Practice Interview Question Thread

[cocodreams]

Hey guys, I had a go at this scenario. I verbally answered the question, so I have just dot pointed what I said. Please feel free to give any feedback or points I could add
You have a summer job and your supervisor makes a racist remark about a team member that you have not met yet.

a. What are the issues in this situation?
1. Supervisor has made a racist remark which is inappropriate and should not happen in a workplace. It reveals a possible discriminatory environment at the workplace
2. Approaching this situation can be an issue itself because there is a conflict between standing up for my team member and also maintaining a good relation with my supervisor
b. What would you do?
- I would approach the supervisor in a private area and raise my concerns with them by politely asking them as to what they meant or why they passed the racist remark
- It may be that they didn't intend or know that their remark was racist
-In this case, I would kindly educate them about how it can be deemed offensive and it is racist
- If he made it as a joke or he knew he was being racist, I would let him know that it's not appreciated or appropriate to do so because it is offensive and can hurt our sentiments
- I wouldn't go and let my team member know about the racist remark because it could further escalate the situation and hurt their sentiments and make them feel uncomfortable
c. The team member that was mentioned says he does not want this problem to escalate. What would you do then?
-I would acknowledge his distress and wish but also ask for his reasons
-His reasons could include: wanting to maintain a good relation with the supervisor, fear of losing their job or not wanting to cause disruption at the workplace
- I would understand his reasons but also voice my concerns
-E.g. if this isn't raised, it could happen with someone else or become a bigger issue
- If he still doesn't want to escalate the issue, I wouldn't raise it directly with the supervisor but maybe raise it in an anonymous manner or raise it if it happens again
d. Your friend of the same race wants to apply for this job and asks you for advice. What would you say to her?
-I would encourage her to apply for the job if she feels she is experienced and has the right skills
- My advice wouldn't be based off the one experience
- But I would let her know that if she feels discriminated or faces issues during work or the applying process, I am here to talk to her or encourage her to raise it with the relevant authorities
- I wouldn't tell her about the incident because it could damage the image/reputation of the workplace and jeopardise others' jobs and could also spread by word of mouth to outsiders

Thanks!!

 

[umm]

Would somebody like to have a go at the following question?

Following a tragic accident, a 16-year-old boy is admitted to the Emergency Department. He has lost a lot of blood and is hemodynamically unstable. The boy is informed that a blood transfusion will have to be performed to save his life. Upon further questioning you find out that the patient is a Jehovah’s Witness follower. The boy resists any sort of help until the doctors promise to not give him a transfusion. The doctors eventually give in and make a promise to the patient. Sometime later, the boy collapses due to the blood loss and is unconscious. The doctor then makes the decision to give a blood transfusion to the boy.

1. What is the conflict of issues in the passage above?
2. Did the doctor lie? Is it acceptable for the doctor to do so if the patient benefits?
3. Where may personal beliefs create an obstacle in the treatment of a patient, as a medical professional?
4. Do you think that there is an inter-relation between a person’s beliefs and health/wellbeing?
5. How would you have managed the situation?

 

[fadingxreminisce]

Hey guys, I had a go at this scenario. I verbally answered the question, so I have just dot pointed what I said. Please feel free to give any feedback or points I could add
You have a summer job and your supervisor makes a racist remark about a team member that you have not met yet.

a. What are the issues in this situation?
1. Supervisor has made a racist remark which is inappropriate and should not happen in a workplace. It reveals a possible discriminatory environment at the workplace
2. Approaching this situation can be an issue itself because there is a conflict between standing up for my team member and also maintaining a good relation with my supervisor
b. What would you do?
- I would approach the supervisor in a private area and raise my concerns with them by politely asking them as to what they meant or why they passed the racist remark
- It may be that they didn't intend or know that their remark was racist
-In this case, I would kindly educate them about how it can be deemed offensive and it is racist
- If he made it as a joke or he knew he was being racist, I would let him know that it's not appreciated or appropriate to do so because it is offensive and can hurt our sentiments
- I wouldn't go and let my team member know about the racist remark because it could further escalate the situation and hurt their sentiments and make them feel uncomfortable
c. The team member that was mentioned says he does not want this problem to escalate. What would you do then?
-I would acknowledge his distress and wish but also ask for his reasons
-His reasons could include: wanting to maintain a good relation with the supervisor, fear of losing their job or not wanting to cause disruption at the workplace
- I would understand his reasons but also voice my concerns
-E.g. if this isn't raised, it could happen with someone else or become a bigger issue
- If he still doesn't want to escalate the issue, I wouldn't raise it directly with the supervisor but maybe raise it in an anonymous manner or raise it if it happens again
d. Your friend of the same race wants to apply for this job and asks you for advice. What would you say to her?
-I would encourage her to apply for the job if she feels she is experienced and has the right skills
- My advice wouldn't be based off the one experience
- But I would let her know that if she feels discriminated or faces issues during work or the applying process, I am here to talk to her or encourage her to raise it with the relevant authorities
- I wouldn't tell her about the incident because it could damage the image/reputation of the workplace and jeopardise others' jobs and could also spread by word of mouth to outsiders

