Many steps are involved in scheduling a typical surgery. Without someone in charge of organizing these details, surgery times can be delayed. Surgery schedule coordinators work with the other staff in their offices, such as registered nurses, to schedule a procedure time for patients. They also ensure that everything has been coordinated behind the scenes so that the patient and doctor are ready the day of surgery. Interview questions to expect for such a position might center around your attention to detail and the required coordinating work.
Phone Communication
Surgery schedulers spend a significant amount of their workday coordinating appointments by phone. Interviewers want to know that you come across in a friendly manner when talking to people if you're not face-to-face with them. Good listening skills are necessary to pull this off. A question you could encounter during an interview is, "What steps do you take to make sure you're gathering the information you need by phone?"
Attention to Detail
Successful surgery schedulers keep track of a lot of different pieces of information, so they must be detail oriented. Interviewers look for your ability to monitor important patient information. Some offices or surgery centers can be very busy or have hectic periods so it's important to process a lot of information at the same time. A question to ascertain this skill could be, "What steps do you take to ensure you don't mix up patient information before surgery?"
Propensity Toward Paperwork
Surgery schedule coordinators manage paperwork necessary for procedures and make sure paperwork is all in line for the day of surgery. Forms for securing the facility and obtaining special equipment are examples of the different types of paperwork coordinated before surgery. It is a scheduler's job to ensure there are no hang ups on the way to the operating table. One question to expect during your interview would be, "What experience do you have filling out requests for operating room paperwork?"
Checking and Rechecking
Surgery schedulers stay on top of patient details for surgery up until the last minute. They play a role in following up with patients to ensure they have their surgery information packets and know what to do to be prepared for surgery. Schedulers often place reminder calls to patients the night before their surgeries. A question regarding follow up in a surgery scheduling interview is, "How do you feel about making daily reminder calls to all of our surgery patients?"
