"During my second year of residency training, I misdiagnosed a bone fracture and initially consulted the patient on corrective surgery. Following my consultation, I reviewed the patient notes, symptoms, and imaging results with my attending, and she determined that I indeed had misdiagnosed the fracture as needing to be surgically repaired. I took the time to learn what I should have done differently and then personally called the patient to discuss new options for treatment. The patient was very happy to hear that surgery would not be necessary and thanked me for following up right away. I considered this moment a huge failure because it was in direct communication with a patient, but looking back, it caused me to be much more thorough in my work."

We all fail from time to time, and there is no need to be ashamed of defeat. The magic is in the lessons we learn from these situations. Give an example from your residency where an outcome was not what you wanted it to be, but you were able to recover. Perhaps you were better off in the end or learned a valuable lesson. Outline the roadblock and share how you approached the situation to ensure a good recovery. At the end of your response, discuss your level of dedication, even in the face of failure, and how you will make an impact on this program.