When have you felt the most pressure or stress, from rotations or residency? How did you handle it?

"I learned in my residency to prevent any potential causes of pressure by being well prepared ahead of what might be coming to produce such stress. This usually meant a quick chart review of the patients scheduled for the day and then prioritizing my time for that day. When I began doing this, I found that stress seldom occurred. I have also gotten much help by simply talking my frustrations out with a colleague."

Everyone has a breaking point, so this question is designed to see if your reaction and/or remedy to stress is reasonable or unreasonable. For example, you wouldn't want to say, 'One time during surgery I got so flustered and frustrated that I asked a colleague to take over because I couldn't be objective.' An answer like that will tell your interviewer that all he/she should expect from you is walking out in the middle of a surgery whenever you feel you can't take it. Instead, come off as reactive to stress but not surrendering.

"No rotation, shift, or even procedure lasts forever, and I know that my duty is to remain on-task until it is over and done well, and then I can have the luxury of dealing with the emotional component of it--usually by exercise."