Applying for Residency/USMLE ? Tips about Residency Interviews for future MDs in USA!- a Fun & Informative Resource specially for the IMGs, with sample questions and answer scripts.
***International Copyright*** : Last Updated: Dec 5th 2008
Chances are most of you will be confronted by this question during the residency interview and even though some of you may not care much about where on earth you get a residency, or do not have many choices anyways, you still need to frame an answer. Anyways, since a residency is a long stressful period, if you have luxury of choosing a location, you should give that a good thought.
Remember that the program is looking for practical reasons on your part to consider that city, so they can get a sense of how interested are you in the program. Simply wanting to live in a city because "it is of historic importance" or "very beautiful", while good to add, may not by itself give as clear a message than some of the practical, convincing points mentioned below.
Since it will be ridiculous on my part to try and come up with a summary for every residency location, lets try to have a framework instead. First, read up about the residency city/town on sites like Wikipedia, citydata.com, etc. Also see if the city appears anywhere on the best places to live list on CNN Money - Click here for the 2007 list. Chances are that you will also find what's best about the city / town on that site itself.
Here are some practical reasons you can use for your answer, depending on what you believe and justify is important for you:
1. You have been brought up in a, or simply love a large city vibrant life / moderate town convenience / small city peaceful life (whichever applies)
2. You got family, relatives, friends in the area
3. You like the outdoor activities available in the area (skiing, biking, hiking, canoing, etc.)
4. Its a very safe place to live, it that applies e.g. I would not use this reason for Bronx ;-)
5. The places offers good job prospects for you spouse and /or good schools for your kids. (Some programs are known to consider good candidates for a prematch, if their spouse already has a job in that area or close to that area)
6. You always wanted to settle in that area
7. You were born and brought up in that area and that's home for you
8. Cost of living is attractive - buying a home is possible, etc.
More possible reasons are welcome - just drop a comment and I shall include it here
Suspected Drug Abuse in Physician Colleague : What to Do ?
A common question doing the rounds these days on the residency interview circuit is how would you deal with the situation if you found out or suspected that your physician colleague / friend working with you is consuming alcohol / drugs that are affecting his duties ?
For answering this, let us cite an article by Dr. Stephen Ross posted on American Medical Association, which says:
"If a colleague is concerned that a physician has an SUD that is impairing his or her functioning, it is that colleague’s ethical duty to act immediately to intervene. The best approach is usually to contact a Physicians Health Program (PHP), rather than the state medical board, and to report the suspected addicted physician." So How about first Confronting and confirming from the Physician himself before taking it to the authorities ?
"Contacting a PHP can be done anonymously and is usually better than trying to confront the individual directly since most addicted physicians have high levels of denial and are usually not receptive to interventions from colleagues." Hmmm..
Note that PHP does not punish the physician, rather works with the physician to resolve the issue while allowing the physician to keep practice license. Punitive actions, license revoking, etc. after reporting the physician to the State Medical Board were the old days, the new ideology is to treat the physician for his ailment rather than punish him/her for it. Why not ? When addicted, the person is unable to control him/herself to abstain from it ..and that exactly is the ailment - and punish for a disease ?
Interestingly, the highest incidences of Substance abuse amongst physicians are seen amongst the Anesthesiologists and Emergency Medicine
The weekends about to start but this blog refuses to let you rest ;-) Here are some more examples of questions you could be asked on your residency interviews besides the ones I had previously posted, though its possible that some may be repeats. So cut those weekend plans, sit in a corner with a serious expression and think ...kidding - Go through this list, get a hang of them and give them a thought over the weekend - the best answers come up in relaxed environments !
