Family Physician Mock Interview
Practice 30 Family Physician interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care philosophy, and practice management.
Question 29 of 30
Has there ever been a time when you had to notify a patient of a missed diagnosis or an inaccurate result that was given to you?
Entry Level
How to Answer
Example Answer
Community Answers
Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.
"I haven't been faced with an experience like this yet in my career, and I am very thankful to say so. I do always try to double-check results, especially if they are indicative of an abnormality or poor prognosis before notifying a patient in hopes of preventing an episode like this."
Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.
While healthcare providers strive for accuracy and thorough care, no one is above making a mistake. The interviewer understands that. The important thing is being willing to address a mistake with professionalism and proper follow-through. That is what the interviewer wants to see in your answer.
Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.
"I can recall an instance when some lab results were misfiled on a patient's paper chart. Unfortunately, the results were bad news which left the patient devastated. Once the error was realized, we called the patient and asked her to come into the clinic for a consultation. Of course, she was thankful to know that her prognosis was not bad, but it was a very emotional event. We used that experience as the foundation for implementing new guidelines on verifying and documenting orders before a patient was notified."
Interview Coach
Jaymie
A real coach, not AI. I read every answer myself and write back with personalized feedback.
Typically responds within 24 hours.
0 - Character Count
Anonymous Answer
Yes, I had three to four patients with diagnoses of hypo and hyperthyroidism who were under my treatment, but the symptoms and responses to treatments were very unusual, then I did some research and send them to private labs, and ______ hospital lab at the same time then I realized that our lab response is different from private labs. I sent a letter to management attached with both lab results. Finally, I realized that the hospital for a period of time was using outdated kits. I recalled all patients with thyroid tests during that period and corrected all mistakes and apologized to all of them.
Jaymie's Feedback
This is a good example where the issue wasn't necessarily life-threatening but needed to be identified, addressed, and corrected. It's great to share that you took ownership like this, took the initiative to understand what was happening, and apologized to patients for the error.
Unlock All 30 Family Physician Questions
Prepare for behavioral and clinical questions that residency directors and practice leaders prioritize.
Get StartedJump to Question