Interview Questions- What questions are you being asked?

[forestpark]

Lets keep a thread of questions we've been getting asked on PGY1 residency interviews and your best answer!!

1. What are you strengths/weakness
2. why do you want to do a residency
3. if you were in a deserted island what three meds would you want to have?
4. Tell me a situation when you showed outstanding patient care?

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[forestpark]

Tell me about a time a dr. did not take your recommendation?

 

[Sparda29]

Lets keep a thread of questions we've been getting asked on PGY1 residency interviews and your best answer!!

1. What are you strengths/weakness
2. why do you want to do a residency
3. if you were in a deserted island what three meds would you want to have?
4. Tell me a situation when you showed outstanding patient care?

Hate that question.

IMO, the best answer for this is morphine, levofloxacin, and marijuana.

 

[LMH2]

Favorite and least favorite rotations.

 

[fauxden]

favorite drug
time of leadership
time where a pt was upset, how was it resolved
why here
why residency
strength
weakness
What do you do first: doc yelling at you from window about a lovenox dose, nurse on the phone about a domamine drip, and script just came over for something (dont remember what they said)- who/what do you attend to first?
what do you want to accomplish as a resident

etc etc

 

[forestpark]

Anyone know an awesome favorite drug?

 

[Maplebar]

Hate that question.

IMO, the best answer for this is morphine, levofloxacin, and marijuana.

Depends on how much food is on the island

 

[thephoenician88]

Hate that question.

IMO, the best answer for this is morphine, levofloxacin, and marijuana.

Really? I think i'd choose a cephalosporin.

 

[RedRos]

3. if you were in a deserted island what three meds would you want to have?

On the same note, what drug would you be if you were a drug was question I recieved

 

[pharmacyresi]

Lets keep a thread of questions we've been getting asked on PGY1 residency interviews and your best answer!!

1. What are you strengths/weakness
2. why do you want to do a residency
3. if you were in a deserted island what three meds would you want to have?
4. Tell me a situation when you showed outstanding patient care?

Good luck to all during this interview season. What clinical questions are people getting during their interview. Are you being asked random clinical questions or are they asking questions only based on clinical cases given to you.
Your response is greatly appreciated.

 

[PharmAnimal89]

What would you for a profession if pharmacists never existed (if the position was eradicated from the earth essentially) and why.

That was a new one

 

[LMH2]

What would you for a profession if pharmacists never existed (if the position was eradicated from the earth essentially) and why.

That was a new one

Wow! I was actually thinking just this week about if someone asked me that question during an interview what I would say (I know exactly what I would say). But I didn't expect anyone might ask that. I hope someone does. That's a fun question.

 

[amazonianpharmD]

There are too many here for me to post answers. I suggest writing down a concise answer and rehearsing as best as you can beforehand...these were REALLY asked!!!

o Tell me about a time where you initially disagreed with someone but heard their point and changed your mind

o Tell me about a time where you worked with someone from a different culture. How did you adapt your typical work habits to handle this?

o What was your most meaningful patient interaction

o Tell me about a time when you handled a patient complaint

o Have you ever had to give someone information that they weren’t satisfied with? How did you handle this?

o What was your involvement in your publication; what was the publication about?

o How did you decide to start X organization?

o How did you decide to do your practicum project (required of our school) on this topic?

o What was your role in the practicum project?

o If you were a drug what drug would you be and why?

o Give me a number from 1 to 10 of how involved you think a preceptor should be in resident rotation

o How did you choose our program?

o What do you look for in a residency program?

o Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

o One of your references said you XYZ in handling situations….give me an example of this.

o Tell me about a time when you trained a new employee

o Tell me about a time when you were given feedback and how you implemented this into practice

o Tell me about a time when you worked with a group and things weren’t going your way

o Have you ever worked with people who weren’t pulling their weight? How did you handle this?

o How do you handle criticism

o Tell me about a big decision you came to and the steps you took to make that decision

How did you choose pharmacy as a career?

o Tell me 3 words a preceptor would use to describe you.

o Tell me 3 words a friend/family member would use to describe you.

o How do you ensure that you have time to relax during a rigorous rotation schedule?

o How would you make a new employee feel comfortable?

o Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a patient.

o What do you do to make yourself available to other employees?

o What have you had to alter about your way of doing things in order to adjust to working on a team?

o Tell me about a time when a fellow team member frustrated you. How did you handle this?

o Tell me about a time when your team provided quality care, and what your role was in this endeavor.

o Tell me about the best team experiences you have had.

o How have you shown commitment to your medical team?

o Tell me about an event during your APPEs that build character.

