Interview Question that bares flushing out

Started by Gospe1
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Gospe1

Gospe1

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I'm a 4th year med student doing interviews for pre-meds at my school. The one question I love to ask students is why they don't want to be a nurse or PA. PAs can basically do 80% of what an MD can do including prescribing and operating. I think it really tests whether pre-meds have thought about the different degrees of "helping people" and what it really means to be a doctor with the rise of mid-level providers in the US. Most students believe that they want to help people but very few people are able to say what about being a doctor specifically attracts them. I have an ideal answer in mind and some students have responded well but i wanted to see what you guys can make of this question.

Also feel free to message me if you have any personal questions regarding the process. My background is from Midwest, reputable college on the East Coast, top 10 med school on the East Coast.
 
*Obligatory oversimplification disclaimer*

Yes, PAs can do most of the stuff that an MD can, but the MD largely directs the course of treatment from a broader standpoint, whereas the PA more often micro-manages. Additionally, the 20% of stuff that only MDs do (borrowing the statistic from above) is often more complicated and IMO more interesting from an academic standpoint than the day-to-day procedures.
 
Gospe1 said:
I'm a 4th year med student doing interviews for pre-meds at my school. The one question I love to ask students is why they don't want to be a nurse or PA. PAs can basically do 80% of what an MD can do including prescribing and operating. I think it really tests whether pre-meds have thought about the different degrees of "helping people" and what it really means to be a doctor with the raise of mid-level providers in the US. I have an ideal answer in mind and some students have responded in the approximate sphere but i wanted to see what you guys can make of this question.

Also feel free to message me if you have any personal questions regarding the process. My background is from Midwest, reputable college on the East Coast, top 10 med school on the East Coast.
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I think being a Physician has a lot more benefits than being a PA with respect to the knowledge that a Physician obtains compared to a PA. Yes, Indeed a PA can perform 80 % of the things a Physician can but they don't have the knowledge and experience that a Physician could have. Therefore, I think for me personally being a primary care physician working with disadvantaged communities, I would need medical school to provide me those tools that honestly PA schools probably can't provide. Throughout my own experience I've also been a great leader, which I believe should be the role of a physician. I feel that with the highest level of education in medicine, I can performs all tasks, makes the decisions, and remain completely autonomous. Even though PA's can perform 80 % of the things a physician can I feel that a PA is not a substitute for MD, they are different jobs with a different set of responsibilities. I think you have to keep in mind that this is not really a fair comparison--newly graduated PAs are not completely trained out of school, they're training is informal compared to the formal training given to newly graduated MDs (residence and internship, etc). The PA education model is more about training you to the minimum level formally, and then most of the training in medicine takes place on the job. However, I want to receive as much training possible through residencies, internships and then also train in medicine on the "job". My pursuit for medicine is to get the maximum formal and informal education/training in medicine.
 
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I want to be an MD/DO over a PA or an NP because I want to be the main person responsible for the care of the patient. I want to have the level of understanding required in order to be a top of the line medical provider, a hands on, in your face healer. I want to be to fully help the patient make an informed choice about their healthcare and that can only be done with the top level of education that medical and years of medical residency can provide. When you want to be the front line, go to man or woman about healthcare you need to be a doctor. If you just want to help people get well and be a comforting hand with less responsibility, being a PA or NP is the way to go. I want that responsibility that only a physician has. A physician is just as much a leader as a team player.
 
I think this is a ridiculous question to ask. If I was asked this by an interviewer, especially a student, I'd feel unwelcome at the school. At this point in time, when a student is interviewing for medical school, it should appear (based on other interview answers) that they want to be a physician and not a mid-level. They'll answer the question without being directly asked it. There's no point to the question. No one is going to change their mind and apply to PA school or NP school.
 
