What do you say to a "What kind of doctor do you want to be?"

[BurbyPrep89]

So I've gotten this question multiple times - sure pretty much everyone does - and I've usually gone with some variation of:

"Well I'm probably biased because of working here [disease specific hospital], but we'll see?"

Or if I'm feeling glib "Well hopefully the good kind [lol]."

And if I'm feeling adventurous, "Well it would be nice to discover I'm cut out for surgery."

What do you usually go with? What is a good way to not sound coy lol?

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[Flashfan]

I usually say I just want to get into med school first.

 

[bold text]

Critical care podiatrist is my go to answer.

 

[CliveStaples]

Competent. Kind.

 

[karayaa]

So I've gotten this question multiple times - sure pretty much everyone does - and I've usually gone with some variation of:

"Well I'm probably biased because of working here [disease specific hospital], but we'll see?"

Or if I'm feeling glib "Well hopefully the good kind [lol]."

And if I'm feeling adventurous, "Well it would be nice to discover I'm cut out for surgery."

What do you usually go with? What is a good way to not sound coy lol?

I think the first two are good.
Tie it in to your experiences and branch out into a specific speciality, an environment (acad med vs PP vs research vs public health), or personality/values (kind, caring, compassionate, educating, etc)
You want to sound like you have some vision of the future, because if you don't have a goal, why are you there?

How have interviewers responded to your answers so far?

 

[Spinach Dip]

surgical neonatal neuro-oncology hospitalist intensivist

 

[Silverflash]

On interviews, I say something along the lines of "Every doctor I've talked to changed their specialty of interest at some point during their training, so I'm keeping an open mind and waiting until clinical rotations to see what most interests me. I do have a few specialties that I'm particularly interested in, however. (Discuss a couple specifics here)"

In casual conversation "No idea."

 

[soccerusa]

I usually talk about the attributes of a specialty that attract me after seeing them in shadowing. Also, I usually discuss my interest in academic medicine regarding my research. This has seemed to get good responses in interviews. Especially when the attributes I mention are patient centered (i.e. continuity of care, able to improve quality of life, feeling connected with community etc).

 

[BurbyPrep89]

I think the first two are good.
Tie it in to your experiences and branch out into a specific speciality, an environment (acad med vs PP vs research vs public health), or personality/values (kind, caring, compassionate, educating, etc)
You want to sound like you have some vision of the future, because if you don't have a goal, why are you there?

How have interviewers responded to your answers so far?

For interviews, if I say, it's my hope to go into X, the interviewer either goes with, "Why that?" And then we discuss my personal and professional experiences that led up to my leaning toward that field.

Or they say "that's fair," and move on.

Or they go with "you don't think you'll find that depressing?" To which I respond, "I expect it will be difficult, but I hope I can handle it like the ******gists I work with." (Lol those asterisks make it look like a bad word).

 

[Wasted Energy]

*Display violently shaking hands*

"Anything but surgery!"

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

*Display violently shaking hands*

"Anything but surgery!"

Lol

 

[karayaa]

For interviews, if I say, it's my hope to go into X, the interviewer either goes with, "Why that?" And then we discuss my personal and professional experiences that led up to my leaning toward that field.

Or they say "that's fair," and move on.

Or they go with "you don't think you'll find that depressing?" To which I respond, "I expect it will be difficult, but I hope I can handle it like the ******gists I work with." (Lol those asterisks make it look like a bad word).

Sounds reasonable to me!

 

[RTC19]

In casual conversation, I go ahead and tell people that I am thinking Emergency Medicine, because I am.

 

[mimelim]

.

Yes, that is perfectly fine.

 

[RTC19]

Yes, that is perfectly fine.

Sorry about that. I had originally only skimmed the question and typed out a response. I wanted to edit my original post, but didn't want responses to the original in the meantime, so I switched it to that while I edited. The best laid plans of mice and men...

 

[Shinobiz11]

I get this question weekly at work, usually from the same people. I just tell them that I'm not sure yet.

 

[Theafoni]

Pediatric ob/gyn

...I'll show myself out

 

[torshi]

"During the last two years of medical school, we have rotations in many fields - from here students tend to get their feet wet in each specialty and get an idea of what they might want to pursue - so I'm really open to experience every field and will decide from there."

 

[andtimeyet]

The next Dr. Oz, selling out and making bank one pseudoscientific tv show segment at a time.

More seriously: a doctor that is component, kind, and passionate about my patients. Can't really name a speciality since I am a lowly pre med.

 

[allantois]

- So what kind of doctor do you want to be?

- A good one.

 

[BamaNicole]

Oddly enough I didn't get that question before med school. I get it all the time now. I just answer with "I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up."

 

[Ismet]

Peds. Because babies. A peds intern I worked with had the best line, something like "It's kinda cute when a baby poops (they have poop faces!), but it's never cute when an adult poops"

 

[Goro]

This is the BEST answer to the question!!!

- So what kind of doctor do you want to be?

- A good one.