Interview Notes

1.Introduction:

Passing an interview is one of the more important assessment criteria for entry into Medical
Courses and other Health Science courses being offered in Australia. The purpose of the
interview is to assess the skills and attitudes of candidates within the framework of a criterion
referenced standardised interview format.
This teaching tool has been developed to assist prospective candidates in their preparation by
emphasising a number of issues which the candidate needs to be aware of and think about
before going to the interview. Medicine is a wonderful career, but not one to be embarked upon
lightly. Medicine, Dentistry and Physiotherapy courses place great emphasis on the skills of
interpersonal interaction, group participation and conflict resolution, as well as the attitude that
students possess towards personal development and professional development. This tool has
been written to help make prospective candidates aware of these issues and illustrate how these
issues relate to the interview content and why they are important. Examples of past interview
questions are used to illustrate what sort of questions are likely to be asked in certain parts of
the interview.
The prospective candidate should note that this teaching tool is not a cheat sheet for the
interview - on the contrary - most example questions are there mainly to illustrate issues to be
thought about rather than to be learnt by rote, and any candidate attempting to do so will have
missed the whole point of the interview process.
This document has been divided into 4 main parts.
The remainder of Part 1 will briefly cover the duration of the interview, some common-sense
tips on candidate presentation and some information about the interviewers.
Part 2 deals with the overall structure of the interview. The interview has been broken down
into sections to give the candidate an overview of what will be examined and how the major
sections of the interview fit together into a well-structured logical format.
Part 3 deals with the issues examinable in each section in detail, pointing out what is sought
from the candidate, important issues to think about and advice on dealing with some of the
possible questions.
Finally, Part 4 provides an analysis of the interview structure with important points to
remember for each section. The rationale behind this analysis is as follows: If the prospective
candidate is aware of the structure of the interview, as well as the emphasis in each of the
sections, then they may feel completely orientated during the interview process. Additionally,
candidates may then have some guidance as to where the examiners may be heading with any
particular line of questioning, during any part of the interview.

1.1 An Overview of the Interview:

The interview for Entry into Medicine, Dentistry and Physiotherapy courses takes around 35
minutes to one hour in exceptional cases. After the interview, candidates may be asked to wait
outside the interview room and may subsequently be recalled for further interview questioning.
Candidates might be recalled if their performance is borderline with regard to the interview
criteria, or if there is a problem in the initial interview which the interviewers feel needs to be
addressed.

The Candidate:
Candidates should be present at the interview location well ahead of time. If the candidate is
invited to sit for an interview, they will be informed, well ahead of time, as to the location and
the time they are expected to be present. Although many past candidates wore suits, or sleaves
and tie to the interview, this is not absolutely necessary, as long as the candidate is well
groomed and neatly presented. The prospective candidate should note the following:
This interview is tough, so be well prepared. Make sure you have slept well, been to the toilet
and had a meal before the interview. Although it may seem like a friendly chat at first, you will
need to concentrate hard for 45 minutes or more and be able to react creatively and
intelligently on the spot. Turning up tired or hungry will just disadvantage you. You need to be
clear-headed and at your very best for this interview!

1.2 The Interviewers:

There are 2 interviewers, often one male and one female. Although both the interviewers are
usually described by candidates as being welcoming and friendly,
they may take on different roles for some of the questions. This is part of the interviewing
technique and will be implemented to:
Challenge the candidate on their opinions to see if they can be swayed under pressure
See if the candidate can defend an opinion in an objective fashion
See if the candidate can maintain a professional demeanour at all times
This issue will be further discussed in Section 3.5.3.

2. The Structure of the Interview:

Although past candidates have often described the interview as appearing to flow smoothly
from question to question, based on what the candidate said, the interview is in fact well
structured. The Interview can be roughly divided up into five main sections. They could be
described as follows:
Introductory questions - getting to know the candidate and their background.
Self-assessment, coping strategies and personal development.
Interpersonal group and team interaction, leadership ability and conflict resolution.
Medicine as a career - assessment of the candidates expectations of medicine and their
commitment to this career path.
Comprehension, communication and reasoning skills.
The order of these sections may appear as listed above, or be changed slightly to let the
interview flow smoothly. For example, the introductory questioning may lead to questions
about leadership or group interaction, or may be lead to questions about why the candidate
wants to do medicine. Note the following advice:
This interview is about you and your abilities. The interview is about your potential to make a
good doctor and has been specifically designed to see if you have what it takes. It is vital that
you be open and honest in your responses. The descriptions of the questions that follow are to
be a guide of what to expect. Remember, it is more important that you learn about the structure
of the interview rather than try to memorise the questions! The questions may change from
year to year, but the examiners will still examine your attributes, skills and attitudes under the
five headings above. Knowing the structure of the interview and what to expect will allow you
to start to think now about what you are going to say and what issues you should be thinking
about.
Part 3 will examine each of the five sections in detail, including a list of commonly asked
questions for each section as well as discussion, tips and advice.

