Tell us about a time you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. What did you learn from the situation?
The interviewer wants to know how well you get along with others despite personality or work style differences. Show the interviewer that you can encounter individuals during fellowship training who may seem challenging without confrontation. Show that you can work effectively with the personality or work style differences you encounter.
"In my residency class, I had a colleague who could be overbearing and overpowering. It was difficult to work with them because this personality is the complete opposite of my personality. It didn't take me long to realize that staying calm with them and not taking things they said personally helped my mindset and my ability to work effectively with them. As we built a rapport over time, my next step was to set healthy boundaries with them and even call them out when I felt they were taking over a situation when they shouldn't. To this day, we continue to have a great working relationship."
Focus on a time your work style was different from another person's, but you still had to work together closely. Discuss, in a positive tone, how you made the situation work. Emphasize your ability to be a team player and build a connection with others, even if their personality or approach to work is different from yours. At the end of your response, explain how your communication abilities and level of professionalism will benefit you as a fellow with this institution.
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
My strategy when working with someone who is hard to get along with is not to take the interactions personally and to set healthy boundaries so that we can have an effective working relationship. Those interactions showed me the kind of senior I try to be to my junior co-residents: honest, empathetic, and encouraging of teamwork.
Jaymie's Feedback
These are good strategies to share. Can you think of a specific example of a time you had a conflict with a colleague? If so, how did you respond and what did you learn?
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