Essential Residency Interview Questions for Caribbean IMGs in Global Health

Caribbean medical graduates applying for global health–oriented residency tracks face a unique mix of traditional and behavioral interview questions, plus extra scrutiny around training background, motivation, and resilience. Preparing strategically—especially for behavioral interview medical scenarios—can transform interviews from stressful interrogations into structured conversations that highlight your strengths.

This guide focuses on common interview questions for Caribbean IMG in global health, what programs are really assessing, and how to answer effectively with concrete, global-health–relevant examples.

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Understanding the Global Health Residency Interview Landscape

Global health residencies and global health residency track positions attract applicants from diverse paths, including many Caribbean IMGs. Whether you’re targeting internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, or emergency medicine with a global health focus, programs will probe three main areas:

1. Clinical competence and adaptability
2. Commitment to global health and health equity
3. Professionalism, resilience, and teamwork

As a Caribbean IMG, you may also face additional questions about:

• Your Caribbean medical school residency pathway
• Transition from offshore or international training to a U.S. system
• Clinical exposure, especially U.S. clinical rotations and electives
• Potential visa considerations (if applicable)

Interviewers want to know not only whether you can succeed clinically, but also whether you are a good fit for global health work, which requires cultural humility, resourcefulness, and sustained commitment.

Key interview formats you may encounter:

• Traditional one-on-one faculty interviews
• Panel interviews (faculty + residents)
• Virtual interviews (now very common post-pandemic)
• Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) in some academic centers
• Informal resident “meet and greets” that still influence rank decisions

Across all these formats, similar core question types appear repeatedly—especially the classic “tell me about yourself,” motivation questions, and structured behavioral interview medical questions.

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Core Icebreaker & Background Questions

1. “Tell Me About Yourself”

This is almost guaranteed. For Caribbean IMG applicants, this is often the most important two minutes of the entire interview.

What programs are assessing

• How clearly and confidently you communicate
• Whether you have a logical, coherent story from medical school to global health interest
• Your maturity, insight, and self-awareness
• First impression of “fit” with the program

How to structure your answer (2–3 minutes)

Use a simple three-part framework: Present → Past → Future.

1. Present: Who you are now and what you’re doing
2. Past: Key steps that led you here (Caribbean school, clinical experiences, global health exposure)
3. Future: Why this specialty and global health residency track is the right next step

Sample structure for a Caribbean IMG in global health

• Present:
  “I’m a recent graduate from [Caribbean School] currently completing a sub-internship in internal medicine in [U.S. City], with a strong focus on underserved care and global health. I’ve especially enjoyed working with immigrant populations and managing complex chronic diseases in resource-limited settings.”

• Past:
  “I grew up in [Country/Island], where I saw firsthand how social and economic factors shaped health. During medical school, I did my core rotations in [Hospital/City] and sought out experiences that reflected global health principles even in local settings—for example, working in community clinics with limited resources and participating in a telemedicine project supporting physicians in [Country]. I also completed an elective in [Country/Region], where I helped manage [relevant projects, e.g., TB, HIV, maternal health].”

• Future:
  “These experiences solidified my interest in internal medicine with a strong global health component. I’m particularly drawn to your program’s global health residency track and partnership with [international site], and I hope to develop the skills to lead sustainable global health initiatives that bridge my Caribbean background with vulnerable communities globally.”

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Repeating your entire CV chronologically
• Talking too long without a clear structure
• Overemphasizing personal hardship without tying it to professional growth
• Failing to mention why global health and why residency in the U.S.

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2. “Walk Me Through Your Journey as a Caribbean IMG”

As a Caribbean medical school residency applicant, you will likely be asked directly about your path.

What they are really asking

• Why you chose a Caribbean school
• How you handled the challenges and transition
• Whether your training prepared you for U.S. residency
• Your insight into your own path and how it shaped you

How to respond

1. Own your decision confidently, without defensiveness.
2. Highlight strengths of your training: diverse patient populations, early clinical exposure, adaptation to multiple healthcare systems.
3. Acknowledge challenges honestly, and focus on how you grew.
4. Tie your experience to skills needed in global health: adaptability, cross-cultural communication, working in resource-limited settings.

Example talking points

• “Training in the Caribbean allowed me to work with patients from multiple islands and cultural backgrounds, which parallels global health settings.”
• “Coordinating U.S. core and elective rotations required strong self-direction and organizational skills—traits I use responding to complex global health projects.”
• “I learned to function efficiently despite variable access to diagnostics—similar to international medicine contexts where you must rely on strong clinical reasoning.”

