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Practice Interview Question Thread

Jason990090

Royal College of Surgeons MBBch (grad med pathway)
Anyone want to have a go at this really uncomfortable question?
Also can any past/current bond students let me know if anything as difficult as this is likely to come up?

A young male doctor runs a solo practice in a remote area. The next closest practice is 5 hours away. One day, he sees a patient, an elderly woman's daughter outside of town. Later that same day, he runs into the daughter outside of town. They go on a date and end up having unprotected sex. The next day the woman presents to the practice requesting the morning after pill. What are they issues? What if she asked for antibiotics? What if she asked for free medicine?

- I would say the main issues are rurality. Ie from her perspective where else is she going to get the pill? Its important for her health and she is within her rights to avoid an unplanned pregnancy (has major consequences for her life). However, I as per the rules/regulations, I dont think it is appropriate for her to see this doctor because even though their relationship might be new--> it is quite personal + He is actually involved as he engaged in a sexual relationship with her.


In terms of antibiotics, the same things would apply (ie where else is she going to get a prescription if they are in a rural area) but you have to wonder whether or not the doctor would be objectively looking at things (without being biased because he obviously knows her on a personal level). Because you do not want the doctor being influenced by her. He has to make an objective call (taking into account her symptoms and current state) on whether or not to give her antibiotics.

Again free medicines are probably not appropriate as well. Because if he starts treating her preferentially and giving her free medication because of their relationship BUT others have to pay --> would not be fair. Even if she is financially not well off at all --> there could be other ways (centrelink?) to help get her medicine cheaper. Yes I could understand giving medication when it is a sample, or if it is an emergency (maybe the pharmacy has completely run out and the drug is needed urgently). But as a whole I would say no.


This answer isnt what i would say verbatim but it would be kinda similar. Ive tried to type it up very quickly so its got a shit ton of spelling and grammar errors.
 

Med2019

MD 3 Bond University
Anyone want to have a go at this really uncomfortable question?
Also can any past/current bond students let me know if anything as difficult as this is likely to come up?

A young male doctor runs a solo practice in a remote area. The next closest practice is 5 hours away. One day, he sees a patient, an elderly woman's daughter outside of town. Later that same day, he runs into the daughter outside of town. They go on a date and end up having unprotected sex. The next day the woman presents to the practice requesting the morning after pill. What are they issues? What if she asked for antibiotics? What if she asked for free medicine?

- I would say the main issues are rurality. Ie from her perspective where else is she going to get the pill? Its important for her health and she is within her rights to avoid an unplanned pregnancy (has major consequences for her life). However, I as per the rules/regulations, I dont think it is appropriate for her to see this doctor because even though their relationship might be new--> it is quite personal + He is actually involved as he engaged in a sexual relationship with her.


In terms of antibiotics, the same things would apply (ie where else is she going to get a prescription if they are in a rural area) but you have to wonder whether or not the doctor would be objectively looking at things (without being biased because he obviously knows her on a personal level). Because you do not want the doctor being influenced by her. He has to make an objective call (taking into account her symptoms and current state) on whether or not to give her antibiotics.

Again free medicines are probably not appropriate as well. Because if he starts treating her preferentially and giving her free medication because of their relationship BUT others have to pay --> would not be fair. Even if she is financially not well off at all --> there could be other ways (centrelink?) to help get her medicine cheaper. Yes I could understand giving medication when it is a sample, or if it is an emergency (maybe the pharmacy has completely run out and the drug is needed urgently). But as a whole I would say no.


This answer isnt what i would say verbatim but it would be kinda similar. Ive tried to type it up very quickly so its got a shit ton of spelling and grammar errors.
I completely agree with your idea of rurality being a major issue but I would also talk about the unprotected sex aspect of it being an issue, Considering that an important characteristic of being a doctor is to be responsible, since you do make so many crucial decisions regarding the welfare of patients, The risks of unprotected sex are quite prevalent often leading to STD's and it is widely known as something that is a irresponsible behaviour.

Due to him having this unprotected sex with an individual who has now presented as his patient, he could also be dismissive about her request for antibiotics as he may say that he is very sure he does not have an STI.

But yeah i agree with your answer, just wanted to add in something that I thought :)
 

Med2019

MD 3 Bond University
Anyone want to have a go at this really uncomfortable question?
Also can any past/current bond students let me know if anything as difficult as this is likely to come up?

