Questions applicants should be asking at residency interviews

[Waterlover]

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I hear lots of people say that they realize what is actually important to ask once they get to the end of residency interviews or once they start intern year. I understand there will always be questions specific to us that we may personally want to ask. What are questions that us as applicants should be asking program directors, physicians and residents when we go to our interviews?

 

[Jabbed]

Find out about: Free parking/food, health benefits, and investment options.

Ask residents if they're happy.

Ask the leadership what changes they're making to the program and why.

You should know 3 year vs 4 year before your interview day, but obviously important.

 

[miacomet]

Find out about: Free parking/food, health benefits, and investment options.

Ask residents if they're happy.

Ask the leadership what changes they're making to the program and why.

You should know 3 year vs 4 year before your interview day, but obviously important.

Agreed on parking, health, and investment questions. Some programs offer a small 401k match- this is a huge benefit due to compounding. You are cheap labor and you will be busy. Free food, parking, childcare, a 401k match, and good (and cheap) health benefits show that the program values you.

Residency programs can change in heartbeat and hospitals and programs can even close. While you may not get an honest answer, or the interviewer may not know, asking about forthcoming changes and program stability is important.

 

[CajunMedic]

asking about forthcoming changes and program stability is important.

I had several standard questions I asked on the trail last year and will probably ask again this year. Most places were forthcoming and I got a few "wow, we've never been asked that before." This wasn't too long after the debacle at Summa Akron.

Who is your current CMG/SDG? (If I haven't figured it out already)
How long is the contract for?
How long have they staffed your facility?
When is it up for renewal?
Is there a contingency plan in place for attending coverage if administration decides to change companies?

 

[Rekt]

Maybe this is a dumb Q, but would these apply to academic or county sites?

It can apply mostly anywhere, maybe less likely at huge academic centers since they are more likely to be employed. Still very good questions.

 

[thegenius]

At the end of the day, you gotta come up with your own questions. What's important to you. What's important to us may not be what's important to you. What was important to me was things related, basically, to whether my wife and kids will be happy in the area, are there other residents who are married, with kids, cost of living, stuff like that.