Some interview Q's I'm not prepared for.

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teenmachinery1

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Are topics on abortion, atheism, and politics allowed during the interview?

I'm not prepared for the abortion question.

I don't have any solid position on abortion that I can back-up with anything of substance at all. Are there significant advances in technology that have changed this debate at all? What is the deal with this topic and interviews?

Does religion come into interviews at all? Do schools like Creighton have an emphasis on these types of questions? Does anyone believe their atheism might be a problem when dealing with religious patients and their family, especially when dealing with life/death decisions?

Politics I'm prepared for, but I don't know if this is a topic that's allowed during interviews.

thanks all.
 
As long as you have an opinion that is reasonable and falls between one of the two extremes and you back it up with logic it doesn't matter what you say. These questions are asked with hidden agendas to either learn something about your character or to see if you're consistent with your answers. They don't care what your actual stance is (as long as it's reasonable).

So yes, pretty much anything is up in the air. I've personally heard of ethical questions, but never religion. I somehow doubt that they would ask you a religious question.

I suggest you touch up on the most popular ethical topics such as abortion, euthanasia, et cetera.
 
You threw me off with your 'hidden agenda' questions comment... Do you have examples of what kind of questions would have a 'hidden agenda':scared:
 
Mayssy said:
You threw me off with your 'hidden agenda' questions comment... Do you have examples of what kind of questions would have a 'hidden agenda':scared:
Click to expand...

Maybe I wasn't clear. What I mean by "hidden agenda" isn't something sinister like my poor wording might lead you to believe. They ask these questions not because they care about your opinion, but because they need to discover in this short interview if they can see you as a physician.

You just need to focus on being reasonable with your opinion, staying consistent, and making sure whatever you do say, you're patient focused.
 
This abortion thing is tricky. Anyone have any sweet, informative, concise, persuasive essays on the topic they'd like to link?
 
i was never asked about abortion at an interview.

i was only asked about religion because it was in the description of a couple of ECs i put on my app. and i think i was only asked about it at one interview.

as far as "hidden agenda" questions, they're just looking to see if you have an opinion and can speak intelligently about it/back it up/not waffle, etc.
 
Politics is definitely on the table. I've been asked about health care reform at several schools.
 
I was asked about my religion as my father is a minister and I included that in my Personal Statement. I don't think it would be asked unless you mention it somewhere in your application.

Abortion and euthenasia are tougher topics. I have an interview in 2 weeks that I will almost certainly be asked about one if not both(it's a school known for ethical questions). Like you, I don't really have a solid opinion...so my answer to both will likely be, "They're both illegal in Virginia, so I wouldn't do them. Also, I want to be a doctor to preserve life, not end it. If either of those practices were legal in Virginia, I'd fully respect the patient's right to see a different doctor for that."

I'm a bit nervous about that answer, but that's what it's going to be. Why should my personal and religious beliefs affect what OTHER people do regarding euthenasia and abortion? However, even if they were legal I would not perform the procedures myself.
 
VTBuc said:
I was asked about my religion as my father is a minister and I included that in my Personal Statement. I don't think it would be asked unless you mention it somewhere in your application.

Abortion and euthenasia are tougher topics. I have an interview in 2 weeks that I will almost certainly be asked about one if not both(it's a school known for ethical questions). Like you, I don't really have a solid opinion...so my answer to both will likely be, "They're both illegal in Virginia, so I wouldn't do them. Also, I want to be a doctor to preserve life, not end it. If either of those practices were legal in Virginia, I'd fully respect the patient's right to see a different doctor for that."

I'm a bit nervous about that answer, but that's what it's going to be. Why should my personal and religious beliefs affect what OTHER people do regarding euthenasia and abortion? However, even if they were legal I would not perform the procedures myself.
Click to expand...

I only got asked an ethical question once when I went through the interview trail. It seemed like they just wanted to make sure you follow the law (ie, you are not going to euthanize a patient because it is illegal) and see how you think. So it's less about having the "right" answer, and more about having a sincere, concise answer that shows how you think.

For what I quoted above, my strategy was to kind of keep my answers as short as possible without getting to much into what I think is right or wrong. So I talked more about what I would do versus what I thought. I was afraid that would open the door to why I thought what I thought and a debate about ethics would ensue.

Do what you feel comfortable with, but if you are trying to avoid it, you can use my strategy of just answering what you would do and supporting it with the fact that that is the current law.
 
Often they will ask you one of these tricky questions, you answer (they don't care what you say), and then they will challenge you to see if you back down. They're looking for you to be sincere and not just saying what they want to hear/agreeing with them for the sake of peace in the room.
 
kia ora said:
euthanasia? are you interviewing for vet school? your time would better be spent thinking about the issues surrounding physician-assisted suicide, perhaps.

read this website for a good crash course on this topic and others relating to medicine and ethics: http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/index.html
Click to expand...