3. The Five Sections in Detail:

3.1 Introductory questions:

The first part of the interview is spent getting to know the candidate. The questions are open,
general and are aimed at assessing the background and interests of the candidate. As one
person put it - this is just to make sure you have a life. Other past candidates have described
this part of the interview as a relaxer or getting to know you session. Below are some
examples of questions that have been asked in the past:
Tell us about yourself. What are your interests? Describe yourself. What are your
hobbies? What do you do in your spare time? Talk about some things you enjoy doing.
What were your interests at school? What work do you do? What was you previous field of
study? What do you do to relax? What are your interests outside of your studies? Outside
of study what do spend your day doing? Do you go to the theatre? What was the last movie
you saw? What are you likes and dislikes?
Do you get heavily involved in any hobbies or sports? Talk about your experiences in life so
far. Tell us what you know about the Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Course?
As is evident, the initial questions are open and conversational, but the conversation will soon
gravitate towards a particular topic. The candidate will notice the nature of the questions
becoming more specific and focussing on a particular issue, such as group participation,
leadership, or the candidate as a person. The candidate should note the following advice:
This first section is aimed to put you at ease and to calm your nerves. Try to relax and focus on
your examiners. Although they may start taking contrary views to what you say later in the
interview, they are here to help you pass and are usually genuinely interested in you as a
person. Exhibiting a friendly demeanour and a positive attitude right from the beginning is
extremely important in this interview. If you see the examiners and yourself as a team right
from the start, working towards achieving the best outcome for you in this interview, then you
are certain to do well.
When answering the examiners questions, always be open and honest. Do not try to come
across as an over-achiever or try to please the examiners. Present yourself as the well-rounded
person that you are. What are the things about you that make you an interesting person? Do
you have hobbies? Do you play sport? Dont suddenly take up a sport if you dont, but
certainly do think about what you might say about yourself.

3.2 Self-assessment, coping strategies and personal development:

Any person wanting to commit themselves to a highly condensed, highly demanding learning
curve, should have realistic expectations of themselves. A Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy
Course can be an extremely stressful learning experience, and the examiners want to be sure
that candidates have the attributes that will allow them to cope in this environment.
The following questions are meant to assess the candidates insight into themselves - how does
the candidate see themselves as a person and do they have insight into their own behaviour and
limitations? Does the candidate have unrealistic expectations of herself/himself?
Past candidates were asked questions like:
In a sentence describe your best attribute? In a sentence describe your worst attribute?
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are the things about yourself
that you don't like? What do you do well? How would your friends describe you?
Candidates have also been asked to assess how they have responded to stressful situations in
the past and how they have dealt with these events. This gives the examiners an idea of how
the candidate may cope under the severe pressure of a medical course. Candidates have been
asked questions like:
Tell us about a challenging time in your life? How did you cope with this situation?
You must have a successful life to be here, have you had any setbacks?
Have you had any disappointments in your life - how did you deal with them?
What have you done in your life that you regret?
What is the worst thing that has happened to you?
What was the hardest thing you have done?
 What have been the biggest achievements and disappointments in your life?
What major problems or disappointments have you had and how did you deal with them?
Is there a danger in being goal orientated? How do you cope with major problems?
How do you deal with disappointment? How do you handle stressful situations?
Many candidates have then been asked questions about how they would like to change
themselves, or deal with the attributes they do not like about themselves:
In a sentence describe what attribute you would like to change?
What would you most like to change about yourself?
What aspects of yourself do you think you could improve if you got into this course?
These questions all relate to personal development. It is important that the candidate be honest
and provide a realistic view of themselves. Everyone has failings and everyone has had bad
experiences. The important thing is how these events are/were dealt with and what was learnt
from them. It is most important that the candidate recognise their own strengths, weaknesses
and limitations when considering an intense and stressful four year medical course. It is equally
important that the candidate demonstrates the desire for personal growth and development.
Successful candidates have emphasised points like wanting improve the way they worked in a
team environment or wanting to improve their communication skills.
Discussing ones faults and shortcomings with others can be difficult. The object of these
questions is to see whether you can look at yourself and identify areas of your personality that
you would like to change or improve upon. This introspective process is fundamental to
personal and to professional development. In dealing with people professionally, it is
extremely important to be able to assess ones own limitations, as overconfidence, or an
inability to recognise ones own limitations, can lead to disaster, either in your training, or
later with patients in a health care setting. Again, it is important to be honest. If you say that
you dont have any shortcomings, it demonstrates that you have not thought about it (nobody is
perfect) and if you make up an answer to please the examiners, this will eventually become
fairly obvious.
Also, dont be afraid to relate an experience which made you look bad, even where you did the
wrong thing. The important thing is to be able to relate that you learnt something from the
experience, which then allowed you to handle similar situations differently thereafter -
especially with regard to interpersonal interactions or with regard to work within a team
environment. Again, honesty is important - dont invent a story or make up a morally pleasing
ending to try to impress the examiners - rather think about the experiences you have had and
how some of them may have changed you in a positive way.

