Answer all questions as truthfully as possible, only then will your genuineness come across. Take your time in answering the questions. Think and then reply. They will not hurry you. This way you will not sound rehearsed and you will also have time to refine your answer. If you are asked an ‘out of the blue’ question do not panic, just think about it and you will salvage yourself.
- Tell me about yourself – An open ended question for you to open up and also solves the interviewers problem of where and how to begin. This can be answered in any way you like. Give a brief summary of your education and your personality.
- Why did you close IM/Peds/Psychatry?
- Why did you choose this particular program?
I found this question the most difficult and it is frequently asked. They are very responsive if you know a resident in their program and thus applied. If not so, then praise the program, that you heard about it from your seniors and that it is a very good program. - Why did you choose to come to the US?
- Difference in health care delivery between the US and your home country
- Your hobbies and interests
- Tell me about your graduate medical education
- Tell me about the last / any interesting case you have seen
- Are you interested in any particular fellowship?
This is to find out if they can help you further in that specialty. Some programs even arrange the interviewer from that specialty. If you have not decided as yet, then frankly admit it. - Questions about your family, where you are staying in the US and your means of transport are common topics of getting to know you.
- Why is there a gap between your graduate medical education and the present?
- Be thorough with your CV as questions can be posed from any part
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What questions do you have?
- Where else have you got interview calls from?
- Initial introduction, how was your journey, any difficulties and things like that.
- What are your interests?
- What can you do about our program, which someone else cannot do (touch question)?
- If you have done some research, they might ask you specific interests about the research
- Most of the programs would like to know about your future affiliations to their program. So try to establish a root with the city in which you are being interviewed and tell them your plans that you would be staying in USA and do your fellowship and then join the faculty. Green card holders and citizens have advantage on this part. They are interested to know, how long you will stay with them because nobody wants you to train and let you go.
- They might ask you about something that is extra-ordinary in your CV, so be prepared for that.
- If you could be any cell in the human body, which would you choose to be, and why?
- If your house was burning, what three objects would you take?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Why should we take you in preference to the other candidates?
- What would be the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your residency?
- With what type of people do you enjoy working (not working)?
- With what patients do you have trouble dealing?
- Who are your heroes?
- What is your energy level like?
- How well do you function under pressure?
- Teach me something in five minutes.
- Tell me about the patient from whom you learned the most?
- What error have you made in patient care?
- What subject or rotation was your most difficult?
