Healthcare Startup Interview

Remember how I mentioned that my ultimate dream job would be to work for a healthcare startup?

Well, a couple of weeks ago I landed an interview with a 13 person healthcare startup near Philadelphia.  Coincidentally, I found out about this company while preparing for a NP interview at a hospital in the city.  I was very interested in what this company was doing to prevent 30 day readmission rates.  So, I went to their website and discovered they were looking for someone with clinical experience to join their team.  I knew I was underqualified for the position, but decided to give it a go anyway- nothing to lose, right?  One of the founders replied to me within the hour of emailing my cover letter and resume and we set up an interview for the following week- score! I was excited but also very nervous.  I knew this interview would be unlike any other that I've experienced before.

Before the big day, I spent the prior week preparing.  I read up on the company, the legislation surrounding 30 day readmission and any tips that I could find when interviewing with a startup.  I'm glad I prepared as much as I did because I relied on that information for what became a 3 1/2 hour interview with 4 members of their leadership team- yikes!  By the end, I was absolutely exhausted.

Even though the experience was tiring, it was also exhilirating and I learned a lot about the startup world.  No, I wasn't offered the position but it was for the best.  For a number of reasons, it would not have been the right fit for me at this time in my life.  Although, I was glad to hear that it came down to me and another candidate.  In the end, they chose the other candidate because he/she had more project management experience.

If you're thinking about taking the plunge into the exciting world of healthcare startups or are preparing for an interview- I'll share some of the interview questions that stood out to me.


1.  Tell me what's important to know about you?
2.  Tell me about a time when you failed.
3.  Hypothetical:  Tell me how you would handle xyz situation?
4.  Do you consider yourself tech savy?
5.  What are your passions?
6.  What book are you currently reading?
7.  How would handle working in an unstructured environment?  (basically, how self-motivated are you?)
8.  What's your experience with analyzing data and drawing conclusions, etc.
9.  We're going to move quickly on this position- if you were offered the job, how quickly could you let us know if you'd accept it?

Those are just a few of the questions that stand out- believe me, there were a lot more!  


Have you ever worked for a healthcare startup? I'd love to hear about your experience.