As a new surgical critical care fellow, how will you respond when asked to do a procedure or task that you are unfamiliar with and uncomfortable handling?

"I am confident in my medical knowledge and the skills that I developed during my neurosurgery residency training, but I also know that I will tackle some things that will be new to me in the ICU setting during surgical critical care fellowship training. When faced with this situation, I wouldn't hesitate to ask a faculty member for guidance. My goal is to leave the fellowship with all the skills necessary to be a confident and competent surgeon in practice. I greatly look forward to these learning opportunities with your program."

This is not the time to say that you would jump in with both feet and potentially risk the safety and well-being of a patient. Your interviewers are not looking for someone who jumps when someone says jump; they want someone willing to jump with confidence and competence. Provide an answer that illustrates this difference. Talk about your willingness to ask for help and learn during your time as a fellow with their program.