How would you react if you witnessed a precepting physician making demeaning comments to support staff in the clinic setting?
It is no secret that physicians can be put in difficult situations, and medical students can also be subjected to them. In this hypothetical situation, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are willing and ready to do the right thing on a couple of fronts and use your interpersonal communication skills to do so.
One reason medical schools use the multiple mini interview process is to assess communication skills. Stress the importance of taking a confident approach with the precepting physician.
Because you'll have six to eight minutes to craft your response to this scenario during this MMI station, you'll want to hit several points. First, talk with the person or people impacted by the demeaning comments from the physician. Express to your interviewer that showing empathy would be vital and that you wouldn't hesitate to do so. Then you'll want to spend most of your time describing how you handle communication with the precepting physician. It is okay to acknowledge that questioning them could have some risk, as they are precepting you and may be a reference later on. In the end, you want to show that you would never hesitate to do the right thing, even if it comes down to having some difficult conversations.
"Depending on where I was in the situation and who was around, my first goal would be to talk to the support staff and reassure them that the comments were likely in jest or a moment of frustration. Emotions can flare up in a busy clinical environment, and alligator-thick skin is a necessity, but physicians need to be positive leaders. After that, my focus would turn to that talk with my preceptor. I know that the physicians I rotate with will be vital in helping me learn the tricks of the trade, but doing the right thing is always my priority. My approach in the conversation would be to ensure we are alone in their office, and I would say something along the lines of 'Hey, Dr. Smith. Not sure if you are aware, but what you said earlier to Employee X was uncalled for and likely really hurt them.' The preceptor may not even realize the harm that they did and would take it upon themselves to immediately apologize to the support staff. If they balked at me questioning them, I would have to let things be and accept that is simply who that physician is. It would be an important lesson to learn as a medical student."
