When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?
Everyone handles the stress and disappointment of setbacks differently. Due to the high amount of information coming your way and the increased pressure of cramming in classwork, those setbacks can be amplified for medical students. The interviewing team for Albany Medical College's medical school knows that your grades can determine your future career's success. They want to hear that you can emotionally handle the setbacks that will inevitably come your way as a medical student with their program.
"Experiencing a setback is always disappointing and can be very disheartening, especially when involving a project I have put a lot of time and effort into. I understand that setbacks happen to everyone in medical school, despite their level of expertise or years of experience. If I experience a major setback during my time at Albany Medical College's medical school, I will take a few moments to debrief internally, get some fresh air if possible, or discuss what I could have done differently with a faculty member. Then, I would move on with a positive attitude. Rather than dwell on my mistakes, I choose to learn from them."
Discuss with the interviewers how you typically cope with setbacks. The best way to do this is by openly discussing a setback you faced during your undergraduate training and highlighting how you maintained a positive approach to work harder to handle the hurdle. Remember that your interview team will focus on how you handled the situation rather than the actual situation, so feel free to talk openly about any situation as long as you can prove you coped with ease.
