Your Essential Guide to Common Residency Interview Questions for DO Graduates in Global Health

Understanding the Global Health Residency Interview Landscape as a DO Graduate

As a DO graduate pursuing global health, you bring a uniquely valuable skill set—holistic care, strong physical exam skills, and a grounding in community medicine. Residency programs with a global health residency track or strong international medicine focus increasingly recognize this. However, to stand out in the osteopathic residency match (or ACGME match as a DO), you must be especially prepared for behavioral interview medical questions and global-health–specific scenarios.

Global health–oriented programs typically assess:

• Clinical readiness – Can you handle complex, resource-limited settings?
• Adaptability and resilience – How do you function in unfamiliar systems and cultures?
• Ethical maturity – How do you think about power, privilege, and sustainability?
• Motivation and fit – Why global health, and why this specific program?
• Communication skills – Can you collaborate across disciplines and cultures?

This article organizes the most common interview questions for DO graduates in global health into themes, explains what programs really want to know, and suggests how to craft strong, authentic responses.

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1. Foundational Questions: Who Are You and Why Global Health?

These are often asked at the very beginning and set the tone for the rest of your interview.

1.1 “Tell me about yourself.”

This is almost guaranteed. Think of this as your 60–90 second professional narrative, not your life story.

What they’re assessing

• How clearly and concisely you communicate
• Whether your path to medicine and global health makes sense
• How you see yourself as a DO and as a future global health physician

How to structure your answer (simple 3-part framework)

1. Present – Who you are now (DO graduate, interests, current clinical focus)
2. Past – Two to three defining experiences that led you to global health
3. Future – What you’re looking for in a global health residency track and career

Example (condensed)
“I’m a recent DO graduate from XCOM who’s especially interested in global health and community-based primary care. I grew up in a medically underserved rural community, which first opened my eyes to health disparities. In medical school, I worked on a longitudinal project with a migrant farmworker clinic and completed an international medicine elective in Guatemala focusing on maternal-child health. Those experiences taught me about structural barriers to care and the importance of sustainable, locally led solutions. I’m now looking for a residency program with a robust global health residency track where I can combine my osteopathic training, language skills, and interest in implementation science to build a career working with underserved populations both in the U.S. and abroad.”

DO-specific tips

• Briefly highlight what being a DO means to your approach: whole-person care, OMT as a tool in low-resource settings, emphasis on prevention and community health.
• Signal that you understand global health is not just about traveling abroad, but also about local underserved communities.

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1.2 “Why global health?” / “Why are you interested in international medicine?”

What they’re assessing

• Depth and authenticity of your motivation
• Awareness that global health is not “voluntourism”
• Understanding of ethical, systemic, and equity-focused aspects

Stronger answer components

• A specific moment or story that opened your eyes to global inequities
• Reflection on what you learned (about systems, power, privilege, or sustainability)
• Clear link between that insight and your professional goals
• Awareness that global health includes local-global (e.g., refugee health, migrant health, Native/Indigenous health, rural/urban underserved)

Elements to avoid

• Vague “I like to travel” or “I want to help people in poor countries”
• Overemphasis on what you did rather than what the community taught you

Sample themes you can use

• Long-standing commitment to underserved populations
• Interest in health systems strengthening, implementation science, or policy
• Desire to focus on specific issues: maternal mortality, NCDs, HIV/TB, climate and health, migration, or emergency response

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1.3 “Why our program and why our global health track?”

Residency programs want to know you’ve done your homework.

How to prepare

• Review the global health curriculum: tracks, rotations, partner sites, language training.
• Identify two to three specific components that match your goals:
  • Longitudinal global health residency track
  • Mentors with research in your interest area
  • Domestic underserved clinics serving immigrant/refugee populations
  • Opportunities in health policy, quality improvement, or implementation

Answer structure

1. Start with your overall training goals.
2. Connect them directly to specific features of the program.
3. Mention potential mentors or projects if you’ve researched them.
4. Show you see yourself fitting into their community and mission.

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2. Behavioral Interview Questions: How Do You Function in Real Situations?

Most competitive programs use behavioral interview medical techniques: “Tell me about a time when…” These questions try to predict your future performance based on your past behavior.

