How did you demonstrate your ability to take the lead during your residency? Why do you feel this natural ability is important during surgical critical care fellowship training?

"I feel very fortunate that my emergency medicine residency put me in a position to take the lead from the beginning of my second year, sometimes during the busiest times in a large New York City hospital. I remember a night during a bad snowstorm when we had an influx of patients while short-staffed. It fell on me to coordinate care that night, and communication was key. I trusted first-year residents and nursing staff to prioritize and triage patients. I made sure to keep lines of communication flowing from our HUCs up to me in charge that night. I feel that this experience will help me effectively lead teams of nursing staff and therapists with your program and into my career in practice with this approach."

Carefully describe a situation during your residency training where you saw a chance to lead and took advantage of it. Talk about the success of the moment and the biggest takeaway you will bring to this program. You'll want to highlight your ability to communicate effectively and lead others as you answer this question. Stress that you are willing and ready to take charge in the ICU as a surgical critical care fellow.