Welcome to our IG: Practice Question Series! You can find our posts with full explanations on Instagram. On this website we are also sharing additional links for reading related to each of our posts. Please get in touch if you have any questions!
Post #1 – Personal Questions
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Kia Ora! Welcome to the first of our many posts! We are really excited to bring you some MMI tips straight to your social media! Be sure to like/follow to stay up to date!
Personal questions are challenging as they are very open ended, however there are a few things the interviewers are looking for:
Do you have the qualities they want in a health professional?
Do you have a life outside of study?
Can you cope with stress?
Do you stand out compared to other applicants?
A good way to support your answer are anecdotes. They can demonstrate the answers to their main questions, make you memorable and are also easier for you to talk about, as they are experiences rather than complex scenarios you have to think through. They also add a level of authenticity to your answers.
Sell yourself but don’t go overboard – we all still have a lifetime of learning ahead of us. Arrogance and confidence are a fine line to walk. It can be a good idea to practice with your friends and family and get some honest feedback.
On the other extreme, don’t undersell yourself. You are a very competent and smart person and institutions don’t define your self worth or discount what you have achieved in your life.
Non-verbal: body language is important. Sit up straight and engage the interviewer. If using anecdotes, let your body language set the mood, if your story is coming from a hard place in your life let your tone reflect it. If the story is funny, have a little chuckle.
Additional Reading
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-question-tell-me-about-yourself
https://www.seek.co.nz/career-advice/article/how-to-answer-so-tell-me-about-yourself
https://careersidekick.com/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question-answer/
Post #2 - Ethics
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Ethics questions are challenging and present you with a few choices of sides to take, more often than not these will be controversial. In this case we use the example of euthanasia, an opinion-based topic in which there are no right or wrong answers. So, don’t worry about picking the side you think ‘the interviewer will like’.
Firstly, have an opinion! As mentioned before, there are no right or wrong answers, you have to however be able to justify your stance. For this answer, it is essential that you consider why people may agree and disagree with your stance. A good healthcare professional is open-minded and able to communicate with people who may hold different values and this is exactly what you’re being tested for.
The ethical principles of medicine are beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice. Research these and know what they mean as they add a lot to your answer. These are important as these are principles which all healthcare workers are to stand-by. The ability to use them in answers demonstrates that you are a person who is aware of and has an understanding of them, possesses critical judgement and has done their research for this interview.
Next up, you have to be able to understand why people think differently from you. Demonstrating this in an answer shows that you are an open person and that you are making your decision having already considered both sides. This adds validity to your own argument!
Another thing to think about is that regardless of whether you agree or disagree with euthanasia, the reality is that it is being conditionally legalized and it is important to show to the interviewer that you have an up-to-date knowledge of the important changes in the NZ health system.
Finally, the interviewer might not agree with you and that’s absolutely okay. These are tough questions and again there is no right or wrong opinion! In reality even if the interviewer does agree with you, they will likely ask tough follow up questions that may contradict the opinion you have given. If this occurs, keeping an open-mind is extremely important. Be considerate of the point they raised and again argue for and against.
Some good phrase for ethical questions are:
“I understand where you’re coming from, however..”
“Having considered the PROs and CONs of this side, I believe that..”
“While this option has very valid PROs, personally I believe the CONs outweigh them for the following reason..”
Additional Reading
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/regulation-health-and-disability-system/end-life-choice-act-implementation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_New_Zealand_euthanasia_referendum
https://www.lifechoice.org.nz/
https://themsag.com/blogs/medical-school-interviews/ethics-questions-asked-at-medical-interviews-euthanasia
Post #3 - NZ Health Issues
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Familiarise yourself with the social determinants of health (link below). How might they explain the barriers to accessing the vaccine? Are these barriers the same in all parts of New Zealand?
Consider realistic and equitable strategies to overcome these barriers. For example, vaccination buses for rural settings, pop-up vaccination centres within community buildings and schools, and at-home visits for those who need it.
Address the inequities; Māori and Pasifika populations have the lowest vaccination rates in NZ. Use frameworks such as the ‘5 A’s of access’ to explain these inequities. Consider Te Tiriti O Waitangi (and how this might be a violation of the third article) and the effects of colonisation.
Incorporating tikanga principles into the vaccination process, and providing Māori and Pasifika communities with autonomy over their health. Community-led initiatives should be prioritised, and as well as initiating discussions with leaders about how to best meet the needs of their communities.
If asked, you can acknowledge the fact that some people may see Māori and Pasifika vaccine initiatives as ‘prioritisation’ above Pākehā. However, this is an equitable approach. These views are raised generally due to a lack of education as to why Māori and Pasifika communities are more vulnerable to the virus in our current healthcare system.
Additional Reading
https://www.theaspiringmedics.co.uk/post/medical-school-interview-public-health-access-to-healthcare
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/clinicians/s/social-determinants-of-health/
Kia ora, David Seymour. Let’s talk about Māori, health and vaccination
How Māori and Pasifika groups are taking the vaccine message to whānau and aiga
Beyond 90% – the graphs that tell the story of our vaccination challenges
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/450893/maori-vaccine-equity-scheme-criticism-blows-back-on-seymour
https://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/news-items/vaccine-rollout-track-achieve-equitable-uptake-maori-and-pacific-peoples
https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal-articles/will-access-to-covid-19-vaccine-in-aotearoa-be-equitable-for-priority-populations-open-access
https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/reset-equity-first-dose-covid-19-vaccines-maori-and-pasifika
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/govt-defends-equity-covid-19-vaccine-rollout
Post #4 - Professionalism
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Identify both perspectives and show empathy. The GP is frustrated and they are bad-mouthing a patient to a student, which should not be happening. However, on the other hand, we are all human and this does not mean that the GP is a ‘bad person’, they are likely frustrated that they can not help their patient. The GP is expressing concern for their patient, but is acting inappropriately by launching a personal attack on them.
The patient likely has reasons for why she could not turn up to the appointment, despite wanting to and potentially needing to. It is likely there are access barriers (The 5 A’s) to her accessing this appointment. The fact that she has been unable to pick up her medications is potentially an indicator that she is struggling. It is likely that she is prioritising other commitments in her life above her own healthcare, which is understandable.
It can be difficult for non-clinical students to understand the dynamic between a student and consultant, but sometimes there is a strict hierarchy in place. This can make it very difficult for students to feel comfortable voicing their opinions or discussing with seniors. Therefore, you might want to consider the difficulties of ‘calling out’ a highly qualified health professional as a student.
You might like to propose solutions to the issues raised in the stem. COVID-19 has shown us that online or phone consults can be successful in reaching patients to check up on them. If the patient is able to do so, you could suggest a phone consultation as an easier way to get in touch if they are having trouble getting to the practice. Or perhaps you could ask the patient if the script has been sent to a pharmacy that is easily accessible to them/within a short distance of where they live.