Have you ever 'bitten off more than you can chew' in treating a patient?

How to Answer
Entry Level
Answer Example
Experienced Level

Everyone has limits and no one physician can do everything. Unfortunately, this realization can become very ugly when it doesn't make itself obvious until you're in the thick of things. A wrong answer to this question is one in which you come off as some sort of maverick who is more like a gambler than an innovator, at the patient's expense. A right answer is one in which unforeseeable events transpire, which cause you to raise your game as well as ask for help, putting your patient first.

"I would never knowingly bite off more than I could chew, but if a case were to go that way, my expertise is demonstrated more by addressing this by calling for help than by trying to prove some point that says I don't need help."

"Surgery is one thing in which an urgency can develop that doesn't care about my knowledge or training, so things can arise for which getting the right help to address it properly should be done--and should be done as no reflection on me."

"Unfortunately, this happens. If it hasn't happened to a physician, he or she just hasn't had enough experience yet, because it will happen. When it does, the quality of a physician can be defined by how he or she summons and orchestrates help to get the job done right. The patient comes first, so there's no room for pride at his or her expense."

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How to Answer: Have you ever 'bitten off more than you can chew' in treating a patient?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Doctor of Osteopathy job interview.

4. Have you ever 'bitten off more than you can chew' in treating a patient?

How to Answer

Everyone has limits and no one physician can do everything. Unfortunately, this realization can become very ugly when it doesn't make itself obvious until you're in the thick of things. A wrong answer to this question is one in which you come off as some sort of maverick who is more like a gambler than an innovator, at the patient's expense. A right answer is one in which unforeseeable events transpire, which cause you to raise your game as well as ask for help, putting your patient first.

Written by D. Leo on May 15th, 2021

Entry Level

"I would never knowingly bite off more than I could chew, but if a case were to go that way, my expertise is demonstrated more by addressing this by calling for help than by trying to prove some point that says I don't need help."

Written by D. Leo on May 15th, 2021

Answer Example

"Surgery is one thing in which an urgency can develop that doesn't care about my knowledge or training, so things can arise for which getting the right help to address it properly should be done--and should be done as no reflection on me."

Written by D. Leo on May 15th, 2021

Experienced Level

"Unfortunately, this happens. If it hasn't happened to a physician, he or she just hasn't had enough experience yet, because it will happen. When it does, the quality of a physician can be defined by how he or she summons and orchestrates help to get the job done right. The patient comes first, so there's no room for pride at his or her expense."

Written by D. Leo on May 15th, 2021

Next Question