How will you manage the high amounts of stress that are a part of being an Emergency Medicine Resident?

"When I am under pressure, I focus on the task at hand and make sure I don't get distracted. Keeping to a deadline is helpful, and I will delegate when necessary to alleviate some stress. I know that these skills will be vital for success in a great Emergency Medicine Residency program like yours. During training, I plan to utilize my free time wisely by doing what is necessary to recharge my mind and rest my body. Some ways I like to do this are hiking, canoeing, and reading novels."

Explain to your interviewers that you have the tools to keep your mind, body, and spirit in the best shape possible to learn and grow every day during your training as an Emergency Medicine Resident. Talk about your ability to maintain perspective, use your downtime to recharge, and come to each shift prepared for the challenges that you'll face.

"When dealing with a stressful situation I try to take things one step at a time and focus on the problem in front of me. After work I try to do things such as meditation to deal with stress."

"While I do thrive under pressure and stress, I am well aware that it can take its toll on our mental and emotional health. When I feel particularly stressed, one thing I have found really useful to help focus my mind is to take a step back, breath, and start making a list of what I things I need to do and label each as critical, not critical, require immediate action, or can be delayed. This then allows me to focus on the highest-priority and most time-sensitive actions first which usually helps relieve the majority of my stress."