Clinical Emergency Scenarios – AFP Interview preparation | Academic Foundation Programme
First, familiarise yourself with the language and statistics used in medical research. Start by knowing the pros and cons of common study designs especially randomised control trials, cohort studies and case control studies. Understanding statistical tests and the significance of the results can also be very helpful when analysing the strengths of the results of a paper. The best book I found was called Users’ Guides to the Medical Literature by Guyatt et al. If you are to purchase any book, I would recommend this one as it covers all you need to know for the AFP interviews and beyond.
This clip was taken from How to Get into the Academic Foundation Programme by George Miller.
The academic interview consists of a 10 minute interview with a panel academics working in a sub-sector of healthcare. Their backgrounds will remain unknown to you throughout the whole interview process. You will often be asked to appraise an abstract or paper. Academic interviews, in my opinion, are the most difficult to prepare for because there is often no right or wrong answer. I believe there are two very important ways in which one must prepare for this interview.
For many students applying for the AFP, their interview may be the first time they have been formally interviewed since they applied to medical school, and understandably this can be nerve-racking. This week for Medics.Academy, I’m sharing my experience interviewing for the AFP. I applied successfully for an AFP job in the London deanery in 2018.
Dr George Miller’s AFP application was ranked in the top 10% nationally. He was also among the first cohort of the Healthcare Leadership Academy. Through his membership he met Johann, and decided to create a course on applying to the Academic Foundation Programme.
What is your greatest strength?
This might seem like a no-brainer question to answer, but be careful. Dont use this as an opportunity to soapbox about how wonderful you are; pick a specific ability or skill that relates to the job youre applying for and talk about it. This is one of the easiest times during an interview to sell yourself, so hit the sweet spot of playing up your strengths without boasting. Describe what your greatest skill is, and then pick two or three examples that depict it in action.
What is your greatest weakness?
This question can trip up a lot of people, but not for the reason you might think. While its never a good idea to let your heart bleed out as you describe your greatest failings in life, this also isnt the time to practice Orwellian doublespeak. The trick is to talk about a genuine work-related weakness, then explain how you handled it. Dont say that your greatest weakness is perfectionism or being too early – those are strengths, and the interviewer wont be impressed. What really stands out is the ability to accurately self-analyze and change accordingly. It shows maturity, insight, and translates well in your work.
FAQ
What questions will I be asked in an Army interview?
- What is your greatest strength? …
- What is your greatest weakness? …
- How do you handle stress and pressure? …
- Describe a difficult work situation or project and how you overcame it. …
- How do you evaluate success? …
- Why are you leaving or have left your job? …
- Why do you want this job?
What are 10 good interview questions?
- Tell Me About Yourself. …
- Why Are You the Best Person for the Job? …
- Why Do You Want This Job? …
- How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role? …
- Why Are You Leaving (or Have Left) Your Job? …
- What Is Your Greatest Strength? …
- What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
What are the 7 most common interview questions and answers?
- Tell me a bit about yourself. …
- Why do you want to work here? …
- What do you know about us as a company? …
- What are your strengths? …
- What are your weaknesses? …
- What were the best and worst parts about your last role? …
- Why are you looking to make the move from your current company?
