Interview Q's
Who is your hero?
grandma O
"Tell me about a time you made a mistake"
...At Nyman's, when I was in a hurry to close one night and left the side door open. I got an earful the next day in a FREEZING cold shop and that never happened again.
"What suggestions do you have for improving health programs for inner city populations?"
...basics for improving any inner city health program - affordability, convenience, management know-how/familiar w/pop
Tell me about a time when you worked in a group, and it worked out very well.
...cell bio
"Have you ever dealt with a bad team member? + how did you deal with that"
...cell bio pizza
"What would you do if you had one free day?"
...morning: do something fun & active (surf/beach) afternoon: plan AMWA regional conference/organize HC plastic waste reduction initiative evening: grab some poke with my husband and read my book
"How do you fit into the school's mission to train holistic physicians?"
...wellness = super holistic
Do you think a physician's appearance matters to the patient?
...yes! sloppy looking can easily lead a pt to think they provide sloppy care. After all, if you can't take care of yourself, how are you supposed to take care of other ppl?
"After you leave the room, I am going to type up a recommendation to the committee. What should I absolutely include about you?"
Absolutely tell them about how thrilled I am about the idea of attending (school), that I am more than willing to share all of my skills , educational background, and enthusiasm with OUWB students, that I think in terms of collaboration, not competition, and of course, please include my sincerest gratitude for the opportunity to apply here and greatly appreciate all of the time and effort that you and the other members of the admissions committee put into this application and review process.
Define Humanism
An intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievements
Tell me about yourself
Born in Seattle, raised in AZ etc but then 5-6 highlights: 1) started Spanish in elementary school --> Peru 2) currently learning Russian, then Italian 3) husband also speaks Spanish, named our german shepherd Jefe 4) TRAVEL been to 15 countries, next stop: Cuba, backpacked Lost Coast --> 5) super active (*krav maga*, tennis, volleyball, soccer, softball, track, gymnastics, ballet, hip hop, rugby, 2 marathons, weightlifting, working on a spartan race and eventually want to do an Ironman) Through injury and recoery cycles as well as healthcare exp outside of the US, I've learned how personal and crucial it is to preserve health, and I want to be the trusted expert guide for people to look to as they do so, just like Chuck/Dr. Bell.
"Who has influenced your most during your path to medical school?"
Dr. Bell
"What first influenced you to become a physician?"
Ecuador
"Why (X school)?"
Focus on service (local and global), community engagement, and holistic physician development Diverse learning environment/population center w/Detroit & Beaumont Current students are THRILLED to be here,Emphasis on professional AND PERSONAL development, Student-driven > stats-driven, global health opps, embark
If you could go back in time and have lunch with anyone, who would you pick?
GMA O
HMO's vs PPO's
HMOs tend to be more affordable, but you'll usually get less coverage and more restrictions. PPOs are more flexible and provide greater coverage, but come with a higher price tag and probably a deductible.
When you are 65, and you are looking back at your life, what do you want to be able to tell your grandkids
I found what I wanted to do and went for it even when ppl tried to talk me out of it. I grabbed life by the lapels and didn't let anyone or anything place limits on my abilities.
"What would you do if your mentor tells you "this isn't how you are supposed to do this, but everyone does it this way"?"
I would ask, how am I supposed to do it? and then follow up with "I would feel more comfortable doing it this way if that's alright"
"What can you bring to (X school)?"
In addition to being a hard worker, dedicated to medicine, a team player, and someone with great communication and language skills, something unique that I can bring is my experience with managing stress and offering my educational background in exercise and wellness to the students around me. It's been well-established that wellness includes proper sleep, exercise, nutrition, and work-life balance, and that these components are necessary for a person to learn and function at optimal levels. I've seen firsthand what simple good habits can do, and I would serve the students around me by leading, educating, and encouraging them to take care of themselves physically and emotionally so that they can manage the stress of medical school effectively, avoid burnout, and learn more efficiently and become the best physicians possible.
"What are some of your strengths?"
In addition to being a hard worker, dedicated to medicine, and an effective communicator, I think an important strength that I developed in Peru is resilience. the capacity to bounce back quickly from difficulty.
"Through which experience have you made the biggest impact on your community?"
Nyman's/NAC skiing
"Describe a time when you worked on a team."
Nymans
"When were you most stressed about something in your life and how did you overcome it?"
Peru - language, comp, culture
"What challenges have you faced that have influenced you?"
Peru - opened my eyes to world poverty and HC/education access, led me to appreciate what we have in the US ACL/shoulder - fragility of health and how important team-based care is
Do you believe physicians have to be 100% honest with their patients?
YES. If I expect a patient to trust me, I have to tell the truth. I would want my doctor to be straight up with me even if the truth was hard to hear.
Define PPO's (preferred provider organizations)
a type of managed care health insurance plan that provides maximum benefits if you visit an in-network physician or provider, but still provides some coverage for out-of-network providers.
