Have you ever worked with an angry or upset patient? How did you successfully manage that situation?
During your dental residency, you will be the direct oral caregiver for patients more often than before. The interviewers want to know that you can professionally handle stressful or uncomfortable situations with angry or upset patients or family members.
"During my time in a busy general dental practice, I was excited to learn the ins and outs of a full general practice. On one of my first days working with the dentist, I was exposed to a patient who came in with extreme pain caused by what the dentist diagnosed as bruxism. The patient loudly denied that he was grinding his teeth in his sleep. At one point, he said some regrettable things to the dentist. The dentist calmly recommended using a mouth guard for a few weeks to see if the aching teeth persisted. While the patient was hesitant at first, the dentist kept insisting that it was worth a try, and they agreed. In this situation, I was fortunate to see how the dentist stayed calm, didn't take what was said personally, and offered a solution that the patient was happy with."
Briefly describe a time you had to work with a patient who was upset or angry during your dental school training. Highlight your ability to remain patient and rational in the face of conflict. Focus on the positive action you took and the resolution you came to with the patient rather than details of the conflict itself.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
One day, I had to see 2 patients. My first patient needed a tooth extraction and it took longer than expected and I became late for my other appointments. My second patient was waiting for almost an hour in the waiting room and was really upset. My approach was to be empathetic with what he was feeling, I deeply apologize for the delay and I explained to him exactly what has happened. He told me that he had an important meeting he needed to go to so I understood. Luckily it wasn't urgent, so I rescheduled him and apologized again. This has taught me that it is very important, to be honest with the patient and explain to him what is going on, and try to make some arrangements for him to work things out whenever it is possible.
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! It sounds like you handled this situation well. Beyond reminding you to be honest with your patients, did you carry away any other lessons or ideas on how to prevent this from happening again? What about building buffer time into your scheduling, creating realistic patient expectations, implementing a pleasant waiting environment, and/or investing in technology that makes it quicker and easier to register patients? Also, did you strive to use a calm tone of voice and a professional demeanor when you handled this upset patient? Consider building out your answer with some additional details. Good job!
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