medical school mission statements: is wanting to simply practice medicine enough?

[idrinkandiknowthings]

As I am pre-writing secondaries, this question popped into my head and I think would make for a good discussion. With every medical school boasting about their "unique" mission statements, us applicants must find ways to tailor our applications to fit the missions of the schools.

It seems most schools are split between either research focused (which you can basically forget about if your stats aren't 3.8+ and 515+) or community service/underserved focused. What if your application has some of both of these things, but does not focus on either one in particular? What if some of us applicants just simply want to be a clinician (which is the whole point, right?), and do not have aspirations for a research-heavy career or a career focusing on serving underserved communities in a rural setting? What if some of us appreciate community service, but do not want to incorporate it into our careers?
I'd be curious to see if adcoms have any insight as to which schools do not have a focus on one of these two things.

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[getdown]

Imagine yourself on a date with a hot girl/guy ... someone out of your league that you've had a crush on for awhile. And you know this person has a particular interest they really like. How would the date go, you think, if you said you think their interests are ok but nothing you really cared for. The answer to that question should help guide you in your approach to schools.

 

[ServiceFirst]

A big learning lesson for me personally, yes the desire to practice medicine is necessary, but is insufficient for getting into the profession.

 

[TheRealCookieMonster]

You can value whatever you want once you get into medical school. But first you gotta get in

You don't get to choose what one school or the medical community in general value. If they want research or primary care you gotta love it as much as they do until you get that letter. Although, generally there are more subtleties to choose from so long as you meet a schools agenda in some way.

 

[Goro]

A big learning lesson for me personally, yes the desire to practice medicine is necessary, but is insufficient for getting into the profession.

Indeed. It's one of the baselines.