Interview Question

[beebee0]

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It is more than likely that the school will ask you "why here?" as an interview question. In this case, there are 2 possibilities:
First, they want to know why you chose their school. Also, they sometimes want to know why you'd be willing to move away from home... for example, if they ask me why instead of staying in California, a nice state, to another specific state /city . What should I say if this is asked?

 

[KingJames23]

An easy answer would be that you want to see what else is out there. How is life different compared to Cali. Have you ever traveled around the U.S.? Did you like going different places? This is just something that popped in my head.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

It can be both, but more likely 'why here' in terms of the school. My interviewer at Downstate kept pressing me on "How I would survive in NYC' and kept putting me down about it. My sister lived there for years and I have a lot of friends there and I adapt easily. It really wouldn't have been a big deal, but apparently, she didn't buy it.

 

[citruscooler]

what is the appropriate response to "if health professions didn't existed what would you be?". how are you supposed to answer that question? i don't understand how anything you say would be a good answer.

and no, "i wouldn't want to be anything but a doctor" or "i've never considered not becoming a doctor" did not fly.

 

[candyqueen]

what is the appropriate response to "if health professions didn't existed what would you be?". how are you supposed to answer that question? i don't understand how anything you say would be a good answer.

and no, "i wouldn't want to be anything but a doctor" or "i've never considered not becoming a doctor" did not fly.

I was asked this question at a few of my interviews. I said that if health professions did not exist, I would like to work with children. I have several ECs in which I worked with children, so I expanded upon those and mentioned how much I enjoyed it. The interviewers seemed to be ok with my answer.

I would think that they would have to accept answers besides a career as a physician, since according to their question, physicians do not exist...

 

[LizzyM]

what is the appropriate response to "if health professions didn't existed what would you be?". how are you supposed to answer that question? i don't understand how anything you say would be a good answer.

and no, "i wouldn't want to be anything but a doctor" or "i've never considered not becoming a doctor" did not fly.

This presumes that you have chosen to be a physician because there is something about the profession that attracts you to it. Is that "something" present in other careers?

So, you have someone who says, "I'd like to be a primary grades teacher because I enjoy teaching and I like kids." The next applicant says, "I'd be a biomechanical engineer because I enjoy inventing things that improve life for the disabled." Next one says, "I'd like to be a rock star..... because.... I would get to be a leader of a large group of people working to help people enjoy their lives.... and every day is different and there is always something new to learn ... "(which I hope sounds better than chicks, money and chicks).

 

[citruscooler]

This presumes that you have chosen to be a physician because there is something about the profession that attracts you to it. Is that "something" present in other careers?

So, you have someone who says, "I'd like to be a primary grades teacher because I enjoy teaching and I like kids." The next applicant says, "I'd be a biomechanical engineer because I enjoy inventing things that improve life for the disabled." Next one says, "I'd like to be a rock star..... because.... I would get to be a leader of a large group of people working to help people enjoy their lives.... and every day is different and there is always something new to learn ... "(which I hope sounds better than chicks, money and chicks).

Thank you for your helpful response. I answered the question in a similar fashion the previous year and found out that that the interviewer questioned my motivation to enter medical school. I called post-rejection.

I really believed that this question may have been the source of that concern but I guess it was not. I think I did a much better job at my interviews this year but I suppose I will have to wait to see if that is actually the case.

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you for your helpful response. I answered the question in a similar fashion the previous year and found out that that the interviewer questioned my motivation to enter medical school. I called post-rejection.

I really believed that this question may have been the source of that concern but I guess it was not. I think I did a much better job at my interviews this year but I suppose I will have to wait to see if that is actually the case.

The point is to be very clear to tie it to what motivates you to choose medicine AND that it is a distant second to medicine..... Sometimes, the applicant's face lights up when they get this question ("something I've prepared for, I've got this!") and the excitement in the voice and sparkle in the eye as they expound about being ___ does make the interviewer wonder why they aren't doing that thing that seems to generate so much enthusiasm. So folks, be careful out there about your non-verbal cues when you handle that question.