Non-scientific Interview Questions Flashcards
Why do you want to study medicine?
Combination of many reasons - science, human impact, responsibility
1. Very science heavy - something I very much enjoy, which led me to explore outside spec for all subjects
2. Human impact - being at the forefront of giving back to people, knowing that you have made a positive impact on someone somewhere
3. Responsibility - work experience showed many responsibilities doctors have, I enjoy taking charge on projects and am good at being responsible for things
If you weren’t offered a place to study medicine, what would you do?
- Definitely take a gap year and reapply next year
- In the meantime, try and do volunteering in a people-focused role
- Would help me gain experience and soft skills
- Alternative is to do a biomedical science and graduate entry medicine, or become physicians associate
What aspects of the working life of a doctor appeal/don’t appeal to you?
Appeal:
* Very rewarding to change people’s lives
* Intellectually stimulating
* Teamwork and problem-solving
* Remember to add work experience!
Don’t appeal:
* Long hours - but could balance with a good work-life balance
* Death of patients - emotionally difficult to deal with, but there is support available, e.g. mental health services
Can non-scientific hobbies add to a person’s ability to be a good doctor, and why? Can you think of any examples in your own case?
- Help to develop soft skills and be well-rounded
- Photography - communication, creativity, problem solving
- Guitar - teamwork as part of a band, independent learning, creativity
What do you wish to achieve from your medical career?
- Haven’t done medical school so am open to anything I might find appealing
- From work experience I found the role of a consultant very exciting
- Specialising in an area I find interesting and helping as many people as I can, including training other aspiring medical professionals
- At some point I would love to do some medical research to leave an impact and improve the field of medicine
Why a doctor and not a nurse?
- Both are equally challenging, and many skills such as empathy and communication are required in both (emphasise role of nurses)
- ‘Nurses are the backbone of the NHS’ - more focused on treatment, responsibility in different areas
- Some of my strongest skills are problem solving and decision-making and am quite analytical
- Would enjoy the diagnosis process and determining treatment options
- As someone who is good at taking responsibility and being accountable, i could cope with making high level decisions
What excites you most/what do you find interesting about a career in medicine?
- Dynamic nature of medicine - essay competition - so being at the cutting edge of your field
- Having to adapt - impact of COVID
- Working in a multidisciplinary team - whatever form this may take (both work experiences)
Did you read any articles related to your interest in medicine?
- 2 seemingly unrelated illnesses are actually interlinked - diabetes and dementia
- Studies have shown that type 2 diabetes may lead to dementia, or is a risk factor
- Episodes of hypoglycaemia damage the hippocampus - memory centre of brain
- Also, diabetes may lead to heart disease and hypertension, which could cause strokes resulting in dementia
- Article demonstrated the importance of holistic health and interlinking of all body systems
Have you thought about what you want to specialise in?
- Have explored past the spec in a number of specialities, but not decided what to specialise in yet
- Am interested in oncology and cancer treatment
- Focuses on the entire body, intellectually challenging and fast paced, am partial due to personal experience
- However, very emotionally demanding, particularly dealing with death and suffering
- As a result I am open to all options and would like to study each one more before I make a decision to specialise or work in primary care
Have you read about any interesting research recently?
- A potential modification to a cervical cancer treatment to reduce risk of death and remission
- Typically it is treated with a course of chemoradiation therapy - combination of chemo + radiotherapy
- New study showed that a course of induction chemotherapy before CRT increases survival rate
- Two drugs used for this are relatively cheap, easily accessible and approved for use
- This research could then be applied to treating other cancers
What do you think the most important development in medicine has been?
- Germ theory in the mid 19th century which overruled others like imbalance of four humours, and practices like bloodletting were common
- Germ theory proved that microorganisms cause infectious diseases
- Led to :
- Development of aseptic techniques, hygienic practices
- Antibiotic development
- Public health and sanitation
- Modern diagnostic techniques, e.g. lab based diagnosis and pathogen culturing
- Represented a transition to evidence-based medicine
Alternative motivation to study medicine
- Patients come for the sole purpose of being treated or diagnosed.
- Often this is an emotionally challenging process for them, and medical professionals may see them at their worst.
- It is a privilege to be able to support them at such a time and transform their lives for the better.
- One example of this was during my volunteering when I had to console a patient after a diagnosis…
What is your greatest achievement?
- Role as a patient companion in my local hospital
- Spent a brief period of time in a geriatric ward, where I met an elderly woman that was quite withdrawn and quiet
- Made it a goal to learn about their interests and keep them company
- Over several weeks I learned that they liked gardening and knitting, and saw a noticeable improvement in their mood
- By the end of my time there they were more open and happy to see me
- Taught me the importance of effective communication, empathy and patience in medicine
Have you ever failed at something? What did you learn from it?
- During my first term of Y12 I underestimated how difficult A-Levels would be compared to GCSEs
- Performed poorly on my first physics test
- Helped me realise that I had to change study habits and methods
- Adopted techniques like flashcards, active recall, spaced repetition
- Led me to score higher on the next test
- Helped me realise importance of self-reflection and adaptability which are important in medicine
