30 Multiple Mini Interview Questions (with Answers)

1.

You witness a group of male colleagues speaking inappropriately about a female colleague. What do you do?

In the 'Me Too' era and amidst other equality movements, the panel wants to see how you would approach a workplace situation that you know is inappropriate. Harassment is troubling, in any circumstance. Still, people often have trouble reporting this type of behavior. Talk about your approach and what you would say to stop this type of situation.

Rachelle's Answer

"Getting involved is something that many people would hesitate to do; however, I believe the more often we confront those who are inappropriate in the workplace, the less often these situations will occur. In this situation, I would approach the group and ask them to clarify what I had just heard. This approach is generally enough to make them realize they are acting out of line. If I had heard correctly and felt the situation was harassment of any sort, I would then take the issue to the proper human resource authorities for review. It's critical to me that everyone in our field act with the utmost integrity and show respect for their colleagues in every possible way."

2.

After noticing bruises and burns on a patient, they disclose their spouse is physically abusing them. The patient begs you not to tell anyone. What do you do next?

Guidelines for physicians may vary, depending on your region; however, for much of the world, there are approaches in place for physicians who suspect their patients are victims of domestic violence. Physicians can play a significant role in identifying partner abuse. Talk to the panel about what you would do if you were in a situation where you became aware of domestic violence asked to keep it a secret. Be sure to show a professional understanding of your duties as a physician while still respecting patient confidentiality.

Rachelle's Answer

"Family violence is a grave issue and one that I do not take lightly. We should approach domestic violence as a medical problem because it creates not only physical injury but also emotional and psychological harm to those involved. If my patient disclosed that they were experiencing domestic violence, I would apply the SOS DOC method, which is an approach I recently learned. This acronym stands for Support, Safety, Options, Strengths, Document, Continuity. These are steps that a physician can take when approached by a patient regarding domestic violence. I may not be able to report the incident without admission or permission from the patient; however, I can provide empathy and a safe, non-judgemental environment. With my continued support, I would hope my patient would gain the strength to either report their spouse or leave the situation."

3.

One of your patients asks for a doctors' note to excuse them from a work conference. You do not see any symptoms of illness. Talk to the patient about your decision to provide or not provide them with a doctors' note.

This question is a role-play opportunity or 'acting' question. For acting questions, a panel of interviewers, or perhaps even an actor, will be waiting in the interview room, and you must approach the situation as you would in real life. In this scenario, you must show professionalism, empathy, and compassion.

Rachelle's Answer

"I appreciate you coming to me and trusting me with your health. I am very dedicated to my patients, and when I sense that there is something wrong, I am the first person to be on your side. With that said, I cannot grant you a doctor's note for the reason of skipping out on a work obligation. I take my word seriously and am not interested in becoming involved in matters of excusal when I cannot find a medical justification. If you do not wish to attend the conference, my recommendation is to be straightforward with your employer."

Anonymous Answer

"In this situation, a conflict exists between satisfying my patient's request and being honest and refusing to do so. Satisfying my patient's request would ensure my patient is able to be excused from work and avoid reprimand, and would not damage my relationship with the pt. Refusing to meet the patient's request, on the other hand, would likely damage my relationship."

Margarita's Answer

This question asks you to describe what your conversation would be with the patient directly. Your answer is more of your inner thoughts.

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4.

What experiences and qualities lead you to believe that you will be an excellent physician?

Personal questions like this one do require some reflection and the ability to speak about yourself in a way that showcases your strengths but still comes across as humble. Think about why you want to be a physician or what led you to this particular career path. When you answer, be honest while making a connection between your top qualities, life experiences, and this profession. Talk about your values and how these align with the vision of the school for which you are applying.

Rachelle's Answer

"I know that I will be an excellent physician because I am naturally curious, empathetic, confident, and a strong problem solver. Having always known that I want to be in the medical field, taking care of others, I chose to pursue my interest by volunteering at our local hospital two days per week. My interest only grew as I saw physicians being able to help others live their best lives while reaching their own highest pursuits. I am someone who cares about humanity and ensuring people are as healthy as possible. While pursuing my undergrad, this desire to help others only grew. Now, recently completing an internship under a general practitioner, I have grown my skills in empathy and gained a fuller understanding of the patient-centered approach. These skills, qualities, and experiences combined give me the confidence that I will succeed as a physician."