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Global Health–Specific Motivation & Experience Questions

3. “Why Global Health?”

For a global health residency or global health residency track, your long-term commitment is crucial.

What interviewers want to hear

• A sincere, specific motivation (not vague “I like to travel”)
• Understanding that global health is about equity, systems, and sustainability, not short-term mission trips
• Evidence that you’ve reflected on ethical global engagement

Framework for answering

1. Personal connection: Where your interest began (e.g., growing up in the Caribbean, witnessing health inequities, family experiences).
2. Professional exposure: Concrete examples—projects, electives, research, or community work related to health disparities or international medicine.
3. Mature understanding: Show that you recognize complexities: local leadership, sustainability, cultural humility.
4. Future alignment: How a global health residency track will help you achieve specific goals.

Example angle for a Caribbean IMG

“As someone raised in [Island/Region], I witnessed communities with limited access to specialists and essential medications. During medical school and my electives in [locations], I saw similar patterns in different countries: delayed presentation, preventable complications, and systemic barriers. These experiences taught me that global health is not only about care abroad but about addressing structural inequities wherever they appear—whether in the Caribbean, inner-city U.S. communities, or refugee settings. I’m seeking a residency program that teaches robust clinical medicine and offers structured global health training, including work with immigrant communities here and sustainable partnerships internationally.”

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4. “Tell Me About a Global Health or Underserved Experience That Shaped You”

This is a classic behavioral-style question that blends experience with reflection.

Use the STAR method:

• S – Situation: Brief context
• T – Task: Your role or responsibility
• A – Action: What you did, skills used
• R – Result/Reflection: Outcomes and what you learned

Example scenario

• Situation: “During my clinical rotation in [Country/Hospital], we had limited access to diagnostic imaging and labs.”
• Task: “As a student, my role was to assist with triage and daily rounds, focusing on patients with suspected sepsis and pneumonia.”
• Action: “I worked closely with residents to refine my physical exam skills, created simple checklists for early warning signs, and helped implement a paper triage tool that prioritized high-risk patients for the little oxygen therapy we had.”
• Result/Reflection: “We saw a decrease in delayed recognition of deteriorating patients. More importantly, I learned how structured processes and careful clinical assessment can partially compensate for resource limitations—a lesson directly applicable to global health and safety-net settings.”

Tips for Caribbean IMGs

• Even if your “global health” experience is local (e.g., FQHC clinics, migrant health, inner-city hospitals), frame it in terms of global health principles: equity, systems thinking, cultural humility, social determinants of health.

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5. “How Do You Define Global Health?”

This question assesses your conceptual understanding.

Strong answer components

• Focus on health equity across populations, not just “care in other countries”
• Recognition that global ≈ local when it comes to inequities
• Mention of interdisciplinary work, public health, and systems strengthening

Example definition

“I see global health as the pursuit of health equity for all people, transcending national borders. It addresses how social, economic, and political forces create health disparities and seeks sustainable solutions through collaboration with local communities, health systems, and policymakers. In practice, that may mean working in a rural clinic abroad, but it also includes addressing disparities in immigrant communities in the U.S. and in my home region of the Caribbean.”

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Behavioral Interview Medical Questions: Stories That Show Who You Are

Most residency programs, especially academically oriented or global health–focused ones, use behavioral interview questions because past behavior is a strong predictor of future performance. As a Caribbean IMG, this is where you can differentiate yourself through rich, diverse experiences.

6. Teamwork & Conflict

Common questions

• “Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a team member. How did you handle it?”
• “Describe a time when you had to work within a team under pressure.”
• “Have you ever had to advocate for your patient against resistance?”

What programs are assessing

• Emotional intelligence and communication skills
• Ability to manage disagreement respectfully
• Patient-centered advocacy balanced with professionalism

Example (team conflict)

• Situation: “During my internal medicine rotation in [U.S. Hospital], there was tension between the resident and nurse regarding discharge planning for a patient with limited English proficiency and no stable housing.”
• Task: “As a student, I recognized that the patient’s social needs were being overlooked, but communication between the team members had become strained.”
• Action: “I respectfully asked if we could have a brief huddle, summarized the patient’s concerns, and suggested involving social work and interpreter services. I acknowledged both the nurse’s workload and the resident’s time pressure, focusing on our shared goal of safe discharge.”
• Result/Reflection: “We adjusted the discharge plan, arranged temporary housing support, and deferred discharge by a day. This experience reinforced that clear, respectful communication and a focus on patient safety can de-escalate conflict and improve outcomes—skills I know are crucial in global health teams, which often involve multiple disciplines and cultural backgrounds.”