WorldChanger36 said:
I want to be an MD/DO over a PA or an NP because I want to be the main person responsible for the care of the patient. I want to have the level of understanding required in order to be a top of the line medical provider, a hands on, in your face healer. I want to be to fully help the patient make an informed choice about their healthcare and that can only be done with the top level of education that medical and years of medical residency can provide. When you want to be the front line, go to man or woman about healthcare you need to be a doctor. If you just want to help people get well and be a comforting hand with less responsibility, being a PA or NP is the way to go. I want that responsibility that only a physician has. A physician is just as much a leader as a team player.
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I could not have said it any better. That was a beautiful answer 👍

Bacchus said:
I think this is a ridiculous question to ask. If I was asked this by an interviewer, especially a student, I'd feel unwelcome at the school. At this point in time, when a student is interviewing for medical school, it should appear (based on other interview answers) that they want to be a physician and not a mid-level. They'll answer the question without being directly asked it. There's no point to the question. No one is going to change their mind and apply to PA school or NP school.
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I don't think it's an intimidating or unfair question at all. I am a medical school applicant and would be extremely impressed if my interviewer asked me this question. This question goes beyond the generic "Oh I want to help people that's why I want to be a doctor" statement. We all know that some people are out there to become doctors SOLELY for money, respect and other materialistic things which is perfectly fine but some of them tend to use this generic line just to weather the storm ( I personally know multiple people like that). Therefore, I think that OP does a great job of identifying those individuals or at least challenging them with this question!
 
The question isn't meant to change people's minds. I fully expect you to want to be an MD. The question is meant to be a barometer of whether they thought beyond the "i want to help people" phrase that pre-meds jump to (and should jump to). Don't be shocked by difficult questions during interviews; we're not there to pat you on the back. We're trying to determine whether you have the aptitude and personality to fit into our school and that sometimes involves discomfort/intrusion.
 
I have a multitude of reasons.

I am hyper competitive and could not be happy being a mid level.

I need to understand what it is that I am doing as much as possible.

I need to be the guy making the big decisions. I am not the kind of person who wants to rely on others to choose the best course of action or form a plan. I need to be the guy to make sure what is being done is the right thing, and I need to be the guy who has to take the hit if the orders given were the wrong choice. I know I can trust myself to put in the extra work to be that guy. I don't ever want to have to say that the patient died because I was just following orders.
 
I know that question would definitely have caught me off guard...yikes.

Im going to be a doctor because I want to be the top dog not a minion. I worked in healthcare long enough to know that most people (unless they are the doc) at treated like minions and I am far too type A for that. Plus if I am going to be doing most of the same work as a doc I want to get paid a doc's salary. Furthermore its interesting to figure out cases vs cut and dry CCs like "my belly hurts" "my throat hurts" "i have a uti" "i have a yeast infection," where the pt comes in basically already knowing what the dx is.

Doubt thats what I would say in an interview...but thats what my real reasons are.
 
Thanks, OP. Every SDN applicant will now have a rehearsed answer to that question making it almost worthless in flushing out the people who have a good handle on "why medicine" vs those who can memorize the response they think we want to hear.

I'd never ask that question, not because it is a bad question but because I doubt now that I'd get a candid, unrehearsed answer.
 
LizzyM said:
Thanks, OP. Every SDN applicant will now have a rehearsed answer to that question making it almost worthless in flushing out the people who have a good handle on "why medicine" vs those who can memorize the response they think we want to hear.

I'd never ask that question, not because it is a bad question but because I doubt now that I'd get a candid, unrehearsed answer.
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:laugh:
 
LizzyM said:
Thanks, OP. Every SDN applicant will now have a rehearsed answer to that question making it almost worthless in flushing out the people who have a good handle on "why medicine" vs those who can memorize the response they think we want to hear.

I'd never ask that question, not because it is a bad question but because I doubt now that I'd get a candid, unrehearsed answer.
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Yes Indeed thank you OP! thank you for the pre-rehearsal.
 
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flodhi1 said:
I don't think it's an intimidating or unfair question at all. I am a medical school applicant and would be extremely impressed if my interviewer asked me this question. This question goes beyond the generic "Oh I want to help people that's why I want to be a doctor" statement. We all know that some people are out there to become doctors SOLELY for money, respect and other materialistic things which is perfectly fine but some of them tend to use this generic line just to weather the storm ( I personally know multiple people like that). Therefore, I think that OP does a great job of identifying those individuals or at least challenging them with this question!
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I'm not sure how this question has anything to do with filtering people that are interested in medicine for money or status.
 
