Doctor Interview Questions

Doctors typically manage heavy workloads and encounter situations with high pressure. The candidate's answer will identify which strategies they use to navigate these situations. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Identifies coping mechanisms
• Navigates complex and difficult situations with calmness
• Makes decisions under pressure

This question allows you to identify the underlying reasons behind a candidate's decision to become a doctor. This field requires interaction with patients personally, so the candidate's answer will provide you with a better idea of their bedside manner. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Answers with a balance of personal and professional reasons
• Demonstrates emotional range
• Discusses hard and soft skills

This question provides you with insight into a candidate's attention to detail. Because they work with prescriptions every day, candidates should have a strategy in place for prescribing the proper medications to patients. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Thinks critically 
• Listens to patient needs and their symptoms
• Understands how medications interact

This question helps you determine whether the candidate matches the skills you're looking for in a doctor. This is also their opportunity to inform you of any additional training they've had. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Discusses personal skills and traits
• Describes additional training
• Provides educational information

Here, it's important to know whether the candidate truly listens to their patients. By doing so, they can catch on to symptoms or components that are affecting their patients that they would otherwise miss. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Uses information gathered from active listening to develop a diagnosis
• Translates medical information to the patient
• Provides patient with emotional support

The candidate's answer will inform you of how they organise their time. The right candidate will discuss previous experiences and how they've developed a strategy for these situations. Here is what to look for in their answer:

• Demonstrates prioritization skills
• prioritises patient care
• Shows compassion for patients

Doctors have heavy workloads and patient lists. The candidate's answer to this question will determine how they interact with patients and, subsequently, how they will interact with the rest of your team. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Demonstrates compassion for patient's condition
• Discusses patient's file with them 
• Knows which questions to ask patients

This question determines how the candidate handles uncertainty. The ideal candidate will know when to refer elsewhere or conduct more research. Here is what to look for in a successful answer:

• Conducts research to find a cause
• Demonstrates compassion
• Makes decisions under pressure

This question tests the candidate's hard skills. It also allows you to evaluate how the candidate interacts with their patients. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• prioritises patient safety 
• Demonstrates good interpersonal skills
• Has knowledge of requirements of initial consultations

As technology advances, doctors need more technical skills. The candidate's answer to this question provides you with more information on their technical skill set. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Demonstrates enthusiasm
• Has knowledge of electronic medical records
• Has experience using various electronic programmes for medical records

This question provides you with information about how the candidate handles errors. The ideal candidate will have experience in diagnoses and will know when they've made an error. Here is what to look for in a successful answer:

• Demonstrates thought out strategy for fixing errors
• Makes decisions under pressure
• Demonstrates ability to communicate misdiagnosis to the patient

The candidate's answer helps determine what their interpersonal skills are. It also helps identify what their work process is. Here is what to look for in a successful answer:

• Demonstrates compassion for patients
• Navigates complex diagnoses with ease
• Makes decisions under pressure

The candidate's answer to this question identifies how they manage conflict. The right candidate will have experience with this and will know how to navigate these situations. Here is what to look for in a successful answer:

• Compromises to find a solution that both parties are happy with
• Demonstrates conflict resolution skills
• prioritises patients' needs

The answer to this question will identify how candidates can contribute to positive patient outcomes by implementing changes. The right candidates bring a balance of hard and soft skills. Here is what to look for in their answer:

• Demonstrates experience implementing changes in healthcare settings
• Shows creativity in suggesting changes that benefit patients
• prioritises patient safety

This question provides you with information about the candidate's educational experience. You're also provided with information about the candidate's practise. Here is what to look for in an answer:

• Demonstrates practical skills
• Provides a linear description of educational and professional experience
• Describes real-life experiences and examples