QUESTION 3 OF 30

As a Pediatric Emergency medicine fellow, how would you work with a child that refuses to cooperate with your care?

When a child enters the emergency room, they are often in pain and afraid. They naturally tend to resist the care or at least certain aspects of the care you will be providing. Your interviewers want to know that you would come to their program armed with the tools and communication skills to help put pediatric patients at ease and help them get the care they need.

If you have experience with this during your residency training, now is a great time to bring that experience up and what you did to make working with a particular patient a success. As you answer, highlight your ability to connect quickly with pediatric patients, communicate clearly with them, and make them as comfortable as possible in a very uncomfortable situation.

"My approach with pediatric patients is to connect as quickly as possible with them and build trust. I would ask questions about their concerns and listen carefully to comfort them. If it is a very young patient who can not communicate, I can put them at ease with my parenting abilities. If these approaches were unsuccessful, I wouldn't hesitate to ask a colleague or someone from the nursing team to help put the patient at ease. Sometimes a movie or some stuffed animals are all it takes!"

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Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Mock Interview

As a Pediatric Emergency medicine fellow, how would you work with a child that refuses to cooperate with your care?

Unlock all 30 Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship questions

30 Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Interview Questions & Answers