Questions on interpersonal skills and personal insight

Question 1

How would you rate your communication skills ?

Answer 1

I would say that my communication skills are fairly good

i have always had positive feedback regarding both my listening abilities and my communication skills from teachers and my employer at work.

There have been many instances where this has shown :

• work - speaking to adults about their kids and explaining work to the kids
• volunteering - speaking to patients in the elderly wards

communication skills can always be improved so that is definitely one thing that i am looking forward to

Question 2

How have you developed your communication skills ?

Answer 2

No ones communication skills are perfect and they can always be developed

• every wednesday i spend time in the dementia ward at WPH volunteering and provide an empathetic listening ear to the patients, they tell me about their stories and im there to communicate with them.

trial and error - sometimes they forget and with dementia patients its hard to have a flowing conversation so it is my job to communicate well. i have come to the method that whenever something new in the conversation comes up i use the previous part of the conversation to remind the person what we were speaking about

i also teach and have a good ability to explain complex issues to others, part of this comes naturally but i have also been very attentive to the advice given to me regarding communication with children by my employer

Question 3

Are you an empathetic person ?

Answer 3

empathy is a crucial part of being a doctor and i feel that it is a personal attribute that i have, it is one that is continually developing throughput my life and will never be perfect.

i have spent time listening to friends about their problems and patients about theirs. It allows me to be an attentive listener and an even better communicator.

i always try to be non judgemental and to view the situation from their own perspective

work experience - had to speak to someone in the waiting room regarding a condition that they had and it was obvious to me that they were nervous regarding their appointment. i had to put myself in that persons shoes and provide a listening ear for them and try to understand where they were coming from. therefore allowing me to give them reassurance and try to make them feel better

Question 4

What makes you a good team player ?

Answer 4

I am always willing to help, as a doctor you’ll get requests for help from everyone, not just patients.

I always treat others with respect and i stick by the old adage ‘treat others how you would want to be treated’ - medicine is a career that will require you to ask for assistance from a variety of people and they won’t say yes if you aren’t respectful and supportive of them too. they might say yes but they may not be of use to the best of their abilities if you aren’t respectful of them too. it goes both ways

I am a good communicator and listen actively - give two examples, WPH volunteering and mrs basi work

i am reliable and always get my tasks done - a team player should always get things done and do them to a good standard. furthermore if i make a mistake, rather than hiding the mistake i will take ownership and do my best to fix my mistake.

overall, i am able to work with a wide range of people with different personalities and i am sure that, as a doctor, i will make full use of those skills

Question 5

Give an example of where you played an effective role as a team member

Answer 5

cricket captain - explain the roles i have to undertake, the skills that are involved and how they took place in a game. make an example

• communciation
• listening
• leadership etc

just like cricket medicine is a team sport

Question 6

What are the attributes of a good team leader ?

Answer 6

• understands and motivates his team
• leads by examples
• good communication and listening skills
• recognises the need for change and implements it and is a good decision maker

just like cricket medicine is a team sport - give example of when i was a good team leader. scored 100 in a. game and then second innings wast going our way i listened to the best bowler and the best batsman and decided to change up the bowling attack and field. flipped the switch and we ended up winning

Question 7

Tell me about your leadership skills

Answer 7

i have learnt a great deal throughout my sixth form life about leadership - many examples dofe, cricket, debate club i started and organised it and made sure everything ran smoothly.

one of my strengths is that i have a clear idea of what i am trying to achieve and am able to bring people on board through my enthusiasm and rationale behind my decision making - give cricket examples

i am also a very approachable person and am open to suggestions and criticisms. not only does this make people comfortable in approaching me it enables me to identify any potential issues at an early stage

i have good communication and listening skills - give an example of this - good leader needs this as well as a doctor, works hand in hand

i really enjoy working with people. being approachable, determined and a good communicator has really helped me succeed as a leader in many situations in the past and will be a great asset for me throughout my medical career.