3.3 Interpersonal group and team interaction, conflict resolution and leadership ability:
Medicine requires both the ability to work effectively and closely in a team environment, but
also to take on a leadership role when demanded by circumstances. Examiners will be very
interested in the candidates ability to function as part of a team, as well as any leadership
qualities and skills in conflict resolution that the candidate may have. The following section of
the interview will focus on these three aspects, and candidates will find that they will be asked
what these concepts mean to them and if they have acted in these roles before.

3.3.1 Teamwork and Conflict Resolution:

Group processes and teamwork are vital components of the PBL (Problem Based Learning)
process, which is the cornerstone of Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Courses. All PBL work is
done in groups. The interviewers are looking for a candidate who can work and learn
effectively and cooperatively in a team and who can mediate between other team members or
even resolve conflict within a team.
The interviewers are interested to know if the candidate has been involved in any group
activities, such as sporting teams, social groups or organizations. The emphasis here is on team
qualities, so activities like playing a team sport, teaching, or coaching would demonstrate the
ability to function effectively in a team, or even to lead a team (See section 3.3.2). The
following questions have been asked in past interviews:
What do you think would constitute an effective team?
A typical response may be something like An effective team constitutes people from various
backgrounds who can work together for a common goal, where everyone has equal input, and
group members are equally respected".
Do you enjoy working in groups?
Please tell us about your involvement in [a sport or in your workplace or place of study]
and how that relates to working in a group?
How you handle yourself in a team?
What type of groups have you been a part of?
How did those groups work?
Thinking specifically about one of those groups, were there any problems in that group? How
did you handle them?
How do you deal with group conflict?
Describe a time when you were in conflict with someone, and how it was resolved.
How do you cope when one team member doesn't pull their weight?
How would you deal with people in a group who have problems?
What type of role do you usually assume in a group?
Many of these questions ask about the candidates feeling towards conflict in a team situation,
as well as conflict resolution within a team. Candidates should think about the following
points:
Many of the questions on conflict and conflict resolution will focus on a group situation. Think
about how you would react if you were part of a group and two people in the group got into an
argument. Try to visualise the situation. Would you intervene? What would you say? Would
you sit back and let the two people argue? Would you try not to get involved? Would you leave
the room? Think about how you would react and give an honest answer. You might even find
that you would take on a leadership role and ask the two people to leave the room so as not to
interrupt the group process

