Senior Medical Student Mock Interview Program in Pediatrics.

OBJECTIVES: Residency interviews play an integral part in medical residency placement. We aimed to develop and evaluate a mock interview program for fourth-year medical students interested in a pediatric specialty. METHODS: A mock interview program for fourth-year medical students interested in pediatrics was developed and implemented. Preinterview quantitative data and postinterview qualitative data were collected. Fifty-nine students completed the program across three consecutive academic years. Preinterview surveys were completed regarding comfort and confidence levels specific to aspects of the interview process. Descriptive analyses were used. In addition, a focus group was held with nine of the participating students to obtain qualitative data via a paper blog process. Themes in student responses were identified through constant comparative analysis. RESULTS: Before the mock interview, students were most uncomfortable with introductory and closing remarks and their confidence levels varied by topic. A thematic analysis of focus group data identified five themes (preparation, stress reduction, interview process familiarity, confidence of skills, and receiving feedback) for which the mock interviews were most helpful. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a mock interview program was feasible and acceptable for senior medical students and may improve comfort and confidence levels in the residency interview process. Further longitudinal research is needed.

Case reports and review of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a type of orthostatic intolerance that is characterized by excessive tachycardia and decreased cerebral blood flow in the upright position. This can result in significant symptoms of dizziness and light-headedness that can eventually lead to syncope. In this review, we describe two patients with POTS that varied in their degree of symptoms and treatment. One patient was able to be treated as an outpatient, while the other required hospitalization and extensive medical therapy. We would like to emphasize with this review that POTS is probably more common than it is diagnosed and is often confused with other conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome or functional syncope. It is important to make the correct diagnosis in order to allow appropriate treatment and to improve the quality of life for these patients.