Why Medicine interview response

[mika418419]

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Is it okay to mention new reasons for why medicine during an interview? In my primary, I talked about a doctor who shaped the way I want to practice. In my interview, I talked about the moment that really shifted me towards medicine and made me consider medicine. Would this cause red flags? I wanted to bring up new info, but now considering whether this will hurt my chances at the schools.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Is it okay to mention new reasons for why medicine during an interview? In my primary, I talked about a doctor who shaped the way I want to practice. In my interview, I talked about the moment that really shifted me towards medicine and made me consider medicine. Would this cause red flags? I wanted to bring up new info, but now considering whether this will hurt my chances at the schools.

What are the details of your interview? Is this casual conversation (like a round-robin "tell us why you want to go to medicine")? Is this an MMI (you have 5 minutes to answer)? Is this a closed or open-file structured interview?

I think you are overthinking this, but we don't know how you wrote about your experience or the prompt you were answering.

 

[mika418419]

What are the details of your interview? Is this casual conversation (like a round-robin "tell us why you want to go to medicine")? Is this an MMI (you have 5 minutes to answer)? Is this a closed or open-file structured interview?

I think you are overthinking this, but we don't know how you wrote about your experience or the prompt you were answering.

Both closed and open file. No MMI. I also believe I am overthinking. Finished my main set of interviews and waiting for results soon and I am quite nervous, to say the least. But the idea I think is that in my life I had multiple reasons or influences for “why medicine”. For my main essay I focused on one, in the question I focused on another.

My main qualm is this: adcoms will read a note on the answer, then question if I’m “running a narrative”, since the essay and interview are different, in which I’m really not but decided not to talk about the interview experience and speak on another that was also formative to my journey in medicine.

This also comes from me being a little unsure on how adcoms review interviews, although I did review the interview thread from you and some faculty members from 10 years prior.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Both closed and open file. No MMI. I also believe I am overthinking. Finished my main set of interviews and waiting for results soon and I am quite nervous, to say the least. But the idea I think is that in my life I had multiple reasons or influences for “why medicine”. For my main essay I focused on one, in the question I focused on another.

My main qualm is this: adcoms will read a note on the answer, then question if I’m “running a narrative”, since the essay and interview are different, in which I’m really not but decided not to talk about the interview experience and speak on another that was also formative to my journey in medicine.

This also comes from me being a little unsure on how adcoms review interviews, although I did review the interview thread from you and some faculty members from 10 years prior.

Read

Admissions Committees: The Art of the Decision | Student Doctor Network | SDN

Faculty serve three to four year terms on admissions committees, so they can vary significantly year-to-year with shifting priorities over time.

www.studentdoctor.net

You could have 100 reasons why you want to go into medicine. It doesn't mean we want to hear all 100.

 

[mika418419]

Read

Admissions Committees: The Art of the Decision | Student Doctor Network | SDN

Faculty serve three to four year terms on admissions committees, so they can vary significantly year-to-year with shifting priorities over time.

www.studentdoctor.net

You could have 100 reasons why you want to go into medicine. It doesn't mean we want to hear all 100.

Thank you. That makes sense. Looking forward, I will most likely focus back on just sticking to the Primary essay more than other reasons

In your opinion, does it ring alarm bells as "red flag"/suspicious when applicants bring up another reason/event in the why medicine, or just an unwise decision?

 

[Goro]

You're overthinking. My fellow interviewers and I never, ever ask about why medicine unless the personal statement is not very well written, and doesn't explain the answer to the question.

 

[mika418419]

You're overthinking. My fellow interviewers and I never, ever ask about why medicine unless the personal statement is not very well written, and doesn't explain the answer to the question.

Ohhhh I think that makes sense then. Like my explanation will be taken as an addition bc perhaps the essay didn't answer as well. That makes sense. Thank you

 

[polymerization]

I wasn't asked at all throughout my interview season, but you should know how you want to answer it because it is such low-hanging fruit and there might be someone who runs out of questions and asks, just to buy enough time to find something to talk about.

At this stage you don't need to give them the essay answer, you can just be upfront about how you became interested, what other careers you considered throughout your journey, and why you still find yourself on the path toward medicine and not something else.

I think by the time you reach interview (especially if you have worked longitudinally in medicine), there is an expectation that you can honestly apprehend the good and bad of clinical practice and integrate that into a measured response.

Do not say anything negative, but you can say that despite the imperfect system physicians work within, you really do appreciate the role physicians can play on a team and wax poetic about assuming the honor of responsibility when it comes to a patient's health. Good luck, and congratulations!

 

[mika418419]

I wasn't asked at all throughout my interview season, but you should know how you want to answer it because it is such low-hanging fruit and there might be someone who runs out of questions and asks, just to buy enough time to find something to talk about.

At this stage you don't need to give them the essay answer, you can just be upfront about how you became interested, what other careers you considered throughout your journey, and why you still find yourself on the path toward medicine and not something else.

I think by the time you reach interview (especially if you have worked longitudinally in medicine), there is an expectation that you can honestly apprehend the good and bad of clinical practice and integrate that into a measured response.

Do not say anything negative, but you can say that despite the imperfect system physicians work within, you really do appreciate the role physicians can play on a team and wax poetic about assuming the honor of responsibility when it comes to a patient's health. Good luck, and congratulations!

Thank you! Fingers crossed!!!!!