A young male doctor runs a solo practice in a remote area. The next closest practice is 5 hours away. One day, he sees a patient, an elderly woman's daughter outside of town. Later that same day, he runs into the daughter outside of town. They go on a date and end up having unprotected sex. The next day the woman presents to the practice requesting the morning after pill. What are they issues? What if she asked for antibiotics? What if she asked for free medicine?

- I would say the main issues are rurality. Ie from her perspective where else is she going to get the pill? Its important for her health and she is within her rights to avoid an unplanned pregnancy (has major consequences for her life). However, I as per the rules/regulations, I dont think it is appropriate for her to see this doctor because even though their relationship might be new--> it is quite personal + He is actually involved as he engaged in a sexual relationship with her.


In terms of antibiotics, the same things would apply (ie where else is she going to get a prescription if they are in a rural area) but you have to wonder whether or not the doctor would be objectively looking at things (without being biased because he obviously knows her on a personal level). Because you do not want the doctor being influenced by her. He has to make an objective call (taking into account her symptoms and current state) on whether or not to give her antibiotics.

Again free medicines are probably not appropriate as well. Because if he starts treating her preferentially and giving her free medication because of their relationship BUT others have to pay --> would not be fair. Even if she is financially not well off at all --> there could be other ways (centrelink?) to help get her medicine cheaper. Yes I could understand giving medication when it is a sample, or if it is an emergency (maybe the pharmacy has completely run out and the drug is needed urgently). But as a whole I would say no.


This answer isnt what i would say verbatim but it would be kinda similar. Ive tried to type it up very quickly so its got a shit ton of spelling and grammar errors.
and I guess expanding on asking for free medicines, her presenting as a patient is outside of whatever their personal relations might be, taking into account that a doctor must fairly distribute resources and must partake in justice, it would be wrong of him to agree to give out free medicines.
 

Jason990090

Royal College of Surgeons MBBch (grad med pathway)
I completely agree with your idea of rurality being a major issue but I would also talk about the unprotected sex aspect of it being an issue, Considering that an important characteristic of being a doctor is to be responsible, since you do make so many crucial decisions regarding the welfare of patients, The risks of unprotected sex are quite prevalent often leading to STD's and it is widely known as something that is a irresponsible behaviour.

Due to him having this unprotected sex with an individual who has now presented as his patient, he could also be dismissive about her request for antibiotics as he may say that he is very sure he does not have an STI.

But yeah i agree with your answer, just wanted to add in something that I thought :)
I think you make a good point, but I didn't talk too much about that unprotected sex bit because at the end of the day, they both would have known the potential ramifications of having unprotected sex. I think that decision is on them.

Do you kinda get where im coming from with this? Like i was basically unsure on whether or not its my place to be commenting on their choices on the previous day.
 

MimmaE

Member
I think you make a good point, but I didn't talk too much about that unprotected sex bit because at the end of the day, they both would have known the potential ramifications of having unprotected sex. I think that decision is on them.

Do you kinda get where im coming from with this? Like i was basically unsure on whether or not its my place to be commenting on their choices on the previous day.

I really think this is way too advanced and medical for an undergrad interview ? Hope so!
 

Jason990090

Royal College of Surgeons MBBch (grad med pathway)
Hey there chaps. Heres another good question for y'all.

A 3rd year medical student posts negative remarks about a consultant on a private facebook group. Is this okay?
Does it matter if the group was private?
What should the student have done?

In my exact 7 min timed answer, I looked at this from a few different perspectives.

  • STUDENT – CONSULTANT – MEDICAL SCHOOL – Public
  • STUDENT = MAYBE THEY FEEL LIKE THE CONSULTANT HAS DONE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM OR THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS or maybe they arent really learning anything under guidance. It could be a whole host of things so its important to find out why. Or maybe they have are just making a toxic personal remark about the consultant. We need to find out why exactly from their viewpoint
  • consultant = is going to feel terrible if they find out. If the student is remarking something which is negative but not toxic (maybe related to their teaching style) then maybe they would like to hear these concerns in private not just through social media. And its not hard to find out these days because information even privately spreads like wildfire on social media these days.
  • The hospital's reputation might take a hit if this spreads. This impacts the public's trust in the hospital. Talked about how important trust is in our healthcare system.
  • The best way to deal with this situation is to talk to a hospital director maybe? or the placement co-coordinator at the university if the student has some concerns regarding the teaching or behaviour of the consultant. Because Like I said before we dont know what these negative remarks are about specifically. So the exact course of action would depend on that.
  • But if the student is making personal toxic remarks about the consultant then that is not the right thing to do and I would explain this to them in a calm manner. I would encourage them to think of this situation from the consultant's perspective and how they would feel if they heard these things.
  • Finally, I think there is a difference in venting about something or someone in a private group amongst 2 or 3 people vs a whole group of people. I still do not think it is okay in a private group because its very easy for things to spread in social media.
But someone pls critique me. Thanks
 