Thanks to a Dr. Aparna for forwarding these to me:
- Why did you apply to this program? - What are you looking for in a program? - What made you join medicine? - What is your most memorable patient encounter? - What do you see as the negative and positive features of this specialty? - What problems do you think the specialty faces? - How do you see the delivery of health care evolving? - What do you do in your spare time? – What are your expectations about this program?" - What kinds of people are your friends? - Who are your heroes? - What are your opinions on abortion/euthanasia/socialized medicine/HMOs/cloning? - With which types of people/patients do you have trouble working? - How do you see the delivery of health care evolving into the 21st century? (political and social issues) - What would you do if the house staff had a "job action" or strike? (ethical issues) - Tell me about the patient from whom you learned the most - If you could be any cell in the human body, which would you choose to be, and why? - How do you explain… (low grades?, leaves of absence?, poor clinical narratives?) - What is your energy level like? - Can you tell me why I should let you do your residency here? - Would you have any trouble working in this predominantly catholic (Jewish) hospital? - Where else did you apply? - Is this program your first choice? - Describe what you are doing to improve two of your weaknesses
Probably every orthopedic surgeon, who loves his/her work, has a little bit of a mechanical engineer within , an appreciation for structure and an aptitude for fixing broken things.
Here are some ideas you can steal off the statements some orthopedic surgeons have made.
"With a vast array of specialties that one could go into, I chose Orthopedics specifically because of my love for fixing broken things. As a child, it was a thrill to take things apart and put them back together and they actually worked! I have always had mechanical interests coupled with a fascination for the Sciences and Math. So Orthopedics has been the perfect venue to give back to others from the gifts that God has given me."
"The frequency and impact of injuries in shoulder and elbow areas combined with recent advances in their diagnosis and treatment are why I chose orthopedic medicine as a profession. I take pride in being able to provide state-of-the-art, proven procedures to restore patients to a more productive life.
"I always wanted to be a physician," - I chose orthopedics because you get to work with people of all ages from newborns to seniors. I get to treat the entire body, and sometimes the entire family. I get a chance to watch my patients grow up. It is always rewarding to treat a former patient's son or daughter."
Source: Dr. Andrew Kant : Though this reply would apply to any specialty ;-)
"I chose orthopedics because of the diversity of surgical challenges, the immediate effects, and its reconstructive aspect. My longstanding interest in woodworking meant that I enjoyed building things. I could tell that orthopedics would give me a sense of building things up as opposed to cutting them out. Last, but not least, I really enjoy the kind of people who do orthopedics."
"I chose orthopedics because of the near instant gratification obtained from performing a surgical procedure combined with the satisfaction of improving a patient's quality of life."
Dermatologists (the Skin Specialists) enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, relative lack of emergencies, great work hours and excellent money - but then these cannot be your main answer to why you chose Dermatology as a specialty - these must come AFTER the physician-reasons why you choose the field ;-)
Lets begin with a great, detailed answer:
"I chose dermatology because it is perfectly suited to my goals: a. I found the subject interesting since it was very visual and I am partial to the fine arts. b. I wanted to be a pioneer in academic dermatology since there were less than 14 dermatologists in Manila then, mostly without real, modern residency except for two. c. I wanted to teach. d. I wanted a profession that allowed me to have enough extra time after or before work to do other things I loved doing such as painting, dancing ballet, gardening, participating in the arts, reading and attending spiritual growth retreats/seminars. e. I wanted to have time to devote to my family."
" I chose Dermatology because I enjoy the clinical variety it presents and find it rewarding on a human level. It is very fulfilling to work with patients who are able to literally see they are getting better."
"I believe it is often the case that in life, one chooses a course because of the influence of others who you believe in and try to emulate - I chose dermatology because I fell under the influence of one of the greatest dermatologists ever - Dr. Marion B. Sulzberger, Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at NYU "
"I chose dermatology because it is a beautiful profession that combines the best of everything -- clinical, surgical and microscopical aspects of medicine requiring extensive attention and observation."
"I chose Dermatology because it’s one of the happiest fields in medicine, People enjoy coming to my office because they know they will look and feel better when they leave!"
Sample Interview Reply For "Tell Me About Yourself"
Often the "Tell me about yourself..." Interview question is used as an ice-breaker & is mostly used when the interviewer himself/herself isn't sure about where to begin. It's a professional version of saying "So, Wut's up !" The question is asked so that the interviewer could fish for clues to ask more questions.
Hence you don't want to start & sound unprepared with - "My name is XYZR and I come from PQRST - I am married and I play tennis and I love to read and Blah blah .." and have the interview progress around your married life or hobbies, etc ....it aint memorable !
