Physicians are experts in providing healing care.
Interviewing physicians (casually referred to as doctors) is a major responsibility since these medical professionals are experts in the art of healing and provide important care for people struggling with health issues. What sets physicians apart from medical specialists like surgeons is their education, clinical experience, and license to practice medicine and provide healing care for patients. Good interview questions to ask a physician should test each candidate's qualifications and interest in providing health care.
Motivation
It may sound like a cliche, but when interviewing physicians, you definitely want to understand their motivation for practicing medicine. The Job Interview & Career Guide offers "Why did you choose this career?" as a simple question to ask early in the interview. Since physicians have typically gone through several years of education and acquired advanced medical degrees, they obviously have something motivating them. Your hope in a medical practice or facility is that the physician wants to help heal people.
Career Goals
"What are you career goals? Does this hospital fit your career plans?" are also suggested by the Job Interview & Career Guide. It is common to ask about a candidate's career goals. In a medical operation, you also need to know about the stability of the physicians that you hire. Building relationships is important in 21st century health care, and clinics and hospitals want to hire physicians who are likely to stay around for a while.
Clinical Strengths
A more specific question you can ask about a physician's strengths according to the eMatchPhysicians site is "What are your strongest clinical areas?" This question gets at the match of the physician's strengths and specializations with your needs as a clinic or hospital. In a large facility, you might want to hire someone who has expertise in areas not already thoroughly covered. In a smaller facility, you may need a physician with strong experience in multiple clinical areas.
Team Orientation
While the popular ABC television show "House" depicts actor Hugh Laurie as an autonomous and egotistical dictator, most medical practices need physicians who are comfortable working as part of a team. This is especially true in hospitals or large practices in which collaboration and practical learning forums are important. Doctors in smaller clinics also rely on nurses, assistants and receptionists. A simple interview approach highlighted by eMatchPhysicians is "Describe your abilities as a team player." A good response should indicate experience in teamwork and an understanding of its importance in a medical setting.
Tags: career goals, Career Guide, clinical areas, healing care, health care