Axwe8

cannula service
Guys try and keep the scenarios to a really basic level if you want to simulate bond. In 2 years the hardest scenario is about using drugs and explaining why it's bad/ what do you do. Rest are like group member not doing their work etc. Very simple university students type questions. Don't over complicate unless you're just preparing for what if situations could come rare situations.

No rural no politics, definitely no medical course content like the pill etc. You learn that when you enter end of 2nd year in repro block. Study why you want bond really badly, why you want medicine. Common things under these domains
  • Knowledge and critical thinking
  • Leadership
  • Initiative and teamwork
  • Communication skills
  • Responsibility
  • Ethical decision-making skills (reporting academic misconduct at uni)
  • Motivation
  • Non-verbal reasoning
 
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Axwe8

cannula service
Hey there chaps. Heres another good question for y'all.

A 3rd year medical student posts negative remarks about a consultant on a private facebook group. Is this okay?
Does it matter if the group was private?
What should the student have done?

In my exact 7 min timed answer, I looked at this from a few different perspectives.

  • STUDENT – CONSULTANT – MEDICAL SCHOOL – Public
  • STUDENT = MAYBE THEY FEEL LIKE THE CONSULTANT HAS DONE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM OR THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS or maybe they arent really learning anything under guidance. It could be a whole host of things so its important to find out why. Or maybe they have are just making a toxic personal remark about the consultant. We need to find out why exactly from their viewpoint
  • consultant = is going to feel terrible if they find out. If the student is remarking something which is negative but not toxic (maybe related to their teaching style) then maybe they would like to hear these concerns in private not just through social media. And its not hard to find out these days because information even privately spreads like wildfire on social media these days.
  • The hospital's reputation might take a hit if this spreads. This impacts the public's trust in the hospital. Talked about how important trust is in our healthcare system.
  • The best way to deal with this situation is to talk to a hospital director maybe? or the placement co-coordinator at the university if the student has some concerns regarding the teaching or behaviour of the consultant. Because Like I said before we dont know what these negative remarks are about specifically. So the exact course of action would depend on that.
  • But if the student is making personal toxic remarks about the consultant then that is not the right thing to do and I would explain this to them in a calm manner. I would encourage them to think of this situation from the consultant's perspective and how they would feel if they heard these things.
  • Finally, I think there is a difference in venting about something or someone in a private group amongst 2 or 3 people vs a whole group of people. I still do not think it is okay in a private group because its very easy for things to spread in social media.
But someone pls critique me. Thanks
Good question, so there is uni policy about not posting anything about anyone that identifies them on social media or even more simple just don't post anything at all. Simply say you don't condone any of this behaviour. You're right just talk to placement coordinator who organises your placement. Dw about hospital image etc just think from student point of view...

Plug in some support services available also if you have time.
 

Jason990090

Royal College of Surgeons MBBch (grad med pathway)
Good question, so there is uni policy about not posting anything about anyone that identifies them on social media or even more simple just don't post anything at all. Simply say you don't condone any of this behaviour. You're right just talk to placement coordinator who organises your placement. Dw about hospital image etc just think from student point of view...

Plug in some support services available also if you have time.
Thanks for the advice mate!
 

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Reem

Lurker
Hi
can someone help with this scenario please

You are treasurer of a university Club controlling club money and you are one of 3 members of the Executive. There is going to be a Meeting in another city with similar clubs from other universities. The club has enough money to cover the costs of only 3 members. There are 8 club members and everybody wants to go and for the club to pay their expenses. What do you do?
 
hi
i dont know if this is the right place but along the same note id like some feedback for this q if u dont mind
have i missed crucial stuff? Thankyou

Your friend Tom hasn't come to class for a few days. Being a hardworking biomedicine student, he very seldom skips classes. You know that he is applying to medical school in a few weeks but have noticed that he has been acting strange over the past month or so, acting a bit cagey and distracted when asked about med. You called his house and he said you can visit him.
What would you say to Tom?