Instead, you gotta be crisp, confident, have a professional tone and raise those Interviewer ears. In fact you should be happy about this question coz' it's like an opportunity of a free-style performance and you can put the ball back in the interviewers court by ending with a earnest question :-)
Here's a 4-step reply flow pattern that You might find useful to structure your replies before you go for interview:
1. General professional Background
2. Most Recent experience in the specialty of interest (clinical / research / presentation , etc.)
3. Strengths, aptitudes and/or what you feel passionate about
4. What you are looking for and hope to achieve.
And here's a sample answer for a Dermatology Residency Interview:
"As you can tell from my resume, I have been deeply involved with Medicine since the past 10 years. Though I have always been interested in skin diseases, my interest in Dermatology strongly developed during the second year of medical school, thanks to my splendid professors, and ever since, most of my experiences have centered around this amazing field.
My most recent experience has been working with Dr. ______ on his research about Melanoma, which was recently published on _______, where I played a critical part in making clinical observations and diagnoses, evaluating data and literature review.
My chief strengths are my flair for diagnosing skin conditions, ability to develop great rapport with patients and an aptitude for clinical research.
I am specifically looking for a residency program that has a good research track besides strong clinical training, this is I applied to your residency program and I would love to hear your take on the research opportunities here. "
Caution: While replying, try not to sound like a parrot giving out memorized monotones. Maintain a body language to show your are actively thinking :-)
So....if asked this question - take that virtual microphone in your hands and render a great performance ;-) ... Cool ?
- how to answer a Tell me about yourself Interview question - Sample script for "tell me about yourself" - tell me about yourself residency interview - when residency interview say "tell me about yourself" - residency interview question - tell me about yourself - how to prepare for "tell me about yourself" style question
The surgeons take pride is being the toilers, the exclusive specialist doers - being in the OR in the midst of things for long hours infuses life into them. Procedures, technology, procedures , technology and give them more procedures - coz' thats instant, tangible results and patient satisfaction... "them drugs are for the slow-pokes - me likes it fast" ;-). As this article puts it: "They’re the kind of people who take pride at staying at the hospital far longer than they have to, who complain about the laws limiting residency hours, who elbow each other out of the way for the chance to scrub in on a 12-hour surgery"
Here are what some surgeons say why they liked the field:
- "I chose general surgery as a career choice because it gave me the opportunity to treat patients medically as well as with technical/procedural opportunities. I found it fascinating to perform operations. General surgery has provided constant possibilities for growth and improvement." Source: Dr. Allen Galster
- "I chose general surgery as a career because I particularly enjoy helping patients through acute medical issues. As a general surgeon, I am able to treat a wide variety of diseases, some benign and some more complex. I have a particular interest in breast cancer and devote about 50% of my practice to diagnosing and treating breast cancer surgically."
- "Right now general surgery is one of the specialties that I am most interested in pursuing for several reasons. First, I love to work with my hands. Ever since high school dissections in biology class, I have known that I loved working with my hands and being physically involved in the process of healing. Second, I like to think on my feet. I enjoy problem solving and pressure situations. I think that in surgery one of the most defining characteristics is the ability to approach a situation where little information is available and strategically find an appropriate course of action. This is one of the most attractive aspects of surgery to me. "
- "I love to be on the cutting edge of life and enjoy getting deep into the matter of things "
Source: Digitaldoc trying to pull lame joke
Well..Passion and zest for the field is what program directors will look for - coz' unless you got that, its tough to survive in all those grueling hours and pressures. Mr. Mahoney puts the need for passion in perspective: "lives in general surgery are absolutely miserable - but then I see 70-year-olds who still work 90 hours a week, and I have to admit they must sincerely love what they’re doing—or hate their family. I can’t tell which !"
Why Did You Choose Obstetrics - Gynecology (Ob-Gyn)
We have surgery lovers and we have medicine lovers - and then we have the medicos who would like it both ! Obstetrics - gynecology offers just that - the pleasure of primary care, specialist care and surgical care.
Time for me to shut my yapper and let you do some reading and analysis :-)
1. "I chose obstetrics and gynecology for two main reasons. First, in general it is an uplifting specialty. For the most part it deals with healthy patients during an exciting and happy part of their life. Second, it provides a unique combination of medicine and surgery, both of which I enjoy, not available in most other specialties."
