What policies/healthcare issues are possibly common for discussion during the 2021-2022 cycle’s interviews?

[GolDRoger]

Hey all,

My question is just as the title of the post says! I’m fairly caught up with information (and misinformation) regarding COVID, onset of the pandemic and its effects on society, etc…. Wondering if there’s anything else I should read up on before the upcoming interview season.

Thanks everyone! Hope y’all have a great day! 🙂

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[LizzyM]

Vaccine hesitancy, should physicians include in their practices families that refuse vaccines (including and especially pediatric practices). Opioid epidemic--including the role of government. End-of-life care. Should physicians be prohibited by law from asking about guns in the home?

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Jehovahs Witness patients. Cases involving transfusions, transfusing minors.

 

[GolDRoger]

Vaccine hesitancy, should physicians include in their practices families that refuse vaccines (including and especially pediatric practices). Opioid epidemic--including the role of government. End-of-life care. Should physicians be prohibited by law from asking about guns in the home?

Thank you so much!

 

[amm16]

I think an interesting one we may get asked is about vaccine mandates for healthcare professionals

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Do interviewers really ask about policies and issues? I don’t think any interviewer asked my kid last cycle.

 

[deleted1025488]

Do interviewers really ask about policies and issues unless? I don’t think any interviewer asked my kid last cycle.

I heard about it last cycle, but moreso a near-end of interview question broadly asking "what ___ is most important in the current climate"

I'm sure 99% of people just said health disparities and move on but yeah

 

[Dave1980]

When is it ok to have a romantic relationship with a patient

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

When is it ok to have a romantic relationship with a patient

Or faculty?

 

[Dave1980]

Or faculty?

lol exactly. or sibling?

 

[seanm028]

lol exactly. or sibling?

Aaaand there goes the thread.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

lol exactly. or sibling?

Depends on which state the school is in.

 

[Dave1980]

Depends on which state the school is in.

West Virginia University. We're looking at you.

 

[xffan624]

Do interviewers really ask about policies and issues? I don’t think any interviewer asked my kid last cycle.

I was about to ask how you would know what the interviewer asked, but then I remembered it was a virtual cycle. I still think listening in to all of a kid's medical school interviews is pretty helicopter parenting.

FTR, I definitely was asked about health current event topics during my interviews. It's a good idea to be ready for it. Not every school does but you can't predict which ones or which interviewers will.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I was about to ask how you would know what the interviewer asked, but then I remembered it was a virtual cycle. I still think listening in to all of a kid's medical school interview is pretty helicopter parenting.

FTR, I definitely was asked about health current event topics during my interviews. It's a good idea to be ready for it. Not every school does but you can't predict which ones or which interviewers will.

What made you think I listened to the interview? Lol

 

[xffan624]

What made you think I listened to the interview? Lol

You seemed pretty confident that your child was never asked about health current topics during their medical school interviews. Enough so to ask OP if that was a thing in a thread they were asking advice about what topics they should be reviewing. I would assume you would have either done a thorough debriefing or listened to interviews to express doubt that was something done during an interview, but I guess people can also express opinions things they have limited knowledge on as well.

 

[reapplicant2021]

Do interviewers really ask about policies and issues? I don’t think any interviewer asked my kid last cycle.

Last cycle I applied I only had 1 interview and got asked about opioids and what I thought about repealing Obamacare. This was 2019 so Trump was still in office.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

You seemed pretty confident that your child was never asked about health current topics during their medical school interviews. Enough so to ask OP if that was a thing in a thread they were asking advice about what topics they should be reviewing. I would assume you would have either done a thorough debriefing or listened to interviews to express doubt that was something done during an interview, but I guess people can also express opinions things they have limited knowledge on as well.

I am confident because he would tell me any interesting discussions he had since we talk quite a bit. The reason for asking that question is that some students get nervous and over prepare for the interviews. If you are not paying attention to current events then over preparation may have opposite impact.

 

[xffan624]

I am confident because he would tell me any interesting discussions he had since we talk quite a bit. The reason for asking that question is that some students get nervous and over prepare for the interviews. If you are not paying attention to current events then over preparation may have opposite impact.

