Interview After Action Review

[Caffeinated]

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In the Army, whenever we do a training exercise or mission, we always do an After Action Review (AAR) so that we can sort out what went well, and how we could improve in future exercises. I decided yesterday that I had a few thoughts to share after my Ohio State interview.

First, I think I was cool as a cucumber. But at the end of the interview, my interviewer said "Is this your first interview?" I replied yes. She said "I thought so, you seemed pretty nervous. Now that it is over, are you still nervous?" I replied, "That depends, are you going to say good things about me when I leave?"

I actually had 2 interviewers, a male and a female. The female started, and the male came in half-way through. Before he arrived, I was having a nice chat with her and I thought it was going well. When the male showed up, all he had was canned questions. For example, If you were having a dinner party and your guests of honor could be three heroes, dead or alive, who would you invite? An elderly man who is dying of prostatic cancer after all medical treatments have been exhausted asks you to end his life because he is in pain--what do you do? What is the biggest ethical dilemma facing your generation of physicians?

There were more questions, but they all sounded so canned. I am guessing that he asks every student similar questions, because it was as if he were reciting lines. I left with the idea that they didn't really get to know the real me.

I am a little disappointed in this interview. I know that OSU turns out good physicians, but I was expecting a little more progressive atmosphere from OSU. When I asked if they were moving toward computer-based solutions to augment their teaching tools, they looked at me as though I was asking if we would be going to the moon.

 

[relatively prime]

What?! You had two interviews?! I only had one! Are you applying MD/PhD?

Either way, my experience was totally different... my interviewer was great.... asked great questions and really made me feel welcome.

I really liked OSU after I visited.

I think it all depends on who you get for an interviewer...

 

[lady bug]

What did you think was the biggest ethical dilemma facing physicians?

 

[Caffeinated]

I had so many things racing through my mind with the ethical dilemma question. I first started talking about genetic testing, and determining a patient's risk or certainty of future diseases. From there I spun off into how this type of medical information could impact future insurability. I wrapped up by saying that as managed care becomes an even greater part of the medical system, we need to examine how we are going to respect patient's rights and privacy and determine who "owns" and who has access to that information. Or at least that's how I think I said it. I am sure I sounded like a rambling idiot when I said it for real!

RP- I only had one interview, but there were 2 interviewers. The guy got stuck in surgery so he was a little late. After he arrived he kind of took over the interview.

I graduated from the OSU Optometry School, right across the street from the med school, so I am very familiar with the OSU atmosphere and the city of Columbus. We had a tour with a few first year med students. They got a little lost on the tour so I had to show them the right way!