Interview Questions

Question 1

Tell me about yourself

Answer 1

*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)

Question 2

Why medicine?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Greatest strengthens

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Weakness

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Four people to get dinner with

Answer 5

Ada Limon
Serena Williams
Dr. Fauci
Harry Styles

Historical: Anne Bradstreet, Joan Didion,

Question 6

Time you overcame an obstacle

Answer 6

Working in Covid with new obstacles

Question 7

What should be done about the shortage of doctors in rural areas?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Talk about your research and how it has prepared you for a career in medicine

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What trends in healthcare have you seen?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Specific patient interactions

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Friends would describe me as

Answer 11

Mature
Focused
Lighthearted

Question 12

Difficulty in leadership position

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Issues in today’s healthcare system

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Confronted your own biases

Answer 14

Education and research. Component in thesis on racist origins of American obstetrics

Diversifying authors that I’m reading

Question 15

Questions for the student

Answer 15

How would you describe the student culture?

What do you do around Rochester?

How does the school support student wellness?

Question 16

Question for physician

Answer 16

What is your favorite part about being at Rochester?

How would you describe the relationship between students and faculty?

Question 17

Favorite books

Answer 17

Seamus Heaney “Opened Ground”

Joan Didion “The Year of Magical Thinking”

Question 18

Last book you read

Answer 18

Joan Didion “Blue Nights”

Currently reading: Bernadine Evaristo “Girl Woman Other”

Question 19

Favorite extracurricular activity

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Time you had to work in a team

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Findings from research on cultural practice in childbith

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Racism in obstetrics

Answer 22

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

Question 23

17th century childbirth

Answer 23

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

Question 24

How do you handle stressful situations?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

What was your favorite college class?

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What do you know about the state of the US healthcare system?

Answer 26

Would talk about affordability

Have seen this in clinical experiences and with work with the underserved

Question 27

Why did you choose your undergraduate major?

Answer 27

Class on Punk rock music as required freshman writing course

Really enjoyed analyzing art forms and articulating my own opinions in writing

Question 28

How do you envision using your medical education?

Answer 28

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

Question 29

What individuals have influenced you to pursue a career in medicine?

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Tell me about a current trend in our nation’s healthcare system

Answer 30

Increased awareness of the importance of communication in patient-physician interactions

Scribe experience

Question 31

What are some major national social problems facing the US today?

Answer 31

Income inequality

Have seen through work with the underserved how income creates many barriers to healthcare, education, jobs, etc.

Question 32

What is your main source of scientific information?

Answer 32

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

Question 33

How do you stay in touch with current events in our society?

Answer 33

I subscribe to the New York Times (online)

And like anyone else, I will check Twitter for news every once in a while

Question 34

Discuss one of your pastimes outside of school and how skills you acquired from this activity will help you in your career

Answer 34

Lullwater Review literary magazine

Learned to communicate ideas with others and work together to make a decision

Question 35

Discuss an experience that allowed you to learn something about yourself. How will this lesson help you suceed in medical school / career?

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Important things to remember during ethical question

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Informed consent with someone mentally unstable

Answer 37

Seek opinion of mental health professional

Look at competence

Question 38

Informed consent with children

Answer 38

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

Question 39

How should you start answer to ethical question?

Answer 39

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!

Question 40

What is one angle at a solution if religious/spiritual beliefs interfere with patient’s decision?

Answer 40

Can offer to meet with spiritual leader and discuss possible alternatives

Question 41

What is the biggest mistake you have made?

Answer 41

Not being prepared for organic chemistry TA

Question 42

What can be an answer for an ethical question on MMI?

Answer 42

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

Question 43

What is an answer for a scientific topic you don’t know about?

Answer 43

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

Question 44

What did you learn from the abortion clinic? Why did you decide to volunteer there?

Answer 44

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