The "What sets you apart" question

[strideline]

I will preface this by saying I know that no one is going to be able to answer this question for me. What I am wondering is, what is the interviewer really looking for with this question? I am having a block trying to prepare an answer.

I have high grades and scores, good medical experience, and passion for the field, but none of these things are unique at all among people interviewing for medical school. I have certainly had unique experiences, but they all seem anecdotal in the context of "Why should we take you".

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[Ismet]

It's not a trick question, they're looking for what they're asking. They're looking for something that makes you unique, something that you can bring to the school that others might not be able to. You can talk about hobbies, diverse experiences, etc. What makes you you? What sets you apart from the 5000 other applicants to this school? It's also a question that can make people think on their toes if they didn't prepare for it.

 

[Reckoner]

I will preface this by saying I know that no one is going to be able to answer this question for me. What I am wondering is, what is the interviewer really looking for with this question? I am having a block trying to prepare an answer.

I have high grades and scores, good medical experience, and passion for the field, but none of these things are unique at all among people interviewing for medical school. I have certainly had unique experiences, but they all seem anecdotal in the context of "Why should we take you".

Bolded seems to pretty much answer your question. There are too many qualified applicants to distinguish based purely on these factors. I agree that it can be a frustrating question to answer, though.

 

[BABSstudent]

I will preface this by saying I know that no one is going to be able to answer this question for me. What I am wondering is, what is the interviewer really looking for with this question? I am having a block trying to prepare an answer.

I have high grades and scores, good medical experience, and passion for the field, but none of these things are unique at all among people interviewing for medical school. I have certainly had unique experiences, but they all seem anecdotal in the context of "Why should we take you".

I always answered this with kind of a diversity response mixed with my passions that matched the mission statement of the school.

Pretty much my responses was along the lines of "I am (legitimately) unique for all these reasons and many happen to coincide with your mission statement of X."

 

[airabuyu13]

A lot of this question has to do with who you are outside of medicine. We all have to check off the "pre-med" boxes to be valid candidates with clinical experience, pre-reqs, etc... What do you do in your spare time? Are you really talented (or passionate) about something: a hobby, cause, etc? Have you had interesting experiences growing up that have shaped who you are today? I know it's a really difficult question to answer especially considering that being pre-med takes up so much time sometimes that it's hard to think about what we've done outside of those requirements, but I guarantee you are a unique, talented person that has many attributes and accomplishments that would be of value to any school!

 

[aspirantmed]

The heart of this question is, "Why should we reserve a seat for you, and not the next person with comparable qualifications?" This isn't the time to be modest; be upfront about what you think you have that other applicants don't. And if there is no answer to that, then (realistically speaking) why should the school want you, right?

 

[strideline]

Thanks for the responses!

 

[pyrrion89]

Thanks for the responses!

Make sure not to come off as trashing the other applicants. I'd preface any response by offering some kind of praise of your peers, saying how impressed you were when you learned some of their accomplishments. Then I'd proceed to say you can offer something some of the others cannot, then make your case. Be assertive and don't sell yourself short. But try to be modest, too.

 

[wiloghby]

I was just asked this recently at an interview. You have to gauge the tone and formality of the interview, but in my case, I pointed to life experiences I have have as a 28 year old with prior career experience that many traditional students might not have yet, and then I talked about what aspects of that school's program those experiences would help with. I focused on group work, and how working as part of a team as an engineer would help me feel comfortable in PBL/TBL settings and hopefully acclimate my groupmates to that style of learning as well. I answered in less than a minute and didn't feel the need to preface it with a preamble about my classmates. They know what they're looking for when they ask the question, and it's your job to give it to them. If you are modest and not arrogant in the rest of your interview, they won't fault you for really setting yourself apart here.