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7. Resilience, Stress, and Failure

Common questions

• “Tell me about a time you failed or made a mistake.”
• “Describe a difficult situation and how you coped.”
• “Residency is stressful. How do you manage stress and prevent burnout?”

Programs know that residency + global health work can be emotionally taxing. They want to see that you:

• Recognize your own limits
• Learn from setbacks
• Use healthy coping strategies

Sample approach (failure example)

1. Choose a real, non-trivial example (e.g., initial exam failure, struggling with time management in a rotation, communication oversight).
2. Clearly explain:
   • What went wrong (take ownership)
   • What you learned
   • Specific changes you implemented
3. End on growth and improved performance.

As a Caribbean IMG, you might say:

“I initially underestimated the adjustment needed when I started my first U.S. clinical rotation. I struggled with documentation speed and electronic medical record navigation, which affected my ability to contribute fully on rounds. After receiving feedback, I dedicated extra time to EMR tutorials, observed residents’ documentation strategies, and created templates for common notes. By my next rotation, my evaluations highlighted efficient documentation as a strength. This experience taught me to seek feedback early, adapt quickly, and proactively close skill gaps—essential in both residency and rapidly changing global health environments.”

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8. Ethical and Cultural Scenarios

Common questions

• “Tell me about an ethical dilemma you faced in a clinical or global health context.”
• “Describe a time when cultural differences affected patient care. How did you respond?”

For global health, interviewers prioritize:

• Cultural humility
• Avoiding a “savior” mindset
• Respect for local practices and patient autonomy

Example (cultural scenario)

• Situation: “During a rotation in [Caribbean/Latin American country], we cared for a patient with advanced cancer whose family asked us not to disclose the full prognosis.”
• Task: “As a student, I was unsure how to balance cultural norms around non-disclosure with principles of patient autonomy I learned in U.S.-based training.”
• Action: “I discussed the case with my supervising physician, who explained local norms and the importance of understanding patient preferences first. We gently explored with the patient how much information she wanted to know. She indicated trust in her family to make decisions. We then aligned our communication with her values while ensuring she had the pain control and support she needed.”
• Result/Reflection: “This case taught me that cultural competence is not about rigidly applying one ethical framework but about centering the patient’s values in context. As a Caribbean IMG, I’ve seen how different health systems and cultures approach truth-telling, and I strive to navigate these differences thoughtfully.”

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Classic Clinical & Program-Fit Questions (With a Global Health Angle)

9. “Why This Specialty?” (e.g., IM, FM, EM, Pediatrics)

Combine clinical interest with global health relevance:

• Internal medicine: chronic disease management in resource-limited settings, health systems strengthening
• Family medicine: continuity, community-based care, public health integration
• Pediatrics: child health, vaccination programs, nutrition, early development
• Emergency medicine: acute care in low-resource contexts, disaster response

Example (Internal Medicine + Global Health)

“I’m drawn to internal medicine because it allows me to manage complex chronic conditions over time, address multiple comorbidities, and integrate social determinants of health into care. These are exactly the challenges faced in global health and in many underserved Caribbean and immigrant communities. I want to become a strong internist who can care for complex patients both in tertiary centers and in resource-limited settings, and then leverage that experience to improve systems of care.”

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10. “Why Our Program?” and “Why Our Global Health Track?”

Generic answers will hurt you here. Research:

• Program’s global health curriculum
• Partner sites and communities
• Faculty with global health expertise
• Opportunities in international medicine, migrant/refugee health, or health equity research

Then answer with specific alignment:

• “I’m particularly interested in your partnership with [Country/Clinic], as it mirrors the health challenges in the Caribbean—especially [e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease, maternal health].”
• “Your curriculum’s emphasis on bidirectional exchanges and capacity-building aligns with my belief that global health must be mutually beneficial, not one-directional.”

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11. Clinical Scenarios and “How Would You Manage…” Questions

You may be asked:

• “Describe a challenging patient you’ve managed.”
• “How would you handle a patient who…” (nonadherent, lacks insurance, language barrier, etc.)