-Tell me about a time you had to learn something very complex and how you handled this
-tell me about a time you didn't meet a deadline, why you didn't...and what you learned or something along those lines...
2. tell me about a time something unexpected happened that interfered with your workflow
3. tell me about a time when you made an unpopular decision
4. tell me about a time you made a mistake and what you learned from it
5. tell me about a time you had a new idea and how you got everyone on board
6. strengths/weaknesses (this sounded like a question she just decided to throw out there that wasn't formally written in the "personality interview packet")
7. how do you manage your time
8. how are you under pressure (this sounded like a question she just decided to throw out there that wasn't formally written in the "personality interview packet")
9. what do you feel are the most important clinical skills a pharmacist should have and why
10. describe any leadership roles you've had, how you lead, what were the outcomes
11. with these leadership roles, would you say you were the planner or the enacter?
12. how do you prioritize projects, how do you make that decision
13. tell me about the most satisfying and dissatisfying preceptor experience you have had and why
14. what areas would you say are your clinical strengths/weaknesses
a. how will you prepare yourself for those areas of weakness before residency starts?
15. what resources have you used to solve problems (DI resource, person...etc)
16. please give an ex of when you used this resources and what was the outcome
17. tell us about a hardship you faced and how you overcame it
18. tell us about a time when you were dissatisfied about the amount of time you had to spend somewhere..at work...or at rotation...

o How do you practice time management?

o What do you do when you have your set schedule and something important that’s not on your schedule comes up?

o A lot of people spend a lot of time on one thing and then don’t leave themselves enough time to do anything else. How do you ensure this doesn’t happen.

· If we were to remember one thing about you, what would you want that to be?

· If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?

· What do you consider your most significant rotation?

· What did you do on your internal medicine rotation?

· How involved do you think a preceptor should be?

· Asked how decided on practicum project, what part I took in it, and what results were

· Where do you like to travel? (f/u question to travel being a hobby)

· How did you get the opportunity to submit a publication?

· Tell me about how your participation in a certain extracurricular activity developed a certain skill set that can be utilized in a residency program.

· Tell me what your presentation “X” was about.

· How did you end up with so many X rotations if your interest isn’t in X?

· Was the X program something you had to apply for?

· What was your favorite appe?

· What appe did you find most difficult?

· Sample Patient case:

o HP is a 62 yo woman admitted from a nursing home for pneumonia. Her PMH includes DM, hypothyroidism, COPD, chronic renal insufficiency (not on dialysis). CrCL is ~20 mL/min. A1c=9.5, weight=100kg

§ What labs would you assess in patient w/ pneumonia?

§ What s/sx would you look for?

§ What kind of pneumo would you suspect in terms of types of pneumonia and bugs?

§ What would you consider when determining tx for this patient?

§ What impact can an rph have on factors affecting this patient’s care?

§ What disease states are important to consider when treating this patient's pneumo

§ Patient started on moxi-what would you want to assess 3 days in in terms of labs, AE, potential DDI, etc?

