Thursday, November 27, 2008

EM Interview Questions

There are a number of standard residency interview questions that candidates are asked in the interview circuit. A Google search will provide you with some stock questions you should be prepared to answer. For various reasons, I tend to take advice from those sites with a grain of salt. So here are some actual questions I've been asked on my emergency medicine residency interviews.
  • How did you decide to apply to our program?
  • Where will you be in 10 years?
  • You've a different background than many applicants. Describe your trajectory in deciding on emergency medicine.
  • What have you been reading?
  • What is Wunderkammern? (A hobby I listed on my application.)
  • So! What do I need to know about you?
  • Which of your letter writers do you admire the most?
  • What questions about our program can I answer for you?
  • How would you respond to (insert complicated ethical dilemma here)?
  • What are you doing the rest of the year?
  • What are your plans for the holidays?
  • What courses are you enrolled in this year?
  • Why emergency medicine?
  • Where else are you interviewing?
  • Why (insert city here)?
  • What will your first book be about?
  • How have you responded to a situation of personal conflict?
  • What areas of emergency medicine need the most work?
  • Do you want to go back to Seattle to practice EM?
  • What do you do to relax?
I'll give periodic updates to this list. I've only interviewed in three places. Do any of you co-applicants have any additions?

1 comment:

thomas robey said...

I recently got the: "Tell me the one thing on your application that represents you the best." After the fact, I saw that as "I didn't actually read your application very closely. What do I need to know about you?"