NickNaylor said:
I'm not sure how this question has anything to do with filtering people that are interested in medicine for money or status.
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Are you serious? SOME people that want to go into medicine solely for materialistic things but doesn't really have any knowledge about the healthcare system or medicine in general tend to use the "I want to help people" line. Therefore, when they are put into a situation where they are asked, "well you can help people by becoming a PA or a research scientist then why really do you want to be a doctor?" I think that they will have a tougher time answering the question. One of my friends specifically told me that he wanted to be a physician just so he would get a six figure salary and all the respect etc... and doesn't really care about community or patient care at all. When he used the "I want to help people" line at an interview, one of the interviewers asked him why he wouldn't become a research scientist and find a cure which would help people in the millions, he pretty much froze because he got caught off guard. After the interview he called me and started whining about it. So, I personally think that it's a question that does not necessarily weed out people but shows the true colors of some?
 
For me it's the decision making and having the final say in a patient's care. I want to have as much responsibility as possible because I think it will make my work that much more meaningful.
 
The interview shows nothing in reality, except that you can relate to people for an hour. There's tons of donkeys in medical school. Your app is what is pushing you forward. As long as you can act like a gentleman for a few hours you have a good shot. After that, guns come blazing, attitudes raging, no more Mr. Niceguy.
 
I was asked in my interview:
Why not a nurse
Why not a researcher
Why a doctor
Why not PhD
Why here
What would you be/do if you didn't get accepted/become a doctor

Pretty simple stuff if you have a passion to be a doctor.
 
Gospe1 said:
I'm a 4th year med student doing interviews for pre-meds at my school. The one question I love to ask students is why they don't want to be a nurse or PA. PAs can basically do 80% of what an MD can do including prescribing and operating. I think it really tests whether pre-meds have thought about the different degrees of "helping people" and what it really means to be a doctor with the rise of mid-level providers in the US. Most students believe that they want to help people but very few people are able to say what about being a doctor specifically attracts them. I have an ideal answer in mind and some students have responded well but i wanted to see what you guys can make of this question.

Also feel free to message me if you have any personal questions regarding the process. My background is from Midwest, reputable college on the East Coast, top 10 med school on the East Coast.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing that you don't plan to reveal the answer you are looking for here, which is kind of going to blu-ball me... I guess for me, it's the difference between being a scientist and being a healthcare provider. A doctor is a scientist who must stay up with the latest research and clinical trials, who must be in a constant state of learning, and who must be constantly incorporating and applying new information in to his treatments. As far as I can tell, that is not really the role of a PA, but it IS the part of medicine that excites me most. Thus...

I actually do think this is a pretty revealing question...
 
0919mmk said:
I'm guessing that you don't plan to reveal the answer you are looking for here, which is kind of going to blu-ball me... I guess for me, it's the difference between being a scientist and being a healthcare provider. A doctor is a scientist who must stay up with the latest research and clinical trials, who must be in a constant state of learning, and who must be constantly incorporating and applying new information in to his treatments. As far as I can tell, that is not really the role of a PA, but it IS the part of medicine that excites me most. Thus...

I actually do think this is a pretty revealing question...
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PAs also need to be life-long learners and they are required to obtain Continuing Ed credits. I think it holds true for every health professsion. It is never static.
 
0919mmk said:
I'm guessing that you don't plan to reveal the answer you are looking for here, which is kind of going to blu-ball me... I guess for me, it's the difference between being a scientist and being a healthcare provider. A doctor is a scientist who must stay up with the latest research and clinical trials, who must be in a constant state of learning, and who must be constantly incorporating and applying new information in to his treatments. As far as I can tell, that is not really the role of a PA, but it IS the part of medicine that excites me most. Thus...

I actually do think this is a pretty revealing question...
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lol idk what type of PAs you have worked with but the ones I work with on a daily basis are reading more scientific papers, journals and clinical trials than even the attending physician.
 
The one thing you learn on the road to success in medical school (and dare I say any career choice) is preparation. Anyone willing to pre-rehearse for their interview will be willing to pre-rehearse for their patients. When you tell your patients that they are very sick, you better be ready. Ad-libbed candor is not as valuable as a carefully constructed, coherent, and patently honest response to their diagnosis/treatment.

