How to answer a question on speaking up about unsafe behavior in a medical school interview
- Kind
- Personal story
Prompt
Tell me about a time you noticed someone at work, at school or on a team doing something unsafe or improper, and you had to decide whether to speak up. What did you do, and would you do the same today?
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How to approach this question
What this question tests
- Self-reflection and growth
- Professionalism and integrity
- Communication
How to approach it
This panel interview question tests your judgment and courage around speaking up, and whether you can reflect honestly on a decision you might make differently now. Pick a real situation where speaking up carried a cost, such as risking a friendship, a job or your standing with someone senior. Describe what you saw, what made it unsafe or improper, and what pulled you toward staying quiet. Then explain what you did and how the other person responded. The second half of the question matters as much as the first, so say plainly whether you'd act the same way today and what you've learned since. An answer where you stayed silent and now see why that was wrong can be as strong as one where you spoke up.
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