How would you answer this interview question....

[DMBFan]

How would you answer this interview question: What would you do if you were not pursuing medicine....I know you should answer honestly, and in my case if I did so, it would be totally unrelated to medicine or the science field....Should I say that or commit a little white lie and say that I would do something in the scientific field?

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[Sarikate]

From what I know, interviewers just want to make sure you are being realistic, that you have other interests, and are not relying on medical school to have a happy, fulfilling life when they ask this question. Be honest - because other questions could arise from your answer, and they'd be able to tell in an instant if you gave them a bogus one!

 

[Sundarban1]

How would you answer this interview question: What would you do if you were not pursuing medicine....I know you should answer honestly, and in my case if I did so, it would be totally unrelated to medicine or the science field....Should I say that or commit a little white lie and say that I would do something in the scientific field?

Remember, you interviewing with people who have your whole life spelled out in front of them. These people have interviewed thousands of other applicants, so their BS meter is dead on. Don't lie and blow your cred., or worse coming off as immature and blow your chances of being accecpted. Most likely your true answer will be unique and make you stand out, rather than blend in (that is unless you aspire to be a serial killer, in which case a little lie would not hurt).

 

[Benign_foodtube]

Don't lie! Don't lie! Don't lie!
That is all.

 

[leiface]

At my Case interview, I was asked this question, and I simply told him the truth about wanting to pursue law in high school. I really did feel like I did not answer the question eloquently, but I think he was satisfied enough with an honest inarticulate answer

 

[faradayampere]

this looks to me like a secondary question from UC Davis? I guess they don't like my ans: I told them if med doesn't exist, I would like to become a teacher ... oh, I love to share my knowledge with other ppl ... because by doing that, I figure out that I know nothing, absolutely nothing ... so have to study more =)

 

[getunconcsious]

Got the same interview question at Texas A&M, and said that I'd want to teach b/c I'm good at it (used to be a tutor in HS) and because I like helping people.

But of course, this is a blatant lie. I'd be an investment banker and make millions as quickly as possible.

So, the moral is, tell them something palatable, but believable.

 

[eralza]

I've had this question at three of my interviews.
Since I really like the job I do now (been doing it for 10 years), I said that I would continue in my current profession and consider a graduate degree in toxicology.
Regarding the answer of being a teacher, this is a good angle. One of the interviewers at GW asked, "What is a physician?". The common answer was, "a healer". In reality, he wanted the more preventive medicine perspective of "a teacher".