Hypothetical Interview Question

[jdssdj]

Hey Guys I'm preparing for an asynchronous video interview by going through questions on SDN.

I've found the following question a little tricky in the sense that I'm not sure what its trying to test and I'm not sure if my answer below is a good one (explained below).

Question: If you had made a promise to work as an aid in a summer camp for children in need, and your friends asked if you would attend a medical mission trip instead, which would you choose and why?"

My answer: This is a situation where I have competeing priorities. In this situation I would want to attend the medical mission trip however I do not want to default on a promise. I would try to resolve this situation by first speaking with the summer camp and giving them my situation. Its possible that I could volunteer a different week during the summer so that I could go on the medical mission trip without defaulting on my promise. By brining up the issue they may let me know they have an excess of volunteers and that my service isn't crucial. However, if they do direly need my service that week I'd let me friend know that I have already committed myself and say that I cannot go on this trip but I'd like to go in the future.

Concern with my answer: Does this show that I would prioritize non medical school commitments over medical school related activities?

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[Goro]

Hey Guys I'm preparing for an asynchronous video interview by going through questions on SDN.

I've found the following question a little tricky in the sense that I'm not sure what its trying to test and I'm not sure if my answer below is a good one (explained below).

Question: If you had made a promise to work as an aid in a summer camp for children in need, and your friends asked if you would attend a medical mission trip instead, which would you choose and why?"

My answer: This is a situation where I have competeing priorities. In this situation I would want to attend the medical mission trip however I do not want to default on a promise. I would try to resolve this situation by first speaking with the summer camp and giving them my situation. Its possible that I could volunteer a different week during the summer so that I could go on the medical mission trip without defaulting on my promise. By brining up the issue they may let me know they have an excess of volunteers and that my service isn't crucial. However, if they do direly need my service that week I'd let me friend know that I have already committed myself and say that I cannot go on this trip but I'd like to go in the future.

Concern with my answer: Does this show that I would prioritize non medical school commitments over medical school related activities?

I'm not going to answer your question, but will point out that it is a pernicious pre-med delusion that everything in your life needs to revolve around Medicine.

Do what you love and love what you do.

 

[Rogue42]

Keep in mind,

Medical schools want to know what your character is and where your values lie. Because those are the things that will guide your decision making when no one is looking, and when you become a physician, there will be a lot of practice decisions that will occur when no one is looking. What will you do?

What do YOU think is the best answer in this situation? That is truly all the matters, and whether or not you can defend your answer. The rest doesn't matter. If you answer honestly, and the school feels that you should have answered the other way and rejects you, then I PROMISE that both you and the school are better for it - because while an acceptance is great, going to a school where you don't fit in / match the values / etc, leads to you being miserable. Being miserable leads to not doing well.