The interview question bank

An acting station: you talk to an actor as if the situation were real.

• Role-playIntermediate·MMI station · MD, DO, PA, Nursing, Residency

  Role-play: A patient's daughter, played by an actor, is angry that her mother has waited four hours in the emergency department. Talk with her.

  Communication · Empathy

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  Sample answer outline

  1. 1Introduce yourself, sit down if you can, and let her finish. Don't defend the hospital yet.
  2. 2Name the emotion and apologize for the wait: "Four hours is a long time when you're worried about your mom."
  3. 3Ask what worries her most and whether her mother's condition has changed.
  4. 4Explain what you can, honestly: how triage works, without blaming staff.
  5. 5Agree on a next step: you'll check on her mother's status and come back with an update.

  What makes it work

  • Talking to the actor, not about them, is what role-play stations score.
  • Empathy first, information second, action last.

  Avoid

  • Narrating what you would do instead of doing it.
  • Promising a time you can't guarantee.

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• Role-playBeginner·MMI station · Most programs

  Role-play: Your coworker, played by an actor, keeps arriving late and you have been covering for them. Talk to them.

  Communication · Teamwork · Professionalism

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  Sample answer outline

  1. 1Choose a private moment and open with care: "I've noticed you've been late a few times. Is everything OK?"
  2. 2Listen. There may be a reason (health, family, transport) that changes what help looks like.
  3. 3Be honest about the impact on you and the team, using "I" statements.
  4. 4Agree on something concrete together, and say you'd need to involve the manager if it keeps happening.

  What makes it work

  • Curiosity before judgment opens the conversation.
  • It ends with a clear plan, not just feelings.

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