3.3.2 Leadership Skills:

The interviewers will also ask about leadership - both within a team (as above) or as the head
of a group. It is important that the candidate consider the following:
It is vital that you think about what leadership actually is. What makes a good leader, and do
you have any of those qualities? Can you lead a group effectively? Would you be able to take
criticism from another team member? Would you be able to lead a team in situations where
you have the expertise and be able to step down an allow someone else to lead in other
situations? And importantly, would you know when you are out of your depth as a leader,
especially where the wellbeing of others is concerned? It is important to think about these
questions now in preparing for this interview.
Here are examples of questions that have been asked in the past:
Have you ever held a leadership position?
What leadership roles have you had?
What role do you prefer to take when working in a group - do you prefer to lead?
If somebody else takes the lead, how do you react?
What makes a good leader?
What skills do you think would be required to make a good leader?
So what does make a good leader? Points to consider might include:
A good leader is someone who is a good at communication, who listens to the opinions of his
or her subordinates.
A good leader is someone who leads by example and is aware of the importance of a team
approach.
A good leader is also someone who delegates tasks effectively to people, being able to draw
on the particular skill of each team member, and someone who is able to mediate effectively
between the members on their team..
What qualities do you have that make you a good leader?
What have you done so far that has placed you in a leadership role?
Please tell us about your involvement in [a sport or in your workplace or place of study]
and how that relates to good leadership?
Give an example of a good leader you have been associated with. How did you relate to
them?
Give an example of a bad leader you have been associated with and tell us how you dealt with
them?
How would you resolve conflict in a group as group leader?
How do you get the best out of people when working in a group situation?
What do you do if someone is not contributing at all and doesn't want to be part of the team?
How would you handle criticism [from a team member, a patient or a staff member at a
hospital]?
An answer might be along the lines of "I would listen to what was said and would evaluate it -
there must be a valid reason for the criticism. I would make an effort to change my behaviour if
I felt that the criticism was justified.
The candidate must have the ability to work effectively in a team. As mentioned before,
learning in Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Courses relies on a team approach, with small
groups solving problems and learning together. Any member of the learning-team who is not
working effectively can potentially affect the performance of the entire group. Thus, selection
criteria for entry into a course focussed so heavily on a team approach would certainly aim to
select candidates who can show past experience of working effectively in a group, or who can
demonstrate the ability and willingness to solve problems in a team environment.
Demonstrating an awareness of group conflict and conflict resolution is also important - in the
context of a group or in any interpersonal interaction.
In addition, the candidate must also show some ability to lead effectively. Leadership skills are
essential in a field where difficult decisions need to be made and where the health professional
who makes these decisions will be held accountable for the outcome, often even if the actions
leading to them were carried out by more junior staff.

3.4 Medicine as a career:

Questions in this section relate to choosing medicine as a career and the candidates
expectations of medicine. The interviewers will want to be assured that the candidate -
Is serious about medicine as a career choice.
Has taken the time to gain a basic understanding of the nature of the profession, the hours
involved and the ethical commitments required.
Will be dedicated to the profession.
Views medicine as a long-term career option.
The candidate should consider the following:
This section focuses on one question: Have you really thought about what it means to be a
doctor? If you are really serious about medicine as a career, the examiners will assume that
you have been thinking ahead about what life will be like once you graduate. Have you thought
about the time commitments? Have you thought about balancing family commitments with
work? Have you thought about the fact that you may have to do weeks on end of country
relieving far away from your spouse and children? Are you prepared to work in a country
town? If you have given some serious thought to your future as a doctor, the questions below
should be easy
The following questions have been asked in previous years:
What's important in being a doctor?
What do you know of the profession/ of the actual job?
Are you aware of what the job entails?
How long will it take doing medicine?
What are the advantages and what are the disadvantages in doing medicine?
What do you think are the best and worst things about being a doctor?
What is your view on the good and bad points of doing medicine?
Why do you want to do medicine?
Where did your interest in medicine stem from?
What aspects do you like about medicine as a career?
Why do you think you would be a good doctor?
Would you ever put medicine before your family?
What attributes do you have that would make you a good doctor?
Where do you see your career going if you do get in?
What will you do if you dont get in? Whats plan B?
What would your reaction be should you be unsuccessful in entering medicine?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years [or 10 or 15 years] time?
What contingencies have you made to leave work?
What contingencies have you made to move interstate if you get in?
What do you think about the importance of GP work and rural doctors?
What do you want to specialise in and why?
Do you realise how long it takes to specialise in the field of medicine?
Are you aware of the hours that doctors work and are you prepared to work those long hours?
Are you prepared to work in rural Queensland?
Some of the questions above are important and have been examined more closely below:
What will you do if you do not get into this course?
The examiners are looking at selecting candidates who are serious about medicine as a career,
and who will try to gain entry into the course again if they do not succeed.
Many successful candidates said that they would keep trying to get into the course again and
again, or said that they would follow other career options but would then try to enter medicine
again.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
This type of question probes the candidates expectations and goals concerning family, career
advancement such as specialisation, and other long-term interests and goals. This question also
serves to ascertain whether the candidate has thought about their medium and long-term future
and where they wish to go with medicine as a career path.
Nobody expects you to be able to forsee the future, and certainly nobody expects you to have a
medical specialty picked out before you even start your course. However, demonstrating some
degree of forward planning shows that you have thought this through and that you are aware
of the potential impact that this career might have on your life. Start thinking about these
issues well before the interview, if you have not already.
What would you do if you had a patient waiting in your waiting room and you had to go and
pick up your son from football training on a rainy day?
A question like this is an attempt to gauge the candidates understanding of the commitments
involved in medicine and how the candidate might prioritise them, should they overlap with
family and other commitments. Successful candidates said that they had a commitment to the
patient and that their son would have to wait. Some also said that they would explain this
situation to their son and hope that he would understand.
The candidate should be frank and honest in answering the questions above. Polished
philosophical answers often sound fabricated and may not win the favour of the examiners. As
one past candidate put it: When one successful candidate was asked why he wanted to do
medicine, I was quite honest in saying it wasn't for any altruistic reason, but simply that I had
a fascination with the human body, and that this was the best way for to learn about it.