  • Id make sure I was in a private place in his house for eg his room so he has some privacy & is comfortable and ask Tom firstly how he is, try and gauge through his response, body language and mood what is the underlying reason behind his sudden change in behaviour to determine best course of action next (if he is sick for eg i could suggest he visit his GP , get a medical certificate and apply for special consideration if he needs some time off to recuperate, if OTOH he is stressed / feeling overwhelmed applying to med for eg id then suggest if he would like to speak to uni counsellor/his GP for support and offer to help him where he feels he is lacking in his academics/med school application
  • I’d express my concern over him missing classes and his change in mood all of a sudden and if there is something affecting him & his learning so he doesn't fall behind and offer my support as someone he can speak to in confidence & offer to assist him in his coursework (eg missed slides for lectures/practical theory/important dates). It's important for me not to be judgemental here for him missing uni/acting distracted as you do not know his reason for being this way perhaps he has relationship issues atm/family problems/other stressful circumstances you are not aware of that he needs time to work through
  • If he is still not forthcoming/comfortable discussing his issues, then I would ask if he would like to speak to someone else he trusts eg another close friend/family member & reassure him that if he needs to speak to me later I am willing to help him work through his missing coursework & lend my ear for support so that he doesnt feel alienated during this difficult time
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
knowthyself - this is indeed the right place to post this!

Your answer seems pretty good to me. Generally these kinds of scenarios (where you aren’t given a whole heap of information initially) will include follow up questions like “Tom tells you he is having doubts about whether he actually wants to study medicine, how would you respond?” Or “Tom tells you his mother has recently been diagnosed with cancer and it has been affecting his sleep and performance at uni, how would you respond?” etc etc - so it’s good to try and approach the question from many different angles of what the potential problem could be to cover your bases, which it looks like you’ve done.
 

kotoloper

Member
Hi! This was my first time writing out a response to a question - thanks for the MSO interview portal for all the questions! I would appreciate any feedback for my response.

You and your friend both started working in a sports store over the summer holidays. You recently noticed that your friend started stealing from the shop - he has been taking shoes and sporting equipment.
  • What are the issues in this situation?
  • What would you do to address the situation?
  • You tried to speak to your friend, but he does not see a need to change his actions. What would you do?
  • You friend tells you that he has been stealing to pay off a debt he received from gambling. Does that change the situation?
The core issue in this situation is the crime of theft, and the undermining of trust placed in employees from employers. The friend is committing a criminal act and whatever his reasons might be, this fact cannot be ignored. However, it may be appropriate to consider his personal circumstances and external factors in order to try and understand why he is stealing, as personal issues may play a role in his actions.

I would first engage in a conversation with the friend about his personal life, to try and gauge if he has had any difficulties which may have led to the theft. I would initiate this conversation in a private place and try to be as open and non-confronting as possible in order to really get into the root of the problem. I would then make sure that he realises what he has committed is a crime, and encourage him to return the stolen items if possible and talk to the employer to apologise and be held accountable for his actions. To try and stem future behaviour like this, I would encourage him to talk to a responsible adult or counsellor, and remind him that I will always be here to talk to if needed. If he does not admit to his crime or recognise his wrongdoing, I would tell him that I have a responsibility to report the matter to the employer and, if necessary, the police, but encourage him to take the aforementioned action first.

It is important that my friend understands the severity and wrong-doings of his actions. If he does not see this need, I would try and bring a responsible adult or someone he trusts into the conversation to further prompt him to understand what he’s done is wrong. I would try and understand his perspective and why he thinks his actions weren’t wrong, and try to explain to him that theft is wrong. If he is adamant about not seeing the need to change his actions, further attempts to persuade him may provide futile. In this case, I would tell him that I will report his actions to our employer as crime is something I cannot condone.

