch from IM. Everyone has always told me to avoid talking about mental health issues, but depression (and other non-substance-abuse-related problems) is what got in my way in IM and why I didn't finish my first residency. And, my IM program recommended that I voluntarily enroll in the state physician health programs when it comes to licensing. Normally, during interviews, I have disclosed this when I feel comfortable, and a natural conversation to explain why I switched fields. But, I'm particularly excited about this opportunity and I want to minimize the red flags (especially this early in the application / credentialing / negotiating cycle). But, I'll eventually need to disclose anyhow as physician health programs require a work-site monitor (as far as I know), so maybe I should just get the conversation out of the way early and avoid wasting everyone's time.

Obviously, I would never lie about the change in career directions. But, just how much of a no-no is it to talk about mental health issues?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Dress professionally. When in doubt, over dress. Wear a tie and a sport coat. Or a suit. Why add needless worry to your interview?

As far as the switch from IM, people will ask because they want to see what you have to say. But they will not care very much about it now. You finished another program. That proves that you have the skills to survive, and hopefully thrive, in this world. No need to go into the long story. You were unhappy / depressed, realized it wasnt the right field for you, and moved on.

About the physician's health thing. My understanding is that if you didn't have a substance problem, and you aren;t a homicidal maniac when you don't take your medication, that the PHP will discharge you from their program after some time. Assuming you completed a 3+ year residency, you should be done with that by now. You will probably need to disclose that you were involved with the PHP when you apply for a license, and it will slow your licensing process. You can make it much faster by proactively having your PHP forward your summary to the new board of medicine where you want a license. But I highly doubt they are going to have any monitoring, especially on site, unless there's some big details missing in your story.