Hard Free Response Question

[Avicenna]

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In all my years of bio, chem, and physics class, this question took me completely off guard:

Why do you want to be a doctor?

...I got nothing. What's the right answer?

 

[chillaxbro]

Do you want us to fill out your AMCAS too?

 

[joonage]

In all my years of bio, chem, and physics class, this question took me completely off guard:

Why do you want to be a doctor?

...I got nothing. What's the right answer?

Money and hoes.

 

[Womb Raider]

You really have nothing? Why are you here?

It doesn't have to be some grand, complex reason - start with the little things and build.

 

[IlDestriero]

If you can't answer that, you're applying to the wrong program. Find what you are passionate about and pursue that instead.

 

[Goro]

Assuming you're NOT a troll, if you don't know the answer to this one, then find another field.

In all my years of bio, chem, and physics class, this question took me completely off guard:

Why do you want to be a doctor?

...I got nothing. What's the right answer?

 

[Avicenna]

Guys, guys. relax; I'm half joking. (As you should have noted by my attempts at a humorous context)

I just feel like the question is sort of inexplicable - like trying to explain why you like the taste of your favorite food.

I was expecting people to have more noble intentions than mine. The erratic surges of inexplicable desire to follow in that doctors footsteps I felt when shadowing the endocrinologist a while ago seems a little conceited and on-a-whim to be used as a reason.

So question 2: I have none of those uber altruistic sentiments of, say, people losing family members to diseases and them trying to give back to the community by somehow preventing this in the future, while in the interim, becoming a doctor to facilitate their cause. That probably won't preclude me from the career, but it'll definitely ruin my chances a ton unless I make some bs up about my own struggle with diabetes? ( which is a true story, out of which I can juice some sentiment if I tried ).

Yeah; to me, becoming a doctor is a destination, not a means to another end. BTW, ya'll are humorless martinets

 

[KnuxNole]

7 posts and noone has said C, M, P, & C.

I am dissapoint.

 

[Avicenna]

Sorry for the double post; I didn't want to include this in the last post:

I feel like any reason that can be logically explained can also be logically argued.

The simple love for the doctor milieu? There are far easier careers to get (PAs, RNs, etc)
Moral desires to help people? There are hundreds of more noble, volunteering careers.
Wealth? I've actually read some articles that argue that doctors have a hard time financially given the huge debt they accumulate in med school, coupled with all the malpractice suits
Getting to save lives? Some engineers can be argued to indirectly save /more/ lives per day.
The honor of getting to save lives directly? Motivated by conceit.
Love of science? Get a Ph. D.

That whole "lost a family member to a disease" thing is the only explicable thing I can come up with.

Becoming a doctor is irrational in nearly all respects! (But I still can't imagine myself doing anything professionally but that)

 

[theseeker4]

Sorry for the double post; I didn't want to include this in the last post:

I feel like any reason that can be logically explained can also be logically argued.

The simple love for the doctor milieu? There are far easier careers to get (PAs, RNs, etc)
Moral desires to help people? There are hundreds of more noble, volunteering careers.
Wealth? I've actually read some articles that argue that doctors have a hard time financially given the huge debt they accumulate in med school, coupled with all the malpractice suits
Getting to save lives? Some engineers can be argued to indirectly save /more/ lives per day.
The honor of getting to save lives directly? Motivated by conceit.
Love of science? Get a Ph. D.

That whole "lost a family member to a disease" thing is the only explicable thing I can come up with.

Becoming a doctor is irrational in nearly all respects! (But I still can't imagine myself doing anything professionally but that)

You could argue against anything, including "lost a family member" ("you becoming a doctor won't bring your loved one back, and being a doctor, you WILL lose patients, sometimes through your own errors."). You need to answer why you want to be a doctor so adcoms can see what you are thinking, whether you have investigated and thought this through, what motivates you, etc. etc. That is all, it isn't a trick question, or something they intend to simply argue with you about (most of them) as long as your reasons are semi-logical and justifiable.

 

[as1212559]

Guys, guys. relax; I'm half joking. (As you should have noted by my attempts at a humorous context)

I just feel like the question is sort of inexplicable - like trying to explain why you like the taste of your favorite food.

I was expecting people to have more noble intentions than mine. The erratic surges of inexplicable desire to follow in that doctors footsteps I felt when shadowing the endocrinologist a while ago seems a little conceited and on-a-whim to be used as a reason.

So question 2: I have none of those uber altruistic sentiments of, say, people losing family members to diseases and them trying to give back to the community by somehow preventing this in the future, while in the interim, becoming a doctor to facilitate their cause. That probably won't preclude me from the career, but it'll definitely ruin my chances a ton unless I make some bs up about my own struggle with diabetes? ( which is a true story, out of which I can juice some sentiment if I tried ).

Yeah; to me, becoming a doctor is a destination, not a means to another end. BTW, ya'll are humorless martinets

Can you see yourself doing anything other than medicine?

 

[nyc1990]

I don't really understand why students are so pugnacious in this forum. True, the OP shouldn't be asking so haphazardly, "guys, why do I want to be a doctor"...but still stimulating constructive thought is better than responding with "find another field".

That said, to the OP, some things to consider about "why medicine":

1) what personal experiences (i.e. not things you've learned simply from a textbook/classrom; not your years of biology, chemistry and physics) have shed light on your path to study medicine? Was there something that 'spoke to you' and told you that this is what you want to do?

2) Are you a people person? Why would you prefer treating patients other than, say, treating mice in a lab?

3) Are you committed to the lifestyle of a doctor, and all that it entails? Or are you just in it for the reputation/money?

4) Something even more 'fun' to think about: what subject of anatomy and physiology do you enjoy the most? why? Can you see yourself making a career out of it?