Interview Questions

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supahfresh

un paradis du gangster
15+ Year Member
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Med students have been asking me what questions I was asked last year. I interviewed for both surgery and anesthesia.

1. what are you going to do when you kill someone? how will you handle it?
2. are you an inrovert or an extrovert?
3. Why anesthesia? (you'll hear this a lot)
4. how would your best friend describe you?
5. tell me the most life-altering thing about you that's not in your CV.
6. what are you most proud of?
7. where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? (another common one)
8. what makes medicine different from other careers with regard to unexpected outcomes?
9. what questions do you have? (most common of all)
10. what aspect of a program would really excite you?
11. what are your weaknesses?
12. what do your friends make fun of you for?
13. where did you grow up?
14. what does it take to be an auctioneer? (I listed auctioneer in my CV)
15. what has been your biggest challenge and what did you learn from it?
16. where else did you apply?
17. what region of the country do you prefer?
18. what interesting cases have you seen?
19. what are you looking for in a program?
20. what are you doing about your internship?
21. what did you think about program X, Y, Z?
22. tell me about your trip to Nicaragua.
23. tell me about your research.
24. why did you go to a DO school?
25. why this program?
26. what did you think of our propaganda?
27. why arizona?
28. what did you do on your anesthesia rotation?
29. tell me anything you want to about yourself.
30. what patient have you learned from the most?
31. what person anywhere in the world could i fly here for you to have lunch with?
32. who would you like to ressurect from the dead for a one-time dinner?
33. what would your friends and family say about you that is "so you?"
34. what 3 things would you never do?
35. did you read "into thin air"?
36. where did you go in Peru?
37. where else have you traveled?
38. how would you describe yourself?
39. what is your role in group activities?
40. do you consider yourself a leader?
41. you gave too much neuromusc blocker, now what? would you tell your attending? would you tell the surgery attending?
42. what would you do if a trauma came in and you were needed but you had tickets to your favorite concert that night?
43. people say you have no patient contact in anesthesia. what do you think?
44. what was your most difficult decision?
45. En tonces, se puede hablar espagnol?
46. what is one attribute you would like to work on?
47. have you thought about a fellowship?

Here's what I asked them.....don't grill them.
1. what brought you to this program?
2. what don't you like about this program?
3. what is this program's biggest strength? weakness?
4. how would you characterize the relationship with the surgeons?
5. is this department well-respected?
6. what plans do you have for the future?

extra tips:
make friends with the secretaries
stand out (in a good way)
do a second look for you, not so much for the program. of course it will be impossible for them not to notice you more.
don't get too drunk the night before (wait...you'll see)
don't grill your interviewers (they have feelings)
ask the residents if they would go there again AND if they are happy
make connections with other applicants.
have fun.

SupahFresh
PGY-1 Surgery
CA-1 University of The United States
 
This was exactly what I was looking for....
 
and, here's how not to answer those questions...

1. what are you going to do when you kill someone? how will you handle it?

how did you handle it?

2. are you an inrovert or an extrovert?

yes.

3. Why anesthesia? (you'll hear this a lot)

lot's of free time, access to cool drugs, and no real medical talent required.

4. how would your best friend describe you?

serial killer in waiting.

5. tell me the most life-altering thing about you that's not in your CV.

see question 6.

6. what are you most proud of?

my extremely large reproductive organs.

7. where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? (another common one)

sitting at your desk in your chair... you know, where you're sitting right now.

8. what makes medicine different from other careers with regard to unexpected outcomes?

it only proves that patients don't do what they're told.

9. what questions do you have? (most common of all)

why aren't you in private practice?

10. what aspect of a program would really excite you?

vacation.

11. what are your weaknesses?

what weaknesses?

12. what do your friends make fun of you for?

see item 6.

13. where did you grow up?

mars.

14. what does it take to be an auctioneer? (I listed auctioneer in my CV)

how the hell should i know. (can be used for any similar question about any part of your application.)

15. what has been your biggest challenge and what did you learn from it?

getting my ex-girlfriend to have sex with me the first time. i learned that there actually is such a thing as "too big". (see item 6.)

16. where else did you apply?

everywhere.

17. what region of the country do you prefer?

whichever one has the hottest chicks.

18. what interesting cases have you seen?

dude, quit breaking my balls. i'm just a friggin' med student, alright?!

19. what are you looking for in a program?

a strong vacation package, minimal call, and hot nursing students floating around ready to serve my each and every whim.

20. what are you doing about your internship?

internship? huh? you mean i gotta do an internship?

21. what did you think about program X, Y, Z?

better than yours.

22. tell me about your trip to Nicaragua.

<mumbling> goddam sandinistas...

23. tell me about your research.

what exactly is this "research" thing to which you refer?

24. why did you go to a DO school?

because i couldn't get into a REAL medical school.

(joking, people. remember this is what not to say.)

25. why this program?

you tell me, smacky.

26. what did you think of our propaganda?

jawohl, mein Herr! ausgezeichnet!!

27. why arizona?

arizona?!?! what the f... i thought this was california!!?!?? you bastards!

28. what did you do on your anesthesia rotation?

anesthesia rotation? you mean this isn't an interview for a plastic surgery spot?

29. tell me anything you want to about yourself.

see item 6.

30. what patient have you learned from the most?

i had this one patient one time, you know, who had this bad, like, disease and he got sicker and sicker and died. i learned not to get sick.

31. what person anywhere in the world could i fly here for you to have lunch with?

chuck norris. because, chuck brings the pain.

32. who would you like to ressurect from the dead for a one-time dinner?

dude, what are you? some kind of sick necrophiliac or something? gross. who the hell told you that was a good question to ask a candidate?

33. what would your friends and family say about you that is "so you?"

see item 6.

34. what 3 things would you never do?

1. show-up on time.
B. take call.
III. read.

35. did you read "into thin air"?

see item 34.

36. where did you go in Peru?

to the coca fields. and, i ain't talking chocolate. :meanie: 😉

37. where else have you traveled?

including your wife's panties?

38. how would you describe yourself?

see item 6.

39. what is your role in group activities?

interloper.

40. do you consider yourself a leader?

yes! now, drop and give me ten!

41. you gave too much neuromusc blocker, now what? would you tell your attending? would you tell the surgery attending?

tell them?!? are you f***ing kidding me?

42. what would you do if a trauma came in and you were needed but you had tickets to your favorite concert that night?

dude, come on. you expect me to pick between the "journey / .38 special reunion tour" and some random dude that was too stupid not to get hurt?

43. people say you have no patient contact in anesthesia. what do you think?

i say to them, "i sure as hell hope so."

44. what was your most difficult decision?

coming here today.

45. En tonces, se puede hablar espagnol?

no me jodas, maric&#243;n.

46. what is one attribute you would like to work on?

i need to be more subtle when i engage in frotteurism.

47. have you thought about a fellowship?

have you?
 
You could have told me not to say those things earlier this month! I hope that scrubbing in for my interview and remaining sterile for the entire thing helped a little bit.
 
and, here's how not to answer those questions...



dude, what are you? some kind of sick necrophiliac or something? gross. who the hell told you that was a good question to ask a candidate?


1. show-up on time.
B. take call.
III. read.

hilarious
 
Last year's application cycle:

Me: do you have any questions?
Applicant: um...what do the other applicants ask?
Me: :annoyed:
 
Last edited:
Great thread. Both for the list of questions and the list of answers to avoid.
 
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