🧵 Here is Part 4 of my Residency Interview Prep Series and the 8th thread in my #Tweetorial series for #Match2022 and #PedsMatch22: Behavioral Questions 🧵
Featuring 20 common behavioral questions (everyone’s favorite) you may get! Let’s get down to business!
@FuturePedsRes
Featuring 20 common behavioral questions (everyone’s favorite) you may get! Let’s get down to business!
@FuturePedsRes
When it comes to answering behavioral type interview questions, you'll want to consider addressing the following:
- Describe the situation.
- What did YOU do?
- What happened?
- What did you learn?
- How has this changed your perspective?
- How will it impact you moving forward?
- Describe the situation.
- What did YOU do?
- What happened?
- What did you learn?
- How has this changed your perspective?
- How will it impact you moving forward?
1. Tell me about a time you tried to accomplish something and failed.
This isn’t about the failure, but rather what the pursuit was and how your approached it, understanding why you failed, your takeaways, and how that failure shaped you and will affect your future endeavors.
This isn’t about the failure, but rather what the pursuit was and how your approached it, understanding why you failed, your takeaways, and how that failure shaped you and will affect your future endeavors.
2. Tell me about a challenge you faced during medical school.
Your answer to this could be similar to the previous question. However, people often talk about challenges they succeeded at (due to comfort). Again, its not about the challenge, but the process and lessons learned.
Your answer to this could be similar to the previous question. However, people often talk about challenges they succeeded at (due to comfort). Again, its not about the challenge, but the process and lessons learned.
3. Describe a time when you faced adversity.
Adversity does not define you. You define the adversity! Don’t get in your own head and fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Take a deep dive into an applicable experience and reflect on how it changed you.
Adversity does not define you. You define the adversity! Don’t get in your own head and fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Take a deep dive into an applicable experience and reflect on how it changed you.
4. Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict.
What steps or actions did you take to address the conflict? What does this say about your ability to work with others, listen carefully, or compromise? What does this say about your values and interpersonal communication skills?
What steps or actions did you take to address the conflict? What does this say about your ability to work with others, listen carefully, or compromise? What does this say about your values and interpersonal communication skills?
5. Tell me about a stressful situation and how you handled it.
What effects do stress and pressure have on you? How do you adapt to stressful situations? Can you problem solve in times of stress? What does all of this say about how you will be able to handle stress in residency?
What effects do stress and pressure have on you? How do you adapt to stressful situations? Can you problem solve in times of stress? What does all of this say about how you will be able to handle stress in residency?
6. Tell me about a time you handled a stressful situation poorly.
This can be challenging for some people, as it seems to force you to show a weakness. Can you show that you not only learned from the situation, but also applied that learning to another situation down the line?
This can be challenging for some people, as it seems to force you to show a weakness. Can you show that you not only learned from the situation, but also applied that learning to another situation down the line?
7. Tell me about a time you were criticized and how you handled it.
Humility is an incredibly important attribute to always exhibit, and you want to convey that you know how to and actually do take criticism or feedback and apply it in working towards self-improvement.
Humility is an incredibly important attribute to always exhibit, and you want to convey that you know how to and actually do take criticism or feedback and apply it in working towards self-improvement.
8. Tell me about a time you worked effectively under pressure.
As a resident, you will have much more responsibility and encounter a variety of different types of pressure. How do you respond when you’re under pressure? How does it impact the way you work with others?
As a resident, you will have much more responsibility and encounter a variety of different types of pressure. How do you respond when you’re under pressure? How does it impact the way you work with others?
9. Tell me about a mistake you made.
As Hannah Montana once said, everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days. Nobody’s perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, it’s important to show you can learn from your mistakes and want to improve.
As Hannah Montana once said, everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days. Nobody’s perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, it’s important to show you can learn from your mistakes and want to improve.
10. Tell me about a time you were disappointed in your performance.
This can be interpreted much like the question about failure. I would make the distinction, however, that you can fail without being disappointed and vice versa, which can lend itself to different experiences.
