How is anyone supposed to answer "Why medicine"?

[VoiceofReason]

I'm starting to think that there is no satisfactory answer to this question. I always get asked this at interviews, as if its not clear from my personal statement, and then my interviewers don't seem satisfied with my answer. What is the correct answer to this question!? Seriously, there can be only one fundamental sentiment that all interviewers are looking for in your answer. So what is it?? How do you articulate it?!

I don't understand why saying "I want to be a doctor" isn't good enough anyway. Clearly If I'm sitting in front of you at the interview I've worked my ass off. Doesn't that speak for itself - about my commitment?

I just don't understand what I'm supposed to say anymore. I used to think I had a good answer but now I'm not so sure. I basically try to relate my experience with my aunt's cancer and how it catalyzed my interest in medicine and medical science while I was in the middle of college. I explored medicine and medical science through clinical experience and academic pursuit in school and found it to be an ideal career because it combines science, humanism, and human interaction.


I'm going insane. I'm set to go on my 4th interview, and of the three i've completed so far, one decision came back a rejection. I feel like they're all going to be rejections because all my interviews pretty much went the same way. And this 4th one is going to go the same as the other 3. I need to know how I'm supposed to answer this question the correct way before my 4th interview. Clearly the truth isn't getting me anywhere.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm starting to think that there is no satisfactory answer to this question. I always get asked this at interviews, as if its not clear from my personal statement, and then my interviewers don't seem satisfied with my answer. What is the correct answer to this question!? Seriously, there can be only one fundamental sentiment that all interviewers are looking for in your answer. So what is it?? How do you articulate it?!

They are looking to see if you are well thought out about your career path. If you cannot answer "why medicine", you aren't ready to be applying. You can't ask others how to articulate it, because it is a question about YOUR thought process. There isn't a good canned answer that is going to get you the gold star here. Either you have done what you can to have researched the path, figured out why you are taking this plunge, can articulate the reason you are choosing to spend your 20s in the library and wards, or you cannot. Spend some time soul searching. If you still come up blank, it may be that medicine is not the right path.

 

[Quix]

They are looking to see if you are well thought out about your career path. If you cannot answer "why medicine", you aren't ready to be applying. You can't ask others how to articulate it, because it is a question about YOUR thought process. There isn't a good canned answer that is going to get you the gold star here. Either you have done what you can to have researched the path, figured out why you are taking this plunge, can articulate the reason you are choosing to spend your 20s in the library and wards, or you cannot. Spend some time soul searching. If you still come up blank, it may be that medicine is not the right path.

Seconded. If you can't come up with a good (and honest!) answer to this one, you are running a huge risk of amassing a lot of debt with very little personal return.

 

[VoiceofReason]

Sorry I added a lot to my post. It probably makes more sense now. I'm definitely ready to be applying, and I know I will get what I want out of medicine. But I swear to god I get these interviewers with aspberger's syndrome and they don't ever look satisfied with my answer.

 

[brianmartin]

What kind of clinical experience do you have to back up your answers?

 

[elderjack21]

I think it is a tough question to answer, not because I don't have an answer, but because deciding to pursue medicine really was a process for me rather than something that I always thought that I wanted to do.

You also don't want to come across as having some canned answer. This question always takes me the longest to answer in interviews, but it has turned out well for me so far. Sincerity is the best policy and plenty of life examples that have support your answer.

 

[LikeClockWork]

I don't understand why saying "I want to be a doctor" isn't good enough anyway. Clearly If I'm sitting in front of you at the interview I've worked my ass off. Doesn't that speak for itself - about my commitment?

Plenty of people can do the pre-med part of the process and even the applications without having a truly good reason for pursuing medicine. Not knowing what else to do or just following in a parent's footsteps can be enough to keep someone on the medical track. I think they're asking "Why medicine?" to make sure you have a more substantial reason to apply.