Anonymous Answer

"I will make an excellent physician because I am empathetic, a committed person, and persistent. Volunteering in hospice care exposed me to the emotional suffering of others. I saw one patient who was cheerful and always had a smile when we were playing bingo but saw how quickly that would change when her disease progressed. She became no longer interested in activities and became unable to take care of herself. Even so, her positivity influenced me and I wanted to be there for her by continuing to visit and try my best to make her feel less alone. I was committed to my students while I was a graduate teaching assistant. I made sure that my students could contact me freely if they had issues with the lab course. I was surprised when one of my students at the end of the semester thanked me for my responsiveness as maybe other teaching assistants were not. I am also committed to improving myself. I know my verbal communication skills need improvement. I have worked on this by putting myself into uncomfortable situations, such as being a teaching assistant. Initially, I was nervous and was unable to get out what I wanted to say. Through preparation, I became more effective in conveying information to my students. I continue to work on my communication by volunteering at the food bank and interacting with people from different backgrounds. During my graduate research, I ran into some struggles with my experiments. I would try to find out what went wrong by modifying or repeating the experiments. When I could not figure it out, I would ask someone more experienced, such as a Ph.D. student in my lab or my professor. Similarly, as a physician, I would work tirelessly for my patients, whatever the challenge is, as well as care for them and be a trusted partner in managing their health."

Rachelle's Answer

Excellent job with this response! The details you provide and the storytelling are a wonderful touch. This answer does more than tell the interviewer why you will be an excellent physician; it also shows the interviewer your skills in action. Good work!

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5.

An underage patient asks you for a birth control prescription but asks that you not tell her parents. What do you do?

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Multiple Mini Interview Questions

You witness a group of male colleagues speaking inappropriately about a female colleague. What do you do?

Multiple Mini Interview Questions

You witness a group of male colleagues speaking inappropriately about a female colleague. What do you do?

After noticing bruises and burns on a patient, they disclose their spouse is physically abusing them. The patient begs you not to tell anyone. What do you do next?

One of your patients asks for a doctors' note to excuse them from a work conference. You do not see any symptoms of illness. Talk to the patient about your decision to provide or not provide them with a doctors' note.

What experiences and qualities lead you to believe that you will be an excellent physician?

An underage patient asks you for a birth control prescription but asks that you not tell her parents. What do you do?

Many pediatric associations recommended that male circumcisions no longer be routinely performed. Do you agree with this recommendation?

Hippocrates said, 'Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.' What does this quote mean to you as you pursue a career in healthcare?

Share your thoughts on gender selection and the topic of family balancing in the in vetro fertilization process.

An emergency room patient will die without a blood transfusion. The patients' medical records state refusal of blood transfusions due to religious reasons. What do you decide to do?

Do you believe a family doctor is obligated to report their patients' infectious disease to their public health agency? Why or why not?

Which is more important to you; changing behavior to prevent disease or working harder to treat existing disease?

If you were given the opportunity to change one thing about the healthcare system, what would you choose to do?

As a physician, do you feel a responsibility to be a healthy role model for your patients, or is your medical training and knowledge more than enough when it comes to counseling your patients on lifestyle changes?

Pharmaceutical companies largely influence the medical profession through lobbying. What do you believe is the impact?

In 2019, the Reproductive Health Act expanded abortion rights. What were these changes, and how do you feel about them?

Your sister brings her new boyfriend home for the holidays. You recognize him as a patient you treated for herpes simplex type 2. What do you do?

What would you do if your mother decided to rely only on alternative medicine to treat a critical illness?

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? What is the very first thing you would do with this superpower?

If an alternative treatment existed for a terminal illness, would you recommend it to a patient, even if there were no scientific evidence to support its efficacy?

Under what circumstances would you recommend a homeopathic approach to treatment?

Discuss the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. Would you ever prescribe or encourage the use of legal cannabis? Why or why not?

Discuss the Human Genome Project.

How do you feel about stem cell research using fetal tissue?

A fellow medical student often shows up on rotation hung-over and smelling like alcohol. You decide to talk to them in private. Enter the room and have this conversation.

Talk about physician-assisted death. When is this an appropriate solution?

How does the American healthcare system differ from the Canadian healthcare system?

Talk to me about one crucial healthcare issue that is unique to your region.

You have two patients who need a kidney transplant. One patient is an elderly physician with kidney failure; the other is a 20-year-old high school dropout brought in again for binge drinking. You have only one kidney. Who do you give the kidney to?

Which would you choose: To travel 1,000 years into the past or 1,000 years into the future? Choose your preference and discuss.

Is it ethical for healthcare workers to go on strike? Why or why not?