Medical School Interview Questions

How was your undergraduate research experience, if any, better prepared you for a medical career?

1. Looking at the data - understanding the details 2. Importance of research 3. Importance of education and prevention (Internship)

How do you think national health insurance affects physicians, patients, and society?

17-18% of our Healthcare is a human right. Pros and cons.

What do you feel are the social responsibilities of a physician?

AMA encourages that physicians should "advocate for the social, economic, educational, and political changes that ameliorate suffering and contribute to human well-being." *there are broader conditions that affect health than just injury or disease alone

If you had to choose between clinical and academic medicine as a profession, which would you pick? What do you feel you might lose by being forced to choose?

Academic medicine: privilege and responsibility in teaching other doctors/benefits of research

What do you believe to be some of the most pressing health issues today? Why?

Disparities in healthcare access and outcomes: increase access to health services (telehealth), price transparency, lower prescription drug prices

What do you feel are the negative or restrictive aspects of medicine from a professional standpoint?

Exhaustive field - lots of suffering, pain, death and giving up a lot. Highlights what's worth it about medicine as a field -getting to give people life/better life and trust

How have the jobs, volunteer opportunities, or extracurricular experiences that you have had better prepared you for the responsibilities of being a physician?

Expected: Medical expert, professional Not expected: Communicator, collaborator, health advocate, scholar, manager/leader Job: barista, chemistry TA, research, internship, scribe, VP of service https://www.sst.dk/en/news/2013/~/media/39D3E216BCBF4A9096B286EE44F03691.ashx

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Strength: Dedication (volunteering, research, writing) -Believe in dedicating time and effort into the people you love or the ideals you believe in -Relate to physician career of years of preparation and dedication Weakness: Spread self too thin -> learned how to ask for help and collaborate with others -Overwhelmed my senior year of college -Difficulty between delegating/asking for help and doing it myself -Relate to physician burn out

What travels have you taken and what exposure to other cultures have you had?

Study abroad in Milan, Italy From the Philippines

Thinking of examples from your recent past, how would you assess your empathy and compassion?

Sympathy: Sharing Empathy: Understanding Compassion: How can I help? Volunteering is all about how you can help others. Lasagna Love, x

Tell me about yourself.

Present: Past: Future:

What do you do for fun?

Reading, painting, rock climb

Do you have any family members or role models who are physicians?

x

Does your academic record reflect any major challenges? If so, what are they and why did they occur?

x

If you could grant three wishes for making the world/society a better place, what would they be and why (or, if you were given a million dollars to achieve three goals, what would you work on and why)?

x

If you could invite four people from the past to dinner, who would they be, and why would you invite them? What would you talk about?

x

What family members, friends, or other individuals have been influential in your decision to pursue a medical career?

x

What is "success" in your opinion? After 20 years as a physician, what kind of "success" would you hope to have achieved? Please explain

x

Why did you choose your undergraduate major?

1. Diversity in classes 2. Research opportunities 3. Mentors

What do you know about the current trends in our nation's healthcare system?

-Importance of data: help find a balance between efficiency and quality of care, stats on med students and physicians for additional training in data orientation -Implementation of technology (technology as a supportive not replacement role in healthcare delivery): telehealth visits, use of technology to understand genetics, apple watch...etc. *helps drive access and equity for individuals who don't have access to treatment -Patient as consumer: younger want value convenience and cost savings over continuity, genetic testing=understand what they are at risk for and want to prevent down the road, 2030 statistics increase in hospice and palliative care

How have you tried to achieve breadth in your undergraduate curriculum?

1. Art SSIR 2. Volunteer 3. Study Abroad (enhances #1 and #2)

What do you consider an important/the most important social problem facing the United States today and why?

Climate change -Direct: pollution, extreme weather events, animals (environment changes faster than they can adapt) -Indirect/Human health: food insecurity, more waterborne disease, diseases transmitted by insects/rodents

What excites you about medicine in general?

Learning more - whether it's medical knowledge, better ways to communicate or educate. In medicine, there's always more that's learned and researched about every day. You are never finished. The profession is defined by never quitting, in the face of defeat or success. You always move forward.

As a pre-med, what skills have you learned to help manage your time and relieve stress?

Time management through google calendar Balancing self-care, time with friends and gym Meditation

What qualities do you look for in a physician? Can you provide an example of a physician who embodies any of these ideals? How do they do this?

Non-judgemental, educational, good communicator, brave Dr. Spencer Rittner Dr. Atul Gawande Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

What kind of experiences have you had working with sick people? Have these experiences taught you anything that you didn't know beforehand?

Volunteering - VCU My dad's work - nursing home Learned: humanity, compassion, physical touch, pushing away fear

How do you envision using your medical education?

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/articles/2017-01-11/4-applicants-who-would-benefit-from-an-md-mph-program