Dermatology Interviews Questions

General Questions
• Why do you want to go into dermatology? (Other times phrased as Why not do medicine/ ID/ lab research/anything else you have ever expressed interest in?)
• What are your strengths and your weaknesses?
• Why are you interested in coming to this particular program?
• Do you have any questions for us?
• What will you do if you don't match in dermatology?
• Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
• What other programs are you looking at?
• Tell me about yourself.
• Tell me about your research (can be research from college - know it well!).
• Tell me about an interesting patient you saw.
• Tell me about your summer abroad.
• Why should I believe that you want to stay in academics?
• What do you like to do for fun?
• What are you looking for in a derm program?
• What can you bring to this program?
• What is the most risky thing you have ever done?
• What sort of risks have you taken in life?
• Describe what your typical day will be like from morning to night in 10 years, including what you will eat for meals.
• Describe a situation in which you made a mistake, and what you did to remedy the situation.
• Describe a situation in which you failed.
• If your house caught on fire, what would you save if you could only choose three things?
• Describe an interesting case that you saw during your dermatology rotation.
• Do you have a role model?
• Why do you want to come to city X? Why would you ever leave city Y?
• What do you want to do within dermatology? (peds/ surgery/ research, etc.)
• Tell me about the case report you wrote.
• Tell me about a difficult case you dealt with when you were a medical student. How did you handle it?
• On one occasion, I was asked about an imaginary patient with psoriasis and how I would manage him.

Interesting Questions

• Why do you want to work with our patient population (VA, county hospital)?
• Describe a time that things didn't work out the way you wish they had. What did you do?
• What is your favorite book/author?
• Who is your historical hero, and who is your modern hero?
• Do you know what makes your hair red?
• What's your favorite Shakespeare play?
• If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
• If you weren’t in medicine, what would be your fantasy job?
• Are we still your first choice?
• Pick a painting on the wall and describe it to me and tell me why you chose it.
• If you could be any object, what would it be?
• What do you think of America? What does it mean to be an American citizen?