Fellowship Mock Interview
Master 40 Fellowship interview questions covering research goals, funding justification, and academic potential.
Question 36 of 40
Tell us about a time you wish you had handled a situation differently during your time as a resident.
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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.
You will be consistently learning, growing, and adapting throughout your career in medicine. From time to time, small mistakes will happen, and your interviewers need to know that you are willing and ready to learn and grow from your mistakes.
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.
"During my first year of residency training, I had an angry patient who threw me off guard during a simple in-patient visit for a routine exam. I defended myself and called the patient rude for their harsh words. Knowing that what I said was inexcusable, I immediately apologized to the patient. She reluctantly accepted and apologized as well for being out of line with me. After reflecting on this with my attending physician and chief resident, I learned that having thick skin and not taking things personally was vital for successful interactions with patients. This is a mindset that I still carry with me to this day."
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.
Most people cannot handle every difficult situation with the utmost grace at all times. There is undoubtedly a situation you handled during residency training that makes you cringe a bit when you look back. Answer this question by giving a story-based example of a time you reacted to a scenario in a way that you typically try to avoid. Outline the situation and explain why you reacted the way you did. Focus on the actions you took to repair the situation. Include details about the lesson you learned.
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Jaymie
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Anonymous Answer
During my first pancreaticoduodenectomy as fist operator the softest pancreas of my life. My senior surgeon decided to perform the pancreatic anastomosis due to the difficulty and I thought that one idea could have been to perform a total pancreatectomy cause the risk of fistula. I didn't speak up and post-operative complications were very difficult to handle. I learned from that that it's always good to say what you think, even if it is just a suggestion.
Jaymie's Feedback
This is a good example to use where the mistake wasn't necessarily your fault, but your input could have potentially changed the outcome. The interviewer will appreciate your reflection on this situation.
Anonymous Answer
-A difficult situation for me happened when I was the Consult chief this year. A patient came in with bilateral parotitis; she was also very medically sick. We did our usual parotitis care and on exam, and her facial swelling became appreciably softer, so I didn’t recommend a repeat scan (her admission one showed cellulitis). But her WBC stayed elevated – which I attributed to her sepsis and other issues. The ICU re-scanned her, and it showed bilateral parotid abscesses. We took her to the OR. The situation troubled me because the exam and my goal for cost-effective care didn’t align. But I learned a valuable lesson about taking a thorough approach, especially for atypical presentations like this case.
Jaymie's Feedback
Great work! Your response demonstrates that you are self-aware, can take ownership of mistakes, and learn and grow from those experiences.
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