Interview Questions

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belle54321

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I was re-visiting some residency websites when I came across this on the SUNY Stony Brook website:

Suggested Questions for Applicants

  • What is it about psychiatry that interests you?
  • What areas of biological psychiatry are of particular interest to you?
  • What areas of psychological psychiatry are of particular interest to you?
  • What role do you think psychiatrists should play in the overall health care system?
  • What role do you think psychiatrists should play in trying to influence social issues?
  • What are your thoughts about the role that psychologists and social workers should play in the care of those with mental illnesses?
  • What thoughts do you have about requiring psychiatric patients to take their medication?
  • Do you have a philosophy about suicide? What should the psychiatrist’s responsibility be for preventing suicide?
  • What hobbies do you have?
  • What books have you recently read?
  • What do you think the role of pharmaceutical companies should be in the education of psychiatrists about medications?
  • What are the reasons that you decided to apply to this residency program?
  • What is important to you in life?
  • What do you expect to be doing as a psychiatrist?
  • What do you think the hardest thing about being a psychiatrist is?
  • Have you heard the term “psychological mindedness?” What does that mean to you? Are you psychologically minded? How do you know?
  • What did you study as an undergraduate? Did you take psychology courses? Did you take courses that have furthered your insight into the human condition?
  • In what ways did you grow as an undergraduate student? In what ways did you grow (or not grow) as a medical student?
  • Were there any experiences in medical school that you found particularly meaningful?
  • What do you think the role of psychotherapy is in psychiatric practice today?
  • Have you ever attended a meeting or a conference where food was provided by a drug company? What do you think about that?
  • What has proven to be the most effective method for learning for you?
  • What book is on your nightstand?
  • What are your hobbies? Tell me more about them?
  • Tell me a little bit about your family. Are they supportive of your decision to become a psychiatrist?
Pretty standard questions, but just something to think about.

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I used to ask applicants:

How would you design a residency program...to focus on your weaknesses?

Kinda multiple q's in one (what they want in a residency, what they view their weaknesses as, whether they have the foresight to know how to work on it, and whether they're honest about areas that need work).

The least interesting responses were "I think I need to know more about medications." Duh. Not really a weakness about you.
 
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What book is on your nightstand?

Book?!? What century is this? Are you guys still reading things printed on paper?!? :D

Seriously though, good thought. I saw this list too and thought it was interesting. I'm not sure how good the questions are really (nitemagi's is infinitely better) but it's a good starting point.
 
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Book?!? What century is this? Are you guys still reading things printed on paper?!? :D

Seriously though, good thought. I saw this list too and thought it was interesting. I'm not sure how good the questions are really (nitemagi's is infinitely better) but it's a good starting point.


I went on my first interview last week. Believe it or not, the questions were not very original. I think these are the questions you should be able to answer without thinking much.
 
I used to ask applicants:

How would you design a residency program...to focus on your weaknesses?

Kinda multiple q's in one (what they want in a residency, what they view their weaknesses as, whether they have the foresight to know how to work on it, and whether they're honest about areas that need work).

The least interesting responses were "I think I need to know more about medications." Duh. Not really a weakness about you.

What was the most interesting response?
 
I went on my first interview last week. Believe it or not, the questions were not very original. I think these are the questions you should be able to answer without thinking much.

Thanks for posting these questions. It's a very helpful starting point as we prepare for interviews.
 
I interviewed at SBrook, good program, imo, and the questions were mostly pretty straightforward but certainly one of those places that asks interesting questions to get a sense of who you are on a deeper level, what makes you tick. At any particular program, most interviewers are straightforward with the q's and then there is the one guy/gal at the place who is more probing with atypical and sometimes odd q's (I was always just honest, didn't try to game it or try to tell them what you think they want to hear, no right answers really, almost have fun with it). More so in the programs that are committed to their psychotherapy training and education.
 
What was the most interesting response?

One of the more insightful was something along the lines of "I think I struggle with not getting too attached ot patients, so seeing a lot of them early on would probably give me good practice to develop boundaries. Plus getting good supervision."
:thumbup:

Others involved "not working too hard," "staying balanced," stuff like that. Didn't get a ton of super-insightful answers though. The most common approached it as if I was asking about gaps in knowledge (rather than development), and others tried to spin it on the "well I just work too hard, that's my weakness." The latter is fine but a common interview answer that's really an attempt to look better rather than revealing a legitimate weakness. Which is an understandable approach when so much is at stake.
 
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I used to ask applicants:

How would you design a residency program...to focus on your weaknesses?

Kinda multiple q's in one (what they want in a residency, what they view their weaknesses as, whether they have the foresight to know how to work on it, and whether they're honest about areas that need work).

The least interesting responses were "I think I need to know more about medications." Duh. Not really a weakness about you.

I normally hate the "What are your weaknesses" question because they seem to generate contrived answers, but this one does a good job of getting around that.

"I care too much, so... I'd fill my residency with ugly, mean people that I could care less about."

"I work too hard, so... Q30 call schedule?"
 
If your interview experience is anything like mine, you'll be more hard pressed to come up with questions than answer them. I had several interviews where the first question was "So... what questions do you have for me?" and that was the rest of the interview.

Frankly, I think you learn as much or more about an applicant based on what they ask than what they answer.
 
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