Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerSMTSHard

The Software Engineer (SMTS) interview at athenahealth is a comprehensive process designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical assessments, behavioral interviews, and a system design discussion, culminating in a hiring manager conversation.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • System design capabilities
  • Scalability and performance considerations
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Cultural fit
  • Leadership potential

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly review fundamental computer science concepts, including data structures and algorithms.
  2. Practice coding problems, focusing on efficiency and clarity.
  3. Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
  4. Prepare examples from your past experience that demonstrate key behavioral competencies.
  5. Research athenahealth's mission, values, and recent news.
  6. Understand the healthcare technology landscape and common challenges.
  7. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms (LeetCode Medium)

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, recursion). Practice implementing these in your preferred language and analyze their time and space complexity. Aim for at least 2-3 LeetCode medium problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given a binary tree, find the lowest common ancestor of two given nodes in the tree.
  • Design a rate limiter.
  • Tell me about a time you disagreed with a technical decision and how you handled it.
  • How would you design a system to handle millions of concurrent users?
  • What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
  • Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you debugged it.
  • How do you stay updated with new technologies?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • Explain the concept of eventual consistency.
  • How would you optimize a slow database query?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote

Interview focus

System design and scalability for healthcare applications.Problem-solving in a regulated environment.Collaboration and communication within cross-functional teams.

Common questions

  • How would you design a system to handle real-time patient data updates?
  • Describe a complex technical challenge you faced and how you overcame it.
  • Tell me about a time you had to influence a team to adopt a new technology or approach.

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with healthcare data standards (e.g., HL7, FHIR).
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure).
  • Highlight your ability to work with ambiguity and evolving requirements.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at athenahealth.

Frequently reported on athenahealth loops

View all at athenahealth

Other guides

More at athenahealth.