While you can take many directions in your answer to this question, there are some key things you can reflect on before your ID fellowship interviews to ensure you highlight one or two points about yourself. Put yourself in the shoes of a vulnerable patient suffering from an infectious disease. They want a physician who can build a quick rapport with them, get them answers quickly, and work diligently on a care plan.

"Helping patients in this vulnerable state draws me to a future in infectious disease care. I can build a quick rapport with my patients by showing empathy, connecting with them, and making them feel at ease. My other key quality in caring for this patient base is my resourcefulness. ID patients and their families and loved ones want fast answers, and I'm ready to put in extra effort for every patient under my care as a fellow with your program."

"I would describe myself as compassionate. I was drawn to pursuing a fellowship and a future career in Infectious Disease during my first year of IM training. I worked closely with an attending physician treating a patient with a bad case of C. diff. Taking a near-death patient to discharge from the hospital in less than a week was such a rewarding experience. I will try to the best of my ability to treat each patient as if I were taking care of my family member during my Infectious Disease fellowship training."