Med school interview

[Swebb6]

Greetings!

Question about baring it all... I'm interested in Pathology, which is basically what got me interested in medical school. I want to be a Pathologist more than anything.

My dilemna is this... Do I tell interviewers that my main interest in Pathology or do I keep it general? I've shadowed many different physicians, a Pathologist, a Neurologist, Neurosurgeon and Pediatrician.... Is it going to turn off my interviewers that in ten years I want to be finishing a Hematopathology fellowship? Will they think it's too specific?

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[DrMidlife]

Is there a reapplication in this story?

It's healthy to have an interest in a specialty before med school. Having an interest in only one specialty before med school is flimsy. And it's considered adorable to be very certain before med school what you're "going to" specialize in. (Adorable is good in puppies, not med school candidates.)

Aside from getting in to med school, if med school and residency would only be worth it to you if you get to be a pathologist on the other side, then that's a very weak foundation for the work ahead of you. You'll be mostly not doing anything related to pathology for 4-5 years before you get to the PGY2 year of residency when you're actually doing pathology.

Regardless, reach out early and often to path faculty if/when you get into med school. Which means you need to care, and know, if schools on your list have path faculty or just lecturers.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Goro]

Have you actually shadowed a Pathologist?

Greetings!

Question about baring it all... I'm interested in Pathology, which is basically what got me interested in medical school. I want to be a Pathologist more than anything.

My dilemna is this... Do I tell interviewers that my main interest in Pathology or do I keep it general? I've shadowed many different physicians, a Pathologist, a Neurologist, Neurosurgeon and Pediatrician.... Is it going to turn off my interviewers that in ten years I want to be finishing a Hematopathology fellowship? Will they think it's too specific?

 

[Swebb6]

Yes! It was fabulous! I"ve also shadowed a neurologist, a neurosurgeon and a pediatrician. I'm working on getting set up volunteering in a clinic that provides healthcare to the underinsured of Kansas City.

 

[Swebb6]

Is there a reapplication in this story?

It's healthy to have an interest in a specialty before med school. Having an interest in only one specialty before med school is flimsy. And it's considered adorable to be very certain before med school what you're "going to" specialize in. (Adorable is good in puppies, not med school candidates.)

Aside from getting in to med school, if med school and residency would only be worth it to you if you get to be a pathologist on the other side, then that's a very weak foundation for the work ahead of you. You'll be mostly not doing anything related to pathology for 4-5 years before you get to the PGY2 year of residency when you're actually doing pathology.

Regardless, reach out early and often to path faculty if/when you get into med school. Which means you need to care, and know, if schools on your list have path faculty or just lecturers.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you so much! This was very helpful and insightful. I've tried to broaden my base of knowledge about different practicioners of medicine. And yes, this is for my reapplication.