Question 8

Are you a leader or a follower ?

Answer 8

I am a hard working and dynamic person and i always put in a maximum effort to help my team achieve the highest performance - whether this be as a follower or a leader

There will always be situations where you are either, depending on the difficulty of the situation or type of situation that you are in

give examples of when i was a leader, give examples of when i was a follower - follower during volunteering and leader during sports activities

Question 9

What makes a good team ?

Answer 9

A good team should always have a good team leader and good members too - you need a group of people who want to do what they are doing and are enthusiastic about it, therefore they can achieve the results that are required from them

They should be able to take some initiative and also some responsibility for their actions, if anything goes wrong

communication and listening skills are essential and one main point is that the team will never be a good team if they do not have a good team leader. so this is also essential.

Question 10

What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a team ?

Answer 10

+

• able to spread the workload
• easier to gather ideas to deal with issues
• learn from others
• more of a social environment

-

• too much input can be confusing
• not everyone is a team player
• will only function well if there is a good leader
• too many people is distracting and communication and coordination errors can arise

Question 11

How do you manage your time ?

Answer 11

• plan work properly
• prioritise in order of urgency
• always have a schedule - time and what to do and i stick to it
• use my notion homepage to do this
• allow for time to rest and enjoy myself

Question 12

How good are your organisational skills ?

Answer 12

I would say that my organisation is one of my greatest strengths

Always enjoyed being busy and getting things done, makes me feel productive and doesn’t allow for me to be lazy. i do reward myself when needed/deserved.

i have done many things at the same time - studies, cricket, karate, tuition, resell and still find time to enjoy a book here and there

plan and prioritise - using my notion and i stick to it as much as i can

minimises stress by enabling me to achieve everything i need to achieve; this makes me feel more equipped to deal with a career in medicine

Question 13

What are your hobbies ?

Answer 13

what i do in my spare time - read a lot, cricket, karate, learning to play chess, music all sorts

these are my releases, helps me release stress and worries, allows me to never burn out and lets me relax when needed

speak about how cricket and karate also teach skills such as determination, hard work, teamwork, independence etc

Question 14

How do you cope with stress ?

Answer 14

stress is good because it allows me to focus and get things done but too much stress can potentially be destructive.

depending on the cause of the stress i react differently

exam stress - i give myself a break - ill go on a walk, ill listen to some music i enjoy or go out with my friends to forget about it and have some fun for a while before i get back to it

however i always have a plan for my revision and try to space it out which allows me to cover everything sufficiently and prevents me from burning out - reduces my stress levels too

overall i feel that i have managed to go through the last few years with minimal stress. And i have confidence that the way i structure my time and my life will help me go through the challenges that lay ahead of me at medical school

Question 15

How do you feel that your hobbies have contributed to or are relevant to your studies ?

Answer 15

competitive sports keep me focussed and motivated, help push myself to the limit, hope to continue to pursue cricket as far as i can whilst at med school - join the clubs

contributed a lot to my studies - directly and indirectly

work hard and try my best throughout the school year to achieve my goals and something cricket has taught me is to persevere and not give up easily - example of this…

team sport - teamwork, communication and listening skills

listening to classical music, learning and memory genes are stimulated

Question 16

What are your main strengths? what attributes do you have that will make u a good doctor ?

Answer 16

• good listener - WPH
• good at retaining info - general school
• confident in decision making - needed to be a good clinician
• empathetic -WPH
• friendly and sociable - in general and WPH

All these attributes will help me during my career in medicine and i am looking forward to developing them further during medical school and beyond

Question 17

Why are you the best candidate today ? why should we take you ?

Answer 17

im sure that everyone is of a high standard. however i think i have many qualities that help me stand out

consistently demonstrated commitment and devotion towards healthcare - WPH for nearly two years now - allowed me to have a really good insight into the hospital environment and what goes on

good academic and sporting record

approachable person who enjoys working with others and interacting with people at all levels and i feel that i have developed my listening and communication skills over time

dynamic, friendly, conscientious candidate and i believe that my motivation and inspiration will ensure that i have a successful career in med

Question 18

How would your friends describe you ? What would you like written in your obituary ?

