Interview questions AND answers

[Admin]

There we go, that's all of them, with all of my answers. There were some others, but they didn't apply to you, like PBL (Problem Based Learning), which is just the syllabus structure of the unis I want to go to.

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Why do you want to study medicine?
- Combines science with humanitarian efforts (contributes to society) – treat diseases, helping others, empathy (i.e. a shoulder for the troubled to lean on)
- Willing to study for the rest of my life in a prestigious field
- Enjoy learning, especially about the human body; curious, inquisitive
- An interest that developed gradually, not a rash decision to study it
- Flexible career, more than 50 areas to specialise in

Why have you chosen to apply to this university/medical school?
- Are one of the top-ranking universities in the UK
- Has the sporting, cultural and social facilities that will keep me busy in spare time, won’t get bored at all
- Vibrant and dynamic place to live
- Intercalating – more opportunities for me when I have graduated

What do you hope to get out of medical school?
- Fulfill my desire to become a doctor
- Enjoy the freedom of working at my own pace and accord, whilst sticking with the curriculum
- To appreciate the complexity of the human body
- To apply this knowledge and help others, as well as myself in taking care of ourselves
What do you think makes a good doctor?
- Dedication to learning
- Honesty and respect to colleagues and patients
- Strict observance to the Hippocratic oath (morality)
- The ability to adapt to new situations as they come
- Doesn’t discriminate between patients and will do all in their power to save lives.
- Ability to listen and be thorough with all patients

Which branch of medicine do you hope to specialise in?
- No idea!
- So many fields to consider
- I want to come into contact with the various branches during the medicine course
- Then, only then, I can decide
- However, currently very interested in genetic research.

How have you shown that you are committed and dedicated?
- Taking a gap year just to do AS Biology (+ retake units), another year at school, old friends go, but made new friends easily
- Took a few modules to lift my grades to As; want medicine, didn’t even consider doing another course, not where I want to go in life.
- Going to clinic for work experience, go whenever I have time

Why do you want to become a doctor and not a nurse?
- Can’t expand my career as a nurse
- Nurse is more of an auxiliary or “assistance” role
- Job as a doctor is always in demand; financial security
- Being able to be the leader
- Can’t diagnose AND treat as a nurse

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths
- Hard-working, but balance between work and play.
- Dedicated, will stick through to the end.
- Pick up things quickly, learn by a variety of sources.
- An optimist; very good at keeping team morale. Comebacks are always possible if the team are in high spirits.

Weaknesses
- Become frustrated if I can’t solve something after a while
- When I start a project in a group or alone, I’d rather finish it in a group or alone. I dislike having to break apart or become part of a group in the middle of an assignment.

How will you cope with the stresses of working as a doctor?
- Sports; they get rid of any stress from the day, or excess energy
- Going outside into new environments
- Both socialising and having “alone time”, when appropriate.
- Sleep!

What problems do you think you will face and how will you cope with them?
- Long work hours – Reprioritising my time and missing out on sleep
- Being away from friends during clinical experience – Will keep in contact by PC or phone

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
- Working in England
- Would specialise into a field of my choice first
- After I have gained some experience and paid off my student loan, I might emigrate abroad.

What do you think about euthanasia?
- Justified in some situations
- If a person is terminally ill, but still has the use of their body/mind, then no; their quality of life must be ensured until they do pass away.
- If a person is terminally ill, but cannot live properly (i.e. vegetative state), then depends on if their spouse/family agrees.
- Either way, depends on the law of the land, and the consent of the family. I am in no position to break the law for my beliefs; doctors are there to save lives, not end them.

A fourteen year old wants to have an abortion: would you tell her parents?
- Yes.
- Still living with parents, the girl is underage, they are responsible for them, still under their roof and in their immediate family.
- However, the girl must understand this and that I would have to tell them.
- I cannot break the doctor-patient trust, but when the patient is underage and hasn’t developed a sense of responsibility yet, then it doesn’t count.

What have been the most important recent advances in medicine?
- Transplants and organ repair – Could help extend the lives of people who have suffered from heart disease or brain damage, for example.
- Human genome project – Will help scientists to track inherited diseases and remove them from the genepool.
- Stem cell research – Will help cure diseases that are currently terminal, like Alzheimers.
- Nanotechnology - Small robots that break the build-up of plaque in the arteries, also small particles detect and latch onto cancerous tumours, and make them visible.

What are the most important current issues affecting the Health Service?
- Funding; not enough going into it.
- Superbug (MRSA); spreading throughout facilities, hard to treat it, must figure out a way of containing it and removing it. Overuse of antibiotics is the main reason for this.
- Waiting times; too long right now.

