The Billion $ Question
Hello future doctors,
RCS has a handy list of medical interview questions. I found "if you had £1 billion to spend on one element of healthcare, what would you spend it on and why?" interesting for a number of reasons.
It's surprising and different. It takes you off guard.
It's specific to you personally. It peels away at the layers of your personality onion.
It is a responsibility test. If you cannot advocate for a responsible healthcare issue, you can't save lives.
In this article, I'll give you my take on this billion dollar question. We'll discuss two broad directions.
Direction 1 — link your past
You can link your answer to past research/work experience.
"I'd invest the £1 billion into telomerase therapy. It is a novel cancer treatment which I did an internship in last summer. I believe it has enormous potential."
Direction 2 — link your future
You can link to your future. A belief you have or some value you believe can be provided.
"I'd invest the money into making Kefir for the masses. It's fermented milk, tied to my family's traditions and histories. I have Kefir every morning for breakfast — and that is why I get sick less than other people, and that's why I recover from sickness faster. Kefir is truly amazing for your health. It's also got a great history."
Concluding thoughts
Have a belief for the future, and stick to it.
This is the fifth article in my medical school interview prep series. Past articles have looked at specific interview questions in depth.
Got an interview coming up? Get the Free Interview Prep Guide. I'll respond to every one of you.
Michael
First-year AUSoM medical student,
Future Swiss doctor
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