One of my favorite stories happened to my next door neighbor. He had impeccable stats and got interviews at the few med schools he decided to apply to. When they asked him "Why do you want to be a doctor?" he answered that, honestly, he wasn't entirely sold on the idea and was still thinking about it. Needless to say, that question weeded him out of the process pretty quick. BTW, he's now a successful lawyer.

 

[Maxprime]

I think the OP is glossing over the fact that he's probably having trouble coming up with an original answer. We all find the human body fascinating and want to help people, blah blah.

There's a great post by a blogging MD about how the "just want to help people" is a load of crap. I believe part of it - many of the reasons I want to become a doctor are for me. I don't want to sit behind a desk all day, I want to meet new people, I want new problems to solve, I want to work with both my hands and my brain, etc.

If all you cared about was helping people, you'd never become a doctor in the US. You could help so many more people in a number of other endeavors - become a fundraiser for an NGO and you can save millions of lives. If you really just found the human body that fascinating, you'd be a physiologist - you wouldn't waste time filling out paperwork and dealing with people's emotions.

Just be honest. It's like "what is your greatest weakness?" Back in the 20's when this was a novel interview question, giving a fake negative was great. Nowadays, it's insulting. I'd take someone saying, "I want to be a dermatologist, help people with minor problems, great pay, no call, etc." any day of the week over some ass who was all about saving the world by becoming a dermatologist in bumsville, Idaho.

 

[TheRealMD]

Because truly honest answers aren't the ones you can use an interview. =/

Or because the reasons are very simple but a 10 sec answer isn't satisfactory for most people.

Or because you just like what doctors do.

The problem with this question that makes it so hard isn't that we have to tell the truth (that's easy), but you must dress it up into a nice pretty present that impresses adcoms and makes them pick you over their next interviewee. And after you've done it 6 or 7 times, you just feel burnt out!

At least, that's how I feel.

 

[45408]

You don't need to say something to "impress" the interviewer or something that hasn't been said before. You just need to say something that sounds like you've actually considered the issue, and you're not totally wet behind the ears about the commitment you're making.

 

[Dr_Dan_the_man]

I agree with the above posters...

What is hurting you might not be WHAT you say, but HOW you say it.

Realize that 90% of the answers to this question sound almost exactly the same and can get extremely annoying for the interviewer.

You need to really think about what experiences made YOU want to be a doctor. Your answer will be MUCH more effective if you use real life stories to illustrate your point rather than cliche statements such as "I want to help people", "I love science and learning about the body", or "Medicine is an extremely rewarding career".

 

[Blade28]

Please, please, PLEASE have a good answer for this question, as you will get asked it many times from now on - by interviewers, patients, colleagues, nurses, friends, family, etc.

 

[Revenant]

You just have to add personal flair to an old answer and you're golden. I'll give you an example.

I really just enjoy helping people and interacting with others on a personal level.

I guess I could say that I enjoy helping people, but that alone doesn't justify my ambition for being a doctor. The fact is I could help people as an engineer, for example helping to design a water treatment plant or something like that. The thing is that career lacks a crucial element which medicine brings, personal interaction. Entering medicine would allow me to help people at a personal level, and that person-to-person interaction is what makes medicine so appealing as a career choice to me yada yada yada and so on.

Use your personal experiences to better explain the why. Your explanation doesn't have to be "super-original", it just has to not be generic.

 

[BigMDT]

i told my interviewer that i "really really like to help people and i want to make a lot of money while doing it"


he looked at me, smiled, and said "thats why i did it too!!! YOURE IN!!!"👍















.......................hahaha just kidding.

