Specialties

All the literature I have been reading about med schools states that schools are looking for people interested