Mastering the Mayo Clinic Interview: 7 Must-Know Questions and Answers

Landing a job at the prestigious Mayo Clinic requires standing out from thousands of qualified applicants. With a highly selective hiring process, you need to meticulously prepare for Mayo Clinic’s behavior-based interview approach.

In this article we’ll overview

• What to expect in a standard Mayo Clinic interview
• 7 frequent Mayo Clinic behavior-based interview questions with sample answers
• Tips to prepare using the SHARE model

Let’s begin!

What to Expect in a Mayo Clinic Interview

The Mayo Clinic interview process typically involves:

Prescreen Phone Call

You’ll first have a 30 minute phone screening with a recruiter to discuss your qualifications and career goals. This call confirms you meet the role requirements before advancing.

1-2 Manager Interviews

Next are interviews with department heads and the hiring manager that last between one and two hours each. The Mayo Clinic uses behavior-based interviewing, which means they will ask you about specific problems you’ve had in the past and how you solved them.

Panel Interview

Some roles require a multi-person panel interview to meet various team members at once. You may give a presentation to the panel as well.

Tips for Interview Success:

• Thoroughly research Mayo Clinic’s values and culture
• Review your resume and prepare stories of past successes
• Practice answers using the SHARE model
• Ask thoughtful questions that demonstrate your interest

With preparation and authentic responses, you’ll be ready to ace the selective Mayo Clinic interview process.

7 Common Mayo Clinic Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers

Let’s look at some frequent behavior-based questions asked at Mayo Clinic interviews along with strong sample responses:

1. Tell me about a time you delivered excellent patient care. What made your efforts exceptional?

Mayo Clinic prioritizes compassionate care and patient experience. Share a story exemplifying your commitment to empathy, active listening to understand patient needs, and providing comforting support in difficult times. Describe the impact your care had on that patient.

Sample Answer:

“When a scared, anxious child came into the ER with a broken arm, I made it my mission to ease her worries. I spoke gently, brought over coloring books as a distraction, and explained each step in a positive way before moving her arm to avoid more pain. The grateful hug from her mom and smile on that little girl’s face after made my day. It reminded me why compassionate care matters.”

2. Describe a time you faced a conflict with a coworker. How did you handle it?

This question assesses your people skills and emotional intelligence. Share how you proactively resolved conflict through open dialogue, identifying common ground, compromise, and following up respectfully. Emphasize maintaining a mature, professional demeanor.

Sample Answer:

“When a teammate and I disagreed strongly over the right way to approach a process improvement project, there was tension between us initially. Rather than arguing, I suggested we each share our perspectives and underlying logic. Finding the common goal beneath our different approaches resolved the conflict. We ultimately combined aspects of both our ideas into a new solution. Establishing that mutual understanding improved our working relationship moving forward.”

3. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a patient. What motivated you to do so?

Going the extra mile for patients is crucial at Mayo Clinic. Share an example of when you extended exceptional effort such as working late without being asked, spending extra 1:1 time with a stressed patient, or brainstorming creative solutions during care conferences. Convey your innate motivation to help others.

Sample Answer:

“When an elderly patient mentioned he had missed his favorite football team play while hospitalized, I knew how much he must have wanted to see the game. After my shift, I recorded the full game replay at home and brought it to the patient room the next morning to watch together. Seeing his face light up was incredibly rewarding. My motivation was simply wanting to bring joy to someone during a difficult time.”

4. Tell me about a time you successfully collaborated with a team. What was the outcome?

Mayo Clinic emphasizes teamwork and collaboration. Share a story of working collaboratively with doctors, nurses, and other staff to drive a positive patient or organizational outcome. Highlight your open communication, relationship-building, and conflict management.

Sample Answer:

“As part of a rapid response team, it was crucial we worked collaboratively to save unstable patient lives. During a challenging case, I maintained calm, clear communication between the physicians, techs, and nurses to ensure we were aligned. I also reinforced the shared goal of helping the patient throughout the tense situation. Our seamless teamwork led to stabilizing the patient. This experience exemplified how open collaboration under pressure leads to the best possible outcome.”

5. Describe a time you spearheaded an improvement or innovation.

Mayo Clinic values continuous improvement mindsets. Explain how you saw a need for innovation, took initiative to create solutions, and drove adoption of the change by inspiring others around the benefits. Share metrics demonstrating the positive impact of your improvement.

Sample Answer:

“When I noticed lengthy ED patient handoff delays between nurses, I spearheaded the creation of a new digital tracking board to modernize the outdated paper system. I gathered user input on pain points, found vendor partners, and compiled data showing how digital handoffs could increase patient satisfaction. By communicating benefits, I secured stakeholder buy-in. This new system decreased handoff times by 37% while improving nurse collaboration. It was incredibly fulfilling driving an innovation that benefited staff and patients alike.”

6. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it?

Don’t be afraid to share an example of when you made an error, as long as you focus on the growth and accountability afterwards. Explain how you took responsibility, fixed the mistake, applied lessons learned moving forward, and strengthened processes to prevent recurrence.

Sample Answer:

“When I was new to the ICU, I mistakenly adjusted a patient’s medication dosage without realizing the attending physician had recently changed the prescription. As soon as I was alerted to my error, I immediately addressed it with the patient and their physician to prevent any harm. I owned my mistake sincerely, reviewed the dosage chart again with greater care, and instituted a double-checking process. While never making errors is ideal, responding appropriately when they rarely occur demonstrates accountability.”

7. Where do you see your career in the next 5 years?

Share your genuine aspirations for professional growth in patient care, leadership, research, or education. Convey your commitment to expanding your skillset through Mayo Clinic’s continuous learning culture. Highlight your alignment to Mayo’s mission of putting patients first always.

Sample Answer:

“In 5 years, I hope to take on more complex care challenges after deepening my expertise as an ICU nurse at Mayo Clinic. I aim to become a mentor for other nurses to help develop the next generation. I also have a passion for research and hope to get involved in studies expanding our understanding of critical care best practices. Most of all, I want to continue positively impacting as many patients’ lives as possible.”

Tips for Preparing for a Mayo Clinic Interview

Follow these tips for success in your Mayo Clinic interview:

1. Research Mayo’s Values and Culture

Understand their emphasis on exceptional patient care, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

2. Use the SHARE Model

Follow the SHARE method (Situation, Hindrance, Action, Result, Evaluation) when crafting your responses.

3. Prepare 3-4 Stories Showcasing Key Strengths

Identify relevant skills and experiences you want to highlight. Develop compelling stories using STAR format.

4. Anticipate Behavioral Questions

Review the sample questions in this article and think of your own stories.

5. Practice Interviewing Naturally

Do mock interviews to get comfortable speaking conversationally about your background.

6. Prepare Thoughtful Questions to Ask

Draft several smart questions that show your enthusiasm and understanding of Mayo Clinic.

With the right mindset and preparation, you’ll be ready to have an amazing Mayo Clinic interview experience! Wishing you the very best of luck.