2.1 Using a Strong Framework: STAR or SOAR

Use a structured approach:

• Situation – Brief context
• Task – Your role or responsibility
• Action – What you did (focus most here)
• Result/Reflection – What happened and what you learned

Or:

• Situation
• Obstacle
• Action
• Result

Keep each answer to 2–3 minutes and emphasize what you did.

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2.2 Common Behavioral Questions for Global Health–Focused DO Graduates

Below are typical questions plus what interviewers are trying to assess and how to respond effectively.

a. “Tell me about a time you worked with a culturally diverse team or patient population.”

Assessing: Cultural humility, communication style, adaptability.

Strong elements

• Brief description of the setting (e.g., FQHC, refugee clinic, overseas elective)
• A specific challenge (language barrier, differing beliefs, health literacy)
• Concrete steps: how you clarified expectations, used interpreters, adapted your approach
• Reflection on your own cultural assumptions and what changed for you

DO-advantage angle: Emphasize how osteopathic principles guided your holistic, patient-centered approach and respect for patient beliefs.

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b. “Describe a time you faced an ethical dilemma in a resource-limited setting.”

If you’ve done international medicine work, this may be very direct. If not, draw from domestic experiences in safety-net settings, free clinics, or rural medicine.

Assessing: Ethical reasoning, recognition of limits, ability to seek guidance.

Good answer includes

• The ethical tension (e.g., limited dialysis access, high-cost imaging, undocumented status, experimental treatments)
• Stakeholders: patients, family, local providers, health system
• Your steps: gathering information, consulting supervisors, respecting local context
• Clarity that you didn’t bypass local standards or impose your own values
• Reflection about systemic issues and how it shaped your commitment to advocacy or systems-level solutions

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c. “Tell me about a time you made a mistake in clinical care or judgment.”

This question feels vulnerable, but strong candidates answer it honestly.

Assessing: Accountability, insight, growth mindset, patient safety orientation.

Structure

• Choose a real example that is meaningful but not catastrophic.
• Own your role without excessive self-blame.
• Emphasize:
  • How you recognized the mistake
  • How you disclosed or escalated it
  • How you corrected it
  • Concrete changes you made to prevent recurrence (checklists, seeking help earlier, double-checking dosing, using decision support tools)

For global health–interested applicants, you can also highlight how resource limitations or communication differences contributed and what you learned about team communication.

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d. “Describe a time you disagreed with a supervisor or attending.”

Assessing: Professionalism, communication up the hierarchy, respect.

Key components

• Present the disagreement without attacking the other person.
• Show how you:
  • Chose an appropriate time/place to discuss it
  • Used “I” statements
  • Focused on patient safety or evidence
  • Were open to their reasoning
• End with how the relationship remained or became stronger and what you learned about negotiation and advocacy.

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e. “Tell me about a challenging patient encounter and how you handled it.”

Examples

• Patient refusing treatment on religious or cultural grounds
• Mistrust of medical system (immigration fears, prior trauma)
• Low health literacy or language barriers
• Non-adherence in chronic disease management

Show that you

• Explored the patient’s perspective (motivations, fears, beliefs)
• Demonstrated empathy and nonjudgment
• Used tools like teach-back, interpreters, family meetings
• Adjusted the plan to align with the patient’s goals and context
• Recognized social determinants of health (transportation, housing, work)

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3. Global Health–Specific Questions: Depth, Ethics, and Fit

Programs with a global health residency track or international medicine electives will often probe specific issues.

3.1 “What does ‘ethical global health engagement’ mean to you?”

Strong topics to mention

• Sustainability and continuity of care
• Partnership with local providers and institutions
• Avoiding displacement of local trainees
• Capacity building rather than one-off missions
• Research ethics, data ownership, and authorship equity
• Recognition of historical and structural power imbalances

You don’t need to be an expert, but show that you think beyond “short-term trips.”

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3.2 “How do you see your DO training contributing to global health work?”

Highlight tangible osteopathic strengths:

• Strong physical exam skills when imaging is limited
• OMT for pain, musculoskeletal issues, and functional complaints in settings with few resources
• Emphasis on preventive care and lifestyle counseling
• Comfort with a biopsychosocial model that fits well with community-based and primary care–based global health work

Be specific: for example, how you might use OMT for low back pain where there is limited access to MRI or physical therapy.

