Tough interview questions: How do you see medicine changing in the next 10 years?

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sozme

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Interviewer: How do you see medicine changing in the next 10 years?
Your answer: ................................................
 
I'm assuming probably moving to more so-called quality-based compensation, less RVU-based?
 
Probably the way to attack this question is to roll out some stuff about concentrating on quality over quantity and such. Sprinkle in a little garbage about team-based approach (bonus points on the cringe meter [ and therefore bonus points with the interviewer] if you mention something about "pit crew") and you should be good.
 
More cooperation with mid-levels, possible compensation changes that will have downstream effects on patient care, technology challenging the role of providers, etc.
 
1) at a societal level, a continued debate over whether healthcare is a right and if so, then how to go about providing and paying for it.

2) the aging of the boomers will challenge us in many ways - resources, time, complexity

3) some dramatic and likely painful cost trimming measures as healthcare claims larger and larger portions of GDP.

4) increasing feast or famine in access to care. Live in a desiresble major city? Well shake a tree and a handful of MDs will fall out. Live 120 miles outside any of those cities and good luck finding anyone taking new patients, especially Medicare and Medicaid.

5) a number of unintended consequences as policy makers attempt to fix things.

Regardless of the prevailing winds, in the end there are still sick people and they need care and those of us on the front lines will continue to knock on exam room doors and ask people to tell us their stories.
 
It's not tough if you've done a lot of stuff.

The question is an obvious probe on how well you kept up with following the medical industry. There is no right or wrong answer. It's what have you done and the process of thought that goes into it.

When you're in an interview, the key answer is one that sets you apart uniquely in a positive way. Saying you're a unique snowflake is not enough. Prove it.

If you have done any sort of research on the matter, highlight that. Clinical experiences would be great too, especially conversations with doctors. If you haven't already you should read WSJ, Economist and NYT especially their healthcare sector parts. Know a few common buzzwords very well at the very least, if you're short on time, since it's basically learning a whole language over again.

As a pure reference example, I had that same question in my interview - I noted my involvement and publication in clinical informatics that taught me shift towards value-based reimbursement methods, RVUs, etc. I also mentioned highlights from discussion with my father, who is involved in clinical research that shows drug funding likely to shift towards hepatic ones because of recurring revenue. I also happened to do an internship at a home health electronic systems startup, that was also selling telemedicine solutions, including shifts in insurance parity laws, and could also hold a conversation on recent growth in the SNF and home health industry.

Either way, if you conveyed it correctly, the interviewer would be interested in hearing more because he is bored to the bone hearing what he/she thinks is the same "dumb stuff", probably does not know much about it, and would want you to talking about it in slightly greater depth before moving on. That gives a good impression you know what you're getting into, because most pre-meds haven't got enough "real-world" knowledge on how medicine really works and likely don't know anything beyond basic regulations yet. Remember first impressions are hard to change, hence you can never really work enough on interviews to ensure a positive one, but don't stress too much either.

If you have no time to get those experiences and draw a blank, just memorize a few flashcards "stories" before the interview for common questions and as a last resort and risky gambit, answer confidently in a form of your prepared question first, rather than directly answering the question.

The interviewers are human just as you are, so you should be aware they aren't going to know every single thing, even if they are a Nobel prize laureate in Medicine, nor will you. Use that to your advantage if you can't think of anything, just be careful of the fine line.
 
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"I prefer to think in longer terms than 10 years. In 500 years I see the delivery of medicine happening very differently. By that point it will be mostly first aid level medicine because the war between machines and humans will have annihilated the medical industrial complex."

or

"In 10 years? Well, hopefully your generation, which totally ruined medicine by the way, will be out of the picture so that my generation can come in and fix your screw-ups"
(this one goes over -very- well)
 
"I prefer to think in longer terms than 10 years. In 500 years I see the delivery of medicine happening very differently. By that point it will be mostly first aid level medicine because the war between machines and humans will have annihilated the medical industrial complex."

or

"In 10 years? Well, hopefully your generation, which totally ruined medicine by the way, will be out of the picture so that my generation can come in and fix your screw-ups"
(this one goes over -very- well)


Mega health corps will probably leverage the massive debt load of new graduates to lure us into low-level administrative positions with predatory contracts, where we will be supervising experienced physicians with rigid money saving guidelines and metrics, leaving a trail of shattered careers and partially-fixed patients in our wake. So, you know, try to stay on my good side.
 
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