Interview Clinical Question Preparation

[wiscokid93]

Hi, I'm applying to PGY-1 programs and I've heard that they assess your clinical knowledge by making you do a SOAP note or presentation on a patient case. That being said, I have a couple of questions.

1. Are resources typically allowed?
2. Since I haven't started studying for the NAPLEX yet, what would you suggest I review to prepare appropriately for these?
3. Do you have any other recommendations for me?

Thanks in advance, I appreciate your insight.

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[Hedgehog32]

I'm also curious about this. Are clinical questions asked by pretty much all residency programs? What about federal programs like IHS and the VA?

 

[congcx]

I was asked some form of clinical question at each interview I attended. Two had pre-specified presentations I had to give, where the clinical portion was questions asked about my presentation. Several required on-the-spot SOAP notes/case presentations and subsequent verbal presentation to a panel. For those, typically Lexicomp or some other basic resource was allowed, but was specified by the program. For one program, they sat me in a room and read a variety of cases and simply asked questions about them. There were no references allowed.

It is highly variable. I would review your big disease states (HTN, diabetes, CHF, most prominent ID topics like pneumonia and UTI, etc.) in preparation. Remember, a lot of the time you are being assessed on how you evaluate and work through these problems rather than getting the "right answer." It is always better to say "I don't know the answer definitively, but here are my thoughts..." I would also offer to look up the question after and get back to them if you don't know it.