2. " chose obstetrics and gynecology because of the diversity in the field. It's just the right combination of primary care with lots of hands on procedures for those who tend to be procedure oriented like myself. Also, I love the fact that I will be able to both diagnose and surgically treat problems in my patients without having to send them to a surgeon"
3. "always loved science and was particularly interested in how the mind affects the body. I chose obstetrics because of my interest in the biological, psychological and social aspects of pregnancy"
4. I like this answer since its pretty specific: "I chose Obstetrics and Gynecology because I wanted to care for women in all stages of life- whether a young woman getting her first gyn exam, shepherding a patient through a first pregnancy (or a fifth!), guiding surgical decisions and navigating menopause and beyond. I have a particular interest and am well trained in minimally invasive surgery. I’m also interested in pelvic organ prolapse (and how to repair it), incontinence. Adolescent medicine and high risk pregnancies. Additionally I like to incorporate complimentary & alternative medicine practices in patient care when appropriate."
5. "I chose Obstetrics and Gynecology as a specialty because it offers a unique opportunity for me to be a specialist but at the same time provide life-long continuity to my patients."
Some possible 'Illegal Questions' on the Residency Interview
Here I attempt to enlist such questions and try to frame answers - I may not have answers for all, but reader suggestions are more than welcome. Additionally, if you have any more illegal questions stored in your brain attics - spill it out here = Click on the Comments link below and type away :-)
Q. What are your plans for a family? Any Marriage plans ? Got a Significant Other ?
Possible Answer: "At this point I am entirely focussed and driven to succeed in my medical career. Family may be a possibility in a couple of years, it is not an important issue for me right now"
Q. How old are you?
Possible answer: "Am ____ years old but young enough to be your most hardworking resident" ;-)
Q. If we offered you a position today would you accept?
Every residency interview - whether the program is known to offer prematches or not, you should be ready to answer this question. If it's a program you really want - then sure you say Yes. If not, you can say something like "That would be great, but I probably could only finalize my decision after I finished attending the remainder of my few more Interviews".
Some people say its good to say "yes" anyways and then decide AFTER you are offered the Prematch, depending on how the scene looks for you overall for a match.
Hmm.....no easy answer :-)
Comments awaited.
Search keywords to this article:
- "how to answer tough questions on residency interviews" - "scripts for answers to residency interview questions" - "sample illegal interview questions with replies / answers"
"What do you mean by Socialized medicine or Healthcare ?"
Since many IMGs wrote about being asked this question on the Residency interviews in primary care specialties Family Medicine and Internal medicine, it is apt to discuss this here. Besides its good for IMGs to know what mess are they getting into ;-) LOL
Keeping it short, Socialized Medicine is government-funded health coverage, with the funds derived mostly from taxes and all people have financial access to the doctors and health services. Examples of such systems are UK
The Health system in the United States has been a combination of social and capitalistic elements. Medicare and Medicaid form the socialistic component - while Employer-provided health insurance coverage and self-paid coverage forms the capitalistic element, if you will, since it depends on people's ability to pay.
Medicare coverage starts for citizens only after age 65 - while Medicaid covers the poor and qualifying children. And for the rest of the people, if the employer does not cover health insurance, people need to pay out of their own pockets - which is not affordable to many. As of 2007, America has about 47 Million people that are uninsured, either due to unaffordability or by choice. Employers are slowly starting to drop coverages too - you will begin to understand why when you read about how General Motors lamented that it spends about $1525 on health insurance per vehicle produced in comparison to $201 that Japanese Toyota does. Phew ! and its another story than Japan tops the list of the most long-lived people.