3.4.1. Current Issues in Queensland Health:

The nature of some of the questions relate specifically to medical practice in your state - with
questions dealing in particular with rural medicine in your state and current issues in State
Health. Questions that have been asked are:
What is of special concern to the health of Queenslanders (Victorians, etc) in comparison to
the rest of the country?
How is medicine different in New South Wales (South Australia, etc)?
What are some of the issues facing Queensland (New South Wales, etc) Health at the
moment?
What particularly difficult health problems do we face in Queensland (New South Wales,
etc)?
What are some current problems with the health system?
If you were appointed the head of Queensland (Western Australian, etc) Health what would
your priorities be?
What problems do you think you might encounter carrying out these priority tasks?
The examiners are assessing how much background knowledge the candidate has about the
system within which they are going to work. Has the candidate kept abreast of issues which
will become very important to them once they enter the workforce as a doctor?
The examiners want to see that you have some idea about what is going on in the health system
and that you are aware of major health problems currently being faced by your states health
system. Knowing about these and other issues not only demonstrates a degree of general
knowledge, but also demonstrates a basic interest in the career path you are choosing within
its wider socio-political context.

3.5 Comprehension, communication and reasoning skills:

The next group of questions all relate to the candidates ability to reason quickly and rationally,
to communicate difficult concepts effectively and to be able to comprehend and summarise
large amounts of complex information and then relate the most important points to other
people. These skills are examined because they are vital in medicine. A medical practitioner
should be able to:
Take in a large amount of information in verbal or written form.
Be able to summarise this information, retaining all the important points.
Be able to communicate this information to medical colleagues.
Be able to communicate this information to a layperson, eg a patient, or the patients family.
Be able to convincingly argue a point using the best available theoretical evidence to support
that argument.

3.5.1 Explain a scientific and a non-scientific concept to a layperson:

In this question the candidate is first asked to explain the fundamentals of a technical or
science subject to a non-specialist audience. Over the years the question has either been asked
as:
Pick one item off the following list and explain it as if you were talking to a lay audience.
More recently the candidate has been asked to pretend that they are a guest speaker on a radio
show and have to explain certain concepts to the radio listeners (a non-specialist audience):
You are a radio announcer. Please describe a complicated term from the following list to your
listeners in simple terms using only your voice.
The candidate is given a piece of paper with 3 to 5 terms listed. The candidate is given about
30 seconds to think about their response and then is asked to talk for about 2 minutes on the
chosen term. In Graduate Medical Interviews as opposed to Undergraduate Medical interviews
the following science terms have been put on the list in previous years:
pH molecule alternating current enzyme surface tension osmosis chromosome
photosynthesis carbohydrate respiration dialysis bacteria blood grouping DNA
evolution natural selection micro-organism mutation

The same question is then asked again, but a different list is handed to the candidate,
containing 3 to 5 non-science terms. The candidate will be given the same time to prepare and
will be asked to talk for about two minutes again. Successful candidates have described these
terms encompassing the arts and social sciences.