Umm physician-assisted suicide IS euthanasia...thanks for the condescending remark, though.
 
Politics in the context of health care reform is definitely fair game, and I would imagine you'll get asked questions that touch on this directly at the majority of interviews. Questions regarding specific religious beliefs and abortion are less common, and some schools have internal admissions policies regarding which types of questions are off limits.

Physician-assisted suicide and end-of-life care are common ethical or case-related questions, especially if your home state or that of the school in question (e.g. Oregon) has recent legislation on the issue.
 
VTBuc said:
Umm physician-assisted suicide IS euthanasia...thanks for the condescending remark, though.
Click to expand...

no. they are two different things. but why don't you go ahead and say during an interview that they are one and the same...that will free up a spot for someone else...

I didn't mean to be condescending. you really should know what you are talking about, though, before you correct someone else...especially when you are incorrect in your correction
 
kia ora said:
no. they are two different things. but why don't you go ahead and say during an interview that they are one and the same...that will free up a spot for someone else...

I didn't mean to be condescending. you really should know what you are talking about, though, before you correct someone else...especially when you are incorrect in your correction
Click to expand...

Euthanasia means to end life painlessly. Nothing more, nothing less. PAS seems like it would fall under that umbrella.

The putting to death, by painless method, of a terminally-ill or severely debilitated person through the omission (intentionally withholding a life-saving medical procedure, also known as "passive euthanasia") or commission of an act ("active euthanasia'). See also living will.

I got that def from some sort of law school advising site.

You can't call someone wrong with a distinction that's that murky. There are sources that also equate the two; just type in both terms on google.
 
kia ora said:
no. they are two different things. but why don't you go ahead and say during an interview that they are one and the same...that will free up a spot for someone else...

I didn't mean to be condescending. you really should know what you are talking about, though, before you correct someone else...especially when you are incorrect in your correction
Click to expand...

Damn who pissed in your cornflakes this mornings? :whoa:I'm scared to post in this thread now...
 
kia ora said:
no. they are two different things. but why don't you go ahead and say during an interview that they are one and the same...that will free up a spot for someone else...

I didn't mean to be condescending. you really should know what you are talking about, though, before you correct someone else...especially when you are incorrect in your correction
Click to expand...

You can split hairs if you want, but the fact remains that euthanasia is a super-charged topic currently facing physicians and our health care system.

Assisted suicide is a form of voluntary euthanasia. Perhaps you should look up the definition of euthanasia.
 
kia ora said:
no. they are two different things. but why don't you go ahead and say during an interview that they are one and the same...that will free up a spot for someone else...

I didn't mean to be condescending. you really should know what you are talking about, though, before you correct someone else...especially when you are incorrect in your correction
Click to expand...

Ignorance and arrogance are a deadly combination...and you seem to have both. PAS is euthanasia. And I'd suggest you follow your own advice regarding correcting people when you're incorrect.
 
This is how I learned it: Euthanasia means the patient actually injects/takes the lethal dose. Physician is not directly involved. PAS is when the doctor actually administers the medicine, therefore the physician-assisted part.
 
FloatOn said:
This is how I learned it: Euthanasia means the patient actually injects the lethal dose. Physician is not directly involved. PAS is when the doctor actually injects the medicine.
Click to expand...

actually, you've got them mixed up. euthanasia is when the physician administers the life-ending medication (think of a veterinarian euthanizing an animal); PAS is when the patient administers it to himself (the physician-assisted part is that the physician prescribes/provides the medication). and this IS an important distinction. euthanasia is not legal in any state in the US; PAS is legal (if many specific criteria are met) in two states in the US. to the ppl upthread calling names, your defensiveness is perhaps indicative of your own ignorance and uncertainty on the topic.
 
kia ora said:
actually, you've got them mixed up. euthanasia is when the physician administers the life-ending medication; PAS is when the patient administers it to himself (the physician-assisted part is that the physician prescribes/provides the medication). and this IS an important distinction. euthanasia is not legal in any state in the US; PAS is legal (if many specific criteria are met) in two states in the US. to the ppl upthread calling names, your defensiveness is perhaps indicative of your own ignorance and uncertainty on the topic.
Click to expand...

Main Entry: eu·tha·na·sia
Pronunciation: \ˌyü-thə-ˈnā-zh(ē-)ə\
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek, easy death, from euthanatos, from eu- + thanatos death — more at thanatos
Date: 1869
: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy

From the dictionary. 🙄

PAS is a form of euthanasia. And both PAS and the broader term of euthanasia are relevant in healthcare debate...not just limited to people "interviewing for vet school"..as you condescendingly put it.
 
