1. HMO 2 interview questions practice
Dr Carol Chong
Supervisor of Intern Training
June 2019

2. Practice interview questions
Why do you want to work here?
Why have you applied for this position?

3. Why do you want to work here?
What skills will you bring to the hospital, does it fit with your career goals?
Demonstrate that you know about the hospital eg. training program, research
Also, good to know about the community that you will be helping
Enthusiasm and positivity helps!

4. Q
What skills can you offer?

5. What skills can you offer
Talk about your strengths
- general skills eg. teamwork, leadership, communication
- medical – your strengths eg. what you’ve learnt from past rotations eg. responsibility
- other skills specific to you

6. Q
What career path have you chosen and why?

7. What career path have you chosen and why?
Doesn’t matter what path you have chosen as long as you have a reason (eg. previous positive experience)
Enthusiasm helps yet again
If you haven’t chosen a path yet, that’s fine but be careful saying this if you are going for a particular stream (eg. okay to say this for the general stream as 1st preference).
Med stream – prefer BPTs. Surg – people keen on SET program.

8. Q
What are your strengths and weaknesses?

9. Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths – General and medical skills. Eg. communication, responsible, enjoy working in a team, excellent clinical skills, feedback from my consultants is that …. (something along the lines of I’m just excellent!)
Weaknesses – talk about how you aim to improve. Eg. time management – learnt to be more efficient this year as an intern. Breaking bad news – started to practice, now reg is supervising you. Staying back late – re: time management

10. Often 1 or 2 clinical or behavioural questions or could be mixed together

11. Example Interview questions
What makes a good team and give us an example where teamwork enhanced patient care.

12. Teamwork
Come up with an example from this year. Eg. Unwell patient at a MET call.
What was your role?
What was the role of other team members?
What was the interaction within the team
Why did it go well – ie. Good collaboration
What was the outcome – how did teamwork help?
Talk about the team leader how they lead the team

13. Tell us about a time when you you showed leadership and how you helped the patient

14. Leadership
Come up with an example from this year where you had to be leader
Eg. On the wards nurses ask you to do something.
Was there any conflict – talk about how things were smoothed over with good leadership.
Talk about walking in a team and leading others.
Who did you lead? Talk about the other members

15. Potential interview questions
3. Tell us when you made a mistake that affected patient care
((4. Clinical scenario
-post hartmanns - low urine output – management))
Patient difficult to rouse/ unconsicous patient
((Family doesn’t want patient to know about cancer))

16. Tell us when you made a mistake that affected patient care

17. Mistake affecting patient care
Come up with a mistake from this year if possible.
What were the possible consequences of the mistake
How did you rectify the mistake
Who did you notify – eg. Patient and hospital (eg. Reg, consultant) – open disclosure
How did you document the incident?

18. Mistake affecting a patient
RISKMAN – how the system can be improved
What you learnt and how to improve eg. Education for yourself, going to courses

19. Clinical Scenario
You are paged to see Mrs Brown a 70 year old who has been admitted today and just transferred to the ward 30 minutes ago. She has been admitted with back pain after a fall and has become progressive drowsy since transfer from the emergency department. How will you manage her?

20. Drowsiness post fall Urgent review required – MET Call.
• Initial Ax – DRABC. Airway management if GCS<8, Check BSL.
Focused history, examination (any other injuries eg. bruising around the head, any focal neurological deficits . checking drug chart and what has been given

21. Key differentials – Opiates given in ED, Fall could have caused head injury, other differentials eg. hypoglycaemia, other drugs, neurological event
• Investigations (discusses wanting to check what was done in ED eg. CT brain Relevant blood results) •

22. Treatment – discusses possible causes and treatment eg
Treatment – discusses possible causes and treatment eg. opiate toxicity – give naloxone. Concerned about subdural haematoma – urgent CT brain, neurosurg consult
• Escalates concerns upwards to registrar, consultant
• Handover to next resident, registrar

23. A patient is confused and aggressive on the ward, how would you manage this?

24. Aggressive patient wanting to leave
Consider calling MET call
Code Grey – need security
Go and see the patient – why are the angry
Assess for competency to make decisions re: why are they wanting to leave?
Understands risks and benefits of leaving
Consider why they might be delirious - ?head injury – further investigations
Duty of care to keep pt in hospital

25. Aggressive pt wanting to leave and confused
Review reason for admission – investigations done to date and progress
Updating reg, consultant
Patient’s family can help – call them in update
Handover to resident

26. Pain management scenario
A 90 year old patient has arrived on the ward after a DHS was inserted for a fractured their femur – the nurses call you as the patient is in a lot of pain. How would you manage this?

27. Clinical questions
eg. Eg. pt has low urine output post Hartmanns – your approach.
eg. your co-intern is struggling and seems depressed how would you help.
Knowing how to get help and knowing the support pathway

28. Potential interview questions
Pt or g.p complaint about no d/c summary etc.
- how would you manage the complaint
You see a co-intern struggling. Outline how you can help
(ie. know the support pathway well) – internal and external supports

29. Sample questions from 2014 Austin/Northern Health:
1) Tell us about a time you received negative feedback and what steps you took to improve on it
2) Tell us about a time where you had to deal with angry family members
3) Management of a patient who was drowsy and difficult to rouse
4) Management of a patient with low urine output
Monash Health:
1) Why do you want to work at Monash Health?
2) What have you learnt in Internship?
3) Monash values are ICARE (Integrity, compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence). Tell us how you use (one of the values - i got "respect") in your work?
4) Managing a patient who had a fall when you are on cover

30. Royal Melbourne Hospital:
1) What makes RMH different from where you currently work?
2) What do you want to do in terms of your career and what do you need to do to get there?
3) What do you think has been the most challening part of internship?

31. Western Health:
1) Why do you want to come here?
2) What strengths can you bring?
3) DId you turn up to all the education sessions this year? If not, why not and what do you think can be done to improve students attending?
4) WHen was a time when you worked in a team that did not work well and how was it resolved?

32. 5) Tell me about a time when an experience, inside or outside of medicine, changed the way you practise
6) Where would you go for support?
7) Having looked at the rotations on offer, if you were given a medical year which rotations would you want?

33. Monash Health: 1) Why do you want to work at Monash Health?
2) What have you learnt in Internship?
3) Monash values are ICARE (Integrity, compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence). Tell us how you use (one of the values - i got "respect") in your work?
4) Managing a patient who had a fall when you are on cover

34. Questions Also do you have any questions- have one in mind
Other – dress well.
Don’t wear jeans and a t-shirt
1 workforce person and 1 clinician (be nice to everyone!)
Good luck!!

35. PMCV database of questions
Have a look and go through the scenarios so you know what is expected

36. Good luck!
Be prepared. Work on your CV and cover letters. Know the values of each hospital and how you can help them and the community. Ask your mentor to check over your CV. Ask 2 consultants to be your referees. Some jobs want 3 referees (eg. Alfred medical) Aim to get an interview. Practice interview questions – (June/July/August during education)