Situations can get tense in the critical care setting. How has your training prepared you for the stress and intensity of a surgical critical care fellowship?

"During my second year of residency training, one of my HIM rotations was working as a night float in a maximum capacity hospital unit. Several units were full, including our general ICU, so our workload was increased greatly. I buckled down and dealt with every patient one at a time. I took the time after each patient to document my notes as I normally would. Communication during these shifts was vital, ensuring that all providers and nursing staff were on the same page. The attending physician and I worked through some hiccups with constant communication. Communication and teamwork are critical to effectively managing a busy ICU as a surgical critical care fellow and the hourly challenges that arise. I'm confident in the abilities that I would bring to your program."

To prove your ability to handle the pressures of surgical critical care fellowship training, provide an example of a time you were challenged by a large workload or a pressure-packed situation as a resident. Discuss how you reacted in that situation, what you learned from this experience, and if you would do things differently next time. Don't forget to mention the resources you used to ensure that you also paid close attention to the fine details and the communication skills you used to ensure everyone worked as one.