Internal Medicine Residency Mock Interview
Prepare for 40 Internal Medicine Residency interview questions covering clinical reasoning, patient care philosophy, and program fit.
Question 35 of 40
Tell us about the most interesting case you were exposed to while attending medical school.
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Your interviewers want candidates who have a passion for Internal Medicine and their potential subspecialty. This conversational-based question is intended to get to know the types of cases that you find most interesting.
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
Before your Internal Medicine Residency interview, think of what you consider the most intriguing and thought-provoking case you worked on in medical school. The cases that are most interesting to you should pertain to the specialty you want to pursue. As you answer, take a few minutes to set the stage for the case, name a couple of points that intrigued you, and explain why. If you know the outcome of the case, discuss that briefly as well.
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
"The most intriguing case I was exposed to during medical school was an elderly patient that presented with acute gastrointestinal bleeding. The amount of teamwork and investigation that went into the successful diagnosis and treatment for the patient helped me decide to take that path of Internal Medicine training because I think a fellowship in GI & Hepatology would be a great option for me."
"An interesting case was a young woman I helped take care of who was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. She had many symptoms and it took an excellent Internal Medicine physician to make the correct diagnosis. This really made me interested in pursuing a career in Internal Medicine."
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Anonymous Answer
During my internal medicine rotation, a woman presented suffering from "epigastric pain." The case was initially handed off by the night shift as possible gastric distress; however, notes indicated a suspicion that she was drug-seeking due to her history of cocaine use. Nevertheless, I took the time to connect with her and examine her carefully. She complained of back pain which worsened with palpation. Her creatinine levels demonstrated an inexplicable upward trend. She was given large amounts of IV morphine with little relief. I couldn't shake the suspicion that she could be presenting with an aortic dissection. I presented the case to my attending as such while mentioning her original diagnosis. Following testing, it was confirmed that the patient, indeed, had a descending aortic dissection. It was incredibly rewarding to have played a part in saving this woman's life. This experience played a significant role in my decision to pursue Internal Medicine.
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! This answer is incredibly powerful. It shows your passion and love of medicine and your desire to help others. It also puts your persistence and knowledge on full display, in addition to your willingness to overlook an assumption ('drug seeking') in order to uncover the truth. Excellent!
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