The fact that he has a debt from gambling does little to change the fact that he has been committing a criminal act, and thus must be held accountable. However, this fact allows me to understand the reasons for his actions, and opens up pathways into specific things I can do to help rectify the situation. However, he still must be held responsible for his actions of theft, so I would still do all the aforementioned action, while recognising the additional problem needing to be resolved. Gambling can be detrimental to both the physical and mental well-being of individuals, so I would try and gauge the extent of his gambling – is he an addict? Does he gamble every day of week? This would allow me to acknowledge that there is another issue here to be addressed, which is his gambling problem. I would then suggest again talking to a counsellor or responsible adult, or to attend support group sessions, to address his gambling. I would try and brainstorm ways with him to pay off the debt, such as getting another job, without the need to resort to stealing or something which would damage his well-being.
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
Hi! This was my first time writing out a response to a question - thanks for the MSO interview portal for all the questions! I would appreciate any feedback for my response.

You and your friend both started working in a sports store over the summer holidays. You recently noticed that your friend started stealing from the shop - he has been taking shoes and sporting equipment.
  • What are the issues in this situation?
  • What would you do to address the situation?
  • You tried to speak to your friend, but he does not see a need to change his actions. What would you do?
  • You friend tells you that he has been stealing to pay off a debt he received from gambling. Does that change the situation?
The core issue in this situation is the crime of theft, and the undermining of trust placed in employees from employers. The friend is committing a criminal act and whatever his reasons might be, this fact cannot be ignored. However, it may be appropriate to consider his personal circumstances and external factors in order to try and understand why he is stealing, as personal issues may play a role in his actions.

I would first engage in a conversation with the friend about his personal life, to try and gauge if he has had any difficulties which may have led to the theft. I would initiate this conversation in a private place and try to be as open and non-confronting as possible in order to really get into the root of the problem. I would then make sure that he realises what he has committed is a crime, and encourage him to return the stolen items if possible and talk to the employer to apologise and be held accountable for his actions. To try and stem future behaviour like this, I would encourage him to talk to a responsible adult or counsellor, and remind him that I will always be here to talk to if needed. If he does not admit to his crime or recognise his wrongdoing, I would tell him that I have a responsibility to report the matter to the employer and, if necessary, the police, but encourage him to take the aforementioned action first.

It is important that my friend understands the severity and wrong-doings of his actions. If he does not see this need, I would try and bring a responsible adult or someone he trusts into the conversation to further prompt him to understand what he’s done is wrong. I would try and understand his perspective and why he thinks his actions weren’t wrong, and try to explain to him that theft is wrong. If he is adamant about not seeing the need to change his actions, further attempts to persuade him may provide futile. In this case, I would tell him that I will report his actions to our employer as crime is something I cannot condone.

The fact that he has a debt from gambling does little to change the fact that he has been committing a criminal act, and thus must be held accountable. However, this fact allows me to understand the reasons for his actions, and opens up pathways into specific things I can do to help rectify the situation. However, he still must be held responsible for his actions of theft, so I would still do all the aforementioned action, while recognising the additional problem needing to be resolved. Gambling can be detrimental to both the physical and mental well-being of individuals, so I would try and gauge the extent of his gambling – is he an addict? Does he gamble every day of week? This would allow me to acknowledge that there is another issue here to be addressed, which is his gambling problem. I would then suggest again talking to a counsellor or responsible adult, or to attend support group sessions, to address his gambling. I would try and brainstorm ways with him to pay off the debt, such as getting another job, without the need to resort to stealing or something which would damage his well-being.
Welcome to MSO! Glad to hear you're finding the interview portal helpful - please let me know if you have any feedback :) If I have some time over the next few months I will hopefully add a whole heap of extra questions in there (a task I've had on my to-do list for the better part of a year now.... oops).

So some feedback:

*Disclaimer - I'm not an interviewer, just a student offering my own perspective.

With these styles of questions, my approach was always to identify all of the stakeholders in the situation and ensure I explored how the particular scenario/question impacts each of the stakeholders. In this scenario, I'd consider the stakeholders to be you, your friend and your employer. Obviously your friend is in the wrong, which you've identified, and this is what I'd consider the "obvious" part of the scenario - and I think exploring the effect that this has on both you and the employer would be the next step in a higher level sort of response.

So, for example in the first question - the obvious issue is that a crime is being committed, indeed. I think the fact that the question asks for issues rather than a single issue should inform your response, so once you've identified the key/most obvious issue, you should discuss others if you have time (I think this is what separates an average interviewee from an above average interviewee, as well).

