Question bank

Why do you want to be a dermatologist? / What attracts you to dermatology?

What have you done in the last two years to demonstrate your interest in dermatology?

What attributes do you bring to dermatology? / What qualities make you suited to it?

What will you do if you don't get onto the program this year?

What is the role of a supervisor?

A medical student approaches you for advice on pursuing dermatology. How do you approach this?

What sort of dermatologist do you want to become? / Where do you see yourself in five years?

Out of your NON-dermatological medical experience, what has prepared you to be a good dermatology trainee?

Your research record is strong — but very little of it is dermatology. Why should we believe you'll stay?

Tell us about yourself. / Take me through your CV.

A colleague says dermatology isn't real medicine. What do you say?

Tell us about a time you made a mistake.

Tell us about a time when something went wrong and a patient was adversely affected.

Give us an example of open disclosure.

Tell us about a time you performed a procedure and something went wrong.

You missed a significant result and there was a bad patient outcome. What do you do?

Tell us about a time you received negative feedback from a supervisor.

Your perceived performance and your consultant's differ. How do you approach it?

How do you best learn, and how do you like to receive feedback?

Tell us about a time you took on feedback and changed your practice.

You notice you are the only registrar being given feedback. What are the issues?

When have you disagreed with a senior colleague? What happened?

A colleague is arriving late, leaving early, and documentation is poor. Nurses raise it with you. The consultant is unaware.

You overhear a senior colleague saying something inappropriate to a nurse. What do you do?

A consultant makes racist remarks. Others say it's just his personality.

Your consultant is managing patients against recommended guidelines. What do you do?

You suspect a colleague is intoxicated or impaired.

Describe a conflict with a non-medical person at work and how you resolved it.

Tell us about a time you gave feedback to a colleague.

A patient refused a treatment you recommended. What did you do?

Tell us about a time you cared for a patient with different beliefs to your own.

Tell us about a time you dealt with a challenging or unhappy patient.

Tell us about a time you went above and beyond for a patient.

Tell us about a time you had to break bad news.

What are your techniques for improving patient compliance?

A patient doesn't speak English and no interpreter is booked. Their family offers to translate.

Tell us about a time you've been involved in health equity. How will it shape your practice? Name someone who can verify this.

How would you make dermatology access more equitable for ALL Australians?

How would you improve health outcomes for regional and rural patients?

When have you modified your approach for a patient with different cultural or religious values?

Tell us about a time you cared for a vulnerable patient.

Which populations in Australia experience health disparities?

A young Aboriginal woman on methotrexate for lupus attends with her baby. You need to explain sun protection.

What is your understanding of Medicare and the PBS? If you redesigned them, how?

Should Australian healthcare be publicly funded, or private?

Is it fair for patients with lifestyle-related chronic conditions to access public healthcare?

Cosmetic treatments are largely unregulated. Should government regulate, and what can the College do?

A colleague offers $200 of skin-check services to be raffled for a primary school fundraiser. What do you think?

Someone asks your opinion on a skin condition at a dinner party. What do you do?

What do you see as the role and success of the College?

What are the key challenges facing dermatology in the next ten years?

A ward clerk asks you for a corridor consult. What do you do?

Describe a time you were part of a successful team. Why did it work, and what was your contribution?

Give an example of an initiative you implemented at work in the last two years.

Describe a time you demonstrated leadership.

Tell us about a time you were dependent on others to achieve a result.

Tell us about a time you made a change to the work system to improve the workplace.

Tell us about a time you decided to learn something not on your duty statement.

Tell us about a time your workload was too much / you were overloaded.

Tell us about a time you were stressed. Did it affect your clinical decision-making?

Describe a time you were pushed beyond your capability.

Tell us about a time you felt unsupported or under-supervised.

How do you handle stress and avoid burnout?

Describe a time you completed a task despite significant obstacles.

Tell us about a time you had to deviate from protocol or work outside your usual practice.

Tell us about a situation where you had to get to the bottom of something.

When have you modified your behaviour to adapt to another person's style?

Things don't always go to plan. When have things not worked out?

How would you prepare for an unfamiliar placement — a new hospital, a rural clinic, or private practice?

You arrive at a new clinic with no handover. You don't know who to see or whether anyone is unwell.

If you get onto the program, how will you approach your first year of training?