why this school?

[sdnstud]

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what do you usually say when this question is asked on the secondary? it's kinda BS to say you like the atmosphere when you've never been there or you like the curriculum when you've never experienced it.

 

[sunUCB]

i read their website and spit it right back to them...

what do you usually say when this question is asked on the secondary? it's kinda BS to say you like the atmosphere when you've never been there or you like the curriculum when you've never experienced it.

 

[Kazema]

Look through their webpage and find something you really connect with. It could be PBL, it could be P/F, it could be a strong research environment. Or maybe a faculty member or something. Or even just what city the school is in. Just look around, I'm sure you'll find something you like.

If not, then maybe reconsider applying 😉

 

[docjolly]

Well,

I think you have to give an honest answer about why you want to go to a certain school...I've met with several admissions officers already (even though I haven't submitted my secs.) and have been asked why I am interested in these specific schools.. I found it helpful to read about the school in the MSAR and on the internet..Find SPECIFIC things that you liked, based upon what you read, and go from there..

 

[sdnstud]

see..the problem with this is....most schools have PBL..most schools have P/F.....numerous schools have strong research environment. but why a specific school?

Look through their webpage and find something you really connect with. It could be PBL, it could be P/F, it could be a strong research environment. Or maybe a faculty member or something. Or even just what city the school is in. Just look around, I'm sure you'll find something you like.

If not, then maybe reconsider applying 😉

 

[Pinkertinkle]

see..the problem with this is....most schools have PBL..most schools have P/F.....numerous schools have strong research environment. but why a specific school?

exactly

 

[WalterSobchakk]

mention location too, as well as affiliated hospitals 👍

 

[bewitched1081]

it's a hard question to answer unless you do some good research. i wasnt even that interested in schools until i went for interviews. then i learned whether i loved or hated the schools. some were so so.

 

[cooldreams]

for me at KCUMB, it was their unique curriculum that has been proven through continued high marks on national tests, the unique spirituality awards the school has recieved in honor of its commitment to religious values and family values, and the fact the school is putting so much effort in improving itself, from the creation of a new research building and more wi-fi spots.

if you want to find the good in something, it is not too hard, but if u want to find admirable qualities, do a little digging, you may be surprised, both good and bad, at what you find and it may even sway your school choices...

 

[dmk724]

what do you usually say when this question is asked on the secondary? it's kinda BS to say you like the atmosphere when you've never been there or you like the curriculum when you've never experienced it.

Besides the usual stuff about location, city vs. rural setting of the school, and hospital affiliations, read the mission statement VERY carefully. They might sound similar, but they give great clues about what kind of doctors they turn out. I think you need to think about what kind of doctor you'd like to be - not just dermatologist, internist, pediatrician, etc, but do you want to see a lot of patients every day, or would you rather be doing a lot of research? Would you like to spend your career in academia, or would you rather be putting in a lot of hours a week at a community homeless shelter/clinic? For instance, the med school that I go to now has a big focus on turning out clinicians and teachers, and they have huge community outreach programs that all students participate in. (And I mean "all" quite literally.) Their research is good, but it's clearly not the focus here. The med school affiliated with my undergrad institution, on the other hand, was very different - they seemed to focus a bit more on research and academia (but that's just my impression). I believe schools like Penn and Pitt are good examples of these kinds of schools (but, again, that's just my impression). It all depends on what kind of career you want. Also, consider the average class size - Jefferson has over 200 students, but other med schools have 60 or so. Which would you feel more comfortable with?

Good luck with the application process!

 

[Long Dong]

i read their website and spit it right back to them...

Good answer. If they have a highly ranked program (e.g. peds or ortho or what ever) say you're really interested in this program.
Or you can got to the amsa website http://www.amsa.org/premed/medsurvey/
to see what current students say about their school and spit that game right back at them. It's like having an insider tell you what's cool about their school.

 

[MEG@COOL]

Just be honest and tell them that you dont really care.

see..the problem with this is....most schools have PBL..most schools have P/F.....numerous schools have strong research environment. but why a specific school?