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Need help with the interview?
The Residency Interviews provoke a lot of anxiety and stress for many applicants, especially if they are FMG's. Knowing the commonly asked questions and preparing an aswer before hand helps a great deal in preparing for the interviews and improves your chances of success in the match.
[i]Remember, the first impressions are the best impressions and you need to be confident and well composed. The hiring decisions are taken in the first 30 seconds of the interview and the rest of the time is used just to reinforce that decision.[/i]
[b]Common Residency Interview Questions[/b]
*Why do you want to go into (Specialty Name)?
*Why did you become a doctor?
*Tell me/us about yourself.
Personal interests:
Sports
Hobbies
*How would your friends describe you?
*How would you describe yourself?
*Strengths
*Weakness
*Tell us about your research
Tell us about a situation in which you overcame adversity.
*Tell us about an interesting case you have seen
*Describe a patient that influenced you in school
What is your inspiration?
*From whom do you depend upon for support?
*Why are you interested in this program?
*Why did you not rotate here?
*Tell me/us a joke.
*What are your overall career goals / where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Do you think this particular field is overloaded?
*What do you think you can contribute to this program?
*What do you want to know about the program?
*What do you do in your spare time?
*Why should we pick you?
*Can you explain your grades and board scores.
*Where else have you applied?
*Do you want to do research?
Where will you rank us?
What is one event you are proudest of in your life?
What do you think about house-staff unionization?
How would you redesign the health-care system?
How will you deal with the possibility of being sued?
What was your most difficult situation in medical school?
*Be prepared to discuss an ethical issue (ie you are on call and your attending who is scrubbing in is drunk)
[b]QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING INTERVIEWS[/b]
What paths have most of your recent graduates taken following completion of their training?
What are you looking for in a candidate (and how might I fit into your program?)
Do you feel that the volume of patients seen on the inpatient and outpatient basis provides and appropriate load per house-officer?
Can you describe the structure of your clinics and the residents roll?
How did your residents do on this year's in-service examination?
What major changes are anticipated in the department and/or medical center, and in what direction is the program headed?
How would you assess the level of camaraderie among the house staff?
What is the relationship between the private admitting attending and the house officers, and do the house officers have enough independence in terms of management of the private patients?
What elective opportunities are available to your house officers?
[b]FOR HOUSE STAFF OFFICERS[/b]
How would you assess the adequacy of ancillary services?
Would you choose the same program if you could do it all over again?
Do you have time to enjoy yourself outside of your job?
How receptive is faculty to your suggestions?
How is your clinic experience, and to what extent are you able to fulfill your responsibilities there in addition to inpatient work-load.
Source: ResidentsCafe.com
[url=http://www.residentscafe.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=3]Interview Questions[/url] [b]External Links[/b] [url=http://www.usmleguide.com/inter.htm] A nice overiew of the Interview Process[/url]
[url=http://www.residentscafe.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=3]Interview Questions[/url] [b]External Links[/b] [url=http://www.usmleguide.com/inter.htm] A nice overiew of the Interview Process[/url]









Age,Marital Status,Pregnancy,Number of Children,Religion,Child Care,Physicial Handicaps,Minority Status and Sexual Preferences. Interviewers may only ask casual questions,like kids and spouses,just to be friendly. If above given off limits issues raised by the interviewees,it is considered as a permission to discuss further. Interviewers are also encouraged to ask same or similar questions to all groups,men,women and all ethnic groups,like "What brings you to the United States from I.n.d.ia" or "What brings you to our instutition".
Interviewers usualy use "open ended" questions to probe off limits areas like "are there any current or foreseeable family obligations or health considerations that would make it difficult to work as a resident in our instutition?" To "engaging" part of interview,interviewers usualy ask questions beginning with "what","who","why","explain","describe" and "compare". In the "challencing" part of interview, interviewers present a difficult case,explain the both sides of a controversial topic allowing interviewees to demonstrate a thoughtful consideration of the topic. Last but not least the interviewers (specially in big name instutions) are required to be "blind" to scores,gender and school. Feel free to draw own conclusions