discuss specializing in secondaries/interviews?

[avandreel]

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Hi - I haven't seen this discussed recently, but apologize on the off chance that my question comes off as inflammatory or if it is a repeat of another thread.

Anyways, I am wondering if there it will look bad if I talk about wanting to specialize (ie- not primary care) in my secondaries/interviews/etc. I am aware that many schools have a number of students every year that match into specialties, but I just really don't want to shoot myself in the foot by saying the wrong thing to the wrong school, since I always hear that some schools really push primary care specialties. Specifically, I think I might want to go into General Surgery after having observed a lot of operations and worked with a lot of surgeons on the floor at the hospital where I work.

The schools that I plan on applying to are DMU, CCOM, KCUMB, KCOM, and PCOM. Again, please realize that I know that DOs specialize all the time, but just want to make sure that I'm not putting myself at any kind of a disadvantage. In the back of my head I just feel like I read a thread at some point that suggested that people were "just saying they wanted to be rural FP doctors to get in, then specializing", or something to that effect. I don't know if anyone actually does that, or if anyone would need to do that, but I just wanted to see what people thought.
Thanks

 

[PsychOhio]

I was accepted to a couple school and my personal statement was all about why I want to be a Psychiatrist. I would never recommend lying to get into a school. Be yourself and let your passion for the specialty you plan to pursue show.

 

[Depakote]

Hi - I haven't seen this discussed recently, but apologize on the off chance that my question comes off as inflammatory or if it is a repeat of another thread.

Anyways, I am wondering if there it will look bad if I talk about wanting to specialize (ie- not primary care) in my secondaries/interviews/etc. I am aware that many schools have a number of students every year that match into specialties, but I just really don't want to shoot myself in the foot by saying the wrong thing to the wrong school, since I always hear that some schools really push primary care specialties. Specifically, I think I might want to go into General Surgery after having observed a lot of operations and worked with a lot of surgeons on the floor at the hospital where I work.

The schools that I plan on applying to are DMU, CCOM, KCUMB, KCOM, and PCOM. Again, please realize that I know that DOs specialize all the time, but just want to make sure that I'm not putting myself at any kind of a disadvantage. In the back of my head I just feel like I read a thread at some point that suggested that people were "just saying they wanted to be rural FP doctors to get in, then specializing", or something to that effect. I don't know if anyone actually does that, or if anyone would need to do that, but I just wanted to see what people thought.
Thanks

I agree with the above post that you should stay honest... but be open that it is entirely likely that you will change your mind regarding a specialty throughout the course of your medical education. Schools will be receptive to the fact that you have an intetrest in a field but are willing to change your mind...

Just a comment about General Surgery. DMU has a great surgery simulator.

 

[HarveyCushing]

Hi - I haven't seen this discussed recently, but apologize on the off chance that my question comes off as inflammatory or if it is a repeat of another thread.

Anyways, I am wondering if there it will look bad if I talk about wanting to specialize (ie- not primary care) in my secondaries/interviews/etc. I am aware that many schools have a number of students every year that match into specialties, but I just really don't want to shoot myself in the foot by saying the wrong thing to the wrong school, since I always hear that some schools really push primary care specialties. Specifically, I think I might want to go into General Surgery after having observed a lot of operations and worked with a lot of surgeons on the floor at the hospital where I work.

The schools that I plan on applying to are DMU, CCOM, KCUMB, KCOM, and PCOM. Again, please realize that I know that DOs specialize all the time, but just want to make sure that I'm not putting myself at any kind of a disadvantage. In the back of my head I just feel like I read a thread at some point that suggested that people were "just saying they wanted to be rural FP doctors to get in, then specializing", or something to that effect. I don't know if anyone actually does that, or if anyone would need to do that, but I just wanted to see what people thought.
Thanks

I applied to and was accepted by the schools you listed except PCOM. During a few of my interviews the question came up about what area of medicine I was interested in/would like to enter. I was real open and told them how I would like to do a surgical specialty. We talked about that for awhile and some of my clinical experiences leading to my interest and that was it. I don't recall if I mentioned anything on my secondaries, but at least in the interviews they were really open to my interest. I don't think you will have anything to worry about with these schools. "The Five" tend to place more students into specialties than into primary care. I was told at my KCUMB interview that they place about 60% of their students into non-primary care residencies.

 

[Taty]

i told i want to be a transplant or trauma surgeon..i was asked why..so i answered,got in

 

[JonnyG]

I was accepted to a couple school and my personal statement was all about why I want to be a Psychiatrist. I would never recommend lying to get into a school. Be yourself and let your passion for the specialty you plan to pursue show.

psychiatry is considered primary care.................................Anyways it really doesn't matter since most people change what they want to do while in school and the schools know this.

 

[keithengineer]

Always go for honesty, if that is a passion of yours to be such and such, let it be known. I knew I wanted to do primary care, and that peds or FP is what I want to do, so it may have helped me. I was interviewed by an FP. But at the same time I would have felt comfortable telling a neurosurgeon the same thing, I want to be an FP, because it gets me excited.

I did put it in my statement. I did a MSPH, so it was pretty evident I like public health and primary care.

 

[MossPoh]

I was accepted to a couple school and my personal statement was all about why I want to be a Psychiatrist. I would never recommend lying to get into a school. Be yourself and let your passion for the specialty you plan to pursue show.

Of course, psych is generally considered primary care. 😉

Just say what you are interested in and why....honesty is the best policy. I know someone that during her interview talked about family practice and stuff and then at the end kind of tagged in "I also really like orthopedic surgery".....she got in and is now an orthopedic surgeon.

Saying general surgery isn't even that bad....there is a high demand for general surgery in the underserved areas. If you were saying something along the lines of opthalmology, or pediatric oncology or something seemingly random I'd be a little more concerned. I meet a lot of premeds that want to be pediatric oncologists, pediatric neurosurgeons, neonatalogist, and all that stuff...that is getting a little TOO specialized I think. General surgery and entertaining the idea of one of the many fellowships? Not so much..

 

[GreenShirt]

The schools on your list put half of their graduates into specialties, so it shouldn't be an issue. My whole PS was about how I wanted to go into EM and it didn't get mentioned in any of my interviews. I think that they know that we will all changed our minds 20 times about our specialty in medical school, so they don't take much stock in the fact that an applicant with little medical experience says they want to be a Cardiovascular Surgeon.

 

[MossPoh]

Yea, I mean I tend to think of what I want as far as the mindset and skillset involved. I like working with my hands and want something more procedural based. I also tend to not care TOO much about continuity of care. The high tech fields like radiology also appeal to me, but it is because of ,my past education. The truly cerebral stuff really doesn't appeal to me, and I don't really care to b.s. with patients for a lot of the day...so that kind of narrows it down but still lots of fields open......I think if you approach it with that mindset. Just don't be that person that is hellbent on being something....usually comes off abrasive and you look like an idiot. At least the people I have talked to have....