"What is one thing you anticipate being difficult for you as a doctor?"
achieving work-life balance, starting out will be a trial period but I've done that in undergrad and will do it in med school so it will be difficult, but I know I can get through it
"What do you like to do for fun?"
anything active/outdoors, read everything from nat geo to new studies on pubmed, languages (learning Russian), music (play & listen), photography & travel
"How have you demonstrated leadership?"
asking input, representing them in my actions, AMWA
What is the percentage of uninsured persons in the U.S.?
between 8 and 9 %
"Tell me about an interesting clinical experience you've had"
cerebral palsy girl
"What are some important qualities of a good physician?"
competent, compassionate, communicative and culturally-aware, etc.
"If you had 3 days to do whatever you wanted what would you do? + why"
day 1: persuade as many ppl as possible to adopt better lifestyle habits + direct funding to preventive healthcare day 2: go to the moon day 3: meet my long-lost family in Italy
What are your future career plans/what does your future practice look like?
either rural or urban, no suburban. Either buy-in to a group practice or employed by a hospital. Preferably close to coastline/lots of water. Still open to specialties, interested in a wide variety.
"How do you respond to peer conflict?"
gentle, ask questions, validation
What are your thoughts on HMOs?
health maintenance organization. HMOs have their own network of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers who have agreed to accept payment at a certain level for any services they provide. This allows the HMO to keep costs in check for its members
What do other countries do better than we do in healthcare? Why?
healthcare spending is much lower as a % of GDP & per person in other countries, also, more spending does not equate to better health outcomes (infant mortality, life expectancy, heart attack mortality, etc)
What experiences led you to want to become a physician?
high school ecuador, mission, Luz refugee, pt exp intern, scribe, shadowing (ortho), research, then finally Nyman's --> Dr. Bell and global exp
Why should we accept you over other applicants?
i've considered all other career options and still medicine prevails --> dedication and conviction, whereas other applicants often go into it because their parents were docs or bc its well-paid and well-respected. They don't have the conviction and fortitude to carry them through the rigors of med school. Also, I did my research on each school, I wasn't one who sent out 50 applications just to see what sticks and where I might get lucky, but my list of schools was carefully curated and agonized over so that I knew that I would be a good fit at wherever I got accepted to. This dedication to the path of medicine and to this school specifically is why I should be accepted over other students
"What is one thing you would fix about the healthcare system?"
ideology (HC should be caring for the healthy, not patching up the sick) + promoting & incentivizing preventive care
What would you do if you saw your best friend cheating on a test in medical school?
if in the position to, I'd let them know that I saw, and that they need to come clean, it's not worth risking your career over. I would give them a couple of chances to come forward, and if they didn't, then I would go to the professor and tell them.
"What is one of your greatest accomplishments?"
marathon
"What makes you uniquely qualified for (X school)?"
my service background, enthusiasm/vibe with student body, school focuses on students >stats, holistic education parallels my educational background
5 behaviors for reducing chronic disease
never smoking, getting regular physical activity, consuming no alcohol or only moderate amounts, maintaining a normal body weight, and obtaining daily sufficient sleep.
"Medicine focuses on teamwork, along with leadership, have you ever been involved in a team? Tell me about it
nymans
"What TV shows do you watch?"
planet earth, the good doctor, new amsterdam, into the wormhole, mystery diagnosis, the blacklist, the walking dead
"What part about medicine most attracted you to the field? + why"
practicing medicine offers the most complete and constant union of those three qualities which have the greatest charm for pure and active minds - novelty, utility, and charity. Sir James Paget Medicine = fusion of art and science, applying that science to make people's lives better, and that exactly mirrors my perspective of health and what I perceive as a worthwhile pursuit
"Why medicine?"
practicing medicine offers the most complete and constant union of those three qualities which have the greatest charm for pure and active minds - novelty, utility, and charity. Sir James Paget Medicine = fusion of art and science, applying that science to make people's lives better, and that exactly mirrors my perspective of health and what I perceive as a worthwhile pursuit
"How can we encourage more physicians to practice in under-served areas?"
rural payback programs are good, but they don't make people stay long term, Denver ted talk
"Describe a time when you were criticized, and how did you take it?"
scribing
"How have your experienced helped you understand the state of healthcare today?"
scribing
"Tell me about activity X (From my app) + how did it affect you?"
scribing - gave me a broader perspective of what the day to day life of a physician (esp ER doc) would look like, saw pros and cons in greater, up-close detail CHC - gave me a more empathetic perspective toward underserved populations that I didn't get on the mission bc it was hc related
"What three books would you bring to an island?"
scriptures, a big fat empty journal, and wilderness survival medicine
"What are you looking for in a medical school?"
student-centered, diverse learning opportunities/environment, focus on service but does not neglect research, special emphasis on holistic training, a place where I can thrive and still achieve some semblance of balance, both personal and professional development
"Discuss a time when you taught something to someone."
teaching caroline how to ski
"What is something your mother would change about you?" or What is something you would change about yourself right now? aka what is a weakness (or three) that you have?
trouble asking for help, being too self-critical, not speaking up and making myself heard when in a group of ppl I perceive as more senior or experienced than me