Some other issues for the first question might be:
- impact on the employer; you've identified a betrayal of trust that employers should be able to have in their employees, so that's good. I'd be discussing the financial impact (perhaps this is a small family business - this could have a very major impact on them and their family if so).
- impact on you; you are this person's friend and therefore potentially feel a sense of loyalty to this person. You may feel if you report this person that you're betraying them and this would likely have a negative impact on your friendship. You are thus in a difficult situation where you need to choose between being loyal to your friend and reporting them for their wrongdoings, thus would be feeling conflicted.

You should be able to apply this "view from multiple perspectives" approach to answer other similar scenarios.

With these scenarios there isn't always (in fact, there usually isn't) a clear, straightforward answer that the interviewers want - if that were the case, it probably wouldn't be a question. The interviewers want to see you think critically and explore the scenario from multiple different perspectives, rather than just give a straight-foward "goodie-two-shoes" type of response - so don't be afraid to bring things up like the feeling of conflict between betraying your friend and reporting them, for example.

Hope that helps!
 

kotoloper

Member
Welcome to MSO! Glad to hear you're finding the interview portal helpful - please let me know if you have any feedback :) If I have some time over the next few months I will hopefully add a whole heap of extra questions in there (a task I've had on my to-do list for the better part of a year now.... oops).

So some feedback:

*Disclaimer - I'm not an interviewer, just a student offering my own perspective.

With these styles of questions, my approach was always to identify all of the stakeholders in the situation and ensure I explored how the particular scenario/question impacts each of the stakeholders. In this scenario, I'd consider the stakeholders to be you, your friend and your employer. Obviously your friend is in the wrong, which you've identified, and this is what I'd consider the "obvious" part of the scenario - and I think exploring the effect that this has on both you and the employer would be the next step in a higher level sort of response.

So, for example in the first question - the obvious issue is that a crime is being committed, indeed. I think the fact that the question asks for issues rather than a single issue should inform your response, so once you've identified the key/most obvious issue, you should discuss others if you have time (I think this is what separates an average interviewee from an above average interviewee, as well).

Some other issues for the first question might be:
- impact on the employer; you've identified a betrayal of trust that employers should be able to have in their employees, so that's good. I'd be discussing the financial impact (perhaps this is a small family business - this could have a very major impact on them and their family if so).
- impact on you; you are this person's friend and therefore potentially feel a sense of loyalty to this person. You may feel if you report this person that you're betraying them and this would likely have a negative impact on your friendship. You are thus in a difficult situation where you need to choose between being loyal to your friend and reporting them for their wrongdoings, thus would be feeling conflicted.

You should be able to apply this "view from multiple perspectives" approach to answer other similar scenarios.

With these scenarios there isn't always (in fact, there usually isn't) a clear, straightforward answer that the interviewers want - if that were the case, it probably wouldn't be a question. The interviewers want to see you think critically and explore the scenario from multiple different perspectives, rather than just give a straight-foward "goodie-two-shoes" type of response - so don't be afraid to bring things up like the feeling of conflict between betraying your friend and reporting them, for example.

Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for taking the time to give detailed feedback! I think I was almost on the verge of bringing up that feeling of conflict as well as the betrayal of trust but instead I veered away into exploring the main issue again - will definitely keep this in mind for future responses!
 
knowthyself - this is indeed the right place to post this!

Your answer seems pretty good to me. Generally these kinds of scenarios (where you aren’t given a whole heap of information initially) will include follow up questions like “Tom tells you he is having doubts about whether he actually wants to study medicine, how would you respond?” Or “Tom tells you his mother has recently been diagnosed with cancer and it has been affecting his sleep and performance at uni, how would you respond?” etc etc - so it’s good to try and approach the question from many different angles of what the potential problem could be to cover your bases, which it looks like you’ve done.
thankyou so much appreciate the feedback (so correct me if im wrong, bothering you again sorry but if in mmi style qs like these i end up fortunately covering multiple bases they might ask less follow up qs potentially if im on the right track bcos we only have 8 or so mins anyway usually so if i have something useful to say then i keep speaking right like they wont mark me down for oh we didnt get to ask this follow up q or that q etc.?)
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
thankyou so much appreciate the feedback (so correct me if im wrong, bothering you again sorry but if in mmi style qs like these i end up fortunately covering multiple bases they might ask less follow up qs potentially if im on the right track bcos we only have 8 or so mins anyway usually so if i have something useful to say then i keep speaking right like they wont mark me down for oh we didnt get to ask this follow up q or that q etc.?)
I actually had that happen to me twice in an MMI - they just said “you already answered my next question” and then moved on to the other questions. So yep, you’ll either be asked the follow up question if they think you didn’t answer it fully, or won’t ask it if they think you’ve covered it sufficiently already.