Even when the scenario is local, you can naturally integrate:

• Social determinants of health
• Health equity considerations
• Parallels to global health contexts (limited access, trust issues, systemic barriers)

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Addressing Caribbean IMG–Specific Concerns & SGU/Caribbean Match Questions

12. Questions About Your Medical School, Gaps, or Scores

Common concerns:

• “Tell me about [your Caribbean school].”
• “I see a gap between graduation and application—what did you do during this time?”
• “Can you explain [USMLE score trends, failed attempt, or delayed exams]?”

How to approach

• Be factual, concise, and non-defensive.
• Emphasize what you did with the time: research, clinical experience, global health work, language study, community service.
• Link improvements to future performance.

If you are from schools like SGU, you might briefly mention the SGU residency match outcomes or alumni network in global health roles, but avoid sounding like a brochure. Instead:

• “My school has a strong track record of placing graduates into a wide variety of U.S. residencies, including those with global health components. More importantly, it exposed me to a diverse, international student body and clinical sites across several states, which prepared me to adapt quickly to new systems—an essential skill in global health.”

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13. “Do You See Yourself Practicing in the U.S., Internationally, or Both?”

Programs want to know your realistic long-term vision.

Strong answers often combine:

• Commitment to immediate excellence in U.S.-based clinical training
• Long-term global health engagement (e.g., partnerships with Caribbean or LMIC settings, health policy, NGOs)
• Flexibility and an understanding that career paths can evolve

Example:
“In the short term, my focus is to become a strong internist practicing in the U.S., ideally in a safety-net or academic setting that serves diverse populations. Long term, I hope to split my time between U.S.-based clinical practice, teaching, and collaborative projects in the Caribbean and other underserved regions—ideally through longitudinal partnerships rather than brief, one-off trips.”

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Practical Preparation Strategies for Caribbean IMGs

14. Build a Bank of 10–15 Core Stories

Prepare STAR-format stories that cover:

• A leadership experience
• A teamwork challenge
• A conflict situation
• A failure/low point and growth
• A global health/underserved case
• An ethical dilemma
• A clinical challenge with limited resources
• Teaching or mentoring experience
• An example of resilience

You can then adapt these stories to many residency interview questions.

15. Practice Out Loud—Especially for “Tell Me About Yourself”

• Record yourself and aim for clear, engaging 2–3 minute responses.
• Practice with mentors or peers, ideally someone familiar with international medicine or IMG issues.
• Get feedback on clarity, pacing, and whether your global health passion feels authentic and grounded.

16. Anticipate Virtual Interview Logistics

• Stable internet, neutral background, professional dress.
• Have notes with bullet points (not scripts) visible but off-camera.
• Prepare thoughtful questions to ask faculty and residents about their global health initiatives.

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FAQ: Common Questions from Caribbean IMGs About Global Health Residency Interviews

1. Will programs question my interest in global health if I don’t have a long international CV?
Not necessarily. Many residents start with local experiences serving underserved or immigrant communities. Focus on how you understand global health principles and how your Caribbean background and clinical rotations have shaped your perspective. Demonstrate a genuine, informed interest and a clear plan to engage in opportunities during residency.

2. How should I address a failed exam attempt or academic difficulty during my Caribbean medical school residency path?
Be honest and concise. Briefly explain the circumstances without making excuses, then focus on what you learned and specific steps you took (changed study methods, sought mentorship, improved time management). Highlight improved subsequent performance. Programs care more about your trajectory and insight than about perfection.

3. What if I’m asked about controversial short-term mission trips on my CV?
Acknowledge limitations of short-term work and demonstrate growth in your understanding. Emphasize any focus on local partnerships, continuity, and capacity-building. Show that you now see global health as a long-term, bidirectional commitment, not just brief clinical tourism.

4. How can I stand out as a Caribbean IMG when many applicants have strong global health interests?
Use your unique vantage point:

• You’ve trained across different health systems.
• You may have firsthand experience with resource constraints and health inequities in the Caribbean.
• Connect your story to a clear, concrete vision for how you want to work at the intersection of global health, international medicine, and U.S.-based care.
  Use specific examples, reflective insight, and well-prepared behavioral interview answers to make your commitment and readiness unmistakable.

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By anticipating these common interview questions for Caribbean IMG in global health and crafting thoughtful, experience-based responses, you can convey not only that you are clinically capable, but that you are precisely the kind of reflective, resilient, equity-focused physician global health residency programs are seeking.