The answer I want from you should also be the answer you are most comfortable delivering. That usually means it is in line with your moral and philosophical compass. You can whitewash your own beliefs all you want but astute interviewers can tell adobe from brick.

To some other posters: I don't think this questions weeds out people who are in medicine for money. I'm not sure which questions do so. It is in demeanor and attitude I try to piece together the motivations of the person I'm interviewing.
 
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LizzyM said:
Thanks, OP. Every SDN applicant will now have a rehearsed answer to that question making it almost worthless in flushing out the people who have a good handle on "why medicine" vs those who can memorize the response they think we want to hear.

I'd never ask that question, not because it is a bad question but because I doubt now that I'd get a candid, unrehearsed answer.
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How many answers do you get though that aren't, to a degree, rehearsed? Most schools have pre-med committees that run multiple mock interviews and applicants practice answers on their own before the actual interview. I don't like to have set answers done because that provides no flexibility and can make you seem rigid during interviews but for most questions I have an idea beforehand what I would like to get across.
 
Gospe1 said:
The one thing you learn on the road to success in medical school (and dare I say any career choice) is preparation. Anyone willing to pre-rehearse for their interview will be willing to pre-rehearse for their patients. When you tell your patients that they are very sick, you better be ready. Ad-libbed candor is not as valuable as a carefully constructed, coherent, and patently honest response to their diagnosis/treatment.
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But there is something to be said for the ability to think on one's feet and to be able to field a question that one could not have prepared for.
 
....because I can't wait to take the USMLE STEP exams!

Plus, this should be more of premed question than a med school interview question.

Do you really think, even if an applicant bombs this question, that they are going to seriously reconsider med school after they took the MCAT, invested $1000s in applying, etc.? My guess is if they in fact do get in somewhere, no.

What I think would help tremendously is that there is some kind of required course or meeting given by pre-health advisers at undergrad institutions where these very questions are raised - e.g. why not a PA?. Also, pre-health advisers could present the 'hard facts' of what life is like in med school and as a practicing physician. In my experience, pre-health advisers have been essentially useless in this area, not to mention slow at getting a committee letter together. But, I'm just appalled at how under-prepared applicants appear to be in understanding the realities of medical school and medical field in general.
 
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Again, this question isn't meant to change the applicant's opinion on applying to MD.
 
flodhi1 said:
Are you serious? SOME people that want to go into medicine solely for materialistic things but doesn't really have any knowledge about the healthcare system or medicine in general tend to use the "I want to help people" line. Therefore, when they are put into a situation where they are asked, "well you can help people by becoming a PA or a research scientist then why really do you want to be a doctor?" I think that they will have a tougher time answering the question. One of my friends specifically told me that he wanted to be a physician just so he would get a six figure salary and all the respect etc... and doesn't really care about community or patient care at all. When he used the "I want to help people" line at an interview, one of the interviewers asked him why he wouldn't become a research scientist and find a cure which would help people in the millions, he pretty much froze because he got caught off guard. After the interview he called me and started whining about it. So, I personally think that it's a question that does not necessarily weed out people but shows the true colors of some?
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If you're getting invited to interview at schools, you're clearly not a ***** and have demonstrated, at least on paper, a commitment to becoming a physician. It's not as if these people know nothing about the career.

In other words, other more obvious aspects of their applications would likely screen them out before an interview question, especially something as misguided as that. Plus, the question really only tests what you know about the physician's role on a healthcare team. PAs and NPs make pretty good money considering the significantly reduced time required to achieve their status.
 
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Gospe1 said:
The one thing you learn on the road to success in medical school (and dare I say any career choice) is preparation. Anyone willing to pre-rehearse for their interview will be willing to pre-rehearse for their patients. When you tell your patients that they are very sick, you better be ready. Ad-libbed candor is not as valuable as a carefully constructed, coherent, and patently honest response to their diagnosis/treatment.

The answer I want from you should also be the answer you are most comfortable delivering. That usually means it is in line with your moral and philosophical compass. You can whitewash your own beliefs all you want but astute interviewers can tell adobe from brick.

To some other posters: I don't think this questions weeds out people who are in medicine for money. I'm not sure which questions do so. It is in demeanor and attitude I try to piece together the motivations of the person I'm interviewing.
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I think this question is great. I honestly dont know wtf I would say if I had no clue its coming. I plan to start working in the admissions office next year doing interviews and I will definitely consider asking this.

