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 another—possibly more qualified—physician?
Primary care is a balancing act. It is up to the individual provider to do what he or she is capable of doing and refer another physician when necessary. This question aims to find out if you let your pride come before your patients.
"If I feel someone can do something better, I have the responsibility to my patient to step aside. I know I have to learn by doing, but I can still invite myself into the evaluation, test, or procedure to avoid losing a learning opportunity. If I do this enough, I may be the best person to act for my patient in the next instance and not have to step aside. As a new Family Medicine Resident, I fully understand my scope of practice and would never do anything that fell outside of that."
Explain to your interviewers that the patient comes first, not your bragging rights. Be sure that you know the program and institution you are interviewing with and what their model of care looks like. If you are interviewing to be a Family Medicine Resident with a large, multi-specialty institution, referring patients happens easily. If you are interviewing with a smaller and more independent program, patient referrals are a more difficult process. However, this process is often necessary for the care of the patient.
"Knowing your limitations is essential to being an excellent physician. If a patient came to me with a question that I did not know or that felt outside of my comfort level I would consider referring them to a specialist so that they receive the best care possible."