 

[Just2Fitz]

no, the why medicine questions are easy--

the comments on why are you becoming a doctor are tough--for example;


i'm working a football game, working with the emergency care team, one middle age woman walks in, looks at me and I attend to her. I fix her up and she asked me "what do you want to be when you graduate, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE A DOCTOR ARE YOU"--I'm like😡

it sucks

 

[milliya]

hmm see i'm kind of hesitant about telling people the real reason why i'e chosen this field. i think it sounds kind of silly and immature but here goes:

i actually i read this book The Tiniest Miracle: Angel of Grace and I fell in love with the concept of fetal surgey and life in the NICU. i love babies and i was a preemie myself, so i immediately identified wih the need for compassionate doctors who are faithful and diligent in the fight for such little lives.

corny, i know.

 

[medking]

You just have to add personal flair to an old answer and you're golden. I'll give you an example.





Use your personal experiences to better explain the why. Your explanation doesn't have to be "super-original", it just has to not be generic.

I really dont see a difference, lol.

 

[brianmartin]

^^^
It would be nice if we all had a moment like this....but the truth is many of us don't. At least in my case, it's more of a rational decision about entering a career, instead of one certain event or realization. It has no bearing on who's going to be a better doctor.

 

[HumidBeing]

I'm concerned about how my own answers to that question would be taken, too, because it seems that most places state, one way or another, that they are looking for "compassionate" students. I CARE about people, and am interested in them as individuals, but am much more an analytical person than a coddling person. I don't even have a burning desire to feel like I'm saving lives on a routine basis. Really impressive, huh?

The field that attracted me to medicine is one in which most patients, at this stage of our medical abilities, cannot be cured. Many of the diseases are progressive, and slowly fatal. Many others are not progressive, but can only be controlled, not yet cured. Those patients can live a normal, to nearly normal, life with proper care.

I've seen babies in the NICU who seemed normal at birth, but soon showed the first signs of metabolic disorders. MAYBE they could be treated if it were possible to diagnose them in time, but right now it's often a matter of supporting them and preparing the family as much as possible, while their lives fall apart. I've noticed how many families couldn't stand together under the pressure of raising a child with severe, chronic illness. Others who became angry because the doctor couldn't "cure" their loved one.

What I do know is that even when there is no cure, I could make a difference as a physician by delivering treatment that can make a difference in the quality of life and by being able to offer and connect people with ongoing support that will make them better able to handle the challenges. I want to be part of finding treatments and cures for some of these maladies, or rapid enough methods to diagnose metabolic disorders so that more of those infants can survive.

I have concerns that the type of caring that I have will come across as far too subtle for me to be considered "compassionate" during a short interview. I don't get big, sad, puppy eyes over lack of current ability to fix or save. I don't even WANT to be that way. I believe that I'm more practical, but have doubts that others would consider that to be the kind of compassion or drive to heal that they were looking for in a candidate.

 

[IHeartNerds]

i actually i read this book The Tiniest Miracle: Angel of Grace and I fell in love with the concept of fetal surgey and life in the NICU. i love babies and i was a preemie myself, so i immediately identified wih the need for compassionate doctors who are faithful and diligent in the fight for such little lives.

Come to Penn!! Adzick himself gives a 1st year lecture on fetal surgery. He is a king-sized badass.

More on topic ... during our interview training we are told specifically not to ask this question. I guess it's been beaten to a pulp by then...

 

[foxycleop]

I think one way of thinking about this question is "how does becoming a doctor fit in your life/life goals?". Why do you wish to use your "compassion", "caring", "trying to connect with people" qualities by becoming a Doctor ONLY and not something else. Mother Teresa was not a doctor but most of us would agree and she was compassionate, selfless, caring and ALL THAT.

The question itself presupposes that you have all the qualities such as compassion, caring, selflessness etc. But Why Doctor? when you can use these qualities being a nurse or being in a different profession. (think..just because you say you are something does not necessarily mean that you are telling the truth)...so basically the question says that ASSUMING that you have all the SAINTLY qualities which I am sure 99.99% of the people here are ready to burst out with....why do you want to utilize those qualities as a doctor and not something else?

