Residency Interview Questions & Answers

The doctors under training are called the residents. They graduated from medical schools and after under training as interns in a specific medical field.

Residency interview questions are unique questions and a basic need of an individual who is preparing for the Residents.

These questions let the individual prepare himself and let their mind get trained to answer strategically.

All a person needs is to give the answers smartly with the flavors of confidence easily visible to the interviewer.

The Top 21 Residency Interview Questions To Prepare Well

1. Tell me about your medical journey till now in short.

Sample Answer

It was a wonderful and tough journey. It was my dream to become a doctor since my childhood and now I am heading towards it. I am very excited and ready for the upcoming challenges in my way with the hope that all is well and all will be well.

2. Is there any personal reason for heading in a specific direction?

Sample Answer

Somewhere yes. It has relations with my personal life too. Few of my close ladies have suffered a lot from uterus cysts and other kinds of problems.

That’s why I have chosen to be a gynecologist as nowadays women’s health is a great matter to be focused on. 

In the era of unaffordable treatments, I want that everyone can approach the best treatment in just reasonable charges only.

3. What is your family background regarding medical history?

Sample Answer

In my family, no one is a doctor but yes most of the members are patients of very common problems like hypertension, diabetes, etc.

I have also seen the case of cancer and heart attack in my paternal and maternal grandparents.

4. From where you have graduated? Tell one worst and one best thing about that college.

Sample Answer

I have graduated from King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow. There my experience was fair enough. The best thing about the college was the friendly faculty with no trace of ragging by seniors. It was a very supportive environment.

The worst thing there was casteism and political interference. This was little more than expectations which are responsible for ruining its progress.

5. Tell me what is the main challenge for the medical field.

Sample Answer

The main challenge for the medical field is to provide good quality healthcare in remote areas. In addition, technological support is also missing at times.

6. What problems have you faced during graduation?

Sample Answer

Graduation went on swiftly. One problem was deciding a subject for majors because I liked all of them equally. Other than that, I faced no severe problems.

7. Name a single thing that you can leave for your medical career?

Sample Answer 

I have left my family and home to study in a good college and live away from them. I think there can be nothing more important for a person other than his parents. 

But if forced me to answer then I will just say, I will leave the time, which I spent for myself on phone calls, texting, outings, long sleep, etc. And utilize that too in just focusing on my career.

8. What have you heard about, especially the residency interview?

Sample Answer

Sir, I was not so positive before appearing in the interview because I have heard that this interview is complicated and there, many embarrassing questions are asked too.

But after the personal experience, I am glad to experience this.

9. What is the worst thing that has never happened to you and what if it happened?

Sample Answer

The worst thing for me will be if a person dies due to my mistake. There can be nothing worse than that. If this happens then it will be counted as my biggest failure. I wish this situation would never come in my life. 

But if it happens then I will learn from my mistake and will never repeat the thing. This guilt will try to stop me from stepping ahead but I will try my best to cope with that.

10. What is your thinking about superheroes?

Sample Answer

Many people think that there is nothing like superheroes and superpowers but I believe in superheroes.

 Superheroes do exist around us. We have seen them in white coats and we call them “doctors”. Only doctors have life-saving powers. So, they are not less than a superhero.

11. What is the biggest obstacle in your career?

Sample Answer

The financial problem is my biggest enemy which has made my life a little complicated and challenging for the past few years.

But I believe that it cannot stop me from reaching my goals. The day is soon when I will reach my goals and the problem will vanish.

12. What if your patient dies with whom you get emotionally attached?

Sample Answer

It will be a little complicated for me. The feeling will be the same as if I had lost a close one like my family member. I will be in grief but off duty only. By this, I will let my emotions come out to reduce the pain and heal myself soon.

13. How can you achieve a work-life balance?

Sample Answer

Maintaining a Work-life balance is not easy for everyone. Due to lots of work pressure, one has to have the techniques to deal with them.

 For balancing my work life I have planned to make my personal life unreachable to work life.

But this is not vice versa. I will always let my work life interfere in my life 24×7. Being a doctor means devoting our life to society and saving their lives. I am sure that by this I will be able to manage things perfectly.

14. What qualities make you different from others?

Sample Answer

I am grown up in an environment that has never provided me with baby-like nourishment. They made me rough and tough, understanding and mature for holding up myself with positivity and dealing with problems easily.

My words can help anyone in keeping them motivated. I am cooperative and devoted. I have all the traits that a person should have to get fitted in the so-called excellent category.

15. Which human organ do you want to be? Give the reason for selecting that.

Sample Answer

I would like to be the human brain which makes a person different from an animal. The human body can become what it wants only if its brain wants to be. This trait influences me a lot.

16. What are the parameters that you set for something to be good or bad?

Sample Answer

The thing which gives pleasure only to you is bad because in this case, you have not thought about someone else. It would be selfish, that’s why only you are happy.

But the action/work/deed which makes others happy and keeps yourself satisfied and relaxed is good.

17. Anything that you want to delete from your life?

Sample Answer 

The time during which the results of my competitive exams were anticipated. It was really stressful for me and my family.

18. What is the one wish that you want from God?

Sample Answer 

I want God to bless me so that I will be able to save the lives of patients from my hands.

19. In a case, where you can protect one either mother or child whom you will save?

Sample Answer

I will try my best to save the mother. This is also mentioned in the guidelines by the government. If the mother will be saved then in the future she will bear another child. And if a child will be saved there are chances of malnourishment and other kinds of problems.

20. What if you have asked to insert a G-Tube to a covid infected patient? Will you take the life-endangering risk?

Sample Answer

I have wanted to become a doctor since my childhood. I have to save my patients. I know G-Tube insertion is life-threatening to me and coronavirus can infect me too. But still, I will try to make sure that I will be able to protect him/her by taking the risk with my own life.

21. What if you are not selected?

Sample Answer

I am fully confident that you have no reason for not selecting me. And if there exists any then I will work harder and if there is any other candidate who is more suitable than me then you can go ahead with him.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/ajhp/article-abstract/69/13/1105/5111840
2. https://academic.oup.com/ajhp/article-abstract/68/16/1542/5129303