Behavioral Questions - The medical job interview

These questions are designed to determine how you cope with common workplace issues such as conflict and stress. They require you to recall a situation and describe how you dealt with the problem. The S-A-O format, whereby you describe the situation, the action you took, and the outcome, is a useful framework for your responses. Behavioural questions are particularly difficult to answer without any forethought. You will probably find that a reasonably small number of scenarios can be used as examples for many potential questions. An example of leadership may also show initiative, the ability to think on your feet, or willingness to go out of your way for a patient. An example of coping with conflict may also demonstrate your ability to work under pressure, deal with feeling out of control, or communicate with a patient and/or their family. Scenarios from outside the workplace are also worth considering.

Examples of behavioural questions include:

• Describe a situation in which you had a conflict in the workplace and how you dealt with it.
• Describe a time you were required to go above and beyond the call of duty to perform your job.
• Describe a time you were under extreme stress at work and how you acted.
• Tell me about a time a member of your team let you down and how you coped with it.
• Tell me about a time you were criticized at work.
• Describe a situation where you worked well in a team environment.

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Last modified: January 26, 2008 10:51 PM