CASPER TEST QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS 2024/2025
Describe a disappointment from your life. - ANSWERS
Describe one time when your boss had to confront you about an issue with your work. Tell me about a
time that you made a mistake at work. - ANSWERSAbout a month in, working as a research assistant in a
pancreatic cancer laboratory, some of my Polymerase Chain Reactions for a specific gene were not
working. My boss told me that I my DNA extraction probably was not clean enough, or not enough DNA
was properly extracted. Though I felt a little disheartened, I asked if I could watch him do it the next time
so I could see the correct way to do it. He agreed, and I was able to perform the extraction correctly from
then on. He showed me how to correctly spot the DNA in the extraction tube as to not lose it with the
washing steps. This proved pivotal and the rest of my extractions were perfectly clean without any
contamination or too little DNA.
Describe a past situation in which your ethics were challenged. - ANSWERSIn the past month at my job
as a clinical research assistant for Great Lakes Medical Research, the CEO of a study company called
complaining that we were screen failing too many patients. I delicately explained that the reason the
patients were screen failing was the IRB approved questionnaire in which their protocol said the patient
will fill it out (instead of the doctor). The CEO tried to convince me that I, a study coordinator for the
study, should fill out the questionnaire based on the patient's answers, but change them where I see fit
(so the patient would not screen fail). After he yelled and tried every which way to convince me, I could
not be budged and after the phone call went to my supervisor to explain the problem. I knew that it was
my responsibility to report this because this not only affected patient safety but also my own.
Describe a time when you used teamwork to solve a problem. - ANSWERSFor my organization, Survivor:
Time & Change, we scheduled a fire-making challenge for the contestants a night where it started to
thunder, lightening, and pour. With only an hour until the challenge, we had to come up with an entirely
new challenge, a new challenge location, as well as reserve any needed supplies and the location. As a
group, we split up into teams, one solely dedicated to the challenge and supplies and another for
locating a classroom and booking it. At first, we felt extremely pressured by the time restraint, but as we
worked together and just took a collective deep breathe, we significantly improved. In that time span,
we booked a perfect challenge location, purchased all of the necessary supplies, and came up with an
entirely, new, never-seen-before immunity challenge which was one of our contestants' favorites. By
assigning tasks to each member, discussing our options, and making decisions as a group instead of
individuals, we were able to implement an excellent, exciting challenge.
, Have you ever been at odds with a coworker? How did you handle this?
Disagreement/Unfair criticsm - ANSWERSYes. During final tribal council of Season 2: Our Honor Defend
(Survivor: Time & Change), our president got extremely worked up about having to move the planned
location. The Ohio State band had an unscheduled practice at the field behind the location so the film
quality was terrible. Instead of problem solving and working to come to a solution, he commenced
yelling, blaming me for not looking who booked the field, and upsetting the production crew members. I
first pulled him away from the other members of our organization and let him complain and tell me his
doubts about moving the challenge location. After emphasizing with him, I strategized on how to
improve our situation, hearing out all of his ideas and brainstorming until we came to a mutual solution.
I remained calm and collected, never raised my voice to him, and kept reassuring him that we would find
a location. After the agreement, I distracted him, setting up camera shots in the new location and asking
him to continuously check them, keeping his mind and body at ease and continuously working.
What I would do differently: I would go up to him right when I saw him start to break down. instead of
continuously verbally trying to calm him down and appease him- I would use a "distract tactic" like I did
by showing him how the camera angles all worked and looked beautifully. How the stained glass in the
background with the football player perfectly described our season. I would put him right to work
helping me set up and benefit our situation. Actions do speak louder than words.
What is the greatest challenge you have ever faced and what did you do to overcome it? - ANSWERSThe
greatest challenge I ever faced was when one of my close friends committed suicide my junior year of
high school. No one was expecting it, he was the valedictorian, soccer captain, and one of the most
genuine, caring friends. The hardest part about this was looking back and thinking what could I have
done to prevent this. At the time, I knew nothing of the signs or symptoms of depression or even how to
identify someone going through a crisis. To overcome this, I read books and blogs, watched YouTube
videos, called help lines, eventually gaining the confidence that I could handle such a situation at least
enough to get the proper healthcare professionals involved. Essentially, I became adept at perceiving the
signs and symptoms of depression so I could step in and offer a caring, benevolent hand to anyone I
could see needing it.
What quality or personality trait is the most important in the MD profession? - ANSWERSIngenuity-
thinking anew, superior character- willingness to recognize failure, not to paper over the cracks, and to
change. constant searching for new solutions- betterment is perpetual labor (live a life of responsiblity)
Do you get frustrated or angry. - ANSWERSWhile I do get stressed, as everyone does, I never lose control
or lose my temper. When I do get stressed, I distance myself emotionally from the situation, take a deep
