"During my surgery rotation, I cared for a patient during his post-operative recovery from knee surgery. He had a long history of opioid misuse and, as a result, had pain that was difficult to manage. While our team voiced concerns about using higher opioid levels, he remained dissatisfied with his care. I took the time to talk with him two to three times per day and provided an empathic ear to validate his concerns about his pain. Although we did not increase his opioid use, his satisfaction with his care improved remarkably over time, and he became a more cooperative patient invested in the next steps of his recovery."

Talk about a simple scenario you experienced during your medical school training so you don't spend too much time describing details of the patient's story. Instead, spend your time describing your thoughts and actions. Your answer should demonstrate your ability to remain calm, patient, empathetic, and logical.

"A difficult patient experience I had during medical school was when one of the cancer patients that I was helping to take care of died. This was a difficult experience but I felt very honored to be able to help take care of this person and relieve some of their suffering near the end of their life."