Indiana University School of Medicine Mock Interview
Master 40 IU School of Medicine interview questions covering clinical scenarios, research, and mission alignment.
Question 15 of 40
As a physician, you will be faced with death on a daily basis. How will you professionally cope with this reality?
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Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
During medical school, you will have to balance your studies along with encountering death and the grief associated with it. Many students have never encountered death and dying before attending medical school, which can be a raw, complicated, and emotional experience. The Indiana University School of Medicine understands these emotions. They offer death and dying courses and an online resource called BereaveMed, which is designed to guide medical students through their encounters with grief and death. The school also offers Spiritual Wellness events on death and dying that they encourage you to participate in to help prepare you for this aspect of your job as a physician.
The interviewers want to know that you understand that dealing with death and critical illness is a workplace reality for a physician and that you are prepared to handle this part of your job. Assure the interviewers that you can handle this harsh reality that physicians face. If you have had personal experience with death, describe your experience and how you coped with it. If you have yet to be around a dead or dying person, explain how you will professionally manage this situation.
Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
"This is an excellent question. I have not experienced death yet in my life, and I often wonder how I will react. I asked my uncle, a cardiologist, and my cousin, who works in emergency medicine, how they cope with this reality. They both responded similarly, and I feel I will respond the same. They said they think about the death from a professional standpoint, not a personal one, which helps remove them somewhat and helps protect their emotions. They also said it is best to acknowledge the death and how I feel about it with my colleagues or mentor while protecting my patient's privacy. I feel I will be able to handle this part of my job as a physician very well, but will not be afraid to speak with a counselor or therapist if needed."
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