This can be interpreted much like the question about failure. I would make the distinction, however, that you can fail without being disappointed and vice versa, which can lend itself to different experiences.
11. Tell me about a time you asked for help.
Why did you need help? What does that say about you? How might these insights carry over to situations where you’ll have to ask for help as a resident, fellow, or attending?
Why did you need help? What does that say about you? How might these insights carry over to situations where you’ll have to ask for help as a resident, fellow, or attending?
12. Tell me about an experience you had in the past year that made you realize something about yourself.
Every experience provides opportunities to discover, learn, and grow. Some are more profound than others. How will what you realized carry over to being a physician?
Every experience provides opportunities to discover, learn, and grow. Some are more profound than others. How will what you realized carry over to being a physician?
13. Tell me about a time you worked well on a team.
Medicine is the ultimate team sport. A good way to prepare for this is to write down what qualities you think a good team player exhibits. Pick a few that you embody. How can you SHOW (not tell) these through your experiences?
Medicine is the ultimate team sport. A good way to prepare for this is to write down what qualities you think a good team player exhibits. Pick a few that you embody. How can you SHOW (not tell) these through your experiences?
14. Tell me about a time you had to gain someone’s trust.
How did you go about gaining someone's trust? What is it about your character or your actions that makes you trustworthy? Does this carry over to other scenarios or interpersonal relationships?
How did you go about gaining someone's trust? What is it about your character or your actions that makes you trustworthy? Does this carry over to other scenarios or interpersonal relationships?
15. Tell me about a time when you made an unpopular decision.
People won't always agree with your decisions, and sometimes even the "right" decision can be the unpopular choice. What do you do in those situations? Do you listen to others? Do you stand up for your decisions? Why?
People won't always agree with your decisions, and sometimes even the "right" decision can be the unpopular choice. What do you do in those situations? Do you listen to others? Do you stand up for your decisions? Why?
16. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with an attending.
It is your duty to advocate for your patients, and that includes practicing healthy skepticism and being willing to disagree with others (professionally) when appropriate. What does that say about you?
It is your duty to advocate for your patients, and that includes practicing healthy skepticism and being willing to disagree with others (professionally) when appropriate. What does that say about you?
17. Describe a satisfying or meaningful experience during your medical training?
We all have experiences that stand out more than others. Why was it meaningful? What effect did it have on you or others? How did this change your perspectives, attitudes, values, or goals?
We all have experiences that stand out more than others. Why was it meaningful? What effect did it have on you or others? How did this change your perspectives, attitudes, values, or goals?
18. What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve had to make to get to where you are?
It takes a village to get here, but you have to make sacrifices sometimes too. What do you perceive as a big sacrifice? Why was it a sacrifice? What does this say about your motivation and who you are?
It takes a village to get here, but you have to make sacrifices sometimes too. What do you perceive as a big sacrifice? Why was it a sacrifice? What does this say about your motivation and who you are?
19. How do you deal with situations in which you don’t know the solution?
You will never know the answer to everything, and there is always more to learn. How do you go about finding solutions in those situations? Do you ask for help?
You will never know the answer to everything, and there is always more to learn. How do you go about finding solutions in those situations? Do you ask for help?
20. Tell me about a time when you took on too much for you to handle. What did you do?
Do you recognize when you have too much on your plate? How do you prioritize what is important to you? How do you respond when you may feel overwhelmed?
Do you recognize when you have too much on your plate? How do you prioritize what is important to you? How do you respond when you may feel overwhelmed?
And that's it for this thread!
Behavioral questions can be particularly tough and anxiety-provoking. I think if you take the time to think through and prepare a range of life and medical school experiences, you'll be prepared for whatever comes your way!
Part 5 coming soon!
Behavioral questions can be particularly tough and anxiety-provoking. I think if you take the time to think through and prepare a range of life and medical school experiences, you'll be prepared for whatever comes your way!
Part 5 coming soon!
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