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3.3 “What prior global or underserved experience do you have, and what did you learn?”

You may be tempted to list everything—don’t. Instead:

• Choose 1–2 experiences that were longitudinal or had deep engagement.
• Explain:
  • Your role (student, volunteer, coordinator)
  • How you ensured you were not taking on roles beyond your training level
  • How you collaborated with local staff
  • What changed in your understanding of global health (e.g., importance of local leadership, complexity of health systems, unexpected challenges)

If your experiences are primarily U.S.-based (e.g., FQHCs, urban safety-net hospital, rural clinics), connect them to global health principles: inequities, social determinants, migration, and health systems.

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3.4 “How do you plan to balance clinical duties and global health work in residency and beyond?”

Programs want to see realism.

Answer features

• Acknowledge residency is intense; global health activities must be integrated thoughtfully (e.g., designated elective blocks, scholarly projects).
• Emphasize:
  • Interest in longitudinal partnerships rather than ad hoc travel
  • Focus on acquiring strong generalist or specialty skills first
  • Use of research, QI, or curriculum development that benefits partner sites
• Long-term, mention sustainable models: telehealth support, co-authored research, periodic on-site work integrated into institutional partnerships.

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4. Classic Residency Interview Questions Tailored to Global Health DO Applicants

Beyond global health, you’ll still face standard residency interview questions. Tailor them to emphasize your global and osteopathic interests.

4.1 “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Strengths – Choose qualities with clear relevance to global health:

• Adaptability in unfamiliar or resource-limited environments
• Strong communication with diverse populations
• Team orientation and humility
• Language skills (if applicable), or willingness to learn
• Persistence and resilience in the face of bureaucracy and logistical setbacks

Always support with a brief example.

Weaknesses – Choose an honest, non-fatal weakness and show how you’re addressing it.

Examples:

• Taking on too much responsibility → learning to delegate and use team resources
• Public speaking anxiety → enrolling in workshops, seeking feedback, presenting at journal clubs
• Perfectionism with documentation → using templates and prioritization strategies

Link your growth plan to being a safer, more effective resident and global health collaborator.

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4.2 “Where do you see yourself in 5–10 years?”

Global health–interested programs want to see clarity with flexibility.

Examples:

• Practicing as a general internist or family physician in a safety-net system with 2–3 months/year devoted to work with a partner site abroad, focusing on NCD care or maternal health.
• Working in academic medicine building a global health residency track, mentoring trainees, and conducting implementation research on chronic disease care in low- and middle-income countries.
• Providing primary care for immigrant and refugee populations in a U.S. urban center, collaborating with international partners on trauma-informed care models.

Avoid rigid or unrealistic claims (“I will definitely be the director of global health at WHO”). Show you understand multiple paths exist.

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4.3 “How do you handle stress and burnout?”

Global health and residency are both taxing.

Elements of a mature answer

• Specific coping strategies: exercise, mindfulness, journaling, debriefing with mentors or peers.
• Setting boundaries and using institutional resources (counseling, wellness programs).
• Recognition of vicarious trauma and moral injury in global health work.
• Examples of times you were stressed and how you responded constructively.

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4.4 “What do you do for fun outside of medicine?”

Programs want to see that you are well-rounded and have outlets for stress.

Be honest and specific (e.g., hiking, learning languages, playing music, cooking, community organizing). If relevant, mention hobbies that may complement global health (language-learning, cross-cultural cooking, travel) without making them the only focus.

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5. Strategy: Preparing Your Answers and Practicing for Success

5.1 Build Your Personal Story Bank

Before interviews, create a list of 8–12 experiences you can use for various behavioral questions:

• A time you led a team
• A time you failed or made a mistake
• A time you resolved a conflict
• A time you advocated for a patient
• A time you navigated cultural differences
• A time you worked with limited resources
• A time you engaged in QI, research, or community-based projects

For each, outline the STAR components. Many questions can be answered by re-framing the same core stories.