 

[VoiceofReason]

Again, my honest answer sounds a lot like what a couple people here have described. I explain the catalyst of my interest, how I explored the field, and why I determined that it was right for me. I say that it combines my love of science, humanism, and human interaction perfectly, but now I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't even mention science. Doctors can't be interested in the academic aspects of medicine, what the hell was I thinking, it has to be much more romanticized than that.

 

[45408]

I'm pretty sure my PS stalked about being interested in the fact that medicine is a form of applied science. You'd better like science - there's plenty of it in your edumucation.

 

[Jolie South]

I always love how I give the same response:

I love the science of disease, thought I would go into research, went to peace corps cause i thought it was a good thing to do, ended up liking talking with people about their health. then, i go off on how medicine allows me to combine my interests in disease with the people aspect . public health is not challenging enough for me either. also not enough time interacting with people(too much grant writing, statistics, project planning). then, i mention how i spent time with doctors and was always jealous of what they were doing. it seemed to be a better fit for me than public health/research.


. . .and get a different reaction every time. some interviewers love it and believe me. others are skeptical.

 

[neuro1617]

There are so many reasons why I want to do medicine & nothing else that I have trouble articulating it too. I could go on about it for a longgg time

 

[brianmartin]

Why medicine? Easy. So I can satisfy my curiosity throughout a lifetime of productive, meaningful work? Being one of the people who enable society to function? Getting to use my brain every day? And since it is in my nature to be ethical and just, why not enter a career where those are the rules anyway? I've seen doctors at work and they are some of the best people I know - knowledgeable, rational, interested in their patient's well-being. Medicine is a great field and there are endless reasons for doing it. The reason they ask the question is to see how you respond, and if you can come up with something reasonable. Basically, they are seeing if you have even thought about it before.

 

[hokiemon]

I always love how I give the same response:

I love the science of disease, thought I would go into research, went to peace corps cause i thought it was a good thing to do, ended up liking talking with people about their health. then, i go off on how medicine allows me to combine my interests in disease with the people aspect . public health is not challenging enough for me either. also not enough time interacting with people(too much grant writing, statistics, project planning). then, i mention how i spent time with doctors and was always jealous of what they were doing. it seemed to be a better fit for me than public health/research.


. . .and get a different reaction every time. some interviewers love it and believe me. others are skeptical.

seems like a "weird" response to "Why Medicine".. I just don't see how you go from loving the science of disease to being jealous of seeing what doctor's do without being interrupted by the interviewer or losing their attention

 

[luv2sd]

Medicine rhymes with Edison

I've always wanted to be a person like Thomas Edison

Interviewrs: 😕 x 9999 😱 😕 x 9999

 

[jr doctor in sd]

If i was in your position, Id give them an example of a situation that impacted me greatly.

i.e. relative with illness, a doctor you had that inspired you, a story from your volunteering days, a patient you absolutely will never forget from your clinical experience, etc.

Personally, I think this question would be easier to answer than all of the rest...but I can see how it'd suck if you thought you gave a good answer and got a blank stare in return haha

 

[Jolie South]

seems like a "weird" response to "Why Medicine".. I just don't see how you go from loving the science of disease to being jealous of seeing what doctor's do without being interrupted by the interviewer or losing their attention

that was a quite abbreviated version. let me start over.

i studied microbiology/parasitology/trop med, thus i've always been interested in infectious disease and microbial pathogenesis. i joined the peace corps because it was something that i felt morally obligated to do and also to see how disease really impacted people. while i was there, i enjoyed spending time discussing things i was interested in (i.e. diseases, prevention, etc) with others one on one and realizing that i could impact their future/health. it was powerful and rewarding. then, when i was collaborating with doctors for my projects, i would see them in the course of their work. i realized that i would so much rather be doing what they were doing than working in public health. I could talk about what interests me, help others, and see direct results of my work.

I don't really think it's that weird. more like a logical realization, than some burning desire that others claim to be born with. :/