Why did you become a doctor?

[Danlee07]

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Two doctors that are in a similar situation (doing disease studies in off-site places not in US)

They answer the question, "why did you become a doctor?" Aren't these supposed to be cliche??????????? Or maybe they just changed their answer to be very truthful and put in this semantics since they're pretty up there and they're not actually answering for med school adcoms?

"Dr. G" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gq9o8l51jo

Jim Yong Kim, President of Dartmouth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG1OQiHDKBQ

Dr. Kim's answer baffles me even more since he basically said his dad made him choose the physician field since practicality precedes thinking and expanding.............

 

[Fakesmile]

Dr. Kim's answer baffles me even more since he basically said his dad made him choose the physician field since practicality precedes thinking and expanding.............

Dr. Kim's answer might have been okay for his time (something like 1980s) because med school wasn't as competitive back then, so you were basically accepted if you had the grades and you were not found to be a psycho during interviews.

 

[Cleavername]

Two doctors that are in a similar situation (doing disease studies in off-site places not in US)

They answer the question, "why did you become a doctor?" Aren't these supposed to be cliche??????????? Or maybe they just changed their answer to be very truthful and put in this semantics since they're pretty up there and they're not actually answering for med school adcoms?

"Dr. G" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gq9o8l51jo

Jim Yong Kim, President of Dartmouth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG1OQiHDKBQ

Dr. Kim's answer baffles me even more since he basically said his dad made him choose the physician field since practicality precedes thinking and expanding.............

hahaha i can totally appreciate exactly what his dad said to him. its hard to understand it if you are from this country, everything is already set before you, thus, all you have to do to get a good job is that you don't fail really bad lol. but for immigrants like his family was, or mine, we needed solid skills that we always know this society will need so we can settle down and be sure to always have something that can bring food to the table.

i just re-read my paragrah, i think i sound like ia m trolling, but i am not, honest to god not. i seen alot of people came here from other countries were forced to go back to their country because they couldn't find a job. luckily for medcine, as long as you graduate from an american med-school inb the states 🙂, you will be considered as pretty much an equal physician as a native person.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Just to point this out he is basically trying to build himself into his role. Obviously he's going to emphasize the things that will make him do his job better.

 

[Danlee07]

So what he's really saying is that he should find a field where race isn't so much of a forerunner and a level playing field before he ventures onto more stuff?

 

[chman]

Dr. Kim's answer may be surprising to you, but it is not uncommon at all, especially for Asian pre-meds.

PS, I am not say all Asian pre-meds are influenced by their parents, etc. All I am saying is that I have noticed that many of my Asian friend's parents have a lot of influence and expectations.

 

[Danlee07]

well, I understand that it's of expectation, but my question was mainly, how come it is a valid answer and would that have been a valid answer if he said the same lines in front of a current med school adcom board?

 

[Cleavername]

So what he's really saying is that he should find a field where race isn't so much of a forerunner and a level playing field before he ventures onto more stuff?

not really race, immigrants. but since most immigrants are people of color, it pretty much is the case.

 

[chman]

well, I understand that it's of expectation, but my question was mainly, how come it is a valid answer and would that have been a valid answer if he said the same lines in front of a current med school adcom board?

Well obviously you would not tell adcoms that you are applying because your parents want you to...

 

[Danlee07]

that's the whole pt of the thread though... how is that obvious? maybe some people can with the way he elaborated it?

 

[chman]

that's the whole pt of the thread though... how is that obvious? maybe some people can with the way he elaborated it?

Sorry, let me re-phrase; I think that is a good answer after the fact, as in, after someone is already a doc and has nothing to loose. I am glad it worked out for him and he is happy with what he is doing. However, I think that would be a horrible answer from an adcoms point of view, because for every Dr. Kim, there are five other docs, dentists, etc, who regret not thinking for themselves and being pushed in to a profession they are not passionate about, and adcoms know this. They want people who are exited and want to practice medicine, or at least that is what I would look for.

 

[adaptation1]

Very practical. So practical..