VTBuc said:
PAS is a form of euthanasia.
Click to expand...

This has been said several times now. Either he isn't reading what we have to say, or he is too focused on his own responses to consider opinions other than his own. Either way, it's a lost cause.
 
VTBuc said:
Main Entry: eu·tha·na·sia
Pronunciation: \ˌyü-thə-ˈnā-zh(ē-)ə\
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek, easy death, from euthanatos, from eu- + thanatos death — more at thanatos
Date: 1869
: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy

From the dictionary. 🙄

PAS is a form of euthanasia. And both PAS and the broader term of euthanasia are relevant in healthcare debate...not just limited to people "interviewing for vet school"..as you condescendingly put it.
Click to expand...

I have heaps of respect for veterinarians. I know some amazing ones.

as for the PAS/euthanasia distinction, I'm not going to continue to argue with you. why don't you read this - it was written by an MD who is a professor of medical history and ethics - if you still think it's wrong, tell him): http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pas.html#ques1

Is physician-assisted suicide the same as euthanasia?

No. Physician-assisted suicide refers to the physician providing the means for death, most often with a prescription. The patient, not the physician, will ultimately administer the lethal medication. Euthanasia generally means that the physician would act directly, for instance by giving a lethal injection, to end the patient's life. Some other practices that should be distinguished from PAS are:
Terminal sedation: This refers to the practice of sedating a terminally ill competent patient to the point of unconsciousness, then allowing the patient to die of her disease, starvation, or dehydration.
Withholding/withdrawing life-sustaining treatments: When a competent patient makes an informed decision to refuse life-sustaining treatment, there is virtual unanimity in state law and in the medical profession that this wish should be respected.
Pain medication that may hasten death: Often a terminally ill, suffering patient may require dosages of pain medication that impair respiration or have other effects that may hasten death. It is generally held by most professional societies, and supported in court decisions, that this is justifiable so long as the primary intent is to relieve suffering.
 
kia ora said:
actually, you've got them mixed up. euthanasia is when the physician administers the life-ending medication (think of a veterinarian euthanizing an animal); PAS is when the patient administers it to himself (the physician-assisted part is that the physician prescribes/provides the medication). and this IS an important distinction. euthanasia is not legal in any state in the US; PAS is legal (if many specific criteria are met) in two states in the US. to the ppl upthread calling names, your defensiveness is perhaps indicative of your own ignorance and uncertainty on the topic.
Click to expand...

Oops, sorry!

From the Euthanasia thread not too too long ago:

Compass said:
Euthanasia = You giving someone an injection of some chemical that will kill the person. You are physically giving them the dose that will kill them. (You are pulling the trigger.)
PAS = You giving someone a bottle of chemical and directions on how to take the medicine that will kill you. You are giving them a tool for them to kill themselves with. (You give the person a gun and then they choose to pull the trigger.)
Click to expand...
 
teenmachinery1 said:
Are topics on abortion, atheism, and politics allowed during the interview?

I'm not prepared for the abortion question.

I don't have any solid position on abortion that I can back-up with anything of substance at all. Are there significant advances in technology that have changed this debate at all? What is the deal with this topic and interviews?

Does religion come into interviews at all? Do schools like Creighton have an emphasis on these types of questions? Does anyone believe their atheism might be a problem when dealing with religious patients and their family, especially when dealing with life/death decisions?

Politics I'm prepared for, but I don't know if this is a topic that's allowed during interviews.

thanks all.
Click to expand...

Okay to bring it back to the topic. So a couple weeks ago I was kind of worried about these kind of ethical/moral questions because I felt like I didn't know enough. I gathered ~8 people who were applying this year or about to apply and we did a practice interview session. It was really helpful to hear what other people's answers were. Everyone knew some of one topic but not all and in the end with everyone's help, we were able to get all the laws on these issues straight. One person works at an abortion clinic so that helped a lot.

Anyways, 2 heads are better than one, I suggest you gather some friends and discuss because I doubt anyone will want to fork over any good answer on this forum.
 
VTBuc said:
I was asked about my religion as my father is a minister and I included that in my Personal Statement. I don't think it would be asked unless you mention it somewhere in your application.

Abortion and euthenasia are tougher topics. I have an interview in 2 weeks that I will almost certainly be asked about one if not both(it's a school known for ethical questions). Like you, I don't really have a solid opinion...so my answer to both will likely be, "They're both illegal in Virginia, so I wouldn't do them. Also, I want to be a doctor to preserve life, not end it. If either of those practices were legal in Virginia, I'd fully respect the patient's right to see a different doctor for that."

I'm a bit nervous about that answer, but that's what it's going to be. Why should my personal and religious beliefs affect what OTHER people do regarding euthenasia and abortion? However, even if they were legal I would not perform the procedures myself.
Click to expand...