Answer 18

Have made friends in whatever activity i undertake - think they’d describe me in a positive light

• outgoing, friendly, approachable, non judgemental listener and always there for them

obituary - someone who is honest and has integrity, sticks by his morals. First to recognise when he makes a mistake and is self accountable when he does. funny not too serious and was likeable by everyone

Question 19

Do you work better by yourself or as part of a team ?

Answer 19

I can work well both in a team and on my own.

cricket team, always communicated with my colleagues and been very supportive, always been proactive and shown willingness to help out

by myself - i also take responsibility for my work and can deliver results when needed to. i work well by myself and am able to report to a team when needed to.

working by myself allows me to focus on what i am doing more and therefore i can do it to a better quality but at the same time working in a team is always beneficial too as i can ask for help when needed and if needed can give my input here and there too to help others

This applies to medicine too, work is agreed as a team and you can draw on a members resources to help resolve an issue but there comes a stage where you have to make decisions and work independently too

Question 20

What is your main weakness ?

Answer 20

My main weakness is that i sometimes pay a little too much attention to detail and want everything to be spot on and perfect, this takes up a lot of time and i have realised that this time can be put to use elsewhere.

e.g. personal statement, spent ages on it but im sure i could’ve spent half the time that i did on it and could have achieved the same result

one of the things i noticed during my work experience is that healthcare isnt perfect, not everything needs hours spent upon it, for example whilst charting you aren’t required to write intricate paragraphs detailing every little thing that occurs on the ward round, instead it is normally just the key information

I want to do my best in everything but i need to realise that there has to be a trade off somewhere.

i am getting better at this, partly by observing how others tackle the same things and discussing this with others. As well as this, as i become more confident im able to acknowledge the ability within myself to do things.

Question 21

What makes a good teacher ?

Answer 21

main points here should be

• teacher has knowledge and can answer all the questions asked of them
• must have good communication skills and listen to their students as well as they can
• they must be approachable and respectful so people can go up to them and ask them any questions that they have
• generate interest so students don’t feel a need of HAVING to learn but more of a WANTING to learn mindset

Question 22

Tell us about your best/worse teacher

Answer 22

economics teacher - mrs sahota

• approachable and funny, shell always make u feel as if u can talk to her and ask her questions both inside and outside of work
• really good at explaining ideologies and theory and can get it into a persons head really well
• if the person doesn’t understand something she will probe that student by asking them questions that will get them to the right answer. in the same way she will get other students to explain an idea to a struggling student, this aids both of the students.
• she’s always available if you need her and is really respectful and kind to all of her students
• she’s not always serious, can have a laugh here and there

Question 23

Describe a time when you made a life changing decision

Answer 23

the decision to choose medicine as a degree

explain what led up to this, choosing a levels (had to choose between economics and medicine)

spoke to family members, spoke to careers adviser at school, spoke to my teachers, one of my teachers said i have the personality for med because im reserved and caring and honest etc. this instilled me with more confidence and over time i decided to choose medicine.

Medicine enables me to use my communication skills and has a methodical approach to problem solving, but it also has a scientific side and more of an empathetic side than economics does

Question 24

What is your greatest achievement ?

Answer 24

I have always been a keen sportsman and have always seen sport as a means to test my ability to surpass myself. I have always attended competitions, winning a lot of medals along the way.

When i was 15 - karate in the same year national and international championships

won 2 national gold medals, was able to call myself the best karate fighter in the UK for two different age and weight categories - bittersweet moment that i beat my younger brother in the final.

also won an international bronze the week after, competing with countries such as russia and pakistan and bulgaria, really big achievement for me as i was able to make it to that stage.

came with a lot of hard work and dedication etc…. (general outlook on life should be of hard work and dedication, and thats also how ive got to this stage)

you could also say that these interviews and making it this far in the process is something else that has been a large achievement

Question 25

How do you cope with criticism ?

