"During medical school, I learned how important teamwork is in a clinic or hospital setting. I intend to bring my top-notch communication skills to your residency program. I maintain open lines of communication with my colleagues and support staff. On a busy unit, there can be a hundred things happening at once, and the only way for the team to keep abreast of everything is through communication. I'm also excited to come to your program and take charge of a care team. You'll quickly find that people typically work well with my leadership style. I listen to ideas from everyone, show respect for everyone I work with, and don't hesitate to grab the bull by the horns when needed."

The goal of your response is to describe your approach to collaborating with others while highlighting how your collaboration style will be a good match for the residency program you are interviewing with. Highlight your leadership skills, communication skills, listening skills, and the respect you show for others in a working environment. If you have examples of times you've proven to be a team player, don't hesitate to bring them up.

Working as part of a team is easy if everyone keeps in mind that the ultimate goal is to do what's best for the patient. Certainly, each colleague has her own tasks and responsibilities, but if something has to be done for the patient, a good team player steps in to do it as needed if the patient requires it.

"I am eager to be a great team member. I recognize that medicine is a team sport and that working well in an interdisciplinary team is key to delivering excellent patient care."

"Listening is an important skill needed to work effectively and function as part of a team. This ensures that my colleagues feel valued and my patients know that they are participating in their medical care."

"I believe that providing well-rounded care with the multidisciplinary team, including nurses, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and all other members of the team is essential. I have loved to work with my colleagues from multiple backgrounds throughout medical school so that we may collaborate with one another to deliver high quality care to our patients."

"Emergency Medicine is a team sport and for any given clinical issue each member has an important role. As the physician, I look forward to directing that team but I also understand that being a good leader means listening to the input of others and relying on them to provide their expert opinion or care. The most successful teams I have seen and been a part of in Emergency Medicine have been multidisciplinary and collaborative, with each person having the ability to give input on medical decisions and the autonomy to carry out their roles."