CASPER COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔Time when you made a mistake at work. - ✔✔When I first started shadowing a
neurologist, I once had a new patient call in to schedule an appointment. I was frazzled
with other patients and forgot to ask which insurance they had. When they came in, I
had to be the one to tell them that we didn't take their insurance and apologized
profusely. Thankfully, we did offer a competitive self-pay rate, which she ended up
doing and had a good experience at our clinic despite my mistake. Since then, I learned
to be extremely careful about focusing on one task at a time.
✔✔Describe a past situation in which your ethics were challenged. - ✔✔A few years
ago, I was taking a test at our testing center. I noticed that a guy next to me had notes
which he was pretending was scratch paper. I was nervous to say something in case I
was wrong...maybe it was just scratch paper. I felt that it was my responsibility to say
something to someone, so I told the supervisor at the testing center. Though I don't
know for certain what happened, I felt good knowing that I did what I believed was right,
even though it was difficult.
✔✔Describe a time when you used teamwork to solve a problem. - ✔✔In my pre-
medical honor society, we did medical case studies every few weeks. We were divided
into groups and given background information and medical history. As a group we had
to figure out the diagnosis of the patient. At first, we really struggled with this, always
running out of time before we could figure out what was wrong. However, as we learned
to work as a team, we got significantly better. We would create a google doc, divide out
what each person was going to research, take turns discussing what we found out, and
would go from there. Each person had a job, and we were all contributing, and we were
able to figure out the diagnosis so much faster.
✔✔Have you ever been at odds with a coworker? How did you handle this? - ✔✔When
I was working as a scribe, I worked with one coworker who wasn't participating and
contributing much to our team. I decided to talk to him about it, and just suggest that we
switch off charts because I was taking on most of the charts that he hadn't been doing.
,He ended up taking it really well and was really nice about it. I'm glad I addressed the
problem with him directly to come up with a solution.
✔✔What is the greatest challenge you have ever faced and what did you do to
overcome it? - ✔✔The greatest challenge I ever faced was when my grandfather was
diagnosed with cancer. I was extremely close with him, and I've seen him fight cancer
before and go through other health problems. The hardest part about this was being far
away, and not knowing what was going on. As well, as feeling like there was no way to
help because he was so far away. To overcome this, I decided that the only thing I
could do was to learn as much as I could about it. I couldn't change his diagnosis, but I
could learn about it so I could understand what was going on.
✔✔What quality or personality trait is most important in medicine? - ✔✔I believe that
you should look for candidates that are empathetic. While good grades and gpa are
important, I think it is even more important to look for individuals who can understand
patients and what they are going through. To be able to get down on their level, and put
themselves in their shoes. Though we might not have gone through exactly what they
are going through, we have all felt disappointed or scared (or whatever they are feeling),
and apply that to the situation. I believe that great health care stems from empathy.
✔✔Do you get frustrated or angry? - ✔✔Anger to me means loss of control. I do not
lose control. When I get stressed, I step back, take a deep breath, thoughtfully think
through the situation and then begin to formulate a plan of action. For instance, when I
am given multiple projects to complete in a short amount of time, rather than feeling
frustrated, I come up with a strategy for how to complete the work in a steady,
methodical manner that will not overwhelm me.
✔✔Your supervising physician or fellow PA are drunk at work, what would you do? -
✔✔- Tell them to go home and come back tomorrow because they are a danger to
themselves and the patients.- If my supervising physician refused then i would have to
report him to the medical board because it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of
the pt's.- As a medical provider he or she should know better and have the maturity to
not treat patients when they are intoxicated
✔✔Your patient is diagnosed with Syphalis but does not want to tell his wife. What
would you do? - ✔✔-I would respect the pt's wishes and protect his privacy
-Medical provider does not impose personal belief or judgement on their patients
-However, you can encourage patient to openly talk about it with partner
-provide information of risks to their partner but ultimately the decision is the PT's
✔✔Imagine that you witness your attending doing something that in your opinion does
not fit the standard of care. How would you react? - ✔✔I would take a step back and
analyze the situation and try to understand the thought process of why the physician
made that order
,-If I was still unsure I would consult the ordering physician and try to determine why he
chose that treatment bc it could have been a mistake- made by me or by physician
- If I know with 100% certainty that it is a mistake, I would not follow those orders and
tell the supervising physician that I am not comfortable with that
✔✔What would you do if you witnessed a coworker stealing Tylenol from Pyxis? - ✔✔I
would confront them about it, and let them know that I am really concerned. I would tell
them that they are jeopardizing their license as well as mine. I would tell them to put it
back, and that we need to sit down and talk about it. If he didn't want to listen, I would
report him .
