Tell me about a time you worked with a person who did things very differently than you. How did you collaborate effectively?
Since everyone's work style is unique in medical practice, it can be challenging to collaborate with everyone 100% of the time. The interviewers want assurance that you would join their department as a true team player, regardless of personality or work style differences that you would face.
"During my residency program, my fellow residents and I developed our own work styles and techniques. During the third year, we were tasked with leading a perioperative anesthesia care team. I noticed the different ways we led our teams. One of my colleagues led in a very authoritative manner, and that is the complete opposite of my collaborative style. Though this bothered me quite a bit, I had become very close with this colleague over the last couple of years, so I decided to talk with him in a very blunt way. He thanked me for the feedback and promised to work on his leadership skills."
The goal of your response is to describe your approach to collaborating with others while highlighting how your collaboration style will be a good match for the entire team you are interviewing with. Answer this question by telling the interviewers about a specific time you worked with someone who approached their tasks or communication style differently than you. Outline the situation and explain why it was a challenge to collaborate with this person. Describe the specific actions you took to ensure a successful collaboration and the result.
