Think about a difficult boss, professor, or coworker. What made them difficult and how did you successfully interact with this person?

"I once worked at a small medical facility where the primary physician was very demanding. When he walked into the facility, employees quietly announced that he was in the building so everyone could prepare for his arrival. This physician had great intentions; however, his people skills were rough. I saw that he meant well and recognized that he wanted to do good things. When we interacted, I always took his feedback with the understanding that he didn't mean things as harshly as he might say them. When communicating with him, I kept a friendly and professional tone."

"During my internship, I worked closely with a fellow intern who didn't pull their weight on the team. This unmotivated person created more work for the rest of the team by being slow and unresponsive. Our team started to complete most of the tasks regarding group projects. It didn't take much time before our preceptor noticed this individual was slacking. I feel like, in most instances, the underachievers will weed themselves out over time, and it's rarely worth making a fuss over, which I didn't at the time because it wasn't my responsibility to do so."

The interviewer wants to gain insight into your conflict resolution and interpersonal skills. You want to show them you are capable of working with challenging people and that you remain calm and professional when faced with adversity.