§ Comment on HPs home meds

· Met 500 po BID

· Insulin 70/30 20 units BID

· Prednisone 10mg daily

· Albuterol inh 2 puffs q6 prn

· Synthroid 50 mcg qd

· Omeprazole 20mg po daily

· Naprosyn 500mg po BID

· Nitrofurantoin 100mg BID X 7 days

§ HP is ready to be discharged. While in the hospital she was on the following meds. would you discontinue or continue at home and why:

· Lantus 20 units sub q qhs

· Lispro flex 5 units subq with meals

· Combivent 2 puffs po prn q6

· Synthroid 50 mcg qd

· Esomeprazole 20mg qd

· Moxi (QT PROLONGATION!!!!!!!!!)
--another pt case:
-was asked to:
-calc CrCl
-list a1c and BP goals of pt
-discuss 9 medication-related problems: many of them needed to be renally adjusted or were inappropriate bc of pt renal impairment
-list adverse effects of drugs pt was on
-list the 4 s/sx of infection present in pt case

-i also realized if they give you a paper case or ask you to pre-submit a portfolio of specific items that you should put your all into it and really show your ability to analyze, critically think...sometimes you might not have the opportunity to verbalize what you know/your experiences. so when given the chance to write about it---write as much as you can.
-even with pt case--write whatever you know! even if you don't know how to calculate something or don't know exact # of something...can write down what you WOULD do or what is needed to answer the question or where you would look for the answer...ANYTHING that shows your ability to think things through and plan, execute...etc

Hope this was helpful!!!!

 

[PharmAnimal89]

Wow! I was actually thinking just this week about if someone asked me that question during an interview what I would say (I know exactly what I would say). But I didn't expect anyone might ask that. I hope someone does. That's a fun question.

It's carnival operator isn't it?!

 

[LMH2]

It's carnival operator isn't it?!

Audiobook narrator, of course! But that's a close second.

 

[pillpharmer]

What is your definition of a clinical pharmacist

 

[njac]

Anyone know an awesome favorite drug?

Narcan.

I have a long explanation - but that was for "if you could be any drug what would it be and why"

 

[rxlea]

Narcan.

I have a long explanation - but that was for "if you could be any drug what would it be and why"

oh DO share it with us! Please???

 

[njac]

oh DO share it with us! Please???

Lol.

So, if naloxone show up to the right party (opioid overdose) it saves the day and everyone is excited, and sometimes invites it to stay longer (naloxone drip). However, if it shows up at the wrong party (no opioids on board), naloxone is cool and still gets along with everyone (no drug interactions) and knows to leave without overstaying its welcome (short t 1/2).

Naloxone has this all figured out.

 

[rxlea]

Lol.

So, if naloxone show up to the right party (opioid overdose) it saves the day and everyone is excited, and sometimes invites it to stay longer (naloxone drip). However, if it shows up at the wrong party (no opioids on board), naloxone is cool and still gets along with everyone (no drug interactions) and knows to leave without overstaying its welcome (short t 1/2).

Naloxone has this all figured out.

Love it!!!!!

 

[thephoenician88]

Lol.

So, if naloxone show up to the right party (opioid overdose) it saves the day and everyone is excited, and sometimes invites it to stay longer (naloxone drip). However, if it shows up at the wrong party (no opioids on board), naloxone is cool and still gets along with everyone (no drug interactions) and knows to leave without overstaying its welcome (short t 1/2).

Naloxone has this all figured out.

that's unique, but what if it shows up to the party but it's not welcome anymore because someone actually needs an opioid...:/ lol

 

[pharmacyresi]

So if you get asked a question you don't have a clue about, do you tell them you will get back to them with the answer and follow-up with them post-interview???

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

So if you get asked a question you don't have a clue about, do you tell them you will get back to them with the answer and follow-up with them post-interview???

 

[joetrisman]

So if you get asked a question you don't have a clue about, do you tell them you will get back to them with the answer and follow-up with them post-interview???

If its a clinical question, I've heard its acceptable to say you don't know and would have to look it up. I don't believe I would say I'll send you an answer later, but I hear people have gotten points for taking the initiative to do a follow up answer when they didn't know during the interview.

 

[thephoenician88]

If its a clinical question, I've heard its acceptable to say you don't know and would have to look it up. I don't believe I would say I'll send you an answer later, but I hear people have gotten points for taking the initiative to do a follow up answer when they didn't know during the interview.

