Teamwork & Collaboration
Joe Wolfensohn
Teacher
Contents
Teamwork & Collaboration
This theme focuses on working effectively with others in healthcare and academic settings. It includes sharing responsibility, respecting others’ roles, supporting your peers, and acting in the best interests of the team.
Good teamwork means acknowledging others’ contributions, communicating clearly, being honest when you’re struggling, and stepping in when appropriate — but also knowing your limits.
You’re not expected to take charge of clinical decisions as a student, but you are expected to speak up if something seems unsafe, offer help when appropriate, and take feedback constructively.
The GMC’s Good Medical Practice outlines how all doctors (and students) should work collaboratively with colleagues in the best interest of patients. You are also expected to be self-aware of your own skills and limitations. You have 26 minutes for 69 questions, although SJT is not as time pressured as other sections.
How the SJT tests this
You may be asked about:
- Noticing when a team member is struggling
- Offering or refusing help
- Accepting criticism or feedback
- Delegation and task-sharing
- Managing conflict in the team
- Acting professionally when others do not
Answer Keys (How to approach each type)
Appropriateness
“How appropriate is it for [Name] to do this?”
Rate each action using:
-
A very appropriate thing to do
-
Appropriate but not ideal
-
Inappropriate but not awful
-
A very inappropriate thing to do
Appropriate actions are respectful, collaborative, and align with your responsibilities. Inappropriate ones are disruptive, disrespectful, or unsafe.
Importance
“How important is this factor in deciding what to do?”
Rate each item using:
-
Very Important
-
Important
-
Of Minor Importance
-
Not Important At All
Consider what best supports teamwork, patient safety, and accountability — not personal comfort or avoiding awkwardness. You do not need to include all four categories in each set.
Most / Least Appropriate
Choose both the one most appropriate action and the one least appropriate action. The third option is a null response — neither the best nor the worst thing to do.
Avoid actions that shift blame, ignore problems, or undermine others. The most appropriate action often involves constructive support or communication.
Worked Examples
Scenario 1: Appropriateness Question
Amira is part of a group of four medical students on a ward placement. One student is clearly less confident and keeps missing details on ward rounds. The rest of the group is becoming frustrated. Amira considers what to do.
How appropriate is it for Amira to do the following?
Each action is rated:
- A very appropriate thing to do / Appropriate but not ideal / Inappropriate but not awful / A very inappropriate thing to do
Difficulty: Medium
Speak to the student privately and ask if they’d like help reviewing cases together.
Answer:
A very appropriate thing to do.
Worked Solution:
- Kind, proactive, and fosters team learning in a non-judgemental way.
- This prevents the student from feeling embarrassed in front of their peers and this provides the student with a learning opportunity.
- By reviewing cases together privately, this prevents the student from feeling like a ‘burden’ to the rest of the group and could benefit both the student and Amira mutually.
Make a joke about the student’s mistakes to ease the tension in the group.
Answer:
A very inappropriate thing to do.
Worked Solution:
- Unprofessional and could harm the student’s confidence and team culture.
- This could upset the student and make them reluctant to come on ward rounds.
- The student may feel that the rest of the group are ‘bullying’ them and could lead to even higher tensions within the group.
- Also, this would not benefit the students’ learning.
Bring it up in front of the team during the ward round.
Answer:
Inappropriate but not awful.
Worked Solution:
Though not malicious, it could embarrass the student. Better raised privately.
Ignore it, as everyone has to learn on their own.
Answer:
Appropriate but not ideal.
Worked Solution:
- True to some extent, but supporting one another is important in collaborative learning.
- Although this is not inappropriate this does not provide the student with an opportunity to improve and will not benefit the student moving forward.
Scenario 2: Most/Least Appropriate Question
Tariq is working on a simulation task with three peers. One student keeps talking over others and dismissing suggestions. The team dynamic is tense, and the task is falling behind schedule.
Choose both the one most appropriate and one least appropriate action that Tariq should take. The third is a null option — it is neither the best nor the worst.
Difficulty: Medium
Suggest pausing for a moment so everyone can share ideas fairly.
Answer:
Most appropriate.
Worked Solution:
- Constructive, non-confrontational, and encourages collaboration.
- This task could be stressful to everyone, leading to increased tension. Pausing could help relieve tension.
Pull the student aside and tell them they’re being disrespectful.
Answer:
Null option.
Worked Solution:
- Might help long-term but risks escalating tension mid-task.
- The student may not realise the impact their behaviour is having on the rest of the group and this provides them with an opportunity to reflect.
- However, this is not the most appropriate as this could disrupt the flow of the task.
Ignore the behaviour and hope it settles.
Answer:
Least appropriate.
Worked Solution:
- Avoiding the problem allows disruption to continue and harms teamwork.
- This is not a proactive way to resolve the current situation which is increasing tensions.
- This could impact the way the group performs the rest of the task and result in a violation of patient safety.
Scenario 3: Importance Question
Ben is working with a student group on a quality improvement project. One member hasn’t submitted their part of the work two days before the deadline, despite multiple reminders.
How important are the following considerations in deciding what to do?
Each item is rated:
- Very Important / Important / Of Minor Importance / Not Important At All
Difficulty: Hard
The team needs time to review and finalise the report before submission.
Answer:
Very Important.
Worked Solution:
- Meeting deadlines is essential to team performance and fairness.
- If the group misses the deadline due to this one student this could impact the entire group’s final grade.
The missing student has been difficult to contact throughout the project
Answer:
Important.
Worked Solution:
- Repeated poor communication suggests a pattern that may need addressing.
- This could mean that the student may be struggling with something personally or may be struggling with the project itself. Therefore, it is important that Ben is empathetic and tactful when communicating with the student.
Other team members are getting increasingly frustrated.
Answer:
Important.
Worked Solution:
Team morale matters, and unresolved tension can impact collaboration.
It’s not Ben’s responsibility to chase others.
Answer:
Not Important At All.
Worked Solution:
As this is a group project, everyone shares responsibility in group work, especially when deadlines affect everyone.
The student might have had a genuine reason for the delay.
Answer:
Important.
Worked Solution:
Compassion is important, but it should be balanced with the needs of the team - completing the project before the deadline.
Worked Examples Video