Thanks!!

Hi cocodreams,
I liked your response, I don't think I have too much to add other than to nitpick that you assumed the supervisor was male but did not state this assumption. You could perhaps have also elaborated more under issues (1st q) on how you are quite new and quite junior and how you had not met the other team member. I have my response below. Obviously everyone has their own way of answering the question, I think you have covered the main points already so this is just for your reference

You have a summer job and your supervisor makes a racist remark about a team member that you have not met yet.

a. What are the issues in this situation?
The supervisor has made a racist remark and there are several relevant parties in the scenario and I will explore the effects and issues of this comment on these parties starting with myself as an employee of this workplace. It seems like I am quite new as I haven't met the other team member. It also seems that I am also quite junior as this is my summer job. So for me there would be 3 issues, the first one being the power dynamic at play between myself and the supervisor - I would need to keep this in mind in this situation. The second is that the supervisor's comment may predispose me to have a negative impression of the team member that I haven't met. In addition, as I am new, I also wouldn't have much understanding of this workplace and the underlying relationships and history between the staff so I need to keep an open mind.

The second relevant party is the team member themselves, they might find out about the remark or may already have knowledge of the supervisor's remarks if the supervisor (assuming that they are male) has a history of making these. The team member may be negatively affected by these remarks and might be quite upset and quite fearful of the supervisor.

The third party is the supervisor. It isn't clear why he made these remarks. It could be that they believe that one race is superior over another or perhaps they believe in racial stereotypes. Or perhaps the other team member has done something wrong or offended the supervisor somehow though this does not condone the supervisor's behaviour. The supervisor's behaviour could negatively impact the team member and other staff, especially if this type of behaviour is systemic at this workplace. His behaviour also leaves him open to negative consequences for himself if he is reported.

The fourth party is the workplace/company. The supervisor's behaviour might be specific to himself or systemic to this particular workplace. However, this could negatively affect the culture of the workplace and its reputation.

b. What would you do?
As previously mentioned, I am quite junior and new. I do want to keep an open mind, so I would try to clarify why the supervisor made this comment in a private setting. I will keep their reply in mind but try not be too affected so I don't jump to conclusions regarding the team member I haven't met yet. I would interact more with the team member before forming an opinion of them.

Due to my junior status and the fact that I am new, I don't think it is too appropriate and I wouldn't feel comfortable with taking any further action as I most likely wouldn't have a good grasp of the situation at this workplace.

But if you politely ensure that the supervisor is aware of the impact of their actions, I don't think there's anything wrong with this (it actually ties in with my point about the supervisor and the workplace in the previous question). I just don't think I would be able to do that realistically so I wouldn't incorporate that in my own answer.

c. The team member that was mentioned says he does not want this problem to escalate. What would you do then?
I would firstly make sure that they are ok (mentally and physically) in a private setting. I would then try to understand why they have come to that decision by asking him about it, hopefully they are willing to share but otherwise I wouldn't push it, I would just let them know that I would be happy to support them if needed and if they ever change their mind, we could look into what other alternatives are available e.g. to report the supervisor through the appropriate process.

I like how you would talk about your concerns as well, especially if racist behaviour is systemic to this workplace. I think you've covered it well so I won't repeat it here.

d. Your friend of the same race wants to apply for this job and asks you for advice. What would you say to her?
I would only tell them what I know. I would encourage them to apply for the job if this is something they really want to do and something they are passionate about. However, in deciding whether I should disclose the incidence of the racist remark from the supervisor, I would need to consider my relationship with my friend - they might be upset if they applied/accepted the job but was subjected to the same remarks. I would also need to consider confidentiality with respect to the supervisor and the workplace in general. However, I would mention only what I have personally witnessed to them as I would not want them to be negatively affected by potential racism in the workplace - if they are aware they may wish to avoid this or at least be mentally prepared if they do want to accept the job. Perhaps I only witnessed this as an isolated incident in which case I would just let them know of this experience as objectively as I can while also trying to de-identify the staff members in question (supervisor and team member) as best as I can.