I think that depends on the clinical question though, if it's something you should know, i doubt they want to hear it later...

 

[UMRX]

Strangest questions so far:

1. What three drugs would you take to a deserted island?
2. What are you? A thermometer or a thermostat?
3. What drug would you take off the market and why?
4. If you could invent a drug that did anything, what would it do?

My friend was asked:

1. If you could be a patch, a suspension, a solution, or a cream, what would you be and why?


No clinical questions...yet.

 

[KARM12]

Strangest questions so far:

1. What three drugs would you take to a deserted island?
2. What are you? A thermometer or a thermostat?
3. What drug would you take off the market and why?
4. If you could invent a drug that did anything, what would it do?

My friend was asked:

1. If you could be a patch, a suspension, a solution, or a cream, what would you be and why?


No clinical questions...yet.

These questions are stupid and tell me nothing about your abilities or how you would handle a situation.

 

[PharmDre]

Tell us about a time when you've made an impact on a patient?

What do you think are some pros and cons of teaching vs community and what experience do you want?

Tell us about this presentation or that MUE on drug x...

What was your least fav rotation and why?

Tell us about your favorite preceptor.

What is your ideal preceptor interaction?

If you had to run a hospital with only 10 generic drugs to choose for your formulary, which would you choose?

Tell us about a conflict?

How do you feel about criticism?

How many hours do you think you will be working as a resident?

How do you manage your time?


Those were some of the standouts for me

About the drugs on the island. Obviously it's all about your reasoning. I told them I would avoid anything that would make me photosensitive... And then I chose

 

[PharmAnimal89]

Some "clinical" questions (these were so disgustingly easy..)

1. A resident calls down to the pharmacy and would like to initiate a patient on cefepime, walk us through your process in recommending or not recommending the agent. (In my mind some things were to assess indication, renal function, allergies, etc.)

2. The intern calls down to the pharmacy and would like to discharge a patient on lisinopril, because they got an annoying cough with captopril. Walk us through your process in recommending or not recommending the agent. (NO BRAINER PEOPLE)

 

[thephoenician88]

Some "clinical" questions (these were so disgustingly easy..)

1. A resident calls down to the pharmacy and would like to initiate a patient on cefepime, walk us through your process in recommending or not recommending the agent. (In my mind some things were to assess indication, renal function, allergies, etc.)

2. The intern calls down to the pharmacy and would like to discharge a patient on lisinopril, because they got an annoying cough with captopril. Walk us through your process in recommending or not recommending the agent. (NO BRAINER PEOPLE)

I was asked a BUNCH OF CLINICAL questions today, and none were that easy

XXX antibiotic, what do you do/tell MD?
JNC7 questions
ADA questions
AHA questions
ATP3 questions

and not just the simple stuff, detailed stuff in the guidelines

took me off guard on a couple of them, and I stumbled because I started over-thinking a couple.

W/e, over now.

 

[joetrisman]

I was asked a BUNCH OF CLINICAL questions today, and none were that easy

XXX antibiotic, what do you do/tell MD?
JNC7 questions
ADA questions
AHA questions
ATP3 questions

and not just the simple stuff, detailed stuff in the guidelines

took me off guard on a couple of them, and I stumbled because I started over-thinking a couple.

W/e, over now.

I hope you were caught up on the new 2013 ADA recommendations

 

[rxlea]

I hope you were caught up on the new 2013 ADA recommendations

I was gonna say the same thing. Especially regarding the BP goal...

 

[MackerelRun]

Gotta brush up on my guidelines ahh!

 

[thephoenician88]

I was gonna say the same thing. Especially regarding the BP goal...

go on...

 

[rxlea]

go on...

? What do you mean ?

 

[LMH2]

I was gonna say the same thing. Especially regarding the BP goal...

Wow! Thanks for that *hint.* I honestly had no idea there were new ADA recommendations. I did manage to get a spoiler copy of the JNC 8 and ATP 4 guidelines. They're photocopies from the meetings, so the Expert Panel members' doodles are still in the margins, but I think it will give me an edge.

