My List of Commonly asked interview Questions

[DoctaJay]

Hey everyone. I'm by no means a interview guru, but I've been on a couple and every interview question I've had has been covered by this list. Its still good to research SDN Interview Feedback, but this list may help those that dont' want to search there:

1.Tell me something important about yourself.
2.Why did you choose your major/degree?
3.If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
4.What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
5.Tell me about your research?
6.If you have a choice between two medical schools, what are your criteria for choosing between them.
7.What will be 3 major challenges in medicine when you graduate from medical school and how should the curriculum address those challenges?
8.Describe a specific example of how you helped another individual and what you learned from it?
9.What intellectual role did you play in your research?
10.How would your friends describe you?
11.What draws you to [insert whatever school you are interviewing at]?
12.Tell me about [insert your school] and why you chose to go to school there.
13.Which of your research experiences did you enjoy the most and why?
14.When in your life did you decide you wanted to become a doctor? Have your motivations about becoming a doctor or your impressions about medicine changed since then?
15.Why medicine?
16.How would your mom describe you?
17.How would you propose to teach students a more humanistic approach to medicine?
18.Should more money be devoted to education or healthcare?...Prevention or intervention?
19.Tell me about your leadership activities
20.What are some important qualities of a physician?
21.What are current problems in the healthcare system today?
22.I'm not saying you won't get in this year, but if you didn't what would you do?
23.What area or field of medicine interests you?
24.What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
25.What would you change about your college/university?
26.What is the most difficult decision you have had to make?
27.Tell me about your best friend.
28.How would you define professionalism?
29.What was the happiest and saddest moments of your life?
30.How can you contribute to this school?
31.What criticism upsets you the most?
32.What was the last book you read?
33.What challenges do you think you'll have in your 1st year of medical school?
34.Do you think that as we learn more about science and the laws of this world, that the need for believing in God will disappear?
35.What was your favorite (college) class and why?
36.Explain the process of cellular respiration to me?
37.How do you fix the malpractice problem
38.Do you prefer being alone or with others?
39.Do you like saying no?
40.Do you have any questions about [insert whatever school you are applying to]?
41.Why not nursing?
42.What else do you want to emphasize to the committee about yourself that may or may not be included in your applications?
43.What can I say to make you want to come here?
44.Please explain this low grade in [insert whatever class you received a C or below in]

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[Teee]

44.Please explain this low grade in [insert whatever class you received a C or below in]

I'm scared of this one, how am i suppsoed to explain low grades in like almost all my classes

 

[DoctaJay]

I'm scared of this one, how am i suppsoed to explain low grades in like almost all my classes

To be honest, there is a high chance if you have C's in ALL your classes that you may not get an interview [not because its intrinsically bad, but it could send of alarms to the adcomms as to how difficult a time you will have handling medical school science classes], but if you do, they really like to see maybe a next semester or year that you had improvement. If not, they just be honest about the struggles you may have had, or the outside influences that may have affected you like working a full time job to pay for school while taking classes. They'll understand stuff like that. And in the end, its not all about #'s.

 

[stiffany]

I'm scared of this one, how am i suppsoed to explain low grades in like almost all my classes

They were really difficult because engineering is killer, but you were able to perform well in x, y, z class because you studied hard, worked well, put in extra effort, etcetera. You can't have gotten all low grades since otherwise your GPA would be in the 2.0 range. Plus, you've got interviews at some kick butt schools so you must have something going for you.

 

[Teee]

To be honest, there is a high chance if you have C's in ALL your classes that you may not get an interview, but if you do, they really like to see maybe a next semester or year that you had improvement. If not, they just be honest about the struggles you may have had, or the outside influences that may have affected you like working a full time job to pay for school while taking classes. They'll understand stuff like that. And in the end, its not all about #'s.

Thanks, I am just wary of having too many excuses... i do have interviews though and i have already graduated. I am just going to be praying a lot for closed file interviews.

They were really difficult because engineering is killer, but you were able to perform well in x, y, z class because you studied hard, worked well, put in extra effort, etcetera. You can't have gotten all low grades since otherwise your GPA would be in the 2.0 range. Plus, you've got interviews at some kick butt schools so you must have something going for you.

you are right, that sounds better. thanks for the info, much better than my planned response: crying

 

[PHD_2007]

Thanks for the info DJ. I hope everything went well for you!!!!!

 

[Teee]

1.Tell me ... about yourself.

my name is Teee, i am from..., i attended..., majored in..., In my spare time, I..., i want to be a doctor becuase...

Is this format good for the above questions or just to general? thanks

 

[somemaybedoc]

my name is Teee, i am from..., i attended..., majored in..., In my spare time, I..., i want to be a doctor becuase...

Is this format good for the above questions or just to general? thanks

I tell a short life story of how I got to where we are. I guess I think that if I can make it even a little bit engaging, they will feel more invested in me as a person and applicant.

 

[xanthomondo]

44.Please explain this low grade in [insert whatever class you received a C or below in]

I was asked why did i receive a B in a class while my first three semesters are all As and 1 B

 

[DoctaJay]

my name is Teee, i am from..., i attended..., majored in..., In my spare time, I..., i want to be a doctor becuase...

Is this format good for the above questions or just to general? thanks

Actually, the best way to reply to this question is the throw it back at them (advised to me by an adcomm). You say:

"Well where would you like me to start Dr. So and So? I can tell you about my cultural background. I can tell you how I decided that I wanted to do medicine. I can tell what I like to do in my free time. I can tell you about my passion for research or mission work."

This is good because it allows the interviewer to tell you where they want you to focus on, instead of trying to answer such an open ended question like "Tell me about yourself". If the interviewer says, "Well, I don't know...you pick one." Then you can pick one, and be rest assured that its alright.

 

[somemaybedoc]

Actually, the best way to reply to this question is the throw it back at them (advised to me by an adcomm). You say:

"Well where would you like me to start Dr. So and So? I can tell you about my cultural background. I can tell you how I decided that I wanted to do medicine. I can tell what I like to do in my free time. I can tell you about my passion for research or mission work."

This is good because it allows the interviewer to tell you where they want you to focus on, instead of trying to answer such an open ended question like "Tell me about yourself". If the interviewer says, "Well, I don't know...you pick one." Then you can pick one, and be rest assured that its alright.

If I was doing that I'd just say: "Is there any specific area you would like me to address first?" Giving them a list might come off as condecending if done wrong.

 

[DoctaJay]

If I was doing that I'd just say: "Is there any specific area you would like me to address first?" Giving them a list might come off as condecending if done wrong.

Quite true. I guess its all in the tone that you use. I did it at my Morehouse interview, genuinely concerned as to where the interviewer wanted me to start. I think it went well...or i guess we'll find out, lol.

 

[somemaybedoc]

Quite true. I guess its all in the tone that you use. I did it at my Morehouse interview, genuinely concerned as to where the interviewer wanted me to start. I think it went well...or i guess we'll find out, lol.

Getting the delivery right seems to be much harder to learn, than figuring out the answers to the question. You probably did fine since you seem aware of these things. It's the antisocial types who don't talk with people that tend to blow these things.

 

[wolfram241]

Although 84% of these questions make me want to at the thought of preparing bs answers to appease the questioners, I bookmark for later use. Thanks for posting!