Why Medicine vs. Why do you want to be a doctor?

[DrZeke]

Hey,

I was wondering if anyone could help me out here. I've been preparing a lot for upcoming interviews, and I just don't want to under-estimate or give a short answer for a question that may require more, so I was wondering if anyone could confirm my ideas for this question. I guess I'm a bit confused with the difference between this question and "Why do you want to be a doctor".

Why Medicine?
- I usually think of this question as different than why do you want to be a doctor. Rather I try and answer it as why I'm interested in medicine, ie: why I value quality of life or health, or just demonstrate through my choices in activies and EC's that I value health and quality of life, and then talk about how I feel medicine is a good fit for me, and what I hope to achieve out of a career in medicine.

I'm very confident in my mock interviews and from what I've read about my answer for "Why I want to be a doctor"...I feel my reasons are good, but I just want a better idea of this question, since in case I get asked both questions in one interview...

Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.

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[LabMonster]

Hey,

I was wondering if anyone could help me out here. I've been preparing a lot for upcoming interviews, and I just don't want to under-estimate or give a short answer for a question that may require more, so I was wondering if anyone could confirm my ideas for this question. I guess I'm a bit confused with the difference between this question and "Why do you want to be a doctor".

Why Medicine?
- I usually think of this question as different than why do you want to be a doctor. Rather I try and answer it as why I'm interested in medicine, ie: why I value quality of life or health, or just demonstrate through my choices in activies and EC's that I value health and quality of life, and then talk about how I feel medicine is a good fit for me, and what I hope to achieve out of a career in medicine.

I'm very confident in my mock interviews and from what I've read about my answer for "Why I want to be a doctor"...I feel my reasons are good, but I just want a better idea of this question, since in case I get asked both questions in one interview...

Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.

You've got the answer to "Why Medicine?" Medicine is a science and you like it!

Doctoring is different. I'm in the fertile ground between being smashed by residents and being clueless. Doctoring is about listening, is about hearing and translating what you hear into actions - and that my be scratching your Rx pad, but more frequently, it's telling someone they'll be okay. That they need to excercise a muscle and showing them how. That "excercise" need only be 30 minutes of walking three times a week. The science is much easier compared to the things that people throw at you.

Note: The point is doctoring - teaching. It's not a good point, it's the profession.

 

[DrZeke]

thanks. I think that's a very good point.

Any other takers...?

 

[nekrogg]

i never realized there was a difference.. i assumed when they asked why medicine they implied why doctor because after all to you medicine means doctoring and not nursing, PA, etc.

i answered the question as such in all my interviews and havent had any problems.

maybe your reading too deep into it??

 

[lunaire]

Medicine= healthcare field (nurse, EMT, doctor, medical researchers w/ PhD)

Doctor= doctor.

 

[LabMonster]

Medicine= healthcare field (nurse, EMT, doctor, medical researchers w/ PhD)

Doctor= doctor.

Exactly Doctor = Teacher: [Origin: 1275–1325; ME docto(u)r (< AF) < L, equiv. to doc(&#275;re) to teach + -tor -tor] -tor was added in latin to mean "one who does"

 

[DrZeke]

Medicine= healthcare field (nurse, EMT, doctor, medical researchers w/ PhD)

Doctor= doctor.

Thanks so much for that reply, I totally agree with that assessment, that's along the lines I was thinking:

Healthcare field vs. doctor.

 

[luv2sd]

or maybe you can say that you want to be a doctor because you want to be a leader in your profession and have the power to control?

 

[DrZeke]

or maybe you can say that you want to be a doctor because you want to be a leader in your profession and have the power to control?

Um...that's kinda a better answer for the "Why not nursing?"
However, I would stay away from phrases like power to control, and instead of saying "leader in your profession" because profession = MD, you might want to use a phrase like "leader of a healthcare team"

 

[luv2sd]

"leader of a healthcare team" sounds good
I'll have to remember this one

 

[Pose]

Do we really have to sit here and fabricate reasons for why we want to be physicians?

We want to work in healthcare because it's unlike any other field. It provides an opportunity to work with people, make people feel better or at least provide an explanation, it combines science with real interaction and outside/practical stressors, it provides unlimited educational/intellectual challenge/stimulus, and it's more than likely always going to be a "booming" field.

We want to be doctors because we want to lead, invent, make sense of things for people, be the direct line of communication frustrated or scared people are looking for, understand the ultimate "why" behind what we do, and we want to apply our technical know-how in a way that benefits people like ourselves before we knew ****.

I want to be a doctor because I want to be dependable. Whether it's a scared patient, an unconscious or confused patient, an angry patient, or to teach a skill to a resident, student, volunteer, or patient. Because I know when I'm scared, I'm just looking for an explanation.

Plus it pays well.

 

[DrZeke]

Do we really have to sit here and fabricate reasons for why we want to be physicians?

We want to work in healthcare because it's unlike any other field. It provides an opportunity to work with people, make people feel better or at least provide an explanation, it combines science with real interaction and outside/practical stressors, it provides unlimited educational/intellectual challenge/stimulus, and it's more than likely always going to be a "booming" field.

We want to be doctors because we want to lead, invent, make sense of things for people, be the direct line of communication frustrated or scared people are looking for, understand the ultimate "why" behind what we do, and we want to apply our technical know-how in a way that benefits people like ourselves before we knew ****.

I want to be a doctor because I want to be dependable. Whether it's a scared patient, an unconscious or confused patient, an angry patient, or to teach a skill to a resident, student, volunteer, or patient. Because I know when I'm scared, I'm just looking for an explanation.

Plus it pays well.

Touchee. Unfortunately, I will have to sound less amazing than you, because I just am not that verbally articulate, and if I used that type of language, I would undoubtedly come off as having memorized a response.

 

[Pose]

Don't worry...It's must easier to type than speak.

Though, just be honest to a certain extent.

 

[DrZeke]

Don't worry...It's must easier to type than speak.

Though, just be honest to a certain extent.

thanks