That’s not to say you should be answering something beyond the scope of the original question in the hopes of accidentally covering one of the follow up questions - only answer the question that you’re asked! If you are lucky enough to cover a follow up in an answer to an initial question, then that’s just a bonus.
 

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TKAO

oowah!
Valued Member
I actually had that happen to me twice in an MMI - they just said “you already answered my next question” and then moved on to the other questions. So yep, you’ll either be asked the follow up question if they think you didn’t answer it fully, or won’t ask it if they think you’ve covered it sufficiently already.

That’s not to say you should be answering something beyond the scope of the original question in the hopes of accidentally covering one of the follow up questions - only answer the question that you’re asked! If you are lucky enough to cover a follow up in an answer to an initial question, then that’s just a bonus.
Worth pointing out that should you answer both the original question and follow up question perfectly, they may still ask the follow up question as a matter of protocol in the case you want to add anything onto it. All because they do ask the follow up questions even though they may have said you answered it already does not mean that you stuffed up your answer in any way. Probably don't read into things too much during your interview, you'll stop focusing.
If I'm not wrong it is also very hard to keep on talking for a straight 8 minutes without the interviewer cutting you off anyway. (content removed) but if you know there are follow up questions in their interview protocol, be aware of the timing as well and don't waffle on.
 
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whys

Regular Member
You are the chair of a school board and have recently been given money to erect a flag pole by a local community group. On announcing this to the school there is some disagreement about what kind of flag should be flown - Australian / Aboriginal / Torres Strait Islanders. Some people are stating there needs to be an Aboriginal flag for equal representation but others are saying there aren't enough people at the school to justify a Torres Strait flag. How would you approach this situation?
Gonna try out this one.🤞(any feedback is v appreciated, pls don't attack me if I did this wrong 😰 it's my first go at an interview qn)

1. It's important that the opinions of all individuals are heard - as the chair of a school board, I'd not only have authority over certain overarching decisions, but I'm also a representative of the school board, and by extension, the entire school community. As such, my primary motive is to ensure I acknowledge the opinions and arguments of others regarding what flag is erected and ensure that everyone is heard/gets to say what they want to say. It's also important to understand the reasoning behind why certain people would want a certain flag so that a fair, suitable and representative decision can be made in the end

2. The main issue in this situation is the fact that different people are putting forward different ideas and solutions. As a result, upon first glance it seems that only one conclusive decision must be made regarding the flag type. However, it may be possible that despite the local community group awarding a specific amount of money, the school could possibly invest in another flag pole to fly multiple flags. As such, one viable solution may be to put forward X amount of money per year until another flag pole can be bought. This can be done through events like school fundraisers, or perhaps a small sacrifice can me made where money is spent by the school but can be minimised for a short period of time due to its lesser importance/ability to successfully and efficiently continue to run without any major struggles (such as annual spending on paper - you could use online versions instead of printing everything). This way, multiple people can be happy with an all-encompassing approach: first agreeing on one flag that the majority want, but also ensuring that other peoples' ideas aren't completely disregarded through raising funds for another flagpole that can be erected later on and fly a different flag. (yay! we all win ^^)

3. Another pertinent issue appears to revolve around the argument over whether a Torres Strait flag should be put up or not. Torress Strait Islanders are a significant part of the Australian community, and should not be disregarded or ignored due to their lower population. As chair, it is in imperative that I act in the best interests of the school. A consensus must be reached - is there any other way that I, as chair, can make a decision that recognises the Torres Strait Islander community? The fact that there's not enough people to justify a Torres Strait flag doesn't mean the Torres population needs to be overlooked or ignored - it could simply mean there are other, cheaper ways. As such, the Australian flag can be flown, The Aboriginal flag funded for overtime, and perhaps the school could get together to paint the Torres flag on the school building so that I'm still respecting that community regardless of the number of people in it. Or, a Torres flag could be printed and the poster could be hung up - this is something done in many primary schools and is an idea that can be extrapolated to any school. This could be seen as a temporary solution until another flagpole can be bought, or a permanent one if the circumstances don't permit for more money being put towards this cause.

