FREAKED after my medic school interview!!

[FutureFlightMedic]

The title says it all.....I took everyone's good advice, went in, looked professional (smiled, eye contact, yadda yadda...) and-then GOT GRILLED! Like a peice of steak on a hot summer day! I had expected the standard "tell us why you want to be here" stuff, and was very prepared to give it my all. Instead, I got questions covering EMS law (relationiships between protocols, standing orders, and our FD's kinds of things)-that seemed to go ok, then I got the dreaded SCENARIO question...."You are dispatched to a 57 y/o male c/o severe chest pn. After your assesment, you realize it is indeed "the BIG ONE" and your patient refuses treatment. What do you do?" Well, I responded confidently that I tell Mr MI the risks and benefits of treatment or its refusal. I discuss the old "get him to sign the refusal form" after strongly encouraging him to let me treat him if he still refuses. Then, realizing that I am hitting the "assault and battery vs negligence" charge, I tell the interviewers that if I felt this patient was not mentally stable, I have a duty to treat him, or risk negligence, and thinking the "big one" might sway someones frame of mind a bit, I say I think I would treat him. The interviewer says "even against his will?" I must have looked terrfied, because then he said "I'm going to pressure you to make one of two decisions-do you treat him against his will, or let him die?" HELP! I said I'd treat him-can't just watch him die! After that, there was a quiet "ok" from the interviewer, followed by an even more quiet "good" and ALOT of writing. AHHHH! Did I just blow it? There were more questions along these lines that I felt somewhat ok about, but then that one is just tearing me up! I am a fairly smart girl, who cares about people and wants to do the right thing. I feel like he (the interviewer/INSTRUCTOR thinks I am an idiot. What do you fellow EMT's and Medics think? Do these kinds of interviews actually turn out positive? I really want to be one the lucky 24 (out of 43), and will be waiting a good two weeks before I know. I know I can't change what's done, but does anyone have encouragement that I may still get in? Anyone had these kinds of interviews they can share with me? Thanks!!:unsure:

 

[Guardian]

My answer would have been as follows. If the pt is mentally stable and refused treatment despite knowing the risks vs. benefits of treatment, I would have let him die. That may sound bad but the fact is, this is a free country and people are allowed to refuse medical treatment. Period. Forcing people into treatment goes against everything we believe. Having said that, I don't think you're a fascist. If I were interviewing you, I would have thought you were a little immature with a big heart. If I liked everything else about you, I would have accepted you into the program. Good luck.

 

[Chimpie]

When I was going through Law Enforcement school one of my professors said, "If you walk out of an interview feeling like you had the crap beat out of you, then you did a good job. They'll probably liked you. If you walked out of their feeling like you knew everything they asked, like you were on cloud nine, then they were probably too easy on you because they knew you weren't a fit for them."

If you go to that question they must have liked you. And because they kept pressuring you, they wanted to see how you could handle stress (IMO). Protocols and procedures is something that they can be taught. How you handle stress and pressure, for the most part, is not.

As for someone who has done 30 interviews in the last few weeks (non-ems related), the reason they write things down is so they don't forget what you said, either good or bad. Heck, after interview 5 was finished, I couldn't remember what interview 4 was. LOL

Relax, drink a glass of wine, try to keep your mind occupied for the next couple of weeks. I'm sure you did just fine.

 

[oldschoolmedic]

for future reference

when they ask this type of almost unanswerable question, they are not evaluating what you know, but how you think. Your answer shows inexperience, but a good heart. Next time offer up this chestnut, I would contact online medical control and place this problem in their hands. Paint a good picture so they may see and know what you know, then let the treat/no treat decision be theirs, not yours.

There is a Patient Bill of Rights, and chief among these is the right to refuse treatment regardless of the outcome. As long as a person maintains their faculties they are allowed to make choices about their health, even if we know it would be detrimental to them. Have you heard the phrase, " The patient left AMA." It means "against medical advice", see people even do this crap to doctors, why should we be different?

Don't let this interview bug you so much. If nothing else it was a learning experience. Medic school will still be there, and there will always be a need for us. Shoot, down here in South Carolina there are twelve jobs for every available medic. This shortage isn't going away any time soon. Good luck.

 

[FutureFlightMedic]

Thanks everyone for your encouraging advise! It sounds like you have all been there! I will remember your advice and also I'll try to chill out! I'll let you about my results! Thanks!

 

[FutureFlightMedic]

Thanks! Chimpie! That part about leaving "feeling like they beat the crap out of you" descibed my feelings perfectly! Hopefully that means your'e right and they liked me! That should help me sleep well tonight...thanks again!

 

[MMiz]

I left my EMT interview thinking there was absolutely no way anyone would hire me. I got my but kicked, handed back to me, and kicked again. I've never felt so horrible about any interview, and I've done about 30 interviews in the past few years.

I was hired. I can't tell you how many people have told me that when you feel as though you've been to hell and back, that's when you know it was a good interview. An interviewer or interview team knows that you're on the spot, and of course they're going to push you to the edge.

I suggest following up with them and writing a thank you note if you haven't already. If you need one of the templates I used just let me know. A followup thank you note shows that you really care, and I hear that only a small percentage of people actually write them.

Good luck!