"Socialized Medicine" or the more preferred term "Universal Health care" has recently been in the spotlight due to the problem of the uninsured in America. Let see why the problem of uninsured Americans is bad
So why is having uninsured Americans a problem ? : Because of these options they have to act on:
1. Get bankrupt when a medical condition wipes out all savings (Medical bills can mount to $200,000 in heart surgeries!) 2. Do not see physicians for problems at all, allow problems to reach a complexity that's more expensive to treat. 3. Use unproven, risky off-the-shelf cheaper alternative medicines 4. Fly overseas to India, Thailand - i.e.medical tourism 5. or worse - simply pile up on Emergency centers of hospitals to take unfair advantage of the EMTALA act, which says hospitals are required to cover basic treatment for any person wanting care, irrespective of their ability to pay 6. As the number of uninsured increase, the insured Americans have to pay a greater premium to generate the big pot of insurance money. "The healthy discount the sick"
A huge section of the American population now believes a lot of these problems can be solved if health insurance coverage was made compulsary, private health insurance was dissolved and the government covered everyone through taxes, which will bring down premium rates and and make health care cheaper. [As fo 2007, America speands more than 18% of GDP of Health care !!]
But given the shocking profits that private health insurance plans make and the 10-20 Million Dollar salaries that insurance CEOs make, it's gonna be tough to break their heavily-funded political lobby and replace them by a socialistic model.
Hope this gives all of you guys enough food for thought and good arguments to put forth, when asked that question on the residency interviews :-)
Comments - Critiques - Stones Welcome ;-)
It now remains to be seen how a socialistic concept can emerge in a mostly capitalistic society that America is !
Search keywords to this blog article:
- What is socialized medicine - What is socialized health care
Here are some extracts from the World Wide Web :-)
- "Being a pediatrician isn't just taking care of a child—it's taking care of a whole family. And often times the most important part of therapy or treating a pediatric illness is addressing the illness within the family. And that can bring families together, it makes me feel great as a physician, and it makes me feel like I can contribute"
- "I love working with children and I naturally feel a need to care for them, they always seem so vulnerable"
[As if you did not think of this one...but still I had put up this cliche ;-) ]
-"I thought the attitude of pediatrics most fit my personality. Many people seem to think that those of us who go into pediatrics do so because "we love kids" and we like to be cute and play around. It is so much more than that-caring for a pediatric population is a whole different spectrum of diseases, equally complex as that of adults, and it involves a real need to always address social/familial aspects of illness. Finally, I like that pediatrics is a discipline where I will be able to intervene and change behavior patterns and health outcomes in a very preventative and pro-active way, as opposed to trying to change someone's ingrained life patterns"
- "I've always liked children. I started baby-sitting when I was 11. When I was 16 I worked as a camp counselor at a camp for handicapped children. I became very interested in working with those children and decided to become a pediatrician. Once I started my residency I decided to do general pediatrics" Source: Dr. Warren
"I chose pediatrics as a specialty since I enjoy their unique developmental and health care challenges"
Lets go over some 'sample' reasons why some psychiatrist's have chosen the field, which will help you frame your reply based on what matters to you most
"I've always been interested in the humanities....when I was deciding what specialty to go into, I looked for one which would allow me to combine my interest in the humanities. It is fair to say that psychiatry is the closest you can get to the humanities in medicine, so that's why I chose psychiatry"
"if you have a gift for critical conceptual reasoning, then you are certainly likely to be suited to psychiatry because in psychiatry you have to be able to deal with and explore abstract concepts and notions." Dr. Femi Oyebode: Source: BMJ
"I found that while I considered surgery, what really fascinated me were people, and their stories, and why they do the things they do - That's why I chose Psychiatry" Dr. Charles Atkins: Source
"Without peace of mind, happiness cannot exist. I have always tried to do what I felt was best for me, as well as those around me. My choosing Psychiatry as a career is no exception. I chose psychiatry because it is one of the only fields of medicine that delves into the more intangible elements of disease-the mental health disorders, which have always fascinated me." Dr. Kahill Johnson: Source
"All medical specialties can contribute to a person's happiness through good care which leads to good health, I chose psychiatry because that's where I feel that I can make the biggest difference through one-to-one patient interactions." Dr. Stephen Dolinski: Source
Thus if you like psychiatry, it's a good chance that you feel the need to connect to the inner happiness within yourself as much as that of the patient sitting front of you, the need to have a great patient interaction and the ability and liking for the abstract along with the sensitivity to human emotions, wants and desires. You philosophy of healing involves a holistic healing of the mind, since you strongly believe that all diseases do have a mental component which may not always be causative, but does contribute to the overall sense of well-being and the ability to cope and fight the disease :-)
Hope all this was enough food to formulate and put together the reasons why you chose psychiatry before you head out to that residency interview....All you gotta do now is think :-)
Search Keywords to this blog article:
- "Psychiatry residency Interview Tips" - "Why did You select Psychiatry?" - "why do you like psychiatry?" - "why do you want to do psychiatry?"
