Interview Question

[heelshmeel]

I was preparing for interviews and was wondering how you guys would answer the following question -

"A patient you have been following with terminal cancer calls you to say he is planning to take a large dose of cached pain pills that you have prescribed him. You are in the middle of an exam, how do you respond?"

thanks

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[shamthis]

Originally posted by heelshmeel
I was preparing for interviews and was wondering how you guys would answer the following question -

"A patient you have been following with terminal cancer calls you to say he is planning to take a large dose of cached pain pills that you have prescribed him. You are in the middle of an exam, how do you respond?"

thanks

Perhaps you're overpreparing? You will not be asked this question. Depending on the examinee's priority (high, low), I would step aside for a moment and persuade the other patient to hold off for a bit and finish the examinee. Then I would hastily and thoroughly finish the examinee, respond to the cancer patient with due respect and understanding, find out what the patient wants, attempt to accomodate his/her needs (he/she is probably looking for attention). I would pay attention to the patient by letting him/her talk to exhaustion, then I would reason witht he patient again. If the problem is not solved by then, I would forward the patient to a more specialized source.

I also suggest you don't over prepare. Understand what it is about you that makes you want to go into medicine. From there, good answers should arise naturally.

 

[Joe Joe on da Radio]

suicidal ideation is a sign of depression and can cloud judgement...i don't know the statistics, but i could imagine that some terminal cancer patients would be clinically depressed. i would advise the patient towards treating and/or managing their depression, if indeed it they are suffering from it. i would also ask if the patient has talked to family and/or friends about this and suggest some form of support (group therapy) and then work from there.

 

[SolidGold]

Originally posted by shamthis
I also suggest you don't over prepare. Understand what it is about you that makes you want to go into medicine. From there, good answers should arise naturally.

I agree, and I think I caught myself over preparing for my interview on Monday. I was going over questions that I know I would not be asked, but then I stopped myself and took a nap to clear my mind. I think I'm going to stop preparing now and just make sure I maintain the confidence that I have right now into my interview.

Applicants certainly spend a lot of time considering why they want to go into medicine, so it should be natural for most of us to clearly express our ideas and come up with great answers to any question that may be given to us. Good luck!!

 

[BananaSplit]

Personally, I would wave down a nurse, or receptionist, and scribble them a note to inform my patient in the exam room that I have an emergency.

Then, I would ask the patient on the phone how he came to the decision/whether there have been any recent events leading to his mental state. If it has been a single event, try to help them see the context of the event and to look past it.

A part of it also depends on how much you know about your patient. Whether they have supportive family, friends, etc. Try to remind them of things that make life worth living: loved ones, pets, hobbies, etc.

Tell them to reconsider and wait a few days to see if they change their mind. Once you believe they are not going to commit suicide right away, offer to put them in contact with a trusted psychologist/counselor. If they agree, get a nurse to book you an appointment on the spot! Agreeing to do something in the future will help prevent them from committing suicide after they hang up with you. Tell them that you are here for them if they need to talk again.

Lastly, I think this is a situation where you cannot promise confidentiality. In fact, I think it's your duty to make sure that your patient gets counseling. If they called you, they obviously trust you and are seeking your help.

Go to this website. There are a few good tips on how to relate, how to indentify, and help suicidal persons:

http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/suiprev.htm

Hope this helps!

BananaSplit

 

[heelshmeel]

Originally posted by SolidGold
I agree, and I think I caught myself over preparing for my interview on Monday. I was going over questions that I know I would not be asked, but then I stopped myself and took a nap to clear my mind. I think I'm going to stop preparing now and just make sure I maintain the confidence that I have right now into my interview.

Applicants certainly spend a lot of time considering why they want to go into medicine, so it should be natural for most of us to clearly express our ideas and come up with great answers to any question that may be given to us. Good luck!!

Thanks a lot for your help guys... I agree in retrospect... it looks like I have been overpreparing... I got a little carried away after looking at this thread and possible questions that prepare you for interviews...

Interview Questions

thanks again