Becoming a doctor is hard, but a successful job interview is not that easy either. If you have a medical interview around the corner, you may want to prepare to ace it. There are a few questions that can be considered tricky, but don’t worry – I got you covered. In fact, keep reading to find some frequent medical interview questions.. and answers, of course!

Frequent medical interview questions

Doctors have huge responsibilities, and so do the ones who hires them in an institute. Dealing with health and wellness is not a  joke, therefore you can expect quite a serious interview.

You can be asked general questions about you and your interest in this field or more specific ones, because the interviewer needs to look into different topics in order to understand if you are the right candidate. A medical interview preparation takes time and it’s useful to answer the questions listed below in order to look confident and motivated in front of the hiring manager.

  • Why are you interested in this field?” – Please, don’t say you’ve always wanted to be a doctor and play the role as a young child in kindergarten. You must give an actual reason behind your interest and passion for the field – a honest one. It’s one of the most frequent medical interview questions, so prepare for it.
  • How would your friends describe you?” – Here you can highlight some of your best qualities, but don’t be too vague or obvious. For example, I wouldn’t say that you are a good listener, but mention that your friends think you are trustworthy and dependable. This way, you’ll keep it relevant to the job, because you will come across as someone extremely good at team projects and reliable, for example. 
  • What’s your biggest weakness/failure?” – You can tell a little white lie here. It’s important to be honest at job interviews, but you must be smart about it. Don’t talk about your biggest weakness or failure, mention something smaller that helped you grow and learn. Include how you’ve improved since then. 
  • What salary do you expect?” – It’s a tricky question and you need to spend some time on this one if you want to face it in the best possible way. In fact, I even wrote an article about it – learn more about salary expectations. Make sure you know your worth before saying an insane amount.
  • When are you the most satisfied in your job?” – There you go, it’s time to shine. Show your passion about the job and answer honestly. For example, you could say that you feel the most satisfied when you are able to help a complicated patient. 
  • What motivates you?” – Shine on. You have another chance to impress the interviewer (or interviewers, in case of a panel interview). Remember not to sound arrogant. There’s a difference between being proud and driven and bragging. 
  • How do you handle emergencies?” – “Like a pro”. Just kidding, don’t say that. I suggest to give a concrete example of a time you did handle greatly an emergency. You will prove with facts that you don’t panic in hard situations.

Of course, depending on the role of your interviewer, there will be also technical questions to test your skills. Therefore you need to be super confident about the specific role you’re applying for. Moreover, you will probably have to discuss about your studies, researches and experiences.

However, these are frequent medical interview questions that are usually asked for different medical jobs, such as nursing roles and hospital staff job positions. I hope they will be useful for your next job interview.