Wake Forest and Altruism

[sweettpea23]

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I'm preparing to interview there and I see they frequently ask for your view on altruism in medicine. How did/would you answer this question?
Being unselfish is a positive, but with the disregard to your own safety and needs???....Is saving one patient and risking your life, better than using good judgement with your own life and living as a doctor who can save many other patients' lives?
This question seems to go along with another frequent question:
What if you had a patient and family emergency at the same time? With a conservative school I expect that family is very important, but with this popular altruism question I am having second thoughts. Please give me some input. Thanks

 

[bjackrian]

I was asked the family v. work question at Wake Forest (and at several other schools as well). I answered honestly and said that I would try to accomodate both, but if it came right down to it, family would win. I didn't try to out-think the question--I just gave my honest reaction. It didn't seem to hurt as I was accepted to WFU a few weeks later. Don't stress about the questions, and don't try to out-think your interviewer--it usually shows. Best of luck on your interview!

 

[i61164]

I'm preparing to interview there and I see they frequently ask for your view on altruism in medicine. How did/would you answer this question?
Being unselfish is a positive, but with the disregard to your own safety and needs???....Is saving one patient and risking your life, better than using good judgement with your own life and living as a doctor who can save many other patients' lives?
This question seems to go along with another frequent question:
What if you had a patient and family emergency at the same time? With a conservative school I expect that family is very important, but with this popular altruism question I am having second thoughts. Please give me some input. Thanks

Being altruistic does not always mean risking your life. You are putting someone else's needs before your own. For example, when you are on call you will be setting aside your need for sleep. You may miss out on you kid's school play. These are sacrifices that you will have to make and you must decide if it's worth it to you. If medicine is truly your calling, it is worth it. If you are not willing to put the needs of others before your own, medicine is not the career for you.

I said something along these lines and was accepted to Wake.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Being altruistic does not always mean risking your life. You are putting someone else's needs before your own. For example, when you are on call you will be setting aside your need for sleep. You may miss out on you kid's school play. These are sacrifices that you will have to make and you must decide if it's worth it to you. If medicine is truly your calling, it is worth it. If you are not willing to put the needs of others before your own, medicine is not the career for you.

I said something along these lines and was accepted to Wake.

what??? i really do not want to miss my kid's school play...no one told me that before i got involved in this 😱