saying you want to be a surgeon

[wendywellesley]

---

Members do not see this ad.

this is something i've been thinking about recently and something i think i would like and be good at. i remember someone in pre-allo asking if it would be too arrogant to say to an interviewer that you want to be a surgeon. has anyone who has just finished up this cycle told an interviewer they wanted to be a surgeon? how did they react? i'm especially interested for those who told this to their interviewer at a non-top 10 school.

thanks 🙂

 

[KingTutATL]

I don't see why it would be arrogant, you're just talking about your aspirations

 

[Fenrezz]

I don't think it would be bad to say that, but probably better to put it in a way that you're thinking about being a surgeon, but keeping an open mind to other primary care speacialties where you can do free work for the homeless or some bull**** like that. 👍

 

[EvoDevo]

Hey there Wendy:

Yeah, I said this at four of my interviews this year when the question came up. When questioned as to how I could know, I basically said that,

"While I know it's presumptuous to know for certain since I haven't even had those other experiences yet, I do know myself pretty well. Plus I have seen numerous and varied surgeries (RKA, open heart surgery, hip replacement, knee replacement, etc.) and each time I could barely contain my grin. Of course, I'm keeping an open mind because you just never know."

Didn't seem to hurt.

And there's my opinion.

 

[Medikit]

Why would it be arrogant to say you want to be a surgeon? I don't understand.

 

[shahalam]

some interviewers may be jealous of surgeons. they are sometimes portrayed as the "gods" of medicine by the stupid public.

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

You can say whatever you want, but be prepared to give evidence -- or at a well thought out response -- when they ask for it.

 

[DrThom]

I mentioned surgery being one of the areas I am very interested in.

Just stress that you will remain openminded about your specialty choice (THEY LOVE THIS!)

 

[Arsenic]

Just stress that you will remain openminded about your specialty choice (THEY LOVE THIS!)

Definitely, but also be able to explain WHY you think may you want to be a surgeon. Thats always going to be the next question no matter what you tell them you're interested in.

 

[YzIa]

I had shadowed a surgeon and included him in my personal statement and also stated that I aspired to be a surgeon. It was discussed at all of my interviews and I do not think that any of them took to it negatively. Surgery while cool to the general public, is not the most sought after specialty in general so I question this thread also. ???

 

[Haybrant]

I mentioned it in my interviews but it wasnt something that I came out and offered; if they specifically asked I would mention it, but I wouldnt make it a big deal. You need to have have reasons to back up any claim and since my PI is a surgeon and ive had alot of exposure to the field my answer went over fine.

 

[starkid]

do people who only graduate from the top 10 med schools go into surgery? or is this field not med school discrimant?

 

[Crete]

this is something i've been thinking about recently and something i think i would like and be good at. i remember someone in pre-allo asking if it would be too arrogant to say to an interviewer that you want to be a surgeon. has anyone who has just finished up this cycle told an interviewer they wanted to be a surgeon? how did they react? i'm especially interested for those who told this to their interviewer at a non-top 10 school.

thanks 🙂

That's fine, just don't make it sound like you are dead set on it even if you are. They don't want to see you making these declarations before even clerkships, but expressing interest should be just fine.

 

[Mr. Seeds]

this is something i've been thinking about recently and something i think i would like and be good at. i remember someone in pre-allo asking if it would be too arrogant to say to an interviewer that you want to be a surgeon. has anyone who has just finished up this cycle told an interviewer they wanted to be a surgeon? how did they react? i'm especially interested for those who told this to their interviewer at a non-top 10 school.

thanks 🙂

I'm interested in both surgery and clinical research. I was asked by schools that are definately considered to be "primary care schools" what field I was interested in, I told them surgery and clinical research. I got into the schools, so I'm sure it didn't hurt too much.

The worst thing you can do (so I'm told) is to put down on your app. or tell your interviewer that you're definately interested in rural primary care when you have no experiences to substantiate that interest.

Just be honest and you'll be fine.

 

[Mr. Seeds]

Just stress that you will remain openminded about your specialty choice (THEY LOVE THIS!)

I concure.

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
When I interviewed for medical school, I was dead set on being an Adolescent medicine specialist. I had done plenty of research with cystic fibrosis and juvenile diabetes and had loved working with adolescents with these two diseases. As I worked my way through first and second year, I became very interested in Transfusion Medicine. I was awarded a paid Pathology fellowship between my second and third year of medical school where I was able to work alongside forensic pathologists, transfusion medicine specialists and anatomical pathologists. I loved every part of that fellowship.

As I moved through my required clerkships during third year, starting with Pediatrics which I easily honored to Family Medicine to Psychiatry, I was still gaining honors and loving each rotation. I was still leaning heavily toward Transfusion Medicine until I scrubbed my first surgery case. It was a Total colectomy on an 80-year-old lady. I never looked back. I was hooked from the first knot that I tied and now I am a PGY-3 General Surgery resident headed for Vascular Surgery fellowship.

In short, even after shadowing a particular specialist, you really can't totally be sure of what you want to do until you have done a rotation in a particular specialty. I was really convinced that I could love Anesthesia until I did an anesthesia elective. I admire a good anesthesiologist but anesthesia is just not for me.

Feel free to tell your interviewer that you have shadowed a surgeon, pediatrician, pathologist etc but be sure that you add the reality statement that you find all of medicine interesting because ALL of medicine IS interesting. Somewhere along the line, you will find that specialty that clicks but you really can't know this before medical school. My best friend in medical school, was interested in neurosurgery on day one. He did not waiver in his interests and now he is a PGY-3 Neurosurgery resident.

I have found plenty of medical students who loved the "idea" of being a surgeon but hated the "work" of being a surgeon. They have gone on to be great at other specialties.

nbjmd 🙂

 

[logos]

When I was asked what specialty I was interested I instead of doing specifics right away, I approached it from a different angle. I explained that I am interested in someing that will allow me to use my hands in helping my patients and how this was important to me...to combine something physical with medicine. Then I talked about a few specialties that I thought might fulfill that best for me...gen surg, some surgical subspecialties, anesthesia, critical care medicine. It seemed to work well for me...

Just dont make it sounds like you're closed to everything else, or like its a mission from god and it will be fine.

 

[Law2Doc]

this is something i've been thinking about recently and something i think i would like and be good at. i remember someone in pre-allo asking if it would be too arrogant to say to an interviewer that you want to be a surgeon. has anyone who has just finished up this cycle told an interviewer they wanted to be a surgeon? how did they react? i'm especially interested for those who told this to their interviewer at a non-top 10 school.

thanks 🙂

While I personally do not see anything wrong with it, I actually had an interview with a surgeon (at a ranked but not top 10 school) who strongly stated he would never want anyone on his surgical team who showed up to med school already "knowing" that he/she wanted to be a surgeon. His concern was that all a premed ever gets to know about surgery is usually gleaned from TV, and it's a big enough decision that he really would want to see having been made after some real exposure, discussion with physician mentors and careful consideration. (He also went on to note that everyone will change their minds as to what they want to do in med school after seeing more things.)