Can I use secondary answers to answer interview questions?

[dcguthrie7]

almost all secondaries ask why physician, why DO? Is it bad to just reiterate what you put for secondaries when they inevitably ask these questions during interviews?

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[ananasmed]

Don't memorize them and "read" them off directly from your essays, but yes, obviously stay true to your reasons! Keep in mind that interviewers may ask followup questions when you give an answer, asking you to elaborate further.

 

[dcguthrie7]

that's what I think too, thanks!

 

[OsteopathicHopeful]

I personally would try and take a different approach than just reiterating what you said in your secondary. It shows that you have really thought/lived it out. Communication is key in medicine (physician/patient relationship) In medicine you will be required to explain things many different ways depending on the patient and how they understand things. Showing that you can answer the same question differently yet maintaining continuity shows maturity and tact.

 

[ananasmed]

I personally would try and take a different approach than just reiterating what you said in your secondary. It shows that you have really thought/lived it out. Communication is key in medicine (physician/patient relationship) In medicine you will be required to explain things many different ways depending on the patient and how they understand things. Showing that you can answer the same question differently yet maintaining continuity shows maturity and tact.

Agreed - I meant that if you wrote in your secondary about choosing to go into osteopathic medicine after some shadowing experience that taught you X, Y, and Z, you can definitely mention those same experiences again when asked in the interview, but be prepared to share some specific stories from that experience if asked for more info. You shouldn't think that you CAN'T talk about those things simply because you've already written them. Your interviewer may not have scoured every word of your essays and might not even know about that experience unless you tell them!

 

[dcguthrie7]

I pick up what you're putting down

 

[dcguthrie7]

I definitely have a couple additional examples I will use if asked these questions. But the general reasons for becoming a physician are obviously the same.