(Intern PMCV recorded interview)

What are they?

Situational judgement / scenario interview questions require you to describe how you would respond to a range of hypothetical professional situations in the future.

Interviewers use these questions to predict and assess your future job performance.

These types of interview questions are an efficient way to assess whether or not you’re a good fit for the organisation, team and role.

They are designed to evaluate your ability to assess, judge and choose the most appropriate actions in response to a workplace situation.

By using these questions, interviewers can get a better understanding of how you approach situations and how you would deal with them.

Common themes assessed by these questions in a medical context:

Professionalism	Stress and fatigue
Ethics and integrity	Feeling overwhelmed / out of one’s depth
Occupational health and safety	Errors and mistakes
Risk management	Teamwork and leadership
Managing difficult people	Advocacy
Conflict management	Quality management and innovation

How to respond…

1. Reading time

In your reading time, think about the scenario posed. You can make notes during the reading time. We recommend brief, high level dot points because you will need to speak to the camera, not at your notes, during your response time.

The SPIES format provides a framework to consider:

• Seek information – What is the problem? How would you seek more information about the situation?
• Patient Safety – Assess patient risk (or risk to co-workers etc).
• Initiative – Can you do anything yourself? What is appropriate?
• Escalate – Involve other colleagues as needed.
• Support – Can you support the team / individual?
   

2. Structure of your response

You will have a maximum time limit to respond (i.e., 2 minutes).

You can break down your response into the following.

1. Assessment and judgment of the situation (approx. 30 sec):  Identify the 2-3 key things (tasks or priority areas) that you would need to action or consider in responding to the situations, and why. Sign-posting these key tasks / priorities during your opening will help guide your response.

Sometimes paraphrasing the scenario at the start can help to centre your response.

2. Response (approx. 60-70 sec): Outline the actions you would take in responding to the situation and why. Describe what you need to consider when deciding the best course of action.
    
3. Conclusion (approx. 20 sec): In the last 15-20 seconds conclude your response, i.e. ‘In doing X, Y, Z… I would be hoping to achieve…’
    

Using the SPIES format to support your assessment the situation you may want to consider incorporating into your response:

• Do you / they need more information, advice, or support? From whom can you / they get it?
• Safety - Patient and staff (OHS).
• What can you initiate within your scope of role vs risk assessment and escalation?
• If the scenario involved a mistake / error - Open disclosure, organisation process and reporting requirements.
• Self-reflection & learning opportunity
   

Make sure you talk through the key considerations and explain how you would use information to make informed decisions on how to react.

If you think you need more information, then explain why and how that would impact your actions.
 

Example situational / scenario questions:

• You are an intern on a ward, and you have accidently cannulated the wrong patient, what do you do?
• Your supervisor is busy and a patient of yours is deteriorating in ED after having a motorbike accident. What do you do?
• A patient you are caring for as part of a team is agitated and complaining that you did not manage their pain enough, they want to speak to the consultant. What do you do?
• You are 4 weeks into a new rotation, and you cannot manage the workload. What do you do?