<p>The medical school interview thread is dormant so I'm posting here. </p>
<p>In job interviews some questions are illegal, such as questions to a woman about her childbearing plans, etc. </p>
<p>Are medical school interviewers held to the same legalities? Can/do they ask personal questions that could be construed as sex discrimination? Can/do they ask questions about your political views such as your opinions on abortion, euthanasia, the ACA, etc? Do some medical schools not accept applicants who, for example, say that they could not in good conscience perform an elective abortion?</p>
<p>Med school applicants do get asked all sorts of ‘illegal’ questions. Just like you can get asked illegal questions during any job interview.</p>
<p>Anecdotally it does happens. (Check out SDN. There’s a thread or two devoted to sexual harrassment incidents that happen during med school interviews.)</p>
<p>Some health-related topics (like ACA, medicare reform) will come up. I know D1 was asked to address specific health care issues (like illegal immigrants and access to healthcare, how to deal with prescription drug abuse, or proposed solutions to a high in-state rate of uninsured) in some of her secondaries. And then all her interviewers at those schools asked in detail about her answers and she had to be able to support them. Didn’t have to be on the same side, but she did have to be able to explain her position using data and reasoning.</p>
<p>I doubt the abortion issue will come up. Most (all?) med schools only teach abortion methods as an elective option and a student will never be asked to perform one unless they specifically request training in that area during their OB/GYN rotation. (I believe, from what D1 has told me, that is a national policy. D1 is on her school’s committee for women’s healthcare issues and a rep to the national organization so I would venture she knows what she’s talking about.)</p>