✔✔Imagine that you diagnose an elderly patient with a life threatening condition that
requires overnight observation. The patient refuses to be treated. However, the patient's
son tells you that the patient has dementia and is incapable of understanding the
diagnosis or making medical decisions. The son wants you to admit the patient to the
hospital against the patient's wishes. What do you do? - ✔✔I would discuss the patient
with the physician and determine whether they have the capacity to make decisions; pts
have the right to refuse but generally only if they are A+O x4 a(1) person, (2) place, (3)
time, and (4) situation.
and are stable psychiatrically;
-pt may need a POA (power of attorney) since incapable of making decisions
✔✔What if you caught a student cheating? - ✔✔I would privately talk to them in a non-
judgmental and non-confrontational way and try to understand if something is going on
in their life that is hindering their studies. I would also tell them I was uncomfortable with
them cheating. Then I'd encourage them to do the right thing and tell the professor. If
they refused, then I would report them to the professor. If we allow others to cheat, we
are only cheating them, and their future patients.
✔✔If a student fails a test, is it the student's fault or the teacher's fault? - ✔✔I
understand that depending on the situation it can be partially the student and the
teacher's fault. If everyone else in the class did poorly as well, then it might likely be the
teacher's fault for not fully explaining the topic to the kids. If this student is one of the
few to do poorly on the exam, then it's most likely their own fault. Learning is not a
passive activity. You have to put in the effort and hard work, even if the teacher isn't
explaining it in the best possible way. You can also always ask the teacher if they can
teach it to you differently.
✔✔Describe a situation you have had with a difficult patient. - ✔✔I once had an older-
male patient who was inappropriate around the female technicians at a clinic. I
confronted my boss about it and told him my concerns and that I was uncomfortable
working on him. My boss was very understanding and receptive. He was also able to
talk to the patient, and make sure it didn't happen again.
, ✔✔You are at a baseball game and the woman in front of you has a very suspicious
mole that you suspect could be melanoma. What do you do? - ✔✔I would make
conversation with her, and politely ask if she has had that mole checked out before?
If no, I would tell her why it looked suspicious to me and encourage her to get it checked
out.
If she was hesitant, I would strongly insist that she should (and tell her my training)
✔✔You are in a surgery and the anesthesiologist starts making inappropriate comments
about the patient once they are asleep. What do you do in this situation? - ✔✔I would
tell them that is inappropriate and to stop. Next time they did it, I would report it.
✔✔You are about to leave for the day and realize that you gave a patient medicine they
are allergic to. What do you do? - ✔✔- contact patient immediately and explain the
situation
-tell patient to stop taking medication
A) if the patient has taken already, provide him information and schedule a follow up
with patient asap
-notify the healthcare team of the mistake
-notify the hospital or clinic safety committee of mistake
- document the mistake and follow up with patient the day after
- learn from this mistake and be more careful next time
✔✔You prescribed a 13 year old birth control, and the pt's mother calls and is angry.
What do you say? - ✔✔I would first start by introducing myself to her. I would explain
my reasoning and side of the story and why I felt that it was important for her daughter
to be protected and what benefits that birth control can have for all women. I would ask
her what questions she had, and what concerns and go from there.
✔✔A friend in your class tells you his mother was recently diagnosed with breast
cancer. He is overwhelmed by his studies and may drop out of the program to spend
time with his mother. How do you counsel your friend? - ✔✔First, I would express how
sorry I was and let them know that I am always there for him.
I would then tell him that I believe he should stay in the program because he has
already worked so hard for this. I would tell him that our class is there for him and will
help him in any way that he can and won't let him get behind.
I would also remind him of why he wants to be a doctor- maybe its bc he wants to give
best possible care- something that he wants his mom to have.