Answer 25

depends what type of criticism i face

if it is fair criticism then i am very open minded, i don’t take things personally, admit something is wrong and have a beneficial conversation with the person who criticised me, telling me how i could improve and then i try and put this into action.

if it is unjust and i think it is not valid in any way, i try to stay calm and try to find anything of reason in the persons statement and whether anything can be done about it. if i don’t find anything that is valid or could benefit me i thank the person and then carry on with what i was doing

Question 26

How do you cope with conflict ?

Answer 26

If i had to give an example, id be lying because i don’t face conflict very often and the little times i have i can’t really recall them

but i would make sure that i listen and communicate with the parties involved and be tactful and diplomatic so that i can seek a constructive solution

Question 27

Tell us about an interesting book that you have read or a film that you have seen

Answer 27

trying to read a book a week mention that

the forty rules of love - uncle recommended it to me, had to read it he said it made him cry and thats hard because he’s a military man

the book tells the story of Ella Rubinstein, a woman in her late thirties who has settled into the complacency of her life. She exists without drive or passion. The narrative follows her unlikely escape from what at first appears to be inevitable unhappiness.

I could go into the story if you want, but in the book she is tasked with writing an analysis on the novel a sweet blashpemy which takes her back to 13th century konya and the lives of a preacher and a dervish, throughout the development of their friendship they unveil the 40 rules of love through both stories and actions, and through this ella implements these 40 rules into her life and the change from an unhappy person to a content person can be seen

spiritual book, teaches you about staying content in life and ways in which you should act to do so

Question 28

This course requires a great deal of independent study, how do you think you’ll manage ?

Answer 28

GCSEs and 6th form was fairly independent. of course i went to all my lessons and did the homework but i also took the initiative to gain information from external sources and reading articles and watching YouTube videos on the topic at hand. this was very useful as it gave me a very thorough understanding of the topic and allowed me to achieve good grades

im goal orientated, organised and enthusiastic and i study well on my own. However, i do sometimes study in small groups as i find that really relaxing and good for my mental health, it allows me to socialise whilst also being productive

having built up a culture of independent study i feel i can take this with me to uni and be equally successful

Question 29

What makes you think that you can cope with the stress in med school ?

Answer 29

im hard working

i handle stress well, i have my releases - give examples

i multitask well - studies, job and cricket and WPH WE

i can work well in a team - helps with PBL

my work life balance is good - expand on that

Question 30

How would you make a patient feel less scared ?

Answer 30

• make sure you ask the patient what they are scared about and why they are scared
• then try to reassure them as best as possible
• be an attentive listener and demonstrate empathy, good eye contact, open body language and say phrases like ‘i understand’
• explain the process of whatever it is again and try your best to reassure them

Question 31

What are the reasons for people wanting cosmetic surgery ?

Answer 31

• May be embarrassed by a particular feature and may even be the subject of bullying because of it
• Physical inconveniences of a particular feature, breasts so big their back hurts
  -low self esteem because they feel that a certain part of their body is not aligned with societies expectations

Question 32

A friend has said that they want to drop out of uni and has asked for advice on how to tell their parents. how do u respond ?

Answer 32

Rather than giving my opinion on how the parents could be told id explore why the friend wants to drop out of uni in the first place. having an open discussion about it may lead to them reevaluating their thoughts and deciding that in fact they should not drop out of university. I must make sure not to pass judgements on that friend throughout the conversation

i would probably ask open questions and try to play devils advocate

In terms on advising about how to tell the parents, i would want to ask them what they expect their parents reactions to be as this may dictate the approach. they would also need to make sure that they give the conversation some time so they can talk it through with their parents instead of just suddenly dumping the news on them