The following non-science terms have been put on the list in previous years:
personality mental retardation statistical significance logarithm addiction
demographics birth control smoking social class control group jargon

So the candidate may be asked to describe both one science term and one non-science term in
total.
Some of the topics are quite hard - there is some luck involved as to which list of topics you
get. Whichever topic you choose, try and explain it in simple terms. In your explanation, also
explain any other scientific terms you use as well. Pretend you are explaining something to a
child.
You must possess the ability to communicate effectively. This includes communication within a
team, appropriate forms of communication within a hierarchy and importantly, communication
with individuals who have different levels of education and understanding. This exercise will
give examiners an idea of how effectively you can translate complex ideas into simple
language - something you will have to do with your patients on a daily basis should you
become a doctor

3.5.2 Summarise a spoken passage:

The candidate may be asked to listen to a passage, read by one of the examiners, and answer
some questions related to the passage. The passage read is usually a piece of prose and is
usually not health related. The candidate may also be asked to summarise the passage in their
own words.
This question tests listening and comprehension skills, as well as interpretation and memory.
These skills are vital in the field of medicine, as doctors must be able to listen to a complex
history or case presentation, and be able to make assessments based on that information on the
spot. Candidates may be asked something like:
Please listen to this passage. We will read it once and then we will ask you questions about
the passage, to see how much you can remember.
 Summarise the following story and tell us the salient points. What are the major issues in the
passage?
One interviewer then reads a vignette. Here is an example based on what past candidates could
remember:
My neighbours, the Smiths, had a grandfather living in England. He had a housekeeper
named Rebecca who had been loyal to him for a number of years. The last time they visited him
in England, he had had a hearing aid fitted and was often very grumpy. When he died it was
expected that part of his substantial estate would go to Rebecca, his housekeeper. But instead,
the entire estate was bequeathed to his daughter, Mrs Smith. Mrs Smith felt that Rebecca had
been paid well when her father was alive and did not feel that Rebecca was entitled to any part
of the estate. Mr. Smith, however, felt that Rebecca had been devoted to his wifes father for
many years and that she should have received some of the money. The Smiths son thought that
there might have been some reason why his grandfather had not left any money to Rebecca,
which they did not know about. They were all unsure of what to do.
The candidate may then be asked to provide a brief summary of the passage in their own
words. Candidates are advised to really try to use their own words, not just to repeat what has
been read. Following this, questions may be asked about the content of the passage. Some
examples, which are similar to questions asked at past interviews, are given below:
What was the significance in the situation of the Smiths grandfather having a hearing aid?
What sort of the mood he was in when they visited him?
What significance in the consequences did this have?
What was the relevance of the fact that the Smith estate was a substantial estate?
How would the situation be different if Mrs. Smith had siblings?
How long had Rebecca been the grandfathers housekeeper?

3.5.3 Discuss and debate a given topic:

In this question the candidate is first asked to generally discuss or talk briefly (about 2 minutes)
on a chosen topic, before being asked to adopt a particular stance on that topic, while the
examiners adopt an opposing position and debate the topic with the candidate.
This question has been perceived as being difficult by many past candidates, as the examiners
will purposefully play the devils advocate and try to challenge everything the candidate says.
The aim of this question is to evaluate whether the candidate can -
Discuss a topic, presenting both sides of the issue being discussed in an objective fashion.
Debate a topic, choosing a point of view and then sticking to it.
Present a set of coherent arguments to support a point of view, backing it up with evidence
and examples.
Appreciate the opposing arguments to a chosen point of view without changing ones own
stance on an issue.
Conduct a debate in an objective and non-emotive manner.
Many candidates had the experience of interviewers who deliberately challenged every answer
they gave in this part of the interview. Some candidates even perceived one or other of the
examiners as adopting a hostile role, although this was purely a technique used to challenge the
candidates responses.
Other past candidates described interviewers adopting a good cop - bad cop technique, where
one interviewer challenged everything the candidate said, whereas the other interviewer was
more supportive of the candidate.
It is important for you to be aware that the interviewers may adopt passive or challenging
roles to assess how you will react, and be prepared for this eventuality.
The candidate is given a list of 5 to 10 topics on a piece of paper, and is asked to discuss one
topic:
 Pick a topic from this list and tell us what you know about it.
The topics are usually on current affairs, or on controversial issues such as euthanasia or
abortion. The following topics have been included on the list given to candidates in past
interviews:
Abortion, Euthanasia, The GST debate Multiculturalism in Australia Genetic
manipulation Deforestation The debate about gun laws in Australia Capital punishment
IVF for lesbians Aboriginal land rights AIDS and homosexuality
Surrogate motherhood Heroin and the methadone program Uranium mining
The legalisation of heroin

In Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Courses, great emphasis is placed on learning and

exchanging information in a group environment. It is vital that each student possesses the
capacity to debate a point or discuss an issue in a manner that is advantageous to the whole
group. Group members who cannot conduct an objective discussion, who take objective
arguments unrelated to them personally, or who cannot accept the validity of opposing
viewpoints, may disrupt the group learning process.
Furthermore, in the practice of medicine, the medical practitioner will often be faced with
situations where a decision must be made in the light of conflicting opinions from other health
professionals, patients or their families. A doctor must be able to argue professionally in
support of an issue or a clinical decision, supporting each argument appropriately with the best
available evidence, while recognising arguments to the contrary and approaching them
objectively.
The prospective candidate should note well the following points:
Stand by your opinion on the topic and don't try to give answers that you hope the examiners
want to hear.
Communicate a position and be consistent, as you are immediately attacked on whatever
stance you take.
Show that you acknowledge the examiners position - say that you can accept that a
reasonable person may hold that viewpoint, but that it is not your own opinion.
What they are looking for in this section is whether you can look at both sides of an argument
and come up with a viewpoint and stick to it. A good strategy is to discuss the topic, giving
both sides of the argument. Then say what you think and justify your personal viewpoint.
Try and cover as many arguments against your point of view in the time, as that reduces the
questions the examiners can ask you.
Some interviewers will try to make you angry by attacking you and your argument. Try and
remain calm and acknowledge the examiners viewpoint, then say why you think it isn't
correct.
Dont try to sit on the fence as this is a waste of time - they will force you into taking a
position and then defending it.
Dont say anything too extreme unless you can present very good arguments to justify your
position. You should choose a side without being too moderate, but overly extreme
statements may be difficult to defend.

3.5.4 Conflict resolution:

One of the most important skills in Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Courses and also in a
medical career, is conflict resolution. In Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Courses, any conflict in
the Problem Based Learning groups will impede the learning process for the whole group.
This question addresses the ability of the candidate to come up with effective and practical
solutions to conflict situations. It also examines the candidates ability to remain impartial in a
conflict situation. The examiners will read a brief passage to the candidate and may ask for a
summary of the main facts, hypotheses on what may be occurring and why, and what the
candidate would do in the situation. The following question is an example, based on past
questions:
You are involved in a neighbourly dispute. Your neighbours recently built a swimming pool.
Your own children go over to their place to swim and have made friends with your neighbours
children. You often have barbeques at their home and get on well socially. Your wife tells you
that she is expecting another baby. You only have a two-bedroom house on a small block of
land and decide to build in an extra storey. This extension will throw shade over the
neighbours swimming pool, however. The neighbours are furious. They tell you that if you
don't reconsider, they will never talk to you again. Your youngest child has just come in crying
and asking why she can't visit her friends next door any more.
Describe the position of yourself, your wife, your neighbours, and your kids. Suggest ways to
remedy this situation.

In solving such a problem, the candidate should:

Try to think of one or more outcomes, which would either benefit both parties, or represent a
fair compromise for both parties.
Try to remain completely impartial
Here is another example which is similar to one that appeared in a past interview:
You have a large tree that hangs over your neighbour's fence, and he wants you to cut it down.
But to do so would leave your backyard with a view of a factory situated behind it.
What is reasonable to expect of both parties?
What would you do if faced with this situation?
Think laterally and try to be creative with your answers - but always remember to come up
solutions which are fair to both parties. Remember also that you are an arbiter in this
situation. Dont get involved in the conflict presented, even if the examiners try to tempt you
into taking sides.
If this is the final interview question, the examiners will usually ask if the candidate has any
questions, and the interview will then be brought to a close.

