So what are some good answers for why you want to do medicine?

[Chuckwalla]

From what I gather lots of things are cliche, even if they are the truth.. You can't say you want to help people, you can't say you like the mix of science and altruism, you can't give out some personal story about how you suffered from a condition. So what is a decent answer to this question?

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[Bacchus]

"I'm an ENTJ. That means, among other things, that I am anal retentive and need order in my life. The flow of medicine and its long-standing principles lend themselves well to J because there is rhyme for every reason. Additionally I like thinking about things and planning out a meticulous plan."

Ok - this wouldn't apply to EM where who the hell knows what you're going to get, but there is always some order to medicine and us Js thrive off it.

Edit: I would never say this, however I had to take a personality test for a class.

 

[seraph524]

I usually throw in research, to do clinical research, translational research, etc...things that need clinical skills. That way, I sound less cliche...

 

[Jolie South]

I don't think the cliche answers are so bad per se. However, I do think that if you show up and say word for word "I want to help people and I like science" you won't be helping your cause.

If you boiled down MY argument to 2 phrases, those would be them, but I did go into a lot of personal detail that backed up these two things. I just never explicitly said those words.

I think the main thing is to make it personal and to show that your experiences are in accord with what you're saying.

 

[novastorm]

Sit down and think of the first time you wanted to be a doctor. Then think of how your life has changed since that moment. This is why you want to be a doctor. If this is a difficult process then you may really want to think about why your doing what your doing in the first place.

 

[ufgrad00]

From what I gather lots of things are cliche, even if they are the truth.. You can't say you want to help people, you can't say you like the mix of science and altruism, you can't give out some personal story about how you suffered from a condition. So what is a decent answer to this question?

I recommend to keep it as personal as possible and not philosophy based, like, "I've wanted to help people since I could remember" or "I am fascinated by the physiology of the human body."

Think of the time when you wanted to go into medicine. After volunteering in a clinical setting for a meaningful amount of time were you interested in pursuing a career in the field?

I would also like to add what my interviewer at Drexel said to me. It was that he thought applicants, who had meaningful clinical volunteering before they pursued pre-medicine seem more sincere, than applicants who volunteered or engaged in clincal experiences for the purpose of providing a clinical experience for an application.

I had this question at all my interviews and am willing to share my personal answer for the "why medicine" question. pm me.

 

[blurry]

Money, power, and ladies. But most importantly, cause mommy told me to; and mommy isn't someone I want to make mad.

 

[seeker073180]

it's a good question....you wouldn't believe how many students I've interviewed or heard about that give the standard "i want to help people" answer. nothing turns an interviewer off faster than that. i mean you have to expect it the question. you have to think about your reasons to go through the pain of undergrad/MCATs/applications in the first place...and still, the best these interviewees can come up with is, "i want to help people"????

be personal; be thoughtful....there 's 1000s of prospectives that have good GPAs, good MCATs, and good experiences, but if you can convey that your experiences have really had an impact on your motivation to become a physician.....that'd be great.

 

[littlealex]

The truth.

 

[brianmartin]

The truth is that while there are many secondary benefits to being a doctor (respect, pay, intellectual challenge), there has to be some small part of you that wants to help people. You don't have to care more about other people than yourself, but you DO need to have that feeling of satisfaction when you have made a difference in someone's life. Therefore "helping people" is not a bad answer. The difference between a mature, intelligent answer and a cliche one is how you explain it.

 

[midn]

Don't worry about being cliche. I spent over a month trying to write my AAMCAS essay because I was trying to be original. I started out writing a really sarcastic essay that got blasted by the first person I sent it to on SDN to review it. It's really difficult to stay away from the cliches, but if they're the truth, you should have no problem writing it since you'll have plenty to say about it.

The focus of my essay was looking for a challenging, integrative career. I didn't mention once about helping people since I never really considered medicine that way. My belief is that most all careers are in someway beneficial to humanity so I felt it was kind of moot in wasting space talking about helping people since that was not my primary focus. Work with your intentions rather than artificially creating some that you think the adcoms will like.

I'll be happy to review your essay if you'd like. I went over a handful last cycle while other people looked over mine. It helped me immensely.

 

[Isradoc1983]

Don't worry about being cliche. I spent over a month trying to write my AAMCAS essay because I was trying to be original. I started out writing a really sarcastic essay that got blasted by the first person I sent it to on SDN to review it. It's really difficult to stay away from the cliches, but if they're the truth, you should have no problem writing it since you'll have plenty to say about it.

The focus of my essay was looking for a challenging, integrative career. I didn't mention once about helping people since I never really considered medicine that way. My belief is that most all careers are in someway beneficial to humanity so I felt it was kind of moot in wasting space talking about helping people since that was not my primary focus. Work with your intentions rather than artificially creating some that you think the adcoms will like.

I'll be happy to review your essay if you'd like. I went over a handful last cycle while other people looked over mine. It helped me immensely.

I agree with you.. there are many professions that benefit/help people.... i was never asked that question in an interview, but it took me a while to figure out a good answer and the best answer i came 2 was that my experiences in life pushed me into this profession some of them were helping people and some weren't.... so i guess just look back at your life and think why did you decide to enter medicine and go through this BS application cycle waste all your money and study for the next 4 years...

 

[dd128]

I think for most people it's a variety of things. People may want to inherently "help" others, but adcoms want specifics why you want to help people in the field of medicine, as you can help others in many other professions. My motivations come from the brushes with medicine I'd had with my family and experiences from volunteering and shadowing. If you're having trouble getting your words together a lot of people have an interest in a specific specialty or field of medicine, even if you don't ultimately end up there, see what it is drawing you there and maybe you'll find some answers.

 

[ssisterdoc]

I suggest that you read Chapter 1 of Med School Confidential. (Just go to the Barnes and Noble website because they allow a free preview of that entire chapter.) It'll help you think more about your motivations for medicine and your fitness for the profession.

 

[eight sat up]

Well, if you have a specific field of medicine you are interested in that could be a viable reason for going into the profession, and avoiding cliches such as (I want to help people, save lives, blah blah blah). E.g. I want to go into rads because of x, y, and z, and your school would be a great way to do that, etc.

 

[BigRedPremed]

It's not what you say but rather what you can show. If you say you like science, then show that you took upper level science courses. If you say you like helping people, then show that you did significant volunteering during undergrad. Your reasons for choosing medicine must be backed up with experiences.

 

[nevercold]

Don't worry about being original or not being cliche. Medicine has certain features. That you like those features is not a problem.

The key is to be PASSIONATE about your answer. Let your response light up your face and your voice. You should show the interviewer how deeply you are interested in medicine as much as you explain it.

You'll only sound cliche or boring if there is no passion.

 

[coralfangs]

ya, my ans was as cliche as ever
just be sincere

as long as you don't say what this kid said
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5jt9txM_1T0