Disclaimer: postgrad + undergrad applicant but still take my advice with a grain of salt

 

[fadingxreminisce]

Would somebody like to have a go at the following question?

Following a tragic accident, a 16-year-old boy is admitted to the Emergency Department. He has lost a lot of blood and is hemodynamically unstable. The boy is informed that a blood transfusion will have to be performed to save his life. Upon further questioning you find out that the patient is a Jehovah’s Witness follower. The boy resists any sort of help until the doctors promise to not give him a transfusion. The doctors eventually give in and make a promise to the patient. Sometime later, the boy collapses due to the blood loss and is unconscious. The doctor then makes the decision to give a blood transfusion to the boy.

1. What is the conflict of issues in the passage above?
2. Did the doctor lie? Is it acceptable for the doctor to do so if the patient benefits?
3. Where may personal beliefs create an obstacle in the treatment of a patient, as a medical professional?
4. Do you think that there is an inter-relation between a person’s beliefs and health/wellbeing?
5. How would you have managed the situation?

There have been discussions on this question on page 27.

 

[Emerald2002]

Generally, they are 8 minutes. But if your interview has 10 minute panels, then ideally, it isn't bad to leave some time at the end (maybe 1-2 minutes), in case you think of anything else to say which you may forgotten to have mentioned. I think the only issue with leaving 4 minutes is that they will be 4 minutes of silence (I presume) after your answer the questions, which will definitely feel awkward, unless you can elaborate on any of your answers.

Okay

so for “why do you want to do medicine?” I may be shown a screen with a paragraph explaining the profession & then the interviewer will ask me “so why does this career fit with you?” Is that the gist?

And then I will have 10 minutes of complete silence to explain? Rather than in panel interview where they ask additional questions ??

Bit stressed… some questions seem impossible to get 8-10 minutes of content… For example “where do you see yourself in 10 years?”…

 

[ucatboy]

Okay

so for “why do you want to do medicine?” I may be shown a screen with a paragraph explaining the profession & then the interviewer will ask me “so why does this career fit with you?” Is that the gist?

And then I will have 10 minutes of complete silence to explain? Rather than in panel interview where they ask additional questions ??

Bit stressed… some questions seem impossible to get 8-10 minutes of content… For example “where do you see yourself in 10 years?”…

You're overthinking this, divide MMI stations in two potential types: personal and scenario.

Personal: no scenario or text attached, the interviewer will just ask a few questions about you such as motivation, activities, experiences etc. Basically a mini panel interview. There should be multiple questions, not just one, I'd fall asleep if I had to listen to someone ramble on for 8 minutes about why they wanted to do medicine because it'll probably be BS from minute 2 onwards. The script will usually come with a few questions but they have the liberty to deviate from it and ask targeted followup questions.

Scenario: text of a scenario attached, could be school-related, work-related, community-related. You should be given 1-2 minutes of reading/thinking time, then the interviewer will ask 4-5 questions about the scenario. Note that they can also slip in a personal question or two in here, for example, after asking a few questions about a scenario involving conflict within a team, they might then directly ask you "Can you give an example of when YOU resolved conflict within a team".

Without breaking any NDAs, different unis will have different distributions of personal and scenario-based MMI stations. Some may have only scenario-based stations, others one personal station and the rest scenario, or multiple personal stations. Prepare for all of them.

 

[Emerald2002]

You're overthinking this, divide MMI stations in two potential types: personal and scenario.

Personal: No scenario or text attached, the interviewer will just ask a few questions about you such as motivation, activities, experiences etc. Basically a mini panel interview. There should be multiple questions, not just one, I'd fall asleep if I had to listen to someone ramble on for 8 minutes about why they wanted to do medicine because it'll probably be BS from minute 2 onwards. The script will usually come with a few questions but they have the liberty to deviate from it and ask targeted followup questions.

Scenario: text of a scenario attached, could be school-related, work-related, community-related. You should be given 1-2 minutes of reading/thinking time, then the interviewer will ask 4-5 questions about the scenario. Note that they can also slip in a personal question or two in here, for example, after asking a few questions about a scenario involving conflict within a team, they might then directly ask you "Can you give an example of when YOU resolved conflict within a team".

