At our institution, you will be working side by side with Advanced Practice Providers as a Cardiology Fellow. Would you have any issues in doing so?
Over the years, there has always been some hesitation for physicians to work alongside APPs in their practice. But the reality is that most large institutions have made the financial decision to employ and use more APPs in practice and your interviewers need to be assured that you are comfortable training in this situation and that you will be a great team player with Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.
"During residency training, I got to work very closely with APP staff in the hospital, clinic, and ICU setting and they were amazing to work with. They greatly improved patient access, which is a benefit to all. They are also very knowledgeable in procedures and can be the second set of eyes in many situations. In the state where I trained for residency, they did not have a full scope of authority, and physicians needed to sign off on any prescriptions they wrote. Can you talk about your state's scope of practice for APP staff?"
Your answer to this question can be a pretty short and sweet 'no' that you wouldn't have any issues in working closely with APP staff while training during Cardiology Fellowship. To further solidify your response to this question, try to highlight some of the positive aspects that Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants can bring to a practice.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
No, I have worked with Physician assistants and Pharmacists in ICU. They have always been very helpful in providing suggestions and correcting our medication orders. They are just like a pair of second set of eyes. I have always appreciated their presence.
Marcie's Feedback
Great! The interviewer will be happy to hear that this is fine with you. Mentioning that you have worked with physician assistants and pharmacists before is a good idea. Consider wrapping up your response by reminding the interviewer that you are collaborative and value the help and opinions of others. Nice job!
Anonymous Answer
Absolutely not. Some of my best learning during residency has come from working alongside NPs and PAs. Often they have a lot of experience in their specific niche that they are more than willing to share with residents. NPs in particular have good insight into the nursing perspective and help make me a better doctor by showing me how to order things in a way that set nurses up for success.
Jaymie's Feedback
Excellent! Being willing to work with all other healthcare team members is important, as well as being able to keep an open mind when it comes to learning new things from colleagues as well.
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