Interview Questions

QUESTIONS TO ASK INTERVIEWER

1. What type of clinical sites—ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings, international—are available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally? 2. How active is the student council/government? Are there other active student organizations? 3. What would you change about the program? What is the most exciting research going on at the school this year? What kind of faculty advising is available? Is there protected study time before tests? Do your classmates do stuff together outside of school? Did you ever think about quitting? If yes, why? Are there any policies, rules, or characteristics about this school that you might call "weird?" Is anatomy taught with a cadaver lab, prosections, a computer lab, or some combination of the three? How much clinical exposure do students have during the first 2 years? Does this medical school allow room for multiple away electives if it does not reach your areas of interest? Are there regional or ethnographic qualities in the clinical environment that are particularly attractive to you? And finally, are there any drawbacks to the clinical environment that limit the educational experience or the pursuit of your interests in any way?" Which hospitals or clinics are clinical students exposed to? What is the diversity of patients and clinical cases like? How is the quality of the clinical teaching? What have been some of your favorite, and least favorite, experiences on rotations?

What do you like to do for fun?

We had not been on a family vacation for almost ten years because for as long as I can remember, both my parents have been in school and working multiple jobs. My dad recently graduated with his Doctor in Nursing degree in December and my mom and I planned a surprise trip for all of us to Phuket, Thailand. It felt like for once, since we moved to the United States from Kenya, we were able to exhale. I loved seeing my parents laughing together during breakfast, playing in the clear-blue waters of the island, and my dad doing hand-stands just like he used to do when I was little. After spending four years away at Duke, I felt indescribable joy in being able to enjoy this time with my family and I felt incredibly blessed and enriched by this experience.

Why do you want to go to medical school and become a physician?

What can medicine do for me? What will I do for medicine? more focus on how you see yourself playing an integral and vital role for your patients and community. I really believe medicine is the right field for me to continue to be innovative in my approach to learning, serving, and healing. The role of a physician in a community necessitates framing the approach to treating patients through the lens of advocacy which leads to deeper, more attentive, and more compassionate interactions with patients. Creating long-term relationships based on advocating for all members of a community is critical to overcoming barriers to accessibility, addressing disparities in health and ensuring health equity. To advocate for someone is not simply to work for them, but to work alongside them to ensure they have access to all the knowledge, resources, and opportunities that should be available to them. However, advocacy inexorably must occur between two people who differ in their access to knowledge and resources. Through more intentional engagement with my patients, their families, and community, I will ensure my patients have access to all medical and non-medical resources which they may require by ensuring access to providers and health-related resources is equal. Under-representation also manifests itself in the lack of patient-centered care that involves more than just working with the patient, but also having an understanding of their lifestyle, family lives, neighborhoods, and networks. I want my patients to be able to open up and to listen to me and to heed the medical advice I give them because they are not wary of my intentions. I aspire to treat my patients and colleagues as I wish to be treated - as one who belongs to the community in which I find myself no matter the characteristics that define who I am. Whether speaking with patients, colleagues, family, or friends, open-minded listening plays an enormous role in building trust and learning about others, ultimately resulting in more meaningful relationships.

Tell me about yourself

extracurricular activities, hobbies, important people in your life, character traits, personal and professional goals Well, it is a pleasure to be here and thank you for asking about myself. I am a recent graduate from Duke University. I value thoroughness, a quality I have learned from shadowing physicians, because it is the backbone for other integral qualities a doctor should have such as empathy and respect for the autonomy of a patient. "I grew up in a rural town in Kenya in a really close-knit nuclear family but also community. I want to become a surgeon at this time in my life but am completely open to the internal medicine side of things still and haven't closed off anything. They're a big support I draw on when I'm busy with a lot of things on my plate and their support helped me do well in school and balance sports, volunteering, and my extracurricular activities. Baseball was one of the things that bonded us closely together and we've always been really close. My mom was a big knitter and that was something that just the two of us had in common, even though we both looked a little goofy knitting on the bleachers during a game. Along with school and my extracurricular activities, baseball was one of the biggest parts of my life and I learned to really love being a part of a team and having goals for myself and sharing goals with others. Having sports injuries and seeing some of my teammates work through their injuries gave me some experience with the healthcare system. It opened my eyes to a lot of opportunities to work with people having their own health struggles and I learned to appreciate and focus on my health while developing as an individual. I started to volunteer at the hospital in my hometown and this became almost as big a part of my life as baseball. Being thought of as someone that another person could confide in and trust and be able to offer some help and comfort was a really significant experience for me and motivated me to explore other opportunities to contribute more to the healthcare system. Always having an interest in sports, made human kinetics a fit for my university studies and I finished my program this past spring with honors. When I look back on my involvement with teams, my memorable experiences with patients, and my interest in the human body, medicine seemed like the natural next step for me personally and professionally and I'm really excited to be interviewing for your program."

4 principles of medical ethics

4 principles of medical ethics 1. Beneficence - help patients 2. Non-maleficence - do no harm 3. Justice - allocate resources fairly 4. Autonomy - patients are people in their own right and should be able to make their decisions

What is one challenge you see affecting healthcare right now?

pharmaceutical drug shortages