What personality type or characteristic in your colleagues do you find most difficult to work with?
No matter what institution you are interviewing with, you will work with a diverse faculty and support staff. Every colleague will have their own unique personality and work style. Your interviewers ask this question to understand your ability to work with even the most challenging personality styles.
"I am most often challenged by staff who are poor communicators. In a busy clinic, communication lines should always be open between the physician staff, care team and administration. If someone on my team wasn't communicating properly, I would respectfully approach them to explain what I need from them concerning communication. If the problem persisted, I would take it up the proper chain of command."
Pick a quality that doesn't reflect poorly on you. If possible, choose something that impairs the ability of even the most competent and hard-working physicians to deliver high-quality care or work as part of a high-functioning team.
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
I am most often challenged by staff who are poor communicators. I think clear communication and expectations are important when working as part of a team, and when this isn’t clear it often leads to frustrations that could otherwise be easily avoided. Because of this, I have learned to address early when there is any uncertainty, and I will often instigate paper rounds and job delegations myself to ensure all tasks I know of are performed to ensure nothing is missed.
Krista's Feedback
Good response!