Without breaking any NDAs, different unis will have different distributions of personal and scenario-based MMI stations. Some may have only scenario-based stations, others one personal station and the rest scenario, or multiple personal stations. Prepare for all of them.

That makes a bit more sense!! Thank you

 

[Emerald2002]

is this thread purely for scenario questions? Can we do one for personal questions?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

is this thread purely for scenario questions? Can we do one for personal questions?

You can do whatever type of questions you like.

 

[KingKong^]

How can we best prepare for an MMI? I've had a go at some of the scenario-based questions and normally provided a much more condensed or shorter response compared to the other responses on here. Sorta freaking out lol

 

[DrDrLMG!]

How can we best prepare for an MMI? I've had a go at some of the scenario-based questions and normally provided a much more condensed or shorter response compared to the other responses on here. Sorta freaking out lol

Have a practice at doing longer responses then. You can post them here for feedback.

 

[KingKong^]

Have a practice at doing longer responses then. You can post them here for feedback.

Will do . Also does anyone have a list of personal questions they can ask? Or able to come up with one?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Will do . Also does anyone have a list of personal questions they can ask? Or able to come up with one?

Have you looked at the interview portal? There are questions like that in there for people to work their way through.

 

[KingKong^]

Have you looked at the interview portal? There are questions like that in there for people to work their way through.

Thanks for that. I just had a look and I'll defo be having a crack at it. Should I be preparing for the interviews now or can I leave till after I finish my HSC? The timeline of MMIs says they take place for domestic applicants from 7-9th Dec. I finish my last exam on the 29th Nov. Does that give me enough time to prepare or I must start preparing from now?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Thanks for that. I just had a look and I'll defo be having a crack at it. Should I be preparing for the interviews now or can I leave till after I finish my HSC? The timeline of MMIs says they take place for domestic applicants from 7-9th Dec. I finish my last exam on the 29th Nov. Does that give me enough time to prepare or I must start preparing from now?

That depends entirely on you and how much experience you’ve had with interviews before. I have had extensive experience so my only preparation was to familiarise myself with the MMI format. There’ll be others who’ve never done an interview of any kind before who might want to practice a little more. There’s no one right way to do it.

 

[KingKong^]

That depends entirely on you and how much experience you’ve had with interviews before. I have had extensive experience so my only preparation was to familiarise myself with the MMI format. There’ll be others who’ve never done an interview of any kind before who might want to practice a little more. There’s no one right way to do it.

Yeah, I don't have any experience with an interview. Personally though I'd say I am pretty confident and have social skills. So the best way to prepare from now is to just attempt the interview portal/longer responses in general and just post here for feedback?

 

[SLP]

Yeah, I don't have any experience with an interview. Personally though I'd say I am pretty confident and have social skills. So the best way to prepare from now is to just attempt the interview portal/longer responses in general and just post here for feedback?

Not sure if this may be of use to you, but in the midst of 'anticipating' an interview from JMP and UNSW (hopefully WSU depending on how high the reported weighted scores are), for me personally, interviews has to be the worst out of the UCAT and ATAR/GPA for me by a country mile. So that's why I've been preparing since the end of August (giving myself a bit of a break after my UCAT exam). Only because there's so many types of potential questions they can ask (acting stations, medical ethics, personal questions about teamwork/communication/etc, and many more), leaving yourself only 7-10 days may not be enough. It's definitely a tricky situation being a HSC student now though because of the delayed exams, so I can't really comment on that part of it too much.

 

[justwantdent]

- - Are we usually given 8 minutes to answer all four parts of this question? (Can't link the image but the one on the portal)

 

[ucatboy]

- - Are we usually given 8 minutes to answer all four parts of this question? (Can't link the image but the one on the portal)

There's a ton of questions on the portal, not sure how any of us can say for your specific question without an image of it. I found most of the 4-part MMI questions (if that's what you're talking about) to be pretty representative of the real thing, although there were some unusual ones in there.

 

[justwantdent]

There's a ton of questions on the portal, not sure how any of us can say for your specific question without an image of it. I found most of the 4-part MMI questions (if that's what you're talking about) to be pretty representative of the real thing, although there were some unusual ones in there.

thanks! i was kinda asking about the time frame of questions ie are we given any planning time during the *8 minutes* to answer all 4 parts of the question? or do we go straight on