Family Medicine Residency Mock Interview

Excel in 38 Family Medicine Residency interview questions covering patient care, continuity, and your clinical philosophy.

Question 1 of 38

You see a nurse 'pretend' to give a narcotic to your patient who is writhing in pain while her back is turned to you. Then you see the medication in her pocket. What do you do?

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Audra Kresinske

Audra Kresinske is an educator with over 7 years experience teaching English and employment readiness skills.

Substance abuse among healthcare providers and staff is becoming more prevalent. Your interviewers want to know that you are aware of this fact and that you are willing and ready to step in when you witness it. Not doing so can put the patient, the staff, and the institution at major risk.

Audra Kresinske

Audra Kresinske is an educator with over 7 years experience teaching English and employment readiness skills.

"I would record the patient's name, the nurse's name, and the time of the incident. Then, I would look on the patient's chart to see who ordered the medication if I hadn't. Since it is a nurse and not officially a resident in my program, I would report the incident to the nurse's immediate supervisor. However, my responsibility doesn't end there, because I have to act as my patient's advocate and make sure the supervisor followed her own service's and the hospital's protocol for this type of infraction. Just because it's not another resident does not excuse me from following up on this--for that nurse's sake (who has a problem), her nursing service's sake, and--especially--the patient's sake."

Ryan Brunner

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.

This question is a little tricky because it involves a person who is not part of your training program. However, if it involves both a patient and the program that you represent, it is your business. Assure your team of interviewers that you would immediately address the situation with the nurse and take the issue up the chain of command immediately.

Dr. Griswold

"I would immediately notify my attending physician as this is a serious safety concern for both the patient and the nurse. I would do so discreetly and in a respectful manner."

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Anonymous Answer

I will double-check his or her order in the chart first then I will talk to the nurse about the situation. I will listen to her and I will report the incident to the nurse's supervisor. The patient comes first.

Chad's Feedback

The interviewer will be pleased to hear the patient is your priority, and you would not hesitate to report the nurse to their supervisor for the diversion of a controlled substance. If you have experienced this type of situation in your career, be sure to inform the interviewer of the circumstances, how you handled it, and what the result was.

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38Family Medicine Residency Interview Questions & Answers

Conflict

1.You see a nurse 'pretend' to give a narcotic to your patient who is writhing in pain while her back is turned to you. Then you see the medication in her pocket. What do you do?

Behavioral

2.You and a peer are waiting on a patient's blood work. You tell the peer one of you should contact the lab and not wait. The results could make a difference overnight. It is the end of the shift; your partner says it can wait and leaves. What do you do?

Creative Thinking

3.Medicine is changing more quickly than ever. Internet collaboration and telemedicine are now the new normal. Where do you see medicine going in the next five years, and what part do you intend to play as a Family Medicine Physician in the future?

Competency

4.Family Medicine is considered a primary care specialty. How would you decide when to handle a case yourself and when to refer a case to anotherâ€”possibly more qualifiedâ€”physician?

Direct

5.Why do you feel we should choose you instead of someone whose scores are better?

Competency

6.What do you feel is your greatest non-medical strength you can bring to this Family Practice?

Career Goals

7.As you know Family Medicine is an important specialty treating patients from all walks of life throughout different stages of life. Is there a specific area of Family Medicine that interests you?

Communication

8.Physicians are very busy people. Do you feel you can assure your patients you'll always be available to them as a Family Medicine Resident?

Career Goals

9.What made you choose Family Medicine?

Career Goals

10.Are you interested in conducting any quality improvement projects during your residency?

Behavioral

11.First impressions are important. What would you do about a scheduler who you discovered was being rude to a patient?

Behavioral

12.What would you do about a patient who was rude to your receptionist?

Behavioral

13.You are being interviewed by a prospective patient couple who want to know your views on pregnancy termination before agreeing to come to you. How would you respond?

Discovery

14.What do you feel is your greatest weakness, and how would you correct it during your time with us?

Behavioral

15.Tell me about a time during medical school where you had a setback or failure? How did you respond to that setback?

Conflict

16.What has been your biggest ethical challenge thus far in medicine?

Career Goals

17.Are there any procedures you would like to focus on learning during your time as a Family Medicine Resident?

Career Goals

18.Following Family Medicine Residency training, do you foresee yourself practicing in an urban or rural setting?

Career Goals

19.Do you have any desire to engage in research as a Family Medicine Resident? How about as you get into practice post-residency training?

Career Goals

20.Have you put any thought into the elective rotations you would like to pursue during your Family Medicine Residency training?

Education

21.Tell us about the most interesting case you were exposed to while attending medical school.

Career Goals

22.What do you wish to gain through training in our Family Medicine Residency program?

Creative Thinking

23.How would you like to see the delivery of healthcare evolve in the family practice setting?

Creative Thinking

24.What do you think is the biggest difference between the U.S healthcare system and that of another developed country?

