Research the program before you land for the interview. It makes a good impression. Information is accessed from their website.
- What is the philosophy of the program?
- Who are the faculty?
- What kind of curriculum is offered?
- How many hospitals participate in the program?
- Is a thesis or publication required during training?
- Is there time and funding for conferences and meetings?
- To what extent do residents manage patients?
- What is the patient mix and what are the community demographics?(IMPORTANT!)
- Is the program changing, and why?
- What do residents here like most and least?
- What are the opportunities in research, clinical, and teaching?
- What is the scope of experience I can expect?
- What is the program like (in the subspecialty I’m interested in)?
- Where are the graduates of the program now?(IMPORTANT!!)
- How much elective time is there and how is it usually used?
- Is the Chairperson staying? Did anyone recently leave? Where are they?
- What percentage of graduates enters fellowships?(IMPORTANT!!)
- How is the training divided?
- What are the weaknesses of the program? (Don’t be afraid to ask this Q)
- Do residents have time to read?
- How available are the Attendings (including nights and weekends)?
- What were the results of the last accreditation visit?
- Are there any joint residency activities?
- What is the patient mix? Does it reflect the community demographics?
- What kind of community outreach might we be involved in?
Competitiveness of the Program:
- What do you look for in a candidate?
- How many people do you rank?
- How do your residents perform on boards?
- What is this program most respected for?
- What is the ownership of this institution?
- How financially stable is the program?
Quality of Life:
- What is the mix of married and unmarried residents?
- What is the racial/ethnic/gender breakdown of residents?
- Do the residents socialize as a group?
- Are their support groups?
- Is there an Office of Minority Affairs? What is its role?
- How many residents are there?
- What is call schedule like?
- What happens if someone is sick?
- Characterize faculty-resident relationships.
- What is the relationship between this program and other specialties?
- Have any house staff left, and why?
- What do you expect of your house staff?
- Is there a house staff grievance process?
- How are complaints handled?
- What is the parental leave policy?
Benefits:
- Do you offer health, life, disability insurance?
- What is the salary?
- What is your meal plan?
- What kind of vacation time do you offer?
- Do you have sick days?
- Do you have maternity/parental leave?
- Does the curriculum include training in cultural competence?
- What is the make-up of the patient population?
- Is the program or hospital involved in any projects to help the Underserved?
