"First and foremost, I would come to your program as a new resident fully understanding that every patient is different and, frankly, that some just don't comply with recommended treatment plans. In situations like this, I would continue educating the patient on why the treatment plan was important and what benefits they would see with compliance. During my clinical rotations, I worked with a great Orthopedic surgeon that really had to hammer home the important points of physical rehabilitation for patients that had joint replacement surgeries. She could easily tell in follow-up appointments if her patients weren't rehabbing. I watched her be firm, yet respectful, in her approach and this is an approach I would try to always emulate."

You want to encourage without being demeaning or too harsh, but also push them to do what they can for themselves in every situation possible. A weight lifter doesn't bench press 200 pounds overnight, but rather adds weight little by little. Each time a patient swings their own leg out of the bed or shuffles to the bathroom without assistance, wonderful things are building incrementally in his or her body. Talk to your interviewers about how you would be encouraging and empowering to your patients as a resident with their program.