Interview question; why EM?

[jawicobike]

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I'm a third year just getting into rotations, but I'm doing EM this month (I wanted an early rotation to see if I really liked it), and the reasons that I love it are as follows: 1. variety of patients, 2. no long term care, 3. I don't have to follow patients in the hospital, 4. shift work - no call - no worries when I'm off (at least not in the regular sense), 5. no hassling with insurance companies.

Now I'm looking at that list and realizing that it sounds a bit selfish so my question is when I'm asked why I want to be an EM physician do I go with what is stated above or do I desperately search for some more benevolent reasons from now until I have interviews next year?

I assume many of you like EM for the same reasons so how did you respond to the question, and for the PD's and attendings what would you want to hear from your interviewees?

 

[NinerNiner999]

Try the other obvious reasons: You liked every rotation equally and had a hard time focusing on something specific to practice - then you realized that EM allowed you to practice everything. You learned everything you could in medical school and did it well - why limit yourself to a field where you won't use what you spent years studying to do.

 

[lucky_deadman]

Or you can always go for "It's all about the Benjamins".

Might not work everywhere, but could be worth some comic relief.

 

[jawicobike]

Or you can always go for "It's all about the Benjamins".

Might not work everywhere, but could be worth some comic relief.

I forgot to put that in my list, but of course it's there.

 

[DrQuinn]

and for the PD's and attendings what would you want to hear from your interviewees?

I can't believe you're actually asking this question, and asked "should I go with teh truth?" I wouldn't want you in my program if you ask these ethical sort of questions.

Q

 

[jawicobike]

I can't believe you're actually asking this question, and asked "should I go with teh truth?" I wouldn't want you in my program if you ask these ethical sort of questions.

Q

Great 3 months into my 3rd year and I'm already being blackballed. I better not start rooting for the Mavericks, things might get ugly.

I'm not asking whether or not I should lie (at least that wasn't my intention). One of the pros of becoming a doctor was money, but I didn't use that as a strong selling point in my medical school interviews. I'm just wondering if these things are similar to that.

It's the same for gas. Everybody says that they love pharmacology and that is why they want anesthesiology, but I've heard (heresay I know) of some PD's saying that they get tired of the nice answers and want a candidate to say that the real reason they want to be a gas doc is for the lifestyle.

It wasn't my intention to bring up an ethical question, rather I wanted to know if candidates are looked down upon for stating that some of the major reasons for going into ER are those mentioned above, because everybody knows they are.

 

[DrQuinn]

Great 3 months into my 3rd year and I'm already being blackballed. I better not start rooting for the Mavericks, things might get ugly.

I'm not asking whether or not I should lie (at least that wasn't my intention). One of the pros of becoming a doctor was money, but I didn't use that as a strong selling point in my medical school interviews. I'm just wondering if these things are similar to that.

It's the same for gas. Everybody says that they love pharmacology and that is why they want anesthesiology, but I've heard (heresay I know) of some PD's saying that they get tired of the nice answers and want a candidate to say that the real reason they want to be a gas doc is for the lifestyle.

It wasn't my intention to bring up an ethical question, rather I wanted to know if candidates are looked down upon for stating that some of the major reasons for going into ER are those mentioned above, because everybody knows they are.

*sigh*
Don't worry. You aint' blackballed, there's (generally) nothing but love in the EM forums.

But sit back and think deep down, if you were a PD, would you want someone to essentially *LIE* about why they want EM?

I'd want someone who is honest.

If someone said to me (and if they truly felt this way): "I hate rounding, I can't stand the OR, and I can't do psychiatry for a living, those patients are wacko and they make the docs wacko" I would give them props. Because that's how I feel.

But its easy to see when people are lying and faking it during an interview. My mama raised me right.

Q

 

[BKN]

*sigh*
Don't worry. You aint' blackballed, there's (generally) nothing but love in the EM forums.

But sit back and think deep down, if you were a PD, would you want someone to essentially *LIE* about why they want EM?

I'd want someone who is honest.

If someone said to me (and if they truly felt this way): "I hate rounding, I can't stand the OR, and I can't do psychiatry for a living, those patients are wacko and they make the docs wacko" I would give them props. Because that's how I feel.

But its easy to see when people are lying and faking it during an interview. My mama raised me right.

Q

1. don't lie.

2. don't ever say it's for the lifestyle

3. say you loved all of your rotations, but couldn't see doing any one all the time

4. find a way to reconcile instructions 1-3. 🙂

 

[jawicobike]

4. find a way to reconcile instructions 1-3. 🙂

Ah, I guess there's a little politician in all of us. Thanks guys.