Interviewing Pearls for New Physicians

By Brooke Strickland

You have spent years with your face crammed in medical books and being on call. You have taken hundreds of tests and spent countless hours in laboratories, classrooms, and internship, residency, and perhaps fellowship. And after all that work, now you finally have the long-awaited title of “ophthalmologist.” So, now here comes one of your biggest challenges to date: finding your first job out of residency or fellowship.

An interview is literally a sales presentation – you are promoting who you are and all that you have worked for. Here are some simple guidelines to follow when you are interviewing for your new physician position.

Keep your answers short: Your medical job is more of a fact-based position, so you do not need to explain a lot. Make sure your answers are concise, to the point, and clear. Wasting your time or your interviewer’s time with rants is never a good idea.

Be prepared: Know information about the potential employer that you are interviewing with. This makes you look prepared, interested in the position, and can give you an advantage with other people interviewing for the same position. Also, anticipate some of the questions the interviewer will ask, and rehearse some of your answers beforehand.

Have solid references available: You should have at least three professional references available, including those from your current training program or most recent jobs. Information should include name, title, dates and organization you worked with this person for, and necessary contact information. In addition, make sure you also have a general idea of what this person will say about you if they are called.

Show, don’t tell: Illustrate your skill by sharing past accomplishments, achievements, awards, or other instances where your training and ability were put into good use.

Bring your own questions: Not asking any questions in an interview can signal a potential employer that you are not really interested in the position. So, do your homework before the interview. Research the history of the practice or employer and bring questions that reflect what you learned.

Being an eye surgeon is important and highly valuable, and a potential employer needs to know you are the right person for the job before bringing you in to care for patients. So, make the best impression you can during your interview. Be yourself. Show them what great qualities you have to offer and get ready to join the community as an eye surgeon!