Why do you want to be a physician?

[usermike8500]

How did you go about answering the interview question, "why do you want to be a physician?"

I feel like I'm faced with two options:

1. Sound like an airhead
"I wanna be a doctor cuz I like science and I wanna help people."

2. Sound like a pompous self-indulgent loathsome gunner
"While engaging in several award-winning research projects, I found the saliance of the RAS oncogene to squamous cell carcinoma to be of the utmost interest to me. Therefore, I conclude that it would behoove me to partake in the pursuit of a discipline, the nature of which, would do justice to my intellectual prowess...."

Neither one of these vomit-inducing answers is very attractive. How did you approach the question, "why do you want to be a physician?"

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[DaiCa86]

Be genunine, anything else is just lame.

 

[Twiigg]

Because being a doctor is fun! Duhs!

 

[HeatherMD]

because my original plans of growing up to be a princess aren't working out.

 

[tmac11]

Why not?

 

[badasshairday]

How did you go about answering the interview question, "why do you want to be a physician?"

I feel like I'm faced with two options:

1. Sound like an airhead
"I wanna be a doctor cuz I like science and I wanna help people."

2. Sound like a pompous self-indulgent loathsome gunner
"While engaging in several award-winning research projects, I found the saliance of the RAS oncogene to squamous cell carcinoma to be of the utmost interest to me. Therefore, I conclude that it would behoove me to partake in the pursuit of a discipline, the nature of which, would do justice to my intellectual prowess...."

Neither one of these vomit-inducing answers is very attractive. How did you approach the question, "why do you want to be a physician?"

LOL at the "utmost interest to me" part. I'd reject you on the spot if someone said something that dorky in an interview.

 

[UNMorBUST]

" I want to work with Dr. House"

 

[usermike8500]

Geez, thanks for all the thoughtful answers! Just kidding

I think the question was too personal for this forum. I'm sure you guys all have your own reasons, hopefully I can find ways to articulate mine as well.

 

[badasshairday]

Geez, thanks for all the thoughtful answers! Just kidding

I think the question was too personal for this forum. I'm sure you guys all have your own reasons, hopefully I can find ways to articulate mine as well.

Dude, honestly don't worry. Just think about it for a while. Be honest with yourself. Then just think of an outline of how you'd want to express yourself when asked during the interview. You'll get it soon enough.

 

[UNMorBUST]

Be honest with yourself.

QFT

 

[Bacchus]

I did use the "help people" as an undertone to my answer. Honestly its not cheesy if you don't say, "I want to help people."

Throw in a personal story or volunteer experience that sets "helping people" medically away from helping them in another way: garbage collector, barista, waiter, librarian.

 

[NicoDuval]

I think the best answer is what is true. How did you actually decide that you wanted to become a doctor. If it really was just that doctors seem to make a lot of money and have power, then you are probably choosing the wrong profession. For most, their is a story of how it all came about.

 

[Terpskins99]

My answer:

I want to be a physician because I want to know how the human body works.

I want to be a physician because I enjoy learning about disease and how we can eliminate it.

I want to be a physician because I enjoy solving puzzles and playing detective. I want the gratification of discovering the cause of a patient's symptoms and coming up with the appropriate plan of action to fix them.

I want to be a physician so I can be in the position of trust that patients have in their health care provider. (And by extension, I want to be in medical school/residency/fellowship so I can make sure that trust isn't wasted.)

I want to be a physician so I can share in the camaraderie that exists between fellow doctors in a hospital environment.

I want to be a physician so I can wear the white coat. To be proud that I was capable of sacrificing so much in order to have a job that means far more to me than a mere salary.

 

[teddybear]

My answer:

I want to be a physician because I want to know how the human body works.

I want to be a physician because I enjoy learning about disease and how we can eliminate it.

I want to be a physician because I enjoy solving puzzles and playing detective. I want the gratification of discovering the cause of a patient's symptoms and coming up with the appropriate plan of action to fix them.

I want to be a physician so I can be in the position of trust that patients have in their health care provider. (And by extension, I want to be in medical school/residency/fellowship so I can make sure that trust isn't wasted.)

I want to be a physician so I can share in the camaraderie that exists between fellow doctors in a hospital environment.

I want to be a physician so I can wear the white coat. To be proud that I was capable of sacrificing so much in order to have a job that means far more to me than a mere salary.

Good answer.

For me the reasons are highly personal. I hate death in all its forms. I lost my dad and a slew of other people who were near and dear to me. I know I'll be fighting a losing battle, but I want to give the bitch hell while I'm on this earth.

 

[Twiigg]

" I want to work with Dr. House"

I'd way, way, way rather work with the Scrubs team.

 

[Quadratic]

Just tell them it looked cool when you first considered it. It's the most honest answer one could give.

 

[biophysicianai]

the powa and the moneh

the moneh and the powa

MINUTE afta MINUTE

HOWA afta HOWA

 

[Lukkie]

my parents are making me

 

[UNMorBUST]

I'd way, way, way rather work with the Scrubs team.

Well House is a genius, but i do admitt JD and Turk would be a blast.

 

[Twiigg]

Well House is a genius, but i do admitt JD and Turk would be a blast.

Yeah, and working with House would be way too dramatic.

I prefer a happy job!

 

[Crazyday]

I enjoy learning, and I want to go into a discipline that consists of learning throughout the rest of my life. However, I want to apply this earned intellect in practical situations.

I could go into astrophysics, engineering, and lots of other fields, but nothing is as hands on as being a practicing physician. And to add onto all of this, I enjoy helping people and am a pretty social person, and enjoy interacting with people, especially making them feel better in their bad times in life.

 

[shaggybill]

the powa and the moneh

the moneh and the powa

MINUTE afta MINUTE

HOWA afta HOWA

After I read this post, the nurse sitting down from me asked me what was so funny.

 

[majahops]

The question isn't so much why I'd want to be a physician as it is why I'd want to be anything other than a physician.