4. In the case that no other money can be obtained to put towards this cause, it may be worth it to explore other, cheaper alternatives to the original flagpole - perhaps 3 smaller flagpoles can be bought and be situated atop the school building, which is also done in many other schools. This is a viable alternative to erecting a tall, metal flagpole which may turn out to be quite expensive. To this end, all people are likely to feel that their ideas have been listened to as all 3 flags can be erected.

5. Throughout the entire process, I'll need to make sure I inform the school community of my decisions and thought processes so that they can continue to contribute ideas and suggest alternatives. This sort of transparency builds trust and allows for a greater understanding between people, which will help reduce any conflict, debate or argument that may occur in the future regarding this issue, and gives rise to satisfaction and leniency regarding what people are willing to give up so a compromise can be made.
 

N182

Regular Member
Gonna try out this one.🤞(any feedback is v appreciated, pls don't attack me if I did this wrong 😰 it's my first go at an interview qn)

1. It's important that the opinions of all individuals are heard - as the chair of a school board, I'd not only have authority over certain overarching decisions, but I'm also a representative of the school board, and by extension, the entire school community. As such, my primary motive is to ensure I acknowledge the opinions and arguments of others regarding what flag is erected and ensure that everyone is heard/gets to say what they want to say. It's also important to understand the reasoning behind why certain people would want a certain flag so that a fair, suitable and representative decision can be made in the end

2. The main issue in this situation is the fact that different people are putting forward different ideas and solutions. As a result, upon first glance it seems that only one conclusive decision must be made regarding the flag type. However, it may be possible that despite the local community group awarding a specific amount of money, the school could possibly invest in another flag pole to fly multiple flags. As such, one viable solution may be to put forward X amount of money per year until another flag pole can be bought. This can be done through events like school fundraisers, or perhaps a small sacrifice can me made where money is spent by the school but can be minimised for a short period of time due to its lesser importance/ability to successfully and efficiently continue to run without any major struggles (such as annual spending on paper - you could use online versions instead of printing everything). This way, multiple people can be happy with an all-encompassing approach: first agreeing on one flag that the majority want, but also ensuring that other peoples' ideas aren't completely disregarded through raising funds for another flagpole that can be erected later on and fly a different flag. (yay! we all win ^^)

3. Another pertinent issue appears to revolve around the argument over whether a Torres Strait flag should be put up or not. Torress Strait Islanders are a significant part of the Australian community, and should not be disregarded or ignored due to their lower population. As chair, it is in imperative that I act in the best interests of the school. A consensus must be reached - is there any other way that I, as chair, can make a decision that recognises the Torres Strait Islander community? The fact that there's not enough people to justify a Torres Strait flag doesn't mean the Torres population needs to be overlooked or ignored - it could simply mean there are other, cheaper ways. As such, the Australian flag can be flown, The Aboriginal flag funded for overtime, and perhaps the school could get together to paint the Torres flag on the school building so that I'm still respecting that community regardless of the number of people in it. Or, a Torres flag could be printed and the poster could be hung up - this is something done in many primary schools and is an idea that can be extrapolated to any school. This could be seen as a temporary solution until another flagpole can be bought, or a permanent one if the circumstances don't permit for more money being put towards this cause.

4. In the case that no other money can be obtained to put towards this cause, it may be worth it to explore other, cheaper alternatives to the original flagpole - perhaps 3 smaller flagpoles can be bought and be situated atop the school building, which is also done in many other schools. This is a viable alternative to erecting a tall, metal flagpole which may turn out to be quite expensive. To this end, all people are likely to feel that their ideas have been listened to as all 3 flags can be erected.

5. Throughout the entire process, I'll need to make sure I inform the school community of my decisions and thought processes so that they can continue to contribute ideas and suggest alternatives. This sort of transparency builds trust and allows for a greater understanding between people, which will help reduce any conflict, debate or argument that may occur in the future regarding this issue, and gives rise to satisfaction and leniency regarding what people are willing to give up so a compromise can be made.
I'm not an interviewer (just another student) looks like a very good response, but I think you should also consider the perspective of the people who don't want the aboriginal/torres strait flag, and discuss why they may feel this way rather than immediately implying that their views are incorrect and an Aboriginal/torres strait flag must be used.
 

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