"I would honestly say that my greatest accomplishment in my life so far was acceptance into medical school. From a young age, I don't think many people would've given me a shot to even obtain a bachelor's degree, let alone get to where I'm at today in pursuit of becoming a practicing physician. I am a first generation college student in my family and really had an uphill battle my entire educational journey. My parents instilled a hardworking nature and a genuine caring nature for people in me from a very young age and these values have driven me from my high school diploma to my white coat ceremony in med school."

Prior to your interview, be sure to research the mission, vision and values of the institution you will be interviewing with. Reviewing these should give you a good sense of the type of organization they are and what they look for in their future trainees. Think about a stand-out accomplishment that you believe will resonate with your team of interviewers. This approach means choosing an achievement related to the successes you hope to see as a resident in their program. Explain why the accomplishment means so much to you, both personally and professionally. If you can, finish your response with a qualifying statement regarding how you will continue this pattern of achievement as a resident with their program.