4. Bringing it all together - The final analysis:

Having described each section in detail and having provided many past questions for each
section, the candidate should have a fair idea of what the interview is about. Here, the sections
have been set out again with the main points listed for each section, along with some final
advice. Again, it is hoped that the candidate might ascertain the most important areas to think
about by concentrating on the overall framework of the interview and not on the individual
questions.

Introductory questions
General questions
Aimed at putting the candidate at ease.
Aimed at getting to know the candidates interests and background.
Relax! Be honest and open about your interests and experiences. Present yourself as a well-
rounded and multi-faceted person. Remember, to be a good doctor has as much to do with
people skills as it does with memorising facts.
Any of the following sections may be entered into from the introduction:
Self-assessment, coping strategies and personal improvement
The candidates assessment of themselves
The candidates assessment of their limitations
The candidates ability to cope with pressure and stressful situations
 The candidates thoughts on personal development and growth.
To answer these questions you have to have an objective look at yourself as a person.
What are your strengths? What are the aspects of your personality that make you suited to
studying in a group environment? What are the aspects of your personality that will make you
a good doctor?
Think carefully about how you cope with stress. Can you function under stress? Could you
make a life-saving decision under pressure? Think about the coping strategies you use when
you are under pressure.
Finally, what are your weaknesses? What are the aspects about you that you would want to
change or improve upon? How would you go about changing those aspects?
Think about what personal growth and development mean to you and why they are important
in a career in medicine. If you have thought about all these issues you should be ready in this
section.
Interpersonal group and team interaction, leadership ability and conflict resolution
The candidates past experience of groups and group activity
Assessment of the candidates attitudes to working in a group environment
The candidates experience of conflict within a group
The candidates past involvement in leadership roles
Assessment of the candidates perception of leadership
Assessment of the candidates ability to lead or take on a pro-active role in a team
environment
The candidates willingness and ability to aid in resolving conflict in a team
If you gain entry into a Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy Course, groups and teamwork will
become important elements in your medical education. The ideal candidate is one who will
take on the role of leader when needed - to make decisions or steer the group when
appropriate, and then take his or her place as an equal member of a team just as effectively.
How close do you come to this ideal? You need to think what working in a team means to you
and what leadership means to you. But you also need to think about how you deal with being
under the leadership of someone else!
You need to think about how to react in a conflict situation. Do you take sides? Do you try to
resolve the conflict - are you a good arbitrator? Think about how you could become a good
arbitrator and a good team worker. Draw from your past experiences, as these are likely to be
touched upon in the interview.
Medicine as a career - assessment of the candidates expectations of medicine and their
commitment to this career path
Assessment of the candidates motivations in trying to enter a Medical/Dental/Physiotherapy
Course
Assessment of the candidates commitment to a career in medicine
The candidates thoughts about their future in medicine and the commitments involved in this
career path
Think about why you have chosen this career path and where you want to take it in the future.
Have you thought about all the issues? Do you know what is involved? Consider how this
choice will impact on you and your family and whether you are willing to make sacrifices.

Comprehension, communication and reasoning skills.

This section is usually assessed last. This section is usually set - successful past candidates
have all reported having to do similar comprehension and listening exercises. Only the topics
or passages may vary.
Communication of complex concepts to a layperson or lay audience
Summary of a spoken passage
 Discussion and debate of a given topic
Conflict resolution scenario
You now know the structure of this section and what to expect, but dont learn the example
passages off by heart and expect them to come up. Try to think on your feet and be creative.
Listen and concentrate on the passages - the questions are not difficult. Speak calmly when you
are summarising or discussing a topic. Dont use words like um and ah if you lose your
train of thought - just pause briefly and collect your thoughts again.
When drawn into a debate, hold your ground at whatever cost, but always acknowledge the
opposing point of view. Always remain calm, objective and courteous, even if the examiners
appear to be getting personal.

Conclusion
This teaching tool has covered the interview in detail and has emphasised the need for you to
think deeply about certain aspects of your chosen career, yourself and the way you interact
with people, as part of your preparation. This tool has been written to help make you aware of
some of the wider issues covered in the interview and why they are important for you to
consider, and think about, before entering the interview room.
It remains now only for you to be wished the best of luck in the interview and every success in
your chosen career. Approximately one in six are successful at the interview - If you miss out
this time - PLEASE TRY AGAIN or both our efforts have been wasted. If its in your heart to
study the health sciences I guarantee you will if you PERSEVERE !!!