"Whether in a fast-paced clinic, a stressful operating room, or a packed hospital floor, I fully understand that I will be working closely with staff that can be challenging at times and have very high demands of me as a resident. As part of your program, I would always keep an open mind to any interactions I would have and wouldn't take any criticism of my work in a negative way. I would come ready and willing to learn and grow in the coming years to become the best physician I can be. If I ever felt that a staff member was out of line or going too far, I wouldn't hesitate to have a 1:1 conversation with them to reset expectations and tell how I feel about our interactions. In the end, we are all working towards one goal and that is providing the best care possible to patients."

The goal of your response is to show the interviewers that you work well with a range of individuals. Your answer should assure the decision-makers that your communication style will be an excellent addition to their team. Answer this question by telling the interviewers about a specific time you encountered a challenging person throughout your path to this point and successfully communicated with them. Outline the situation, describe why it was vital that you communicated successfully with this person, and explain the actions you took to build a healthy relationship with the individual. In the end, reiterate to your interviewers that you are aware that some of the staff you will work with will have high expectations of you and that you are ready to meet those expectations head on as part of their next incoming resident class.