INTERPRET "DESCRIBE YOURSELF"

[hope]

To all great minds out there,
What do you think medical schools are looking for when they ask the applicants to describe themselves as one of the questions on the secondaries?
Do you think they wish to see a synopsis of how one's life experiences led him/her to medicine? If the kind of things one has done may be used as predictors of future performance in medical education and practice?
Or may they want a person's side that has nothing to do with medicine?
Without a doubt, most of us are so commited that our major personality trait is love for medicine. Would you chose to emphasize that fact to med. schools or would you opt for describing yourself as much as human person as possible?
I am really struggling with that one!
Any advise/opinion will be appreciated.

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[Mackerel]

Lie Lie Lie

 

[cubbbie]

I have absolutely no idea. I hate that question. And every interview I've had so far has started with that question.

Think of something that you want to stick in their mind. The first line you deliver in response to that question is how they will remember you -- and they need something to remember you by.

 

[KardiacKiehl]

I honestly think that's a tougher question to answer at an interview, but I'd say there are a whole lot of ways you could go with that type of question. Tough to know what they're looking for, though.

 

[Benoit]

How you interpret and answer it tells them something in and of itself.

 

[ITRGTR]

i think they just want to get to know you aside from what they can see on your application. Tell them about what's going on right now, something interesting, your hobbies, goals, etc. this way, u cover a bit of everything.

 

[Mackerel]

bump

 

[cgscribe]

This question is great. Talk about your background (where you're from, family real quick), your education (which inevitably leads to your pre-med path), and then your experiences leading you to the interview (shadowing doctor, research, etc.). It's easy to tailor this to drop certain interesting experiences, which will be the follow-up questions. You should nail this question to let the interview go where you like.

 

[jstuds_66]

Please tell us how great of a candidate you are for our medical school, why you will be an amazing doctor, what major accomplishments/experiences have made you so great, and how impressed we should be with you.......Oh, but don't sound arrogant or prideful while doing so.....

Sincerely,
Admissions Committee

 

[HumbleMD]

Lie Lie Lie

On a serious note, expand on what you didn't talk about in your AMCAS essay. Mine was focused more on my college experiences, so I take the "describe yourself" essay to talk more about my family, childhood, and growing up where I did.

 

[Julius Erving]

I think this is just the interviewer trying to start a dialogue that he/she can bounce off of to make sure he/she covers what is important to you, at the same time finding out what is important to you.

I have always gotten this as a first question, ice-breaker sorta thing.

Also, it could just be your interviewer is lazy and wants you to do the dirty work of picking the topics.

 

[notdeadyet]

I think this is just the interviewer trying to start a dialogue that he/she can bounce off of to make sure he/she covers what is important to you, at the same time finding out what is important to you.

Exactly. It's a pretty standard interview question in any field. I wouldn't worry about overanalyzing it too much...

 

[maestro1625]

I can handle the "describe your motivations in medicine" ones like OSU, but it's the "how will you contribute to diversity at our school" that pretty much kills me.

because yeah, white, suburban, catholic, Albion students with MD parents are really in short supply in med schools...

 

[Julius Erving]

as a fellow white male pre-med I feel you, maestro.

This is what i used on one of my applications... It seemed to work, and think it is about as much as they can ask from us on this issue.

"I am also a very open-minded individual when it comes to different cultures coexisting. I realize that medical schools are interested in enrolling underrepresented minorities and that some potential students still hold preconceived notions and stereotypes about these individuals. Throughout my life I have had best friends that were African American, Chinese, Puerto Rican, American Indian, and Asian Indian. I truly believe in judging people by the content of their character and imagine this characteristic to be imperative in maintaining a harmonious and racist-free campus. Cultural diversity is meaningless if each cultural group secludes themselves in cliques. I think my personality would lessen cultural barriers and allows these URMs to feel more comfortable integrating into a unified population."

 

[maestro1625]

as a fellow white male pre-med I feel you, maestro.

This is what i used on one of my applications... It seemed to work, and think it is about as much as they can ask from us on this issue.

"I am also a very open-minded individual when it comes to different cultures coexisting. I realize that medical schools are interested in enrolling underrepresented minorities and that some potential students still hold preconceived notions and stereotypes about these individuals. Throughout my life I have had best friends that were African American, Chinese, Puerto Rican, American Indian, and Asian Indian. I truly believe in judging people by the content of their character and imagine this characteristic to be imperative in maintaining a harmonious and racist-free campus. Cultural diversity is meaningless if each cultural group secludes themselves in cliques. I think my personality would lessen cultural barriers and allows these URMs to feel more comfortable integrating into a unified population."

I have a black friend!

 

[AlternateSome1]

This translates to, "I didn't read your application or secondary. Give me a quick summary so I can catch up."

 

[Mackerel]

This thread has been around since 1999

 

[maestro1625]

even more sad... too bad the OP will never see the fruits of his labor...

 

[instigata]

This thread has been around since 1999

lmaoooooo

Then why did you reply?

 

[notdeadyet]

Throughout my life I have had best friends that were African American, Chinese, Puerto Rican, American Indian, and Asian Indian.

Doesn't this raise the red flag that you seem to cycle through a lot of best friends?

 

[osujic1]

To all great minds out there,
What do you think medical schools are looking for when they ask the applicants to describe themselves as one of the questions on the secondaries?
Do you think they wish to see a synopsis of how one's life experiences led him/her to medicine? If the kind of things one has done may be used as predictors of future performance in medical education and practice?
Or may they want a person's side that has nothing to do with medicine?
Without a doubt, most of us are so commited that our major personality trait is love for medicine. Would you chose to emphasize that fact to med. schools or would you opt for describing yourself as much as human person as possible?
I am really struggling with that one!
Any advise/opinion will be appreciated.

...1999

 

[deleted838145]

Wow. 1999. This thread is older than some of us premeds on here, let that sink in.

And to recall an answer about this question I've heard before is that when you're asked to describe yourself, try to talk about what you want them to ask you about in an interview. For instance, if your heart is in ortho, explain how you've been a volunteer for a rehab clinic for --- years and how it's been an integral part of your life. That will naturally lead to more questions about it in your interview, etc. Describing yourself should let adcoms know that you are more than your statistics. At least, that is how I see it.