Interview tips: "Challenges as a DO" and "Tell me about yourself"

[leafs2012]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi Guys,

So I am preparing for an interview and was practicing some questions from the interview feedback section. Can you guys provide some advice on these questions:


"What challenges do you expect to face as a DO?" I was thinking something along the lines of explaining to lay patients the difference between MD and DO but some help would be great.

Also, how do you guys approach "Tell me about yourself"? Is this a simple question where you talk about hobbies, where you are from, what you like to do, etc or gear it more towards why medicine?

Lastly, any advice on this question "What is the greatest thing you can do for another human being as a doctor?" ....'saving their life' sounds a little cliche lol so some help would be awesome.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[cabinbuilder]

Hi Guys,

So I am preparing for an interview and was practicing some questions from the interview feedback section. Can you guys provide some advice on these questions:


"What challenges do you expect to face as a DO?" I was thinking something along the lines of explaining to lay patients the difference between MD and DO but some help would be great. They will never ask you this. The only people who see being challanged as a DO are pre-med student and MD's. If the DO school sees themselves as being challenged then you should not go there.

Also, how do you guys approach "Tell me about yourself"? Is this a simple question where you talk about hobbies, where you are from, what you like to do, etc or gear it more towards why medicine? Usually its something not in your essay. Your passions, interests, pursuits outside of medicine. Something that will stike a conversation and make you remembered

Lastly, any advice on this question "What is the greatest thing you can do for another human being as a doctor?" ....'saving their life' sounds a little cliche lol so some help would be awesome. Do they ask this now? The best thing is to educate (remember that doctors are teachers too) so patients have a longer, healthier lives.

 

[cliquesh]

I was asked "challenges as a DO". They just mean, "challenges as a physician". So stuff like, balancing work and family life, spending enough time with patients, etc

 

[Cuongoff]

Yea you will never get a question asking you about challenges of being a DO. And even if they did, spin it so that your answer consists of there is no challenge to being a DO. Duh.

 

[EnergyDrink]

Lastly, any advice on this question "What is the greatest thing you can do for another human being as a doctor?"

DO schools claim to be more about preventative care, so I would use this as an opportunity to address that. I think you can mention saving a life as being important, but I think improving the quality of life is more important.

I was asked "challenges as a DO". They just mean, "challenges as a physician". So stuff like, balancing work and family life, spending enough time with patients, etc

Good advice.

Yea you will never get a question asking you about challenges of being a DO.

Bad advice.

 

[MedPR]

Hi Guys,

So I am preparing for an interview and was practicing some questions from the interview feedback section. Can you guys provide some advice on these questions:


"What challenges do you expect to face as a DO?" I was thinking something along the lines of explaining to lay patients the difference between MD and DO but some help would be great. They will never ask you this. The only people who see being challanged as a DO are pre-med student and MD's. If the DO school sees themselves as being challenged then you should not go there.

Also, how do you guys approach "Tell me about yourself"? Is this a simple question where you talk about hobbies, where you are from, what you like to do, etc or gear it more towards why medicine? Usually its something not in your essay. Your passions, interests, pursuits outside of medicine. Something that will stike a conversation and make you remembered

Lastly, any advice on this question "What is the greatest thing you can do for another human being as a doctor?" ....'saving their life' sounds a little cliche lol so some help would be awesome. Do they ask this now? The best thing is to educate (remember that doctors are teachers too) so patients have a longer, healthier lives.

Idk, at my DMU interview there were a lot of DO vs MD type questions.

We (two on one interview) assume you've applied to MD schools as well?
How will you choose between DO/MD if you are accepted to one of each?
You've shadowed both MD and DO. What were the differences?

Not exactly the same as the question in the OP, but I don't think it's too farfetched for a DO interviewee to get that type of question.

 

[leafs2012]

Thanks guys I appreciate all of these answers!

On another note, so i went to get a haircut and got my regular haircut without thinking much about it, but I have a buzzcut with a fade on the sides lol I don't look completely ghetto and do look clean, but is the fade unprofessional? I'll clean shave and what not, wear a nice suit etc etc. but I just started to worry last night...is this a problem at all?

 

[coolingglasses]

I know it's been covered, but I'm just reinforcing the point:

Patients don't give two craps about whether you're a DO or an MD.

 

[Goro]

Personally, I hate these kinds of questions, because they only produce canned answers. I never ask 'em.

Hi Guys,

So I am preparing for an interview and was practicing some questions from the interview feedback section. Can you guys provide some advice on these questions:


"What challenges do you expect to face as a DO?" I was thinking something along the lines of explaining to lay patients the difference between MD and DO but some help would be great.

Also, how do you guys approach "Tell me about yourself"? Is this a simple question where you talk about hobbies, where you are from, what you like to do, etc or gear it more towards why medicine?

Lastly, any advice on this question "What is the greatest thing you can do for another human being as a doctor?" ....'saving their life' sounds a little cliche lol so some help would be awesome.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[EnergyDrink]

TOn another note, so i went to get a haircut and got my regular haircut without thinking much about it, but I have a buzzcut with a fade on the sides lol I don't look completely ghetto and do look clean, but is the fade unprofessional? I'll clean shave and what not, wear a nice suit etc etc. but I just started to worry last night...is this a problem at all?

Not at all, it still a conservative haircut. As long as it isn't something crazy you should be fine (mohawk, afro, maybe dreads)

 

[leafs2012]

Thanks guys for the advice, it really helps!

Also, when people ask you about your research, do they focus on why you did it, brief overview of the project, and what you learned? .... or like the specifics of what you do, like ask you the methods, ask you questions about the theory of it, etc?

 

[cliquesh]

Thanks guys for the advice, it really helps!

Also, when people ask you about your research, do they focus on why you did it, brief overview of the project, and what you learned? .... or like the specifics of what you do, like ask you the methods, ask you questions about the theory of it, etc?

It's usually a general question, but make sure you know some of the technical stuff, like what type of pcr you utilized, what vector you used...stuff like that. PhDs like to talk about the stuff.

 

[gmcguitar4]

I've been to a few DO interviews and none of them got too technical at all. They might ask what you did for your research/job but no details really. They were all laid back and easy. If you get an interview, just review the school, the application you sent them, some DO philosophy stuff, etc. and you will be fine. But def be prepared for why DO? and DO vs. MD if you had a choice.

 

[Mehd School]

I know it's been covered, but I'm just reinforcing the point:

Patients don't give two craps about whether you're a DO or an MD.

I wish I could agree with you, but where I currently live people do kind of care. I see it about every two weeks.

 

[Mr Kenobi]

I wish I could agree with you, but where I currently live people do kind of care. I see it about every two weeks.

 

[coolingglasses]

I wish I could agree with you, but where I currently live people do kind of care. I see it about every two weeks.

That sucks. Guess YMMV.

 

[Mehd School]

That sucks. Guess YMMV.

It does. Totally different situation where I grew up, where close to 40% of the physicians there are DO.

 

[Mr Kenobi]

It does. Totally different situation where I grew up, where close to 40% of the physicians there are DO.

So where you grew up no one cared...but where you are at now they do? What exactly do you see about every two weeks or so?