Uh, what? Abortion is legal everywhere in the US, isn't it? Virginia has a trigger law but it's kind of meaningless unless Roe v. Wade is overturned.
 
kia ora said:
actually, you've got them mixed up. euthanasia is when the physician administers the life-ending medication (think of a veterinarian euthanizing an animal); PAS is when the patient administers it to himself (the physician-assisted part is that the physician prescribes/provides the medication). and this IS an important distinction. euthanasia is not legal in any state in the US; PAS is legal (if many specific criteria are met) in two states in the US. to the ppl upthread calling names, your defensiveness is perhaps indicative of your own ignorance and uncertainty on the topic.
Click to expand...

Dr. Kevorkian, is that you?

😉

ps: i was just going to say what some other poster ^^^ there said, that is, if it is legal and i do not agree morally with it i will refer the pt to a physician who will perform the procedure. if it is illegal, i'll advise the pt of that.
 
curbye said:
Dr. Kevorkian, is that you?

😉
Click to expand...

I could tell you, but I'd have to...oh, never mind😉

talk about someone who was operating outside of the bounds of the law! I think he really believed he was doing the right thing, though. I guess he certainly had enough time to think about it, while staring at the walls of his prison cell
 
kia ora said:
I could tell you, but I'd have to...oh, never mind😉

talk about someone who was operating outside of the bounds of the law! I think he really believed he was doing the right thing, though. I guess he certainly had enough time to think about it, while staring at the walls of his prison cell
Click to expand...


hahahah ba dum ch. i agree with you; i doubt he was doing it maliciously.
 
Alwaysbehopeful said:
Okay to bring it back to the topic. So a couple weeks ago I was kind of worried about these kind of ethical/moral questions because I felt like I didn't know enough. I gathered ~8 people who were applying this year or about to apply and we did a practice interview session. It was really helpful to hear what other people's answers were. Everyone knew some of one topic but not all and in the end with everyone's help, we were able to get all the laws on these issues straight. One person works at an abortion clinic so that helped a lot.

Anyways, 2 heads are better than one, I suggest you gather some friends and discuss because I doubt anyone will want to fork over any good answer on this forum.
Click to expand...

I think the law on abortion is pretty easy to get. But I hate taking refuge in the law. What if I'm asked: "When is the fetus a human being? When does it begin to have rights? (Human rights, not legally speaking) When does it feel pain? Is viability of the fetus a matter of concern for you? Why or why not? etc.
 
TheMightySmiter said:
Uh, what? Abortion is legal everywhere in the US, isn't it? Virginia has a trigger law but it's kind of meaningless unless Roe v. Wade is overturned.
Click to expand...

The trigger law is what I was referring to. I guess referring to it as "illegal" was mispeaking. Like I said, I'm not very confident about that answer and I really need to research it more before my next interview. :scared:
 
teenmachinery1 said:
I think the law on abortion is pretty easy to get. But I hate taking refuge in the law. What if I'm asked: "When is the fetus a human being? When does it begin to have rights? (Human rights, not legally speaking) When does it feel pain? Is viability of the fetus a matter of concern for you? Why or why not? etc.
Click to expand...


😱 can they ask those questions??? i fee like the first three are consistently under debate and therefore a matter of who do you believe/follow...the last one is more a personal opinion.

also, i think those q's are bordering on religion questions so how are they even supposed to ask them and continue the resulting conversation?
 
curbye said:
😱 can they ask those questions??? i fee like the first three are consistently under debate and therefore a matter of who do you believe/follow...the last one is more a personal opinion.

also, i think those q's are bordering on religion questions so how are they even supposed to ask them and continue the resulting conversation?
Click to expand...

I could totally see it as part of a stress interview, just to see how you react.
 
curbye said:
i would tell the truth, but what if i am discriminated against because of my views :-/ 🙁
Click to expand...

This is what I would be worried about. One of my top choice schools (as it stands) is a Catholic institution, and my views on abortion are NOT in line with the Catholic view. In fact, they're pretty much opposite. I wouldn't lie about my beliefs, but I'd hate to think that they might present a reason for rejection.
 
re: religous views

I think your own personal religious views are not as important as respecting and understanding other peoples religious views. I personally think that patients religious views, regarding medical treatment, should be respected unless it's a life threatening situiation. I would find it difficult to allow any patient to die, especially a child, because of a religous view that conflicted with necessary treatment. Don't know how others feel about this though.
 
Gifted Hands said:
For what I quoted above, my strategy was to kind of keep my answers as short as possible without getting to much into what I think is right or wrong. So I talked more about what I would do versus what I thought. I was afraid that would open the door to why I thought what I thought and a debate about ethics would ensue.
Click to expand...

Good advice... thank you! 👍
 
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