 

[thephoenician88]

? What do you mean ?

what are the new goals?

 

[rxlea]

Wow! Thanks for that *hint.* I honestly had no idea there were new ADA recommendations. I did manage to get a spoiler copy of the JNC 8 and ATP 4 guidelines. They're photocopies from the meetings, so the Expert Panel members' doodles are still in the margins, but I think it will give me an edge.

They do an update every year come January.

 

[rxlea]

what are the new goals?

Before, you targeted 130/80. They've relaxed that to 140/80 because there wasn't really a difference in mortality, only a small reduction in the incidence of stroke. But targeting the 130 had a higher incidence of adverse effects like hypotension, syncope, etc. In older individuals, that increases fall risk. Targeting the 130 may still be appropriate in younger patients, though.

There are other recommendations about testing.

I'll let you look those up

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

Before, you targeted 130/80. They've relaxed that to 140/80 because there wasn't really a difference in mortality, only a small reduction in the incidence of stroke. But targeting the 130 had a higher incidence of adverse effects like hypotension, syncope, etc. In older individuals, that increases fall risk. Targeting the 130 may still be appropriate in younger patients, though.

There are other recommendations about testing.

I'll let you look those up

Acting like a preceptor already.

 

[thephoenician88]

Before, you targeted 130/80. They've relaxed that to 140/80 because there wasn't really a difference in mortality, only a small reduction in the incidence of stroke. But targeting the 130 had a higher incidence of adverse effects like hypotension, syncope, etc. In older individuals, that increases fall risk. Targeting the 130 may still be appropriate in younger patients, though.

There are other recommendations about testing.

I'll let you look those up

No I was always basing the 130/80 off of AHA and will continue to do so until I realize they cannot tolerate.

 

[rxlea]

No I was always basing the 130/80 off of AHA and will continue to do so until I realize they cannot tolerate.

The whole point is that you shouldn't always be chasing the numbers. In school they beat us over the head with: "Well, how is the patient?" "Did you look at the patient?"

I'm not sure why you asked me about the change then

 

[thephoenician88]

The whole point is that you shouldn't always be chasing the numbers. In school they beat us over the head with: "Well, how is the patient?" "Did you look at the patient?"

I'm not sure why you asked me about the change then

 

[rxlea]

Cryptic

 

[MackerelRun]

Not sure if I'm feeling blue due to stress or what. All the preceptors at my site know I'm applying for residency, but when I talk to them about my interview experiences it was always a "oh okay...now here are the tasks I need you to do...." Even when I went straight to site from interviews they didn't say anything to me.

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

Not sure if I'm feeling blue due to stress or what. All the preceptors at my site know I'm applying for residency, but when I talk to them about my interview experiences it was always a "oh okay...now here are the tasks I need you to do...." Even when I went straight to site from interviews they didn't say anything to me.

What are you expecting them to say? I kinda tell my preceptors how the interviews went if they're interested. Otherwise, I keep it to myself. Tell us how your experiences have been so far. We're here to listen (read).

 

[thephoenician88]

Not sure if I'm feeling blue due to stress or what. All the preceptors at my site know I'm applying for residency, but when I talk to them about my interview experiences it was always a "oh okay...now here are the tasks I need you to do...." Even when I went straight to site from interviews they didn't say anything to me.

when they asked how it went, they want to hear

"OK"
or
"Fine"

So they can get on with their day lol.

 

[MackerelRun]

What are you expecting them to say? I kinda tell my preceptors how the interviews went if they're interested. Otherwise, I keep it to myself. Tell us how your experiences have been so far. We're here to listen (read).

Yeah I think I will follow your advice and keep it to myself. Had two interviews so far. First one I was so nervous since that site was my first choice, but it went okay. Second one I had to work up a case (and yes, it had the new ADA guideline in it lol)

Thanks for listening!!

 

[MackerelRun]

when they asked how it went, they want to hear

"OK"
or
"Fine"

So they can get on with their day lol.

Haha so true. Advice taken.

 

[thephoenician88]

~