Behavioral Residency Mock Interview

Practice 30 Behavioral Residency interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient interactions, and program fit.

Question 9 of 30

When have you had to make a split second decision? How do you react under unexpected pressure?

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Christine Pasqueretta

Christine Pasqueretta is a human resource and recruitment professional with experience creating, developing, implementing, leading, and measuring HR impact initiatives.

While your experience in the classroom, lab and in clinical rotations during your medical schooling has mentally prepared you for life as a physician, your time as a resident will be when you are fully exposed to the pressure packed situations as a medical doctor. For the first time, you will be responsible for the direct care of patients and your interviewing team needs to be assured that you would join their residency confident and comfortable in your ability to work under pressure.

Christine Pasqueretta

Christine Pasqueretta is a human resource and recruitment professional with experience creating, developing, implementing, leading, and measuring HR impact initiatives.

"I really thrive in pressure situations and am looking forward to the fact that these situations will now become real as I become a resident . My level headed thinking and my calm demeanor help me react well in pressure situations and also help my team focus on the task at hand as well. Prior to medical school, I worked for one year as an ER Tech. This was the first time I was exposed to the fact that no two days are the same on the job in providing care to patients and that you have to be prepared for any situation. On what I thought was a routine Sunday morning shift, I came in to a serious bus accident where we had many critically injured patients. While triage was happening among the nursing staff, one patient was showing signs of going into shock and I made the quick decision to get an IV started. Other staff were busy, so I knew getting a head start on things could make a big difference for this patient. I was later praised for my quick actions that day."

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

Answer this question by telling the interviewers about a specific time you had to make a split-second decision and made the right choice, despite being under unexpected pressure. Outline the situation, describe the last-minute decision you were required to make, and explain how you came to your final decision. Be sure to tell the interviewers that you made a well-calculated decision despite being under pressure. Give as much detail as you can regarding how you weighed the pros and cons of the decision. If your final decision made a measurable impact, be sure to discuss the results you generated.

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30Behavioral Residency Interview Questions & Answers

Operational

1.Talk about a time when you successfully educated someone on a complex topic. What was key for you to focus on to ensure the information was understood?

Situational

2.Have you ever had a situation where you felt you could have communicated better?

Operational

3.Talk about a time you had to work with a new technology. What did you do to ensure proficiency as quickly as possible?

Behavioral

4.Do you have experience working long hours? How would you motivate yourself during long stretches of shifts and call time that will be required during your training?

Operational

5.How will you successfully interact with some of the difficult physicians and ancillary staff in our program as a resident?

Behavioral

6.Tell me about a time when you worked with a person who did things very differently than you. How did you collaborate effectively?

Discovery

7.What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment to date?

Behavioral

8.Talk about a time when you had to learn something new within a short deadline. How will this experience help you as a new resident?

Behavioral

9.When have you had to make a split second decision? How do you react under unexpected pressure?

Behavioral

10.Tell me about a time when you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative. How do you think this experience will benefit you in your residency?

Behavioral

11.Tell me about the most competitive work situation you have experienced. How did you handle it, and what was the result?

Discovery

12.What would you say is the riskiest decision you have made in your educational path so far?

Behavioral

13.Talk about a time when you had to adapt to major change. How did you cope and why do you think being adaptable to change is important as a medical resident?

Behavioral

14.Talk about a time when you used good judgment and logic to solve a problem.

Situational

15.Have you ever had to work with an angry patient or family member during your medical training? How did you successfully manage that situation?

Situational

16.Have you ever worked in a situation where the policies and guidelines were not clear? How did you cope in that situation?

Situational

17.Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed.

Situational

18.Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with.

Leadership

19.Tell me about a time when you showed initiative by taking the lead on a team project.

Behavioral

20.Talk about a time when you were unable to meet a deadline. How did you react and what steps did you take to ensure this was communicated?

Discovery

21.What was the most difficult decision you have had to make up to this point in your career path?

Operational

22.How would you build a relationship with someone who intimidates you?

Situational

23.Tell me about a time you wish you had handled a workplace situation differently.

Behavioral

24.Talk about a time when you made a good impression on a new patient, customer or coworker. Why was it important to do so?

Behavioral

25.Tell me about a time that you failed. How did you get back up again with a positive attitude?

Behavioral

26.How do you handle working under very close supervision?

Behavioral

27.How do you handle working with little to no supervision?

Behavioral

28.Tell us about a time when you were dissatisfied with the quality or outcome of your work. What did you do to rectify the situation?

Behavioral

29.Which statement sounds more like you: 'I hate to lose' or 'I love to win'? Give an example of a time you proved this.

Leadership

Behavioral Residency Mock Interview

When have you had to make a split second decision? How do you react under unexpected pressure?

30Behavioral Residency Interview Questions & Answers

1.Talk about a time when you successfully educated someone on a complex topic. What was key for you to focus on to ensure the information was understood?

2.Have you ever had a situation where you felt you could have communicated better?

3.Talk about a time you had to work with a new technology. What did you do to ensure proficiency as quickly as possible?

4.Do you have experience working long hours? How would you motivate yourself during long stretches of shifts and call time that will be required during your training?

5.How will you successfully interact with some of the difficult physicians and ancillary staff in our program as a resident?

6.Tell me about a time when you worked with a person who did things very differently than you. How did you collaborate effectively?

7.What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment to date?

8.Talk about a time when you had to learn something new within a short deadline. How will this experience help you as a new resident?

9.When have you had to make a split second decision? How do you react under unexpected pressure?

10.Tell me about a time when you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative. How do you think this experience will benefit you in your residency?

11.Tell me about the most competitive work situation you have experienced. How did you handle it, and what was the result?

12.What would you say is the riskiest decision you have made in your educational path so far?

13.Talk about a time when you had to adapt to major change. How did you cope and why do you think being adaptable to change is important as a medical resident?

14.Talk about a time when you used good judgment and logic to solve a problem.

15.Have you ever had to work with an angry patient or family member during your medical training? How did you successfully manage that situation?

16.Have you ever worked in a situation where the policies and guidelines were not clear? How did you cope in that situation?

17.Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed.

18.Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with.

19.Tell me about a time when you showed initiative by taking the lead on a team project.

20.Talk about a time when you were unable to meet a deadline. How did you react and what steps did you take to ensure this was communicated?

21.What was the most difficult decision you have had to make up to this point in your career path?

22.How would you build a relationship with someone who intimidates you?

23.Tell me about a time you wish you had handled a workplace situation differently.

24.Talk about a time when you made a good impression on a new patient, customer or coworker. Why was it important to do so?

25.Tell me about a time that you failed. How did you get back up again with a positive attitude?

26.How do you handle working under very close supervision?

27.How do you handle working with little to no supervision?

28.Tell us about a time when you were dissatisfied with the quality or outcome of your work. What did you do to rectify the situation?

29.Which statement sounds more like you: 'I hate to lose' or 'I love to win'? Give an example of a time you proved this.

30.Describe a time when you showed initiative at work.