Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1.Introduction:
Passing an interview is one of the more important assessment criteria for entry into Medical
Courses and other Health Science courses being offered in Australia. The purpose of the
interview is to assess the skills and attitudes of candidates within the framework of a criterion
referenced standardised interview format.
This teaching tool has been developed to assist prospective candidates in their preparation by
emphasising a number of issues which the candidate needs to be aware of and think about
before going to the interview. Medicine is a wonderful career, but not one to be embarked upon
lightly. Medicine, Dentistry and Physiotherapy courses place great emphasis on the skills of
interpersonal interaction, group participation and conflict resolution, as well as the attitude that
students possess towards personal development and professional development. This tool has
been written to help make prospective candidates aware of these issues and illustrate how these
issues relate to the interview content and why they are important. Examples of past interview
questions are used to illustrate what sort of questions are likely to be asked in certain parts of
the interview.
The prospective candidate should note that this teaching tool is not a cheat sheet for the
interview - on the contrary - most example questions are there mainly to illustrate issues to be
thought about rather than to be learnt by rote, and any candidate attempting to do so will have
missed the whole point of the interview process.
This document has been divided into 4 main parts.
The remainder of Part 1 will briefly cover the duration of the interview, some common-sense
tips on candidate presentation and some information about the interviewers.
Part 2 deals with the overall structure of the interview. The interview has been broken down
into sections to give the candidate an overview of what will be examined and how the major
sections of the interview fit together into a well-structured logical format.
Part 3 deals with the issues examinable in each section in detail, pointing out what is sought
from the candidate, important issues to think about and advice on dealing with some of the
possible questions.
Finally, Part 4 provides an analysis of the interview structure with important points to
remember for each section. The rationale behind this analysis is as follows: If the prospective
candidate is aware of the structure of the interview, as well as the emphasis in each of the
sections, then they may feel completely orientated during the interview process. Additionally,
candidates may then have some guidance as to where the examiners may be heading with any
particular line of questioning, during any part of the interview.
The Candidate:
Candidates should be present at the interview location well ahead of time. If the candidate is
invited to sit for an interview, they will be informed, well ahead of time, as to the location and
the time they are expected to be present. Although many past candidates wore suits, or sleaves
and tie to the interview, this is not absolutely necessary, as long as the candidate is well
groomed and neatly presented. The prospective candidate should note the following:
This interview is tough, so be well prepared. Make sure you have slept well, been to the toilet
and had a meal before the interview. Although it may seem like a friendly chat at first, you will
need to concentrate hard for 45 minutes or more and be able to react creatively and
intelligently on the spot. Turning up tired or hungry will just disadvantage you. You need to be
clear-headed and at your very best for this interview!
3.3 Interpersonal group and team interaction, conflict resolution and leadership ability:
Medicine requires both the ability to work effectively and closely in a team environment, but
also to take on a leadership role when demanded by circumstances. Examiners will be very
interested in the candidates ability to function as part of a team, as well as any leadership
qualities and skills in conflict resolution that the candidate may have. The following section of
the interview will focus on these three aspects, and candidates will find that they will be asked
what these concepts mean to them and if they have acted in these roles before.
The same question is then asked again, but a different list is handed to the candidate,
containing 3 to 5 non-science terms. The candidate will be given the same time to prepare and
will be asked to talk for about two minutes again. Successful candidates have described these
terms encompassing the arts and social sciences.
The following non-science terms have been put on the list in previous years:
personality mental retardation statistical significance logarithm addiction
demographics birth control smoking social class control group jargon
So the candidate may be asked to describe both one science term and one non-science term in
total.
Some of the topics are quite hard - there is some luck involved as to which list of topics you
get. Whichever topic you choose, try and explain it in simple terms. In your explanation, also
explain any other scientific terms you use as well. Pretend you are explaining something to a
child.
You must possess the ability to communicate effectively. This includes communication within a
team, appropriate forms of communication within a hierarchy and importantly, communication
with individuals who have different levels of education and understanding. This exercise will
give examiners an idea of how effectively you can translate complex ideas into simple
language - something you will have to do with your patients on a daily basis should you
become a doctor
Introductory questions
General questions
Aimed at putting the candidate at ease.
Aimed at getting to know the candidates interests and background.
Relax! Be honest and open about your interests and experiences. Present yourself as a well-
rounded and multi-faceted person. Remember, to be a good doctor has as much to do with
people skills as it does with memorising facts.
Any of the following sections may be entered into from the introduction:
Self-assessment, coping strategies and personal improvement
The candidates assessment of themselves
The candidates assessment of their limitations
The candidates ability to cope with pressure and stressful situations
The candidates thoughts on personal development and growth.
To answer these questions you have to have an objective look at yourself as a person.
What are your strengths? What are the aspects of your personality that make you suited to
studying in a group environment? What are the aspects of your personality that will make you
a good doctor?
Think carefully about how you cope with stress. Can you function under stress? Could you
make a life-saving decision under pressure? Think about the coping strategies you use when
you are under pressure.
Finally, what are your weaknesses? What are the aspects about you that you would want to
change or improve upon? How would you go about changing those aspects?
Think about what personal growth and development mean to you and why they are important
in a career in medicine. If you have thought about all these issues you should be ready in this
section.
Interpersonal group and team interaction, leadership ability and conflict resolution
The candidates past experience of groups and group activity
Assessment of the candidates attitudes to working in a group environment
The candidates experience of conflict within a group
The candidates past involvement in leadership roles
Assessment of the candidates perception of leadership
Assessment of the candidates ability to lead or take on a pro-active role in a team
environment
The candidates willingness and ability to aid in resolving conflict in a team
If you gain entry into a Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Course, groups and teamwork will
become important elements in your medical education. The ideal candidate is one who will
take on the role of leader when needed - to make decisions or steer the group when
appropriate, and then take his or her place as an equal member of a team just as effectively.
How close do you come to this ideal? You need to think what working in a team means to you
and what leadership means to you. But you also need to think about how you deal with being
under the leadership of someone else!
You need to think about how to react in a conflict situation. Do you take sides? Do you try to
resolve the conflict - are you a good arbitrator? Think about how you could become a good
arbitrator and a good team worker. Draw from your past experiences, as these are likely to be
touched upon in the interview.
Medicine as a career - assessment of the candidates expectations of medicine and their
commitment to this career path
Assessment of the candidates motivations in trying to enter a Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy
Course
Assessment of the candidates commitment to a career in medicine
The candidates thoughts about their future in medicine and the commitments involved in this
career path
Think about why you have chosen this career path and where you want to take it in the future.
Have you thought about all the issues? Do you know what is involved? Consider how this
choice will impact on you and your family and whether you are willing to make sacrifices.
Conclusion
This teaching tool has covered the interview in detail and has emphasised the need for you to
think deeply about certain aspects of your chosen career, yourself and the way you interact
with people, as part of your preparation. This tool has been written to help make you aware of
some of the wider issues covered in the interview and why they are important for you to
consider, and think about, before entering the interview room.
It remains now only for you to be wished the best of luck in the interview and every success in
your chosen career. Approximately one in six are successful at the interview - If you miss out
this time - PLEASE TRY AGAIN or both our efforts have been wasted. If its in your heart to
study the health sciences I guarantee you will if you PERSEVERE !!!