Anyways, about this money thing. I think it shows a little naiveté to try to come off like you (not you...interviewees) dont care at all about salary. Salary is important..its the reason we work in the first place. I will come right out and say that salary is one of the major reasons I chose medicine. I would never have gone to med school if salary expectations were ~100k...i was making almost that in my previous career. Do you find that premeds you interview are afraid to bring this important subject up (im sure they do)?
 
Honestly, how much do you or I know as medical students about medical compensation? Not much. I usually put little weight on the "academic vs private practice" question. You can still be a great doctor and make tons of money. We need good doctors in administration, public health, research, and private practice. The people I'm most repulsed and most willing to reject are lazy pre-meds. No matter what kind of practice you run in the end, there's no excuse for laziness. I've seen jerk surgeons do amazing things to save a patient's life and I see patients excuse their God Complex for better outcomes. Who am I to judge that?
 
Gospe1 said:
I've seen jerk surgeons do amazing things to save a patient's life and I see patients excuse their God Complex for better outcomes. Who am I to judge that?
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I don't want to derail the thread, but I absolutely agree with this sentiment. I concede that there is a time and place for bedside manners in many medical specialties. However, there are at least a handful of settings where the need for skill/aptitude far outweigh the luxury of hospitality.
 
Gospe1 said:
Honestly, how much do you or I know as medical students about medical compensation? Not much. I usually put little weight on the "academic vs private practice" question. You can still be a great doctor and make tons of money. We need good doctors in administration, public health, research, and private practice. The people I'm most repulsed and most willing to reject are lazy pre-meds. No matter what kind of practice you run in the end, there's no excuse for laziness. I've seen jerk surgeons do amazing things to save a patient's life and I see patients excuse their God Complex for better outcomes. Who am I to judge that?[/QUOTE


I probably know more than the average med student because I worked in an allied healthcare field for many years before I decided to go back to school...but that doesnt really matter. I just find it interesting that many/most premeds are literally afraid to cite salary as a reason for going to med school..even though I know many/most heavily consider this. Yeah yeah yeah we know you wanna help people, but salary is just as important as satisfying your personal desires to help those an need (in my opinion).

The issue that I have with this, is that most medical schools are also afraid to even touch the subject. It would be nice to get some sort of "economics of healthcare" type course, in addition to the typical cultural awareness/ethics/how to read papers crap we have shoved down our throats, with absolutely zero coursework on how to run a successful practice/reimbursement/what the hell is coming down the pike in terms of healthcare.
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willen101383 said:
I just find it interesting that many/most premeds are literally afraid to cite salary as a reason for going to med school..even though I know many/most heavily consider this. Yeah yeah yeah we know you wanna help people, but salary is just as important as satisfying your personal desires to help those an need (in my opinion).
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I actually discussed this very topic with a long-time AdCom member not too long ago. In her opinion, notions such as 'I want to help people', 'I like science', and 'I appreciate the job security / compensation' need not be mentioned since they are considered a consensus opinion and would just be a waste of breath. Since the interviewers are usually pressed for time to begin with generic answers aren't welcome.
 
This question is actually pretty hard for me because I don't know everything about the doctors role vs. everyone elses. My concept of what a physicians role vs. a PA's role was that they were pretty similar in terms of what they can do, but a PA always works under the supervision of a physician. This in my mind limits exactly where I can practice, and if I were wanting to practice more rural medicine (which I do) then this would be a big negative for me. Also I can see this limiting my ability to volunteer abroad in third world countries which is something that I really want to do. Honestly though, If after multiple cycles I couldn't get in, I would reevaluate my career goals and I would strongly consider PA school. I feel that as long as I am helping people I would be happy with my career regardless of whether I were a doctor, PA, or Nurse. But I would enjoy the additional stress, rigors, and responsibilities that come with being a physician (I imagine anyone at this stage is very driven). Therefore in terms of what would make me happier... Doctor> PA> Nurse
 
Going into medicine because you want to “help” people doesn’t seem to be the best reason for wanting to pursue such a demanding career. You can technically have any job in life and “help” people just as much if not more than a physician.
 
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