Tell me about a mistake you have made. What did you do about it?

Last spring I agreed to cover extra shifts at the café where I work in the same fortnight as a chemistry coursework deadline. I left the write-up too late and realised the night before that I wouldn't finish it properly.

My first instinct was to rush something and hope for the best, and I felt embarrassed and a bit defensive¹ — I'd told myself I could handle both. But I emailed my teacher that evening, explained honestly that I'd over-committed, and asked for two more days. She agreed, though she pointed out that telling her earlier would have made it easier for her to plan.

Looking back, the real mistake wasn't the late coursework² but saying yes to everything without checking what I'd already committed to. I thought that made me reliable, but actually it risked letting people down.

Now I plan my week each Sunday and check new commitments against it, and I've got better at saying 'not this week'. I haven't missed a deadline since³.

In medicine I know mistakes will happen, and some will affect patients. What I took from this is that telling someone early — even when it's uncomfortable — gives everyone the best chance to fix things. That's essentially what the duty of candour⁴ asks of doctors.