✔✔You are an Uber driver because you are trying to make some extra money. One
night at 2am you take 3 men home who appear to be intoxicated. When you drop them
off they appear to be heading to their car. What do you do? - ✔✔In this situation I do not
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔Time when you made a mistake at work. - ✔✔When I first started shadowing a
neurologist, I once had a new patient call in to schedule an appointment. I was frazzled
with other patients and forgot to ask which insurance they had. When they came in, I
had to be the one to tell them that we didn't take their insurance and apologized
profusely. Thankfully, we did offer a competitive self-pay rate, which she ended up
doing and had a good experience at our clinic despite my mistake. Since then, I learned
to be extremely careful about focusing on one task at a time.
✔✔Describe a past situation in which your ethics were challenged. - ✔✔A few years
ago, I was taking a test at our testing center. I noticed that a guy next to me had notes
which he was pretending was scratch paper. I was nervous to say something in case I
was wrong...maybe it was just scratch paper. I felt that it was my responsibility to say
something to someone, so I told the supervisor at the testing center. Though I don't
know for certain what happened, I felt good knowing that I did what I believed was right,
even though it was difficult.
✔✔Describe a time when you used teamwork to solve a problem. - ✔✔In my pre-
medical honor society, we did medical case studies every few weeks. We were divided
into groups and given background information and medical history. As a group we had
to figure out the diagnosis of the patient. At first, we really struggled with this, always
running out of time before we could figure out what was wrong. However, as we learned
to work as a team, we got significantly better. We would create a google doc, divide out
what each person was going to research, take turns discussing what we found out, and
would go from there. Each person had a job, and we were all contributing, and we were
able to figure out the diagnosis so much faster.
✔✔Have you ever been at odds with a coworker? How did you handle this? - ✔✔When
I was working as a scribe, I worked with one coworker who wasn't participating and
contributing much to our team. I decided to talk to him about it, and just suggest that we
switch off charts because I was taking on most of the charts that he hadn't been doing.
,He ended up taking it really well and was really nice about it. I'm glad I addressed the
problem with him directly to come up with a solution.
✔✔What is the greatest challenge you have ever faced and what did you do to
overcome it? - ✔✔The greatest challenge I ever faced was when my grandfather was
diagnosed with cancer. I was extremely close with him, and I've seen him fight cancer
before and go through other health problems. The hardest part about this was being far
away, and not knowing what was going on. As well, as feeling like there was no way to
help because he was so far away. To overcome this, I decided that the only thing I
could do was to learn as much as I could about it. I couldn't change his diagnosis, but I
could learn about it so I could understand what was going on.
✔✔What quality or personality trait is most important in medicine? - ✔✔I believe that
you should look for candidates that are empathetic. While good grades and gpa are
important, I think it is even more important to look for individuals who can understand
patients and what they are going through. To be able to get down on their level, and put
themselves in their shoes. Though we might not have gone through exactly what they
are going through, we have all felt disappointed or scared (or whatever they are feeling),
and apply that to the situation. I believe that great health care stems from empathy.
✔✔Do you get frustrated or angry? - ✔✔Anger to me means loss of control. I do not
lose control. When I get stressed, I step back, take a deep breath, thoughtfully think
through the situation and then begin to formulate a plan of action. For instance, when I
am given multiple projects to complete in a short amount of time, rather than feeling
frustrated, I come up with a strategy for how to complete the work in a steady,
methodical manner that will not overwhelm me.
✔✔Your supervising physician or fellow PA are drunk at work, what would you do? -
✔✔- Tell them to go home and come back tomorrow because they are a danger to
themselves and the patients.- If my supervising physician refused then i would have to
report him to the medical board because it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of
the pt's.- As a medical provider he or she should know better and have the maturity to
not treat patients when they are intoxicated
✔✔Your patient is diagnosed with Syphalis but does not want to tell his wife. What
would you do? - ✔✔-I would respect the pt's wishes and protect his privacy
-Medical provider does not impose personal belief or judgement on their patients
-However, you can encourage patient to openly talk about it with partner
-provide information of risks to their partner but ultimately the decision is the PT's
✔✔Imagine that you witness your attending doing something that in your opinion does
not fit the standard of care. How would you react? - ✔✔I would take a step back and
analyze the situation and try to understand the thought process of why the physician
made that order
,-If I was still unsure I would consult the ordering physician and try to determine why he
chose that treatment bc it could have been a mistake- made by me or by physician
- If I know with 100% certainty that it is a mistake, I would not follow those orders and
tell the supervising physician that I am not comfortable with that
✔✔What would you do if you witnessed a coworker stealing Tylenol from Pyxis? - ✔✔I
would confront them about it, and let them know that I am really concerned. I would tell
them that they are jeopardizing their license as well as mine. I would tell them to put it
back, and that we need to sit down and talk about it. If he didn't want to listen, I would
report him .
