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Hello! I’m posting this thread in the DO forum because I mention a DO school, but my questions are aimed towards all medical schools.
I’m looking for some clarification regarding how applicants “fit” the mission of a particular medical school. Some pre-med advice I’ve heard is that it’s better to not make it known on one’s application that one has a particular interest in a certain speciality of medicine, as it can be perceived as somewhat closed-minded.
By the same token, I’ve heard much about how important the “fit” of an applicant is, so much so that it might be better to apply to less schools overall if one is a better fit for them compared to applying to dozens of schools regardless of the respective missions of the schools.
Are both of those notions correct? If so, how do they relate to each other? I’m asking this because it’s applicable to me. The foremost reason I’m pursuing a career as a physician is because of my family doctor, who cared for me continuously since I was a toddler. Furthermore, because of his inspiring me, I have a strong desire to do primary care in rural, underserved areas, as I grew up (and still live) in rural New Hampshire.
When the time comes for me to apply to medical school, would it hurt me to explain that primary care is what I’m aiming for? One of the medical schools I’m interested in, UNECOM, seems to have an emphasis on training primary care physicians. How should I convey my passion for primary care and demonstrate that I would be a good fit for schools with a like mission while not coming across as a closed-minded applicant? I’m certainly open to other specialities, but my heart has continually stayed on practicing primary care in rural, underserved communities.
And also, as a final question, does anyone have a list of medical schools that place a strong emphasis on primary care, specifically family medicine? I’d like to start looking into them.
Thank you in advance!
I’m looking for some clarification regarding how applicants “fit” the mission of a particular medical school. Some pre-med advice I’ve heard is that it’s better to not make it known on one’s application that one has a particular interest in a certain speciality of medicine, as it can be perceived as somewhat closed-minded.
By the same token, I’ve heard much about how important the “fit” of an applicant is, so much so that it might be better to apply to less schools overall if one is a better fit for them compared to applying to dozens of schools regardless of the respective missions of the schools.
Are both of those notions correct? If so, how do they relate to each other? I’m asking this because it’s applicable to me. The foremost reason I’m pursuing a career as a physician is because of my family doctor, who cared for me continuously since I was a toddler. Furthermore, because of his inspiring me, I have a strong desire to do primary care in rural, underserved areas, as I grew up (and still live) in rural New Hampshire.
When the time comes for me to apply to medical school, would it hurt me to explain that primary care is what I’m aiming for? One of the medical schools I’m interested in, UNECOM, seems to have an emphasis on training primary care physicians. How should I convey my passion for primary care and demonstrate that I would be a good fit for schools with a like mission while not coming across as a closed-minded applicant? I’m certainly open to other specialities, but my heart has continually stayed on practicing primary care in rural, underserved communities.
And also, as a final question, does anyone have a list of medical schools that place a strong emphasis on primary care, specifically family medicine? I’d like to start looking into them.
Thank you in advance!
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