Favorite to ask: “What do I need to know about you to help you be successful?”

Favorite to answer: “Who shaped you along your career path?”

—Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA; @JeffPettey

Favorite to ask: “What skill do you use every day that you learned from your mom?”

—Thomas Oetting, MD; @cataractsurgery

Favorite to ask: “Tell me about a time that you were kind to someone who didn’t deserve it or a time when you reacted harshly and regretted it.”

—Gary Wörtz, MD; @cataractMD

Favorite to ask: “Why ophthalmology?”

Favorite to answer: “Why ophthalmology?”

—Dagny Zhu, MD; @DZeyeMD

Favorite to ask: “Tell me a non-flattering story about yourself that doesn’t have a silver lining.” It tells you if the applicant is capable of being honest and humble. The response I don’t want to hear is, “Sometimes I am so bright and hard-working that ...”

—Nathan Radcliffe, MD; @n8radcliffe

Favorite to ask: “What is the best advice you could offer yourself 5 years ago?”

Favorite to answer: “What are the attributes of the best mentors?”

—Malik Kahook, MD; @MalikKahook

Favorite to ask: “Tell me about a past job you had and why you liked or disliked it.”

Favorite to answer: “What books are you currently reading?”

—Andrea Tooley, MD; @DrAndreaTooley

Favorite to ask: “What do you like to do for fun?” Balance in life is everything.

—Usiwoma Abugo, MD; @MentorMeMD

Favorite to ask: “Tell me about a time you had to make a sacrifice for the greater good of the group or for another individual.”

Favorite to answer: “Tell me about your family.”

—Naveen K. Rao, MD; @NaveenKRaoMD