What are your views on private health care?
- People with cash are willing to spend it
- E.g. bottled water; water is free, but bottled ones are a market
- If people can afford what they consider to be better service, then they have the right to do so.
- However, there must be a “standard” healthcare.
- It is an alternative to the NHS.

Do you think testing new medicines on animals is right or wrong?
- Depends on how complex the animal is and how necessary the medicine is
- If small animals like mice, then yes.
- If larger animals like cats/dogs/primates, then no.
- Animal testing for unnecessary chemicals used as accessories, like cosmetics, I do not agree with, at all. If an animal is to be sacrificed for the pursuit of scientific knowledge, then it should at least be partially essential for people, and not out of commercial use.

What patients you can remember from your work experience?
- Japanese man; broke his wrist, very polite man, bowed to us as he left
- Young Arabic boy, crying because he doesn’t want doctor to treat him, mother comforts him, doctor is very gentle, then the child calms down for the doctor to treat him (removes warts).

Give an example of where you have worked successfully in a team.
- In India; International Award. Worked in a team when rafting; good communication was extremely important; the rapids were often very large and dangerous, so working in a team ensured we got across safely.

Give an example of where you have learned something independently.
- How to treat my asthma.
- Learnt that exercise and food affected it.
- By process of elimination, figured out what I was allergic to.
- Haven’t been ill in months, lost weight, fit.

What will you if you aren't accepted to medical school?
- Go through graduate route
- Will keep trying until I am in
- The only career path for me; I have dedicated so much time and effort into it, why quit now?

What do you think will be your greatest challenge in completing medical school or learning how to be a doctor?
- Coping with the workload
- But, if others could cope with it, so can I.
- The jump from A-Levels to university will be hard, harder than the one from GCSE to A-Level.
- However, again, if so many other students around the world could do it, I can as well.

In your view, what is the most pressing problem facing medicine today?
- The future of medicine is being threatened
- By the current perception of people regarding possible medical techniques
- Including stem cells; a lot of people assume that foetuses HAVE to be used.
- Or that cloning will result in versions of “us” in frozen labs.

How will you pay for medical school?
- Take out a student loan

If you could do anything different in your education, what would you do?
- Would have done AS Bio instead of AS ICT at Year 12

What do you do in your spare time?
- Go out with friends
- Play sports (currently not, due to injury)
- Watch TV or go on PC to surf the Internet.

Are you a leader or a follower? Why?
- Leader
- Not afraid to take control when necessary and accept the blame, and the fallout, if there is any.
- Value everyone’s opinions equally; see myself as one of the team, only bearing the burden of responsibility.
- Can compromise well; feel natural as a deal-broker, don’t have any problems making suggestions to people.

What exposure have you had to the medical profession?
1 month official time at a sports clinic; do pop in when I can to see new cases.

Discuss your clinical experiences.
Visited the following; Laboratory, Ophthalmology, ENT, Radiology, Dermatology, Physiology, Pharmacy.
Enjoyed laboratory the most. A lot of the stuff learnt in AS Biology came up in it, such as anti-coagulation, white blood cells, anaemia, red blood cells etc

Discuss your volunteer work.
Helped little children in the primary school for 2 months, to fill up my time in Year 12. Helped them on the PCs, taught them how to use the Internet, play flash games and print work off. Very fun, because the children were playful and I found it easy to teach them and keep their attention. Plus, working with friend; team-working with us two assisting the teacher.

What do you think you will like most about medicine?
- Coming into contact with patients, identify their problem and helping them.
- The variety of ailments out there; I want to genuinely help people, no matter how big or small their problem is.

How are you a match for our medical school?
- The PBL teaching style is perfect for me; I respond well to mixed teaching styles.
- Will make use of the sporting and social facilities
- Am determined to succeed and uphold the medical school’s reputation for excellence.

Would you perform abortions as a doctor? Under what conditions?
- Yes
- Only if the mother’s life is at risk, and depending on the conditions (i.e. whether the mother can support the child AT ALL), and how developed the foetus is.
- Do not agree with the 24 week timing; should be 12 weeks.

What are three things you want to change about yourself?
- To not get frustrated with a problem when I can’t solve it.
- Paying too much attention to detail when I don’t see the “big picture”.
- A little too competitive sometimes, become too focused on being the “winner”.

How would you describe the relationship between science and medicine?
- Medicine is a division of science
- A very humanitarian branch, with doctors being the socially aware helper, as well as the practising scientist.
- The least abstract branch of science; quantum mechanics and particle physics are not immediately relatable to people, but health and fitness is.

Which family member has influenced your life so far and why?

- My dad.
- Became interested in sports because of him.
- Is invaluable for my goal of becoming a doctor, wants me to succeed, and I am very grateful for it.
- Has given perfect advice throughout my life.