Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) Medicine InterviewFormat, Questions & Prep Tips

Oregon was the first US state to legalise physician-assisted dying under the Death with Dignity Act (1997). A terminally ill patient requests information about the option. You personally have moral reservations. What do you do?

Conscientious objection, duty to inform, Oregon DWDA eligibility criteria (terminal illness, 6-month prognosis, two oral + one written request), duty to refer to a non-objecting provider.

OHSU is the only institution in Oregon that grants MD degrees. What obligation does that singularity create for the school and for you as a future physician it trains?

Oregon's rural health workforce crisis, Eastern Oregon physician deserts, tribal health access, and the academic medical centre's role as the state's only tertiary referral centre.

Oregon has implemented a broad statewide drug decriminalisation policy (Measure 110). A patient using illicit substances presents to the ER. How does this policy context change your clinical approach?

Harm reduction framework, non-punitive clinical interaction, Oregon's subsequent policy revisions (2024 recriminalisation), SBIRT (screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment), and the physician's role in documenting without stigmatising.

[Role-play] A patient is upset because their appointment was rescheduled twice due to system errors. They are visibly frustrated and questioning whether to leave the practice. You have 8 minutes.

Empathy first; do not immediately defend the system. Listen, validate, apologise for the process failure, and offer concrete next steps. AIDET framework is applicable.

Rural Oregon has severe physician shortages. What specifically draws you to training in a state where primary care access gaps are among the worst in the West?

Be concrete: AHEC rural training sites, specific rural Oregon communities or counties, and how the OHSU training model enables rural practice preparation.

A colleague applies for a competitive fellowship and asks you to write them a strong letter. You believe they are competent but not exceptional. How do you respond?

Honesty obligation in letters of recommendation, competing duties to peer and fellowship committee, letter inflation culture in medicine, and how to manage the conversation.

Describe a scientific claim you initially accepted that later turned out to be incorrect or more nuanced. How did you update your understanding?

Scientific epistemology and intellectual humility. Show awareness that medicine is probabilistic and iterative. Reference a specific example rather than a generic "I learned to question things."

Oregon is considering legislation that would require physicians to screen all patients for housing insecurity and make a referral if identified. Some physicians argue this is outside their scope. Argue both sides.

Social determinants of health, physician scope vs. social worker scope, SDOH screening tools (PRAPARE, NACHC), the billing and time burden, and the public health argument for physician-as-screener.

[Role-play] You are a medical student on a rural rotation in Eastern Oregon. A farmer has driven two hours to be seen, but the only specialist who can help is in Portland and the next telehealth slot is three weeks away. The patient is frustrated and says the system has given up on rural Oregon. You have 8 minutes.

Validate the frustration before problem-solving; acknowledge the real access gap without becoming defensive about OHSU or the system. Explore interim options (telehealth, local stabilisation, care coordination) and be honest about what you can and cannot control. Assessors score empathy and rapport-building first.

An assessor hands you a graph showing physician-to-population ratios across Oregon counties: dense provision in the Portland metro and a steep cliff in the eastern and coastal counties. What does this tell you, and what would you want to know before drawing conclusions?

Read the figure carefully before interpreting. Distinguish raw counts from need-adjusted ratios, note confounders (population age, travel distance, telehealth uptake), and avoid over-reading a single snapshot. Connect to OHSU's statewide workforce mandate as the only MD-granting school in Oregon.

A patient who travelled from a coastal Oregon community has low health literacy and has just been told they need to start insulin. They are overwhelmed and quietly say they do not think they can manage it. How do you respond?

Teach-back technique, plain language, chunking information, and surfacing the real barrier (cost, fear of needles, food access, isolation) rather than repeating instructions. Show you would build a follow-up and support plan, not just deliver facts.

OHSU is home to the Knight Cancer Institute and the Vollum Institute. Describe a scientific question — in any field — that genuinely fascinates you, and explain why the unanswered part interests you more than what is already known.

Demonstrate authentic intellectual curiosity rather than reciting prestige programmes. Pick a specific question, articulate the boundary of current knowledge, and show how you think about uncertainty. Reference Knight or Vollum only if it genuinely maps to your interest.

Tell me about a time you committed to a community or place for the long term, even when leaving would have been easier. What did that teach you about the kind of physician you want to be?

OHSU wants evidence of genuine Pacific Northwest and rural commitment, not stated intention. Use a concrete example of sustained engagement and connect it honestly to Oregon's workforce needs — avoid romanticising rural practice.

Oregon tribal communities have sovereign health systems and a documented history of underfunded care. A tribal patient tells you they prefer to be treated within their own community's clinic rather than at the academic centre, even though the specialist care is at OHSU. How do you respond?

Respect tribal sovereignty and the patient's autonomy; recognise the historical context of distrust. Discuss coordinating with tribal health services, IHS limitations, and ensuring the patient is supported rather than pressured toward the academic centre.

You and another student are jointly leading a small-group case discussion. Partway through, you realise your co-leader has stated something clinically incorrect to the group. How do you handle it in the moment?

Correct the information without humiliating your colleague — preserve the team and the learning environment. Show you can prioritise patient-relevant accuracy while maintaining a collaborative, non-hierarchical tone, which matters in OHSU's team-based culture.