Political Questions During Interview?

[funkyturtle]

When asked about my thoughts on the healthcare system in America during an interview, is it fine to say that I support a single-payer, universal healthcare system? I'm not sure how to avoid being controversial when asked a question that is (unfortunately) political in nature.

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[ChymeofPassion]

When asked about my thoughts on the healthcare system in America during an interview, is it fine to say that I support a single-payer, universal healthcare system? I'm not sure how to avoid being controversial when asked a question that is (unfortunately) political in nature.

Say you lean torward X position with 3 pros, but say you understand the drawbacks with 2 cons, and that overall you feel its important for physicians to be informed on such a pivotal issue. Just be reasonable.

 

[Moko]

When asked about my thoughts on the healthcare system in America during an interview, is it fine to say that I support a single-payer, universal healthcare system? I'm not sure how to avoid being controversial when asked a question that is (unfortunately) political in nature.

You can say almost anything you want as long as you are able to back it up and show an understanding of the other points of view. Be prepared for the interviewer to take an opposing viewpoint.

 

[curbsideconsult]

To further expand on what @ChymeofPassion stated: most reasonable interviewers don't expect you to have an answer one way or the other. They want to know whether you think about these issues and whether you're a thoughtful person. With questions like these, you can never go wrong with saying that you don't necessarily have a position but that you can see the pros/cons of multiple sides of the debate and then go on to expand on those arguments.

 

[HomeSkool]

If I asked you that question, I would be looking for a few different things.

1. Are you a zealot?

Because the only use I have for zealots is in StarCraft.​

2. Are you a wimp?

Not having a firm stance is OK, but giving wishy-washy non-answers isn't.​

3. Are you reasonable?

Reasonable people can see the virtues of opinions that conflict with their own.​

4. Are you honest?

Honest people can see the flaws in their own beliefs.​

I imagine most interviewers are similar in the sense that they're not looking for a specific answer so much as they want to see that you're rational and able to communicate without alienating people.

 

[sadpremed121]

Does anyone have a good clear resource where I can read about the pros and cons. I literally have no idea what to say if asked this question.

 

[appropriatepeanut]

You can say almost anything you want as long as you are able to back it up and show an understanding of the other points of view. Be prepared for the interviewer to take an opposing viewpoint.

When an interviewer takes the opposite side to see how you fare, how are you supposed to respectfully disagree? (If it was a position I had not considered before, I was going to be honest and say that I had not thought of that before.)
Thank you for the help! I really appreciate it🙂

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Does anyone have a good clear resource where I can read about the pros and cons. I literally have no idea what to say if asked this question.

17 Universal Health Care Pros and Cons

Universal health care is the idea that everyone within a country should have access to

vittana.org

 

[deleted987519]

17 Universal Health Care Pros and Cons

Universal health care is the idea that everyone within a country should have access to

vittana.org

 

[Angus Avagadro]

To further expand on what @ChymeofPassion stated: most reasonable interviewers don't expect you to have an answer one way or the other. They want to know whether you think about these issues and whether you're a thoughtful person. With questions like these, you can never go wrong with saying that you don't necessarily have a position but that you can see the pros/cons of multiple sides of the debate and then go on to expand on those arguments.

I wouldn't say that you dont have a position. I will attempt to get you to take one. Who wants an indecisive doctor? There is no right or wrong position. Just be able to explain yourself showing rational reasoning.

 

[sadpremed121]

17 Universal Health Care Pros and Cons

Universal health care is the idea that everyone within a country should have access to

vittana.org

Which of the cons would you say are safe to say in an interview? Like I feel like my interviewer would cringe if I told them that one con of universal health care was wealthy/healthy people paying for sick/poor people

 

[Cornfed101]

Which of the cons would you say are safe to say in an interview? Like I feel like my interviewer would cringe if I told them that one con of universal health care was wealthy/healthy people paying for sick/poor people

You can say that healthcare would become more expensive for healthy people. That is a reasonable con.

 

[LizzyM]

Which of the cons would you say are safe to say in an interview? Like I feel like my interviewer would cringe if I told them that one con of universal health care was wealthy/healthy people paying for sick/poor people

Why would we cringe? It is true. As long as there are enough healthy people that the amount paid per person to "support" the sick/poor is reasonable, it's all good. When the pool of healthy people shrinks then the cost per person (taxes and/or insurance premiums) rise then there is a great deal of squalking about being required to pay for people who are poor/sick through some fault of their own (overeating, drinking, smoking, being lazy, spending too freely). We saw this in the late 80s with Medicare catastrophic coverage and the fuss was so great that the law was changed in a matter of months.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Which of the cons would you say are safe to say in an interview? Like I feel like my interviewer would cringe if I told them that one con of universal health care was wealthy/healthy people paying for sick/poor people

"Some people may think it's unfair because of the fact that people who are ordinarily healthy and thus pay little in healthcare costs relative to total US spending, may have to pick up the bill for more unhealthy Americans, whose healthcare costs can be largely attributed to largely preventable problems (obesity, heart disease, etc)." Definitely, use "some" here. Also you must cite me if you use this directly.

