Interview Questions Flashcards
Tell me about yourself
*Born and raised in PA to family of engineers
*First glimpse of medicine in high school when volunteering
*Moved to Atlanta for college. Decided to major in English after punk’s not dead
*Really explored English career path and interned with Poets House
*Missed direct impact that medicine made on people’s lives
*Finished college career by combining my two passions of literature and medicine (thesis)
Why medicine?
On a practical level, I like the flexibility of being a physician. Can teach, research, practice clinical care in a variety of settings
On a more poetic level, I have always been attracted to the “big moments” in people’s lives. Whether that’s in literary representations or in the clinical setting. The privilege of being with people during birth, death, life and grief really appeals to me. It is a responsibility that I want to take on and find purpose in my career
Greatest strengthens
Despite young age, empathetic perspective developed through studying literature has provided me with an understanding of life events
Ex: Lucille Clifton “poem to my uterus”
Self-motivated. Able to make a schedule, set goals and follow it.
Balanced. Prioritize taking care of my mental and physical health by establishing a work-life balance
Weakness
Tend to look ahead and can anticipate problems. But before I would tend to get discouraged and pessimistic.
Now, when taking on a big project I try to remain programatic and set goals to prevent problems before they occur
Four people to get dinner with
Ada Limon
Serena Williams
Dr. Fauci
Harry Styles
Historical: Anne Bradstreet, Joan Didion,
Time you overcame an obstacle
Working in Covid with new obstacles
What should be done about the shortage of doctors in rural areas?
Sociology class we looked at systemic lack of insurance coverage in rural areas, makes payment hard and doesn’t attract physicians
Still, I support incentives to have physicians in rural areas. Physicians should make an effort to integrate themselves into the community
Talk about your research and how it has prepared you for a career in medicine
Have completed research on cultural practices in childbirth and researched childbirth in Anne Bradstreet’s poetry
Taught me the importance of interdisciplinary research and a holistic perspective of medicine. Especially when treating the whole person, you need to have an understanding of historical and cultural trends that surround each patient. Excited to continue this research in my career
What trends in healthcare have you seen?
As a scribe, I have seen some pushback against the use of technology in patient interactions.
While technology is great and you can pull up data so easily and orders, it limits the patient-physician relationship when doctors are looking at the screen typing the history instead of talking to the patient face to face
I think it is an encouraging trend that people are beginning to pushback against this and prioritizing communication skills
Specific patient interactions
While shadowing in neurology, watched doctor have to tell a family that their mother was dying
Responsibility physicians have to both their patients and family members
Friends would describe me as
Mature
Focused
Lighthearted
Difficulty in leadership position
TAing due to the wide range of student ability in my cohort. Some students had never been in a wet lab before due to covid.
Issues in today’s healthcare system
Lack of equal access to healthcare
Longevity gap, difference in lower and higher socioeconomic status life expectancy
Have seen this in my own work with the underserved. Volunteering showed the systemic barriers to healthcare for the homeless.
Excited about UR’s Street Medicine program
Confronted your own biases
Education and research. Component in thesis on racist origins of American obstetrics
Diversifying authors that I’m reading
Questions for the student
How would you describe the student culture?
What do you do around Rochester?
How does the school support student wellness?
Question for physician
What is your favorite part about being at Rochester?
How would you describe the relationship between students and faculty?
Favorite books
Seamus Heaney “Opened Ground”
Joan Didion “The Year of Magical Thinking”
Last book you read
Joan Didion “Blue Nights”
Currently reading: Bernadine Evaristo “Girl Woman Other”
Favorite extracurricular activity
Pandemic Poetry Project
Allowed me to work with a really cool team of poets
fuse my own passions of literature and medicine
Learned about the importance of poetry
Time you had to work in a team
Lullwater Review
articulate own opinions and actively listen to others
Compromise and working with others to make the best decision
Being open to compromise is important in a team
Findings from research on cultural practice in childbith
Research shows that mothers specifically reports cultural sensitivity as a barrier to healthcare when not part of local dominant culture
Western biomedical model of childrearing excludes some birthing women’s cultural expectations
Ex: hot/cold balance following childbirth (not bathing, wrapping baby, eating soup), colostrum may be considered spoiled, lying-in period
Make simple accommodations, initiate conversations with patients
Racism in obstetrics
Black mothers are approximately 3x more likely to die in childbirth than non-Hispanic white women, even after controlling for maternal risk factors and household charactersitics
J. Marion Sims practiced techniques on enslaved women
17th century childbirth
Women controlled the birthing chamber (social childbirth led by a midwife)
Did not control the conversation surrounding childbirth which is a way men asserted power
Still see that today with modern reproductive rights conversation
How do you handle stressful situations?
