"Why do you want come this med school" questions

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pAkhtmAn

pAkht mEmbEr
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hey all,
I don't know what to write for questions that ask why I want to come to their medical school? What should I put? Should I talk about curiculum or location, or cost, or what?

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Talk about all of those things, that's what I did. I have managed to say that I am in love with every possible type of curriculum out there;) .

I probably wouldn't put too much emphasis on cost unless it is your state school, and even then I would go into much greater depth talking about how much you want to stay in your home state.
 
Read up on each school on their websites and in the MSAR. Then write about the things you've read that excite you and how you would fit into their school.
 
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I asked a lady from an admissions office that same question the other day.....she said something to the affect that she knows everything about their website through the responces of the secondaries they receive.


Basically, it really doesn't matter in the end. They just want it for conversation during the interview.

At least I hope.....as I can' t think of a reason why I want to go to a lot of the schools I applied to except for the fact they grant MD degrees.

Cheers
 
-I wouldn't emphasize cost too much.
-In terms of location, I would talk about it in terms of the population you would like to serve and the experiences you hope to gain while in med school. i.e. Is it rural or urban? What are the demographics of the city the school is located in? How does the demographics of the patients you are likely to treat at x school correspond to your own goals?
-I would definitely talk about the curriculum.

finally, look up what people have said about diff schools - every school definitely has a different feel.

Also, a friend of mine who received a ton of interviews last year told me the interviews that did not go as well tended to be schools that were skeptical of his desire to attend their particular school, so find a way to sound enthusiastic about each and every one.
 
bump - I need more advice from anyone willing to give it...
 
I think that the main thing you need to remember in everything you submit -- personal essay, post-sec experiences, secondaries, etc. -- is that you're trying to give the adcomm a more complete picture of you. Therefore, start thinking about this question in terms of what learning experiences are best for you. Are you the type of person that does well in a smaller, closeknit student body? Do you learn better in environments that stress teamwork over competition? Do you excel in high pressure situations? A little introspection about the environments where you do your best thinking/learning will help you identify what's best for you. Describe learning situations that you think are your most successful, and then explain (based on your reseach) how X school's pedagogical atmosphere supports your own learning style. The essay's focus then shifts from a regurgitation of the school's website (which you already know isn't unique) to a little more insight into what makes you tick.

Good luck!
 
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