 

[Moko]

When an interviewer takes the opposite side to see how you fare, how are you supposed to respectfully disagree? (If it was a position I had not considered before, I was going to be honest and say that I had not thought of that before.)
Thank you for the help! I really appreciate it🙂

Depending on what's said: "That's certainly something to consider as well" could work. It's also never wrong to admit that you need to do more reading on a topic. Reach consensus whenever possible, and if the opposing view is extreme and unsavory, it's okay to agree to disagree. Avoid appearing defensive or agitated.

We deal with patients with many different viewpoints, some quite obnoxious (e.g just recently I had a patient make an off the cuff remark about certain populations being "leeches" etc). Demonstrate that you can keep your cool in these situations and to deescalate when appropriate.

 

[LizzyM]

Don't flip flop to say what you think an interviewer wants to hear. I once made an off the cuff remark to a Political Science major about the fact that the 2008 race had no incumbents (it was late 2007 perhaps) which was so unusual and out of the ordinary. The applicant first had high praise for Hilary Clinton then switched gears to Joe Biden or someone else... I wasn't trying to suss out his political leanings but just making a comment about how odd it was to have a wide open race within each party for the nomination. He was trying to "name my candidate" to gain favor with me. It was weird.

 

[appropriatepeanut]

Depending on what's said: "That's certainly something to consider as well" could work. It's also never wrong to admit that you need to do more reading on a topic. Reach consensus whenever possible, and if the opposing view is extreme and unsavory, it's okay to agree to disagree. Avoid appearing defensive or agitated.

We deal with patients with many different viewpoints, some quite obnoxious (e.g just recently I had a patient make an off the cuff remark about certain populations being "leeches" etc). Demonstrate that you can keep your cool in these situations and to deescalate when appropriate.

Thank you so much this was incredibly helpful!

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Political questions can and likely will be asked during your interview. They may present it as an ethical situation (no universal healthcare, pt. w/o anything shows up in the ED, what do you do?) OR they may blatantly ask you your thoughts on X topic. Be well versed in topics, especially given the political climate surrounding healthcare.

Give a solid answer supporting and bashing both sides. "Well I see Side A is good because of 1, 2, and 3, but, it does impact x, y, and z. This helps/hurts healthcare providers but hurts/helps patients. However, Side B..."

Finally, you may be asked for your opinion if you are tip-toeing around answering the question at hand.

 

[sadpremed121]

Political questions can and likely will be asked during your interview. They may present it as an ethical situation (no universal healthcare, pt. w/o anything shows up in the ED, what do you do?) OR they may blatantly ask you your thoughts on X topic. Be well versed in topics, especially given the political climate surrounding healthcare.

Give a solid answer supporting and bashing both sides. "Well I see Side A is good because of 1, 2, and 3, but, it does impact x, y, and z. This helps/hurts healthcare providers but hurts/helps patients. However, Side B..."

Finally, you may be asked for your opinion if you are tip-toeing around answering the question at hand.

What would you do in the case of a patient walking into ED with no insurance? Is there a good place where I can find more examples of these ethical scenarios along with appropriate responses.

 

[deleted987519]

What would you do in the case of a patient walking into ED with no insurance?

I could be wrong, but I think EDs are legally required to provide care to anyone walking in, whether they can afford to pay or not.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

What would you do in the case of a patient walking into ED with no insurance? Is there a good place where I can find more examples of these ethical scenarios along with appropriate responses.

Not trying to derail your thread here, but I'll discuss ethical scenarios.

Ethical scenarios are rarely a yes/no or right/wrong kind of answer. The purpose is to make the interviewing student think, see the pros and cons of both sides of a situation. The approach is to give a shoutout to the pros and cons of both sides. Why one is good but also bad. The same for the other side. You can be wrong if you directly say "yes or no" without explaining both sides or even elaborating on the side you picked.

Here are some quick tips:
1.
2.
3. https://medicalschoolhq.net/mshq-164-medical-ethics-questions-you-can-expect-in-your-interview/

 

[BoneBroCO]

I could be wrong, but I think EDs are legally required to provide care to anyone walking in, whether they can afford to pay or not.

This is correct, unless the person poses some sort of immediate threat of some sort.