Ex: studying for MCAT really stressed me out as first, seemed like a really big task
Make a To-Do list to set a larger task into smaller, accomplishable goals
Dedicate time for self-care. I like to exercise (running and Pilates) and read at the end of a long day
What was your favorite college class?
Exhibiting Yates and Heaney
Looked at how to create art exhibits. Learned a lot about how to make people feel comfortable while teaching them new information. Important for medical school
What do you know about the state of the US healthcare system?
Would talk about affordability
Have seen this in clinical experiences and with work with the underserved
Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
Class on Punk rock music as required freshman writing course
Really enjoyed analyzing art forms and articulating my own opinions in writing
How do you envision using your medical education?
Want to practice compassionate, patient-centered care in a clinical setting.
Also interested in contributing to the growing field of medical humanities research, specifically focusing on communication and the physician-patient relationship
What individuals have influenced you to pursue a career in medicine?
When performing clinical research on cultural practice in childbirth, I really saw myself in my physician mentor
She was a creative and energetic woman who ran the department and performed her own research on addiction in pregnancy
I could really see myself in her and she encouraged me to continue on my medical journey
Tell me about a current trend in our nation’s healthcare system
Increased awareness of the importance of communication in patient-physician interactions
Scribe experience
What are some major national social problems facing the US today?
Income inequality
Have seen through work with the underserved how income creates many barriers to healthcare, education, jobs, etc.
What is your main source of scientific information?
If I’m looking for scientific studies, I often use PubMed
If I’m looking for a reference source, I use the NIH website a lot as a starting point
How do you stay in touch with current events in our society?
I subscribe to the New York Times (online)
And like anyone else, I will check Twitter for news every once in a while
Discuss one of your pastimes outside of school and how skills you acquired from this activity will help you in your career
Lullwater Review literary magazine
Learned to communicate ideas with others and work together to make a decision
Discuss an experience that allowed you to learn something about yourself. How will this lesson help you suceed in medical school / career?
Moving to Atlanta at 18. Did not know anyone.
Learned to find my own niche in this unfamiliar environment. Reached out to others and joined groups that had similar interests
Taught me how to adapt to new situations and even if it’s difficult at first, stick with something – forge my own social system
Imposter syndrome – learned the importance of building social support system to not be intimated by amazing people but get to be a part of it!
OR could talk about Covid and being home during parents divorce. learning to make time for yourself to recenter
Important things to remember during ethical question
Informed consent
Patient autonomy
Do you need to consult with someone else?
Should you follow-up with patient?
Make sure systems are in place to support mental health
Commitment to family as well
Informed consent with someone mentally unstable
Seek opinion of mental health professional
Look at competence
Informed consent with children
Children should be involved in decision making at a developmentally appropriate level
If minor demonstrates understanding and comprehends situation, then they can give informed consent
Doctor should tell patient about the benefits of telling their parents, but cannot force this
How should you start answer to ethical question?
State that it is not black and white
Normally make sure patient is educated and comprehends the situation, unless this is impossible
Can always consult with someone if unclear!
What is one angle at a solution if religious/spiritual beliefs interfere with patient’s decision?
Can offer to meet with spiritual leader and discuss possible alternatives
What is the biggest mistake you have made?
Not being prepared for organic chemistry TA
What can be an answer for an ethical question on MMI?
This is a complicated issue that clearly raises ethical issues. I don’t know if there is one right or wrong answer, but I think it’s an interesting case to work through
What is an answer for a scientific topic you don’t know about?
Say you would need to do further research before making a decision. (your background is in English)
Talk about questions that you would want answers to
Use IF/THEN statements to give an answer
What did you learn from the abortion clinic? Why did you decide to volunteer there?
Wanted to see the human side of reproductive healthcare and not just the political, often sensationalized conversation
Really learned the need to listen to the experiences of individuals that have had these services or are seeking these services and include their voices in the conversation
