How well do you work under pressure?
As a physician, you must have the skills to work well under pressure. The interviewers want to hear that you can remain calm and professional when faced with the stressors of your job. Give an example of working under pressure related to your role as a physician to show the interview panel you have the skills they seek in a resident. You might have had a patient that went into cardiac arrest while you were assessing them or had a loved one come into the hospital who was injured while you were working. Using the STAR method is an excellent way to formulate your response to this question. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Briefly describe the situation, explain your role, the measures you took to solve the issues, and the outcome.
"I work very well under pressure. I can remain calm when there is a lot of stress or pressure at work and focus on what needs to be done. During my surgical rotation, my attending went into cardiac arrest in the middle of surgery. I demonstrated how I work under pressure by calling a code blue and starting CPR. I also instructed the surgical team on what to do for the patient. That was the most stressful situation during medical school, and colleagues commended me for my quick actions and ability to remain calm."
