Can anyone help on how to answer the "Practice Vision" essay on this year's amcas. It reads, "This is your opportunity to describe your life and medical practice as you envision them ten years from now". I don't know what kind of doctor I want to be yet for Christ's sake! I am afraid of saying something wrong and getting thrown in the reject bin. Are medical schools beginning to expect that students know exactly what they want to do before they are accepted? Help!
I have to agree with you that this is a very awkward essay at this point in the game. I have no idea what type of medicine I will practice someday, without having experienced the different specialties through rotations. I am just going to summarize the future practice goals I do have, but I will not reference a specific area of medicine. Just try to convey your strengths in the essay without detailing too many specifics. Good luck.
I don't believe this question is totally unreasonable. I remember a few secondaries asked this type of question. I would think that this question is trying to get a better idea about your motivation in becoming a doctor. I don't think that the medical school expects you to have a very detail plan for the future, but you should have some sort of idea. The question, "Why do you want to be a doctor?" will inevitably come up, and to answer that question, it depends a lot on what type of doctor you want to be and what experiences have led up to your decisions. You shouldn't worry about writing the wrong thing. As long as you write something that is truthful, honest, and passionate, you should be fine. If the admissions officer doesn't like what he/she reads, then the school is probably not a good fit for you anyways. The differents schools have so many philosophies and look for different things in applicants, that it is not possible to please everyone. James