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5.2 Map Questions to Global Health Themes

Look at common questions and think: “How can I highlight my global or underserved experiences and DO training?”

For example:

• “Tell me about a leadership experience.”
  → Organizing a free clinic, coordinating a global health interest group, leading a QI project on vaccination in underserved communities.

• “Talk about a research or scholarly project.”
  → A project on health disparities, implementation of screening programs, or outcomes of telehealth in rural populations.

• “Describe a time you taught someone something.”
  → Working with community health workers, peers, or local trainees during an elective.

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5.3 Practice Aloud and Get Feedback

• Mock interviews with faculty in global health or with your school’s career office.
• Video-record yourself answering questions like “tell me about yourself,” “why global health,” and 3–4 behavioral questions.
• Ask for specific feedback on:
  • Clarity and concision
  • Body language and pacing
  • Whether you over- or under-emphasize foreign vs. domestic work
  • How you discuss DO identity and OMT

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5.4 Prepare Your Own Questions for Programs

Programs assess you by the questions you ask them. Prepare thoughtful, specific questions such as:

• “How is the global health residency track integrated throughout training, and how do residents balance those commitments with clinical responsibilities?”
• “Can you describe your primary partner sites and how residents contribute without displacing local trainees?”
• “What support is available for DO residents interested in using OMT in global or underserved settings?”
• “How does your program support residents in long-term careers in global health (e.g., mentorship, alumni network, research infrastructure)?”

These questions signal that you understand global health’s complexities and that you’re invested in sustained engagement.

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6. Navigating the Match as a DO Graduate Interested in Global Health

Although the single accreditation system has largely unified MD and DO training, DO graduates still sometimes worry about competitiveness.

6.1 Positioning Yourself in the Osteopathic Residency Match / ACGME Match

• Emphasize the synergy between DO philosophy and global health:
  • Community orientation
  • Preventive care
  • Patient-centered, whole-person approach
• When asked about your DO background, be ready to explain:
  • Why you chose osteopathic training
  • How OMT fits into your practice plans
  • How DO principles shape your view of global health equity

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6.2 If You Lack International Experience

Not having formal overseas electives does not disqualify you from global health–oriented programs.

Highlight:

• Work with immigrants, refugees, or low-income populations in the U.S.
• Involvement with public health, harm reduction, or community-based organizations.
• Coursework or certificates in global health, public health, or health policy.
• Language skills or cultural experiences from your own background or community.

Frame your aspiration to engage in sustainable, ethically grounded global health once you have more clinical experience.

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FAQ: Common Questions About Global Health Residency Interviews for DO Graduates

1. How should I answer “tell me about yourself” as a DO graduate focused on global health?

Use a short, structured narrative: briefly introduce yourself as a DO graduate, highlight 2–3 formative experiences with global or underserved populations (domestic or international), and end by connecting those experiences to your goal of joining a program with a global health residency track. Make sure your answer subtly weaves in your osteopathic identity (whole-person care, OMT) and your vision for a career in global or international medicine.

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2. What are the most important behavioral interview medical questions I should prepare for?

Prioritize:

• A time you worked with a culturally diverse or underserved population
• A time you faced an ethical dilemma in a resource-limited setting
• A time you made a clinical or professional mistake and what you learned
• A time you dealt with conflict on a team
• A time you led a project, quality improvement initiative, or research effort

Prepare 2–3 well-structured STAR stories that can be adapted to multiple questions.

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3. How can I stand out as a DO applicant interested in global health?

Stand out by:

• Clearly articulating how DO principles align with global health equity and community-based care.
• Offering concrete examples of using strong physical exam skills and whole-person approaches in underserved settings.
• Demonstrating mature understanding of ethical global health engagement (partnerships, sustainability, capacity building).
• Showing that you have a realistic plan for integrating global health work into residency and beyond.

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4. Can I talk about short-term international trips on interviews, or will that hurt me?

You can discuss short-term experiences, but how you frame them is critical. Acknowledge their limitations and focus on what you learned about health systems, culture, power dynamics, and sustainability. Emphasize any longitudinal relationships, preparatory training, and how these experiences pushed you to seek deeper, more sustained engagement through a global health residency track rather than one-off trips.