✔✔Imagine that you diagnose an elderly patient with a life threatening condition that
requires overnight observation. The patient refuses to be treated. However, the patient's
son tells you that the patient has dementia and is incapable of understanding the
diagnosis or making medical decisions. The son wants you to admit the patient to the
hospital against the patient's wishes. What do you do? - ✔✔I would discuss the patient
with the physician and determine whether they have the capacity to make decisions; pts
have the right to refuse but generally only if they are A+O x4 a(1) person, (2) place, (3)
time, and (4) situation.
and are stable psychiatrically;
-pt may need a POA (power of attorney) since incapable of making decisions
✔✔What if you caught a student cheating? - ✔✔I would privately talk to them in a non-
judgmental and non-confrontational way and try to understand if something is going on
in their life that is hindering their studies. I would also tell them I was uncomfortable with
them cheating. Then I'd encourage them to do the right thing and tell the professor. If
they refused, then I would report them to the professor. If we allow others to cheat, we
are only cheating them, and their future patients.
✔✔If a student fails a test, is it the student's fault or the teacher's fault? - ✔✔I
understand that depending on the situation it can be partially the student and the
teacher's fault. If everyone else in the class did poorly as well, then it might likely be the
teacher's fault for not fully explaining the topic to the kids. If this student is one of the
few to do poorly on the exam, then it's most likely their own fault. Learning is not a
passive activity. You have to put in the effort and hard work, even if the teacher isn't
explaining it in the best possible way. You can also always ask the teacher if they can
teach it to you differently.
✔✔Describe a situation you have had with a difficult patient. - ✔✔I once had an older-
male patient who was inappropriate around the female technicians at a clinic. I
confronted my boss about it and told him my concerns and that I was uncomfortable
working on him. My boss was very understanding and receptive. He was also able to
talk to the patient, and make sure it didn't happen again.
, ✔✔You are at a baseball game and the woman in front of you has a very suspicious
mole that you suspect could be melanoma. What do you do? - ✔✔I would make
conversation with her, and politely ask if she has had that mole checked out before?
If no, I would tell her why it looked suspicious to me and encourage her to get it checked
out.
If she was hesitant, I would strongly insist that she should (and tell her my training)
✔✔You are in a surgery and the anesthesiologist starts making inappropriate comments
about the patient once they are asleep. What do you do in this situation? - ✔✔I would
tell them that is inappropriate and to stop. Next time they did it, I would report it.
✔✔You are about to leave for the day and realize that you gave a patient medicine they
are allergic to. What do you do? - ✔✔- contact patient immediately and explain the
situation
-tell patient to stop taking medication
A) if the patient has taken already, provide him information and schedule a follow up
with patient asap
-notify the healthcare team of the mistake
-notify the hospital or clinic safety committee of mistake
- document the mistake and follow up with patient the day after
- learn from this mistake and be more careful next time
✔✔You prescribed a 13 year old birth control, and the pt's mother calls and is angry.
What do you say? - ✔✔I would first start by introducing myself to her. I would explain
my reasoning and side of the story and why I felt that it was important for her daughter
to be protected and what benefits that birth control can have for all women. I would ask
her what questions she had, and what concerns and go from there.
✔✔A friend in your class tells you his mother was recently diagnosed with breast
cancer. He is overwhelmed by his studies and may drop out of the program to spend
time with his mother. How do you counsel your friend? - ✔✔First, I would express how
sorry I was and let them know that I am always there for him.
I would then tell him that I believe he should stay in the program because he has
already worked so hard for this. I would tell him that our class is there for him and will
help him in any way that he can and won't let him get behind.
I would also remind him of why he wants to be a doctor- maybe its bc he wants to give
best possible care- something that he wants his mom to have.
✔✔You are an Uber driver because you are trying to make some extra money. One
night at 2am you take 3 men home who appear to be intoxicated. When you drop them
off they appear to be heading to their car. What do you do? - ✔✔In this situation I do not