Education

25.Have you completed all ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) requirements to start a residency?

Discovery

26.We would like to know you on a more personal level. Outside of medicine, what are your interests?

Discovery

27.Are you considering any other Family Medicine Residency programs?

Discovery

28.Who in your life has been the biggest mentor or inspiration to you?

Education

29.How would you stay on top of trends and changes in the medical industry as a resident?

Discovery

30.If being a Family Medicine Physician was not an option, what career path would you have chosen outside of medicine?

Stress

31.How will you manage the high amounts of day to day stress that are a part of being a Family Medicine Resident?

Education

32.How would you invest in your personal development as a resident with our program?

Discovery

33.Would you have any issues relocating to join our Family Medicine Residency program?

Creative Thinking

34.What do you believe is the greatest challenge Family Medicine physicians will face in the coming years?

Discovery

35.Anyone that matches into our Family Medicine Residency must pass a criminal record check and education verification. Is there any reason you would not be comfortable with this?

Communication

36.In a family practice setting, communication skills are essential. How would you describe your communication skills?

Teamwork

37.How will you work effectively and collaboratively as part of a larger care team as a Family Medicine Resident with our program?

Competency

Family Medicine Residency Mock Interview

You see a nurse 'pretend' to give a narcotic to your patient who is writhing in pain while her back is turned to you. Then you see the medication in her pocket. What do you do?

38Family Medicine Residency Interview Questions & Answers

1.You see a nurse 'pretend' to give a narcotic to your patient who is writhing in pain while her back is turned to you. Then you see the medication in her pocket. What do you do?

2.You and a peer are waiting on a patient's blood work. You tell the peer one of you should contact the lab and not wait. The results could make a difference overnight. It is the end of the shift; your partner says it can wait and leaves. What do you do?

3.Medicine is changing more quickly than ever. Internet collaboration and telemedicine are now the new normal. Where do you see medicine going in the next five years, and what part do you intend to play as a Family Medicine Physician in the future?

4.Family Medicine is considered a primary care specialty. How would you decide when to handle a case yourself and when to refer a case to anotherâ€”possibly more qualifiedâ€”physician?

5.Why do you feel we should choose you instead of someone whose scores are better?

6.What do you feel is your greatest non-medical strength you can bring to this Family Practice?

7.As you know Family Medicine is an important specialty treating patients from all walks of life throughout different stages of life. Is there a specific area of Family Medicine that interests you?

8.Physicians are very busy people. Do you feel you can assure your patients you'll always be available to them as a Family Medicine Resident?

9.What made you choose Family Medicine?

10.Are you interested in conducting any quality improvement projects during your residency?

11.First impressions are important. What would you do about a scheduler who you discovered was being rude to a patient?

12.What would you do about a patient who was rude to your receptionist?

13.You are being interviewed by a prospective patient couple who want to know your views on pregnancy termination before agreeing to come to you. How would you respond?

14.What do you feel is your greatest weakness, and how would you correct it during your time with us?

15.Tell me about a time during medical school where you had a setback or failure? How did you respond to that setback?

16.What has been your biggest ethical challenge thus far in medicine?

17.Are there any procedures you would like to focus on learning during your time as a Family Medicine Resident?

18.Following Family Medicine Residency training, do you foresee yourself practicing in an urban or rural setting?

19.Do you have any desire to engage in research as a Family Medicine Resident? How about as you get into practice post-residency training?

20.Have you put any thought into the elective rotations you would like to pursue during your Family Medicine Residency training?

21.Tell us about the most interesting case you were exposed to while attending medical school.

22.What do you wish to gain through training in our Family Medicine Residency program?

23.How would you like to see the delivery of healthcare evolve in the family practice setting?

24.What do you think is the biggest difference between the U.S healthcare system and that of another developed country?

25.Have you completed all ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) requirements to start a residency?

26.We would like to know you on a more personal level. Outside of medicine, what are your interests?

27.Are you considering any other Family Medicine Residency programs?

28.Who in your life has been the biggest mentor or inspiration to you?

29.How would you stay on top of trends and changes in the medical industry as a resident?

30.If being a Family Medicine Physician was not an option, what career path would you have chosen outside of medicine?

31.How will you manage the high amounts of day to day stress that are a part of being a Family Medicine Resident?

32.How would you invest in your personal development as a resident with our program?

33.Would you have any issues relocating to join our Family Medicine Residency program?

34.What do you believe is the greatest challenge Family Medicine physicians will face in the coming years?

35.Anyone that matches into our Family Medicine Residency must pass a criminal record check and education verification. Is there any reason you would not be comfortable with this?

36.In a family practice setting, communication skills are essential. How would you describe your communication skills?

37.How will you work effectively and collaboratively as part of a larger care team as a Family Medicine Resident with our program?

38.As a new Family Medicine Resident, would you be able to handle direct patient care with little supervision?