Now that you’ve prepared for your interviews, it’s time to discuss recommendations for responding to appropriate interview questions, provide examples of inappropriate interview questions, and present recommendations for what to do if you get asked inappropriate interview questions. 

Responding to Questions 

Consider the following “Dos” and “Don’ts” when responding to interview questions. 

Dos

Don’ts

Use clinical and nonclinical experiences in your responses, as appropriate.   Provide detailed and specific examples and try to avoid speaking in generalities. Typically, one strong example is better than several weak or tangential examples.  Provide a complete response to each question. In general, when responding to:  Behavioral questions, share past experiences using the STAR format described in the “How to Prepare – Virtual or In-Person” section by discussing the situation or task you encountered, the actions you took, the outcome of your actions, and what you learned.   Situational questions, discuss the actions you should take, why you should take those actions, and what you would expect the result of your actions to be.

Do not provide patient information that could be used separately or in combination to identify a patient, such as names, locations, diagnoses, or other distinguishing characteristics. Refer to a patient as “the patient.”  If your response may portray a colleague in a negative light, do not provide information that could be used separately or in combination to identify that colleague, such as a name, title, location, or other distinguishing characteristic.

Although interviewers are instructed by programs and guided by federal statutes on what are unfair or discriminatory employment inquiries, there may be an occasion when an interviewer asks an inappropriate question. You can find examples below.

You have the right not to answer what you sense is an inappropriate question. If such a question is asked, try to relax and provide a thoughtful and articulate response (two essential characteristics of a good physician). You may also respectfully decline to answer the question and explain that you were advised not to answer questions that you sensed were inappropriate.

You have the responsibility to report being asked an inappropriate question to help prevent further occurrences. Programs may establish formal procedures that enable applicants to report such incidents in a confidential manner.

Programs may inform you of these procedures prior to interviews and assure you that reporting an incident will not bias your evaluation.

If a program did not inform you of its procedures and an incident occurs, use these guidelines. If possible, report the incident in confidence to a program director or designated institutional officer (DIO), the interview day, including the interviewer’s name and the interview question(s) asked. Otherwise, email this information to a program staff member within 24 hours of the interview, noting the date and time of the incident. Furthermore, you have the right to ask if another interview is deemed necessary to ensure an unbiased evaluation of your application to that residency.

Some interviewers use the interview to assess how well you function under stress and may purposely ask challenging questions to observe how you respond under pressure.

How you communicate will be a critical part of the encounter; however, this does not give an interviewer the right to ask you inappropriate questions in their attempt to challenge you during the interview.

Examples of inappropriate questions

• Q: What is your race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, opinion on abortion and/or euthanasia, income, value of your home, credit score, etc.?
• Q: Do you have or are you planning on having children during residency?
• Q: Do you have any disabilities?
• Q: Will you require special accommodations?
• Q: Have you ever been arrested?
• Q: Have you ever done drugs?
• Q: How old are you?

Sample responses to inappropriate questions

• Q: What are your plans for expanding your family during residency?
  • A: Can you please clarify your question? I want to make sure that I’m providing information that is most relevant to my candidacy.
• Q: Have you ever done drugs?
  • A: I am uncomfortable discussing my medical history and possible use of prescription medication.

Additional Resource

• National Resident Matching Program^® (NRMP^®) Match Code of Conduct for Programs

Residency and fellowship training programs want the best qualified applicants, and interviews are the culmination of that search. So, all the pressure is on you to wow the residency programs, right? Yes and no. 

Yes, you must sell yourself effectively and make a great impression, but you’re interviewing the residency program as well. You’ll likely be interested in multiple residency programs, and the interview is your best opportunity to discover how well you align with each residency program. So how do you try on each residency program? 

Decide what’s most important to you in a residency program. 

Each student has different priorities and criteria they want in their residency program and out of their residency experience, so make a list of and prioritize the factors important to you. Use the Residency Preference Exercise to develop a list of essential characteristics to help you search and narrow your list of residency programs.  

Do your homework. 

Research residency programs using their website and pre-interview materials as well as your contacts who are connected with the residency program. The more informed you are, the more insightful the questions you can ask during the interview. 

Ask the right questions. 

You are seeking a residency program that will live up to your expectations and assist in meeting your educational and professional goals. So, develop questions that will help you collect the information you need to make a good decision. 

Interested in conducting research? Ask about research track opportunities or the work of an investigator in the department whose research interests you. Is a fellowship in your future? Ask what percentage of graduates enter fellowships and in what fields. Don't Forget to Ask: Advice from Residents on What to Ask during the Residency Interview includes a broad list of questions to help you start. 

Prepare a long list of questions. 

Almost every interviewer will ask for your questions about the residency program, so be prepared with many thoughtful ones. An interviewer might even defer the direction of the interview to you, and being prepared with plenty of questions will allow you to take the reins with confidence. 

Direct your questions to the proper person. 

Some questions will be more appropriate for the residency program director, while some will be better suited for the residents. 

Have questions about residency program performance? Those are best answered by the residency program director. Want to know how supportive the faculty is? Ask the residents. Prepare your list of questions by interviewer and topic so you are securing answers that help you best determine the strengths and weaknesses of the residency program. 

Don’t ask about salary, benefits, and vacation. 

Even though these are important questions, it’s poor form. Interviewers will likely think you’re primarily concerned with the perks of their program rather than the educational experience. 

Also, since this information is typically provided in a presentation or other materials, you should be able to avoid asking for it during the interview. 

Compile the information. 

It’s fine to jot a few notes during the interview but conduct the majority of your note-taking immediately following the interview day. 

Take a moment to recall the answers to the questions you asked and write them down along with your feelings and general impressions of the residency program. After a few interviews, many of the residency programs start to look alike, and you’ll be grateful for any information that will help you distinguish and choose among them. All the questions you ask and the answers (or non-answers!) you receive will help broaden and deepen your knowledge of the residency program and your ultimate compatibility.