Medical School Mock Interview
Excel in your medical school interview with 50 essential questions covering ethics, clinical scenarios, and motivation.
Question 35 of 50
When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Example Answer
How to Answer
Example Answer 2
Community Answers
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.
Everyone handles the stress and disappointment of setbacks differently. When you work in the medical field, those setbacks can be amplified. While attending a renowned medical school like the program you are interviewing with, setbacks can be amplified because your grades can determine the success of your future career. Knowing that some setbacks will come your way during medical school, your interviewers need to hear that you can positively deal with them.
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.
"Experiencing a setback is always disappointing and can be very disheartening, especially when involving a project that I have put a lot of time and effort into. I understand that setbacks happen often for medical students. If I experience a major setback here, I will take a few moments to internally debrief, get some fresh air if possible, or discuss what I could have done differently with a mentor. Then, I move on. Rather than dwell on my mistakes, I choose to learn from them."
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
Discuss with the interviewers how you typically cope with setbacks by talking about a time you had to do just that. Rather than focus on the roadblock you faced, take the time to discuss the hard work you put into overcoming the setback and the lessons you learned from the situation that you will bring to medical school.
"Setbacks are challenging and often evoke frustration or sadness. While these feelings are natural, they should not be dwelled upon. I personally use setbacks as opportunities for introspection, education, and personal growth. Physicians will encounter adversity and complications throughout their career; they must learn from these times for the sake of their patients."
Interview Coach
Jaymie
A real coach, not AI. I read every answer myself and write back with personalized feedback.
Typically responds within 24 hours.
0 - Character Count
Anonymous Answer
When I suffer from a setback, I do become emotionally frustrated. However, when I feel these emotions arise, I take a little 5-10 minute break to take a walk outside or breathe. Usually, after a breathing exercise, I am calm and can focus on the next set of actions I need to do. I think by giving myself this break to it allows me not to let my emotions override the work I need to get done.
Rachelle's Feedback
It's wonderful that you can recognize this in yourself and have a method for keeping your emotions in check when professionalism is required.
Anonymous Answer
Setbacks can be hard, but I like to use it to my advantage in my work. Emotionally for me, I do take it to heart and like to evaluate what is going on, but I don't want it to affect my work unless it is positively. I do talk to my family about everything, and I have great supporters who listen to me and help me through it.
Rachelle's Feedback
It seems you handle setbacks very well. Try also providing an example of a time when you overcame a setback. This will bring your response to life a bit.
Unlock All 50 Medical School Questions
Prepare for ethics questions, MMI stations, and panel interviews that admissions committees use.
Get StartedJump to Question