“Sometimes questions are more important than answers.”
~Nancy Willard
It is our interview season. We had our first interviews a couple of weeks ago and I posted that I would ask the question, "tell me about yourself?" Well, I did ask the question, but I did modify it a little. The actual question I asked was, "in one sentence, tell me who you are outside of medicine?"I also asked 4 other questions:
- What is your favorite book?
- Who is your favorite author?
- What is your favorite song?
- Who is your favorite music group, singer, or artist?
- Do you think these are reasonable questions?
- How would you answer them?
Somonect
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
~Albert Einstein
I loved the "in one sentence, tell me who you are outside of medicine?" question. I think people should have life outside of medicine, and this question does a good job of funding whether they do.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am not a big fun of the other four questions. I hardly read non-academic books, nor do I have a favourite author (because I don't read too many books), song or group (cause I like variety, and don't like just a single band/song).
Instead of asking these 4 questions, I would rather follow up on the response given to the "life outside of medicine" question.
* finding
ReplyDelete** fan
(too tired... can't spell)
I like those types of questions. They’re easy, answerable, shows you have a life outside of medicine, while also graining insight to who the person is.
ReplyDeleteThe question I hate is:
- If not a career in orthopaedics what field would you see yourself in?
This to me is a double sworded question. If one answers, “I can not see a life outside of ortho” this can be perceived as being unrealistic and one who is not rationally prepared. On the other hand, if one was to list another subspecialty, this could be viewed as one being not completely dedicated to the field.
I have not found a correct answer to this dreaded question. It seems no matter what one says it could be ill interpreted.
Btw just for shits and giggles:
Favorite book: If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino
Favorite author: Italo Calvino
Favorite song: Winter by Joshua Radin
"I should know, who I am by now... your voice is all I hear somehow"
Favorite singer: Joshua Radin
Hmmmmm I would flunk the outside of medicine question because when I am outside, I want right back in.
ReplyDeleteI like the other four questions. I think they do give further insight into a persons mind.
I've always liked the, "What CD's in my car..." sidebar. I often want to ask that question.
My answers to the four
Book: The Blue Roan, don't remember the author.
Author: Stephen King
Song: Changes frequently. American Pie (Don McLean, has always been one favorite
Group/Singer: It has been Amy Lee of Evanessence ever since her first CD. This catagory is also ever evolving. For instance, it used to be Chris LeDoux.
Now, don't you feel like you know me better?
How about asking questions that reflect ethics, values and compentence? Who cares what kind of music a wannabe resident likes? Is this so that we can all agree on OR music? Come on, get serious.
ReplyDeleteThe applicants all have memorized, pat answers to the ethics, values, and competence questions. No one cares WHAT the answers are to the music and author questions. [Give us a break, we are NOT that petty.] What we want to know is that there are definitive answers. I want to know that you have an answer and can defend it. One thing surgeons dislike more than most is indecisiveness. An intern can be taught orthopedics [or any other specialty]. It is extremely difficult to teach someone to be able to make, assert, and follow through on a decision.
ReplyDeleteThe answers to questions like these do not rely on the amount of orthopedic knowledgy you have, they are non-threatening, and they are not usually anticipated.
Good questions.
ReplyDeleteBook: "The Sun Also Rises" or "A Moveable Feast"
Author: (obviously) Hemingway
Song: "Where the Streets Have No Name"
Group: U2
Like so much else in medicine, it may be time to revise the interview process. A fifteen minute interview is obscene, and the questions you describe will have the effect of making some applicants more anxious than others, and you will be measuring something irrelevant to the
ReplyDeleteresidency. Perhaps it is time to consult with interview specialists to improve the validity of the content
"now we need to see if we actually like you."
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that by the time people get to the interview they are already screened for professional attributes, and are about equal, so it boils down to whether you actually like them personally? I was under the impression it was a selection process for professional excellence.
I'm in PRS. Like Ortho, as a competitive surgical specialty, everyone who gets invited to interview is a proven entity when it comes to academics. While the Step 1 range for our candidates this year go from 235-272 (yikes!), everyone has proven that they're smart and ambitious.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger issue is, "Can I stand to see you everyday for five or six years? Can I trust you?"
Are you usually confident that you chose well?
ReplyDeleteI liked reading this discussion. As someone who will be applying to orthopedic residencies in a few years, it's comforting to hear that educators place much value on the basic question, "Are you an easy-going, smart, funny, ambitious individual who we will look forward to seeing each day?"
ReplyDeleteI know I won't have the top scores or the highest grades, but I think my strengths will lie in my positive attitude, broad smile, diligence, conscientiousness, and knack for getting along with nearly any person I come across (which, admittedly, is just my attempt at avoiding drama and making sure I can sleep at night - I hate that guilty conscience!). It is certainly refreshing to hear that programs tend to rank people who give them that "good feeling." Thanks for your blog - I am a new reader.
~Anna