Internal Medicine Residency Mock Interview
Prepare for 40 Internal Medicine Residency interview questions covering clinical reasoning, patient care philosophy, and program fit.
Question 27 of 40
How do you feel about the 80-hour work week limit for residents?
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Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.
The term 'resident' stems from a time when physicians in postgraduate training lived at the hospital, often working around the clock for days on end with small breaks for sleep and food. In the early 2000s, the ACGME created rules that limited work hours for all medical residents, including the 80-hour workweek. Your interviewers mainly want to hear that you are aware of the work hour limits that are in place and to know if you have any concerns or opinions on this.
Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.
"I understand this system is in place to prevent poor resident performance due to exhaustion. I have also read a study that showed patient care declines more from changes in shifts than physician exhaustion from long hours. As I have not yet lived the resident lifestyle, I can appreciate the merits of both arguments but do not have a strong opinion for or against this time limit at this point in my training."
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
A lot of people are opinionated about this topic, and this could include one or more of your interviewers. For this reason, it is important to focus on the pros and cons but not take a strong stance on this topic. State that you are aware of the rules, why they are in place, and the impact they can have on every Internal Medicine Resident in training.
"The 80 hour work was put in place to protect residents and patient safety. I believe it is important to respect this rule for patient safety."
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Anonymous Answer
I don’t particularly have a strong opinion on this. Patients don’t come to the hospital on a schedule. In order to learn, I have to be present to learn a patient's case from intake to discharge. The more time I am at the hospital, the more exposure I will have, and the better my understanding of nuances of patient care and management. I learned the most when I was on call. Continuity prevents hand-off errors.
However, I understand the value of the protection hours to prevent mistakes from exhaustion.
Marcie's Feedback
Perfect! Your response shows your interest in learning as much as possible even if this means long hours. Any interviewer will appreciate this willingness on your part. However, it's also important that you acknowledge (as you do) that there are reasons for the limit being in place (work-life balance to avoid burnout, fewer mistakes due to exhaustion, etc.) so it's great that you mention these as well. Excellent job.
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