Time again for mining the Internet for Diamonds to fetch clues to answering this question ( which by the way can also be used to construct that personal statement)
"I chose family medicine because I want to be part of the long tradition of care for the whole patient and the whole family that is at the core of this specialty. I also wanted to be involved in community-based health care, particularly for the underserved population who would otherwise not be able to receive care" Christina Kelly, MD: Source
"I chose this field because I want to practice in a field that requires a broad knowledge base and demands constant learning. Also, I loved pediatrics, medicine, and ob/gyn, and this specialty combines it all. I also like talking with different people, and family medicine allows you to form connections with entire families and communities" Source: Dr. Karyn Entrop
"I chose family medicine because of the lifestyle - It is more controllable." Bruce Longenecker, M.D: Source
"I chose Family Medicine because it afforded a breadth of care to most ages in addition to my interest in workplace medicine." Al Osbahr, Source
"I chose family medicine because it lets me work with patients of all ages and with a variety of medical conditions" Thanh Huynh, MD: Source
"And I chose family medicine because it had more of an emphasis on geriatrics, and that was sort of what I was going toward" Dr. Chet Amin: Source
"I chose family medicine because I felt that I wasn't really the specialist or surgery type. I liked the general nature of family practice, because it allows physicians to do a little bit of everything and deal with a wide variety of patients and problems." Teresa, MD: Source
People choose Pathology either because of their love for basic medical sciences, the academic, investigative and scientific flavor that pathology has, the exciting technology that pathologists now use , the advances in diagnostic methods that are being seen or because they don't feel they are cut out for clinical management or for emergencies. Here are some extracts from the Internet which could further help you put words to your reasons for choosing pathology for a residency...
"I chose pathology because it is one of the most scientific branches of medicine, and because it is one of the few branches of medicine, along with general family practice and radiology, where you can work with diseases of the entire body. Most other medical specialists work with a particular area of the body, like the brain, the eyes, the skin, the chest, the abdomen, etc. " - William Moore, MD, PhD: Source
"It provides the opportunity to participate in the care of all kinds of patients. I also felt that the practice of pathology would continue to be very interesting and intellectually challenging throughout my professional career." - Karen L Axelsson, MD: Source
"I chose pathology for a variety of reasons. As an MD/PhD candidate, I was particularly excited by how well pathology blends research and clinical practice. I was also inspired by how intellectually curious pathologists are and have continued to be throughout their career. Also, with involvement in as diverse fields as surgical pathology, blood bank, molecular diagnostics, hematology, microbiology and chemistry (to name a few), pathologists dynamically interact with most of the disciplines of medicine. And, therefore, they are engaged in a wide range of medical questions." Source: Dr. Jill Warrington "I have realized that Pathology is equally probing and critical; it has both breadth and depth. The pace of increasing knowledge is furious. The selective, intensive and wide extensive reading that is required to address various challenging clinical problems appeals to me very much, since surgical pathologic diagnosis is a visual exercise, and the eyes do not see what the mind does not know! Source: Dr. Reena Jain
Google keywords to this blog article:
- "pathology residency interview tips" - "interview tips for pathology" - "why do you like pathology?"
Sample Extracts scrubbed off the Internet : Use these to word your scripts depending on what you feel most passionately about.
- Anesthesiology provides stimulating technical and physiological scenarios requiring acute care decision-making
- I enjoy the goal-oriented nature of the practice as well as the blending of cardiopulmonary medicine, with the procedural aspects of the field. Anesthesia also offers a very wide range of practice opportunities
- I chose anesthesiology because it enables you to incorporate physiology, pharmacology and general medicine in the care of both critically ill and healthy patients. Anesthesiology is not only a fun and exciting career, but a rewarding one as well.
- I selected anesthesiology because I enjoy the rigorous intellectual and physical challenges that this field presents on a day-to-day basis.