Well, given the responses of topics that multiple ADCOMs gave to OP's question, you should know that OP familiarizing himself/herself with current health events/topics (especially if it's not something he follows that much to begin with) is not overpreparation.

ADCOMs want medical students who are aware of current health topics. It's ok to have an opinion as well, but it shouldn't be regimented and they should be aware of arguments for both sides.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Well, given the responses of topics that multiple ADCOMs gave to OP's question, you should know that OP familiarizing himself/herself with current health events/topics (especially if it's not something he follows that much to begin with) is not overpreparation.

ADCOMs want medical students who are aware of current health topics. It's ok to have an opinion as well, but it shouldn't be regimented and they should be aware of arguments for both sides.

I always ask students open ended questions at the end of the interview and argue with them, no matter what side they take. I want to see if it is a genuine response , rather than a canned response. I want to see if they can think and formulate a logical response . There are no right or wrong answers.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Generally keep yourself abreast of the most popular healthcare policy topics. You don't have to be an expert just know the basics of the issue and have a decently thoughtful opinion of them. For years it was the Affordable Care Act, but that's likely finally winding down as the controversial issue. Moving forward for the next couple years I bet you they'll be all pandemic related, vaccines, mandates, all that stuff.

Again, the key is to sound thoughtful and well-versed while at the same time not sounding close-minded.


David D MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[4lphabet]

If med Twitter is anything to go by, physician burnout (esp related to COVID), and the role of private equity firms in healthcare could come up? I wonder if we'll get spicy q's on the expansion of NP roles too.

(E: realizing the latter two might be way out of scope for this career stage...)

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

When is it ok to have a romantic relationship with a patient

Only when you are a veterinarian!

 

[Fano]

What made you think I listened to the interview? Lol

Because assuming the worst of parents on the site is par for the course.

 

[Fano]

I am confident because he would tell me any interesting discussions he had since we talk quite a bit. The reason for asking that question is that some students get nervous and over prepare for the interviews. If you are not paying attention to current events then over preparation may have opposite impact.

I'm inclined to believe there's no such thing as over-prep for interviews. But I'm open to being wrong about this. In my own experience, I've been blind-sided by situational questions where I couldn't think of an example and questions about something that was on the company's website. I get that you don't want to sound scripted but your prep should including working on avoiding this. So, what else are the possible downsides of being more than adequately prepared?

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

So, what else are the possible downsides of being more than adequately prepared?

Scripted/canned answers or becoming too stressful about the interviews with fanatic prep ?

 

[xffan624]

Because assuming the worst of parents on the site is par for the course.

I think for those of us with parents who barely knew what medical schools we were applying to, the idea of a parent being that engaged in an adult child's application cycle that they can say with confidence what questions they were asked during ALL of their medical school interviews is a little weird (whether they listened in or not).

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I think for those of us with parents who barely knew what medical schools we were applying to, the idea of a parent being that engaged in an adult child's application cycle that they can say with confidence what questions they were asked during ALL of their medical school interviews is a little weird (whether they listened in or not).

Again I didn't say I know all the questions asked. He would share if there is something interesting from the interviews (like one of the fun things he did was covered by online media extensively and few interviewer were more interested in that). and he knows I am into politics and policy. Anyway, I feel that's an excuse to go after parents who participate here but I can handle it 🙂

 

[xffan624]

Again I didn't say I know all the questions asked. He would share if there is something interesting from the interviews (like one of the fun things he did was covered by online media extensively and few interviewer were more interested in that). and he knows I am into politics and policy. Anyway, I feel that's an excuse to go after parents who participate here but I can handle it 🙂

I'm not against parents posting on this site. I will admit as an adult whose parents supported me minimally in college and beyond (outside of standard love and support) it's jarring to see parents this active in their post-high school education but whatever floats your boat. What am I against, parent or otherwise is someone providing answers/opinions to questions that they don't have the experience/knowledge to provide.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

What am I against, parent or otherwise is someone providing answers/opinions to questions that they don't have the experience/knowledge to provide.

That's valid. I only post if I think I have something useful (having helped my spouse and kid to navigate the process and interactions with kids in the family and friends kids who have gone thru the process) or ask questions to understand the process and eliminate pitfalls for those I know (not only my kid). Anyway, back to main topic.