"If anesthesia were simply about putting a patient to sleep, then I might not be as enthusiastic, but there is a lot of great medicine going on here. I take the philosophy that I am going to be a critical care physician in the OR and/or ICU, and a clinician in the pain clinic. An anesthesiologist can medically deal with any rapidly evolving crumping system and get the patient through a definitive surgical solution" Source: Arnel Almeda
- "Clinically, I planned to pursue sub-specialty training in critical care medicine, and I felt that training in anesthesiology would lend the best interface between medical and surgical critical care. Scientifically, I felt that anesthesiology was an open book, not tied to a single organ system like many other specialties. This unique feature would free me to study integrated physiological systems, such as the sympathetic nervous system and its effector organs." - Source: Dr. Tim Angelotti
How can we tackle explaining low USMLE scores on the Interview ?
Do you think you might break into a nervous dance of twitchy eyes, fiddly fingers and moist palms if confronted with that question during your interview - there is no need to be.
In fact, there are reasons why you should consider this to be an opportunity - an opportunity to remove that little shred of doubt about your ability. I am saying this because, the very fact that you have been called for an interview despite low scores implies that your application and other credentials were impressive enough to warrant giving you a chance. With a good answer about that low scores, you can further improve your case.
There are many genuine reasons why scores can be low like:
- Not everyone gets the luxury of being able to be home cramming all study material without worry about earning and cooking. Research, work, observerships, etc. all take their toll on time and exam performance, which made you rely more on clinical acumen and common sense rather than loads of memorized study material.
- Other stressors like pregnancy, taking care of little kids, mental stressors like financial worries, etc. also affect many people.
- While some are just not good exam takers - does not mean they do not know their stuff.
- Financial difficulties can deny you access from good study material too..
Some time ago, a person on an USMLE forum mentioned how he tacked it by saying something like this, "I agree they are low, I did have my problems during the exams, but I don't wish to give excuses - all I want to say that I would not want you to lose a good doctor because of low scores" --- huh...I am not sure I could speak out that statement too well, but maybe some of you can !
So, if your scores are on the lower side, give it a thought beforehand, be genuine and frank about your answer. For some, it can be somewhat like the question, "So what are your weakness" - wherein you mention a weakness in the guise of a potential strength ;-)
INTERVIEW TIP # 4: WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER
Again - these are questions I got over email forwards and thought it would be great to share them.
It's common practice for program directors and other faculty that interiew you to give you a chance at the end - "So, are there any questions you have for us ? "
Now, don't take this lightly, coz' as I said on another post about understanding the match gamble, program directors are looking for signs indicating that the interviewed candidates are really interested in their program - Asking the right questions plays a sizable role in conveying that.
Here are some good questions that you may think of asking. Of course I don't mean you gotta ask all of these ! 4 to 5 questions for each interviewer should be good :-)
-----------------------------------
1. What is the interviewer's general opinion of the program? 2. What is the general framework of the training program? 3. Is most of the program conducted in the major hospital? 4. What is the composition and caliber of the teaching and attending staff? Are they fulltime or part-time? 5. Does the attending staff participate in daily rounds and conferences, or is the bulk of the teaching performed by other residents? 6. What is the conference schedule? Is time for conference protected time? 7. Are there any teaching conferences specifically for housestaff? 8. Does the program allow for research by the housestaff? If so, does the department fund it? Is there an elective time in which to do it? Are there faculty mentors? 9. Are rotations in related subspecialties included in the program? 10. Which electives are offered, and at what periods during the program? 11. Are residents permitted or encouraged to attend regional or national medical conferences? 12. Have any graduates of the program ever failed to do well on the certifying exams and if so, why? 13. Does the chair plan any changes in the program in the near future? Is the director likely to retire shortly or remain as chair during your residency? 14. What are the chances of permanent local practice after residency? 15. Is there a pyramid system? How many cuts are made each progressive year? 16. What is the financial status of the institution? 17. Has the program or institution ever been put on probation or been denied accreditation for any reason? 18. What does the director think of the programs offered by other institutions? Which of them, if any, would the director recommend? 19. What were the results of the most recent "in-training" examination? Is a minimum score required to progress to the subsequent year? 20 . How many residents decide on fellowships ? How many succeed ?
INTERVIEW TIP # 5: WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK THE RESIDENTS
In a Majority of the programs, you will be interviewed by the Chief Residents and yeah - you will get to meet Residents on the previous night at the Dinner. Use this list of Questions to have an idea of what questions you can ask residents. Try not to mix up these questions with those that you should be asking Interviewers - I mean, you really do not want to ask about work hours to program directors which could suggest you are not ready for intensive work...do you ? ;-)
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1. What is the housestaff officer's general opinion of the program? 2. Is there a medical library close to the hospital and does it contain an adequate selection of recent books and journals? 3. Is there an adequate visiting professor program with other institutions? 4. How valuable are the conferences? 5. Are chart rounds conducted routinely? 6. What is the average number of patients for which each house officer is responsible? 7. Does the housestaff receive adequate clinical experience performing procedures? Who teaches these procedures? 8. What is the clinic schedule? Is there a continuity clinic? 9. Is an attending physician present during each clinic? 10. What does the housestaff officer think of the chair? What is the chair's background and reputation? Is the chair sincerely interested in teaching housestaff? Is the chair readily accessible to the housestaff? 11. Are emergency services readily available? 12. Do all wards of the institution have cardiac arrest carts and EKG machines? 13. Is a radiologist available 24 hours for consultation? 14. Does the hospital provide IV and blood drawing teams? Are lab results computerized? 15. When do rounds begin in the morning and at what time does the normal day end? 16. What is the on-call schedule? Does it change during the senior or chief year? 17. Is moonlighting permitted and is it available in the community? 18. Are meals provided free or at a discount for housestaff? Is there an evening meal? Is food available/provided at all hours? 19. Is parking provided? If so, where? 20. Are uniforms and laundry free of charge to the residents? 21. Is there adequate malpractice and disability insurance, including HIV disability insurance? Does the hospital provide health and life insurance? 22. What is the availability of housing and its average cost? Where do most staff live? If many staff people commute, what is the average commute time? Should there be a concern for safety in some areas? 23. Is there a housestaff association and what is its relationship with the administration? 24. What are the climate and general living conditions in the community? 25. What is the general atmosphere of the hospital? Is it a pleasant place to work? 26. What is the housestaff officer's opinion of programs at various institutions? 27. Is the stipend good enough for living in that community ? 28. Does the program stick to Residency Review Committee's (RRC) regulations about to sticking to 80-hour work limits for residents ?
These were recently forwarded to me by a friend , putting it up to benefit everybody who will be interviewing for residencies in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Gynecology, Neurology, etc
Why do you wish to join our residency program?
So tell me an interesting case you have seen ? OR present an interesting case to me ... ( These days, this is a new trend in IM programs at least - so do prepare 1 or 2 interesting cases before you go)
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What do you know about HIPAA = Definitely know this ! Google it - its all over the Internet !
Where do you see yourself in ten years, after your residency?
Do you have a standard ECFMG certificate?
Do you have any medical research experience?
What made you join medicine?
From your CV, I notice that you are a foreign medical graduate. Why did you leave your country? Why did you decide to come to America?
What made you choose this residency specialty (Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Family practice, OB/GYN, Anesthesiology etc.)?
Why did you choose this fellowship (Cardiology, GI etc.)?
What were your USMLE scores?
If you were asked to describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?
In your Curriculum Vitae (CV), there is a gap of 1 year. Why?
How many residency interviews have you completed so far?
As an international medical graduate (IMG), what differences do you see between the health care delivery systems of your country and America?
What is your medical career plan?
What do you do in your spare time?
Have you completed all ECFMG requirements, to start a residency?
What are your interests?
Are you applying to any other residency specialty?
How do you handle adversity?
Why are your USMLE scores low?
As an International medical graduate, what is your opinion about socialized health care?
What is your most memorable patient encounter?
Which residency programs have you interviewed at?
Tell me about an interesting case you have seen?
Tell me about yourself.
Did you take any course to write the USMLE & CSA exams?
What were your scores in your residency in-service exams?
From your CV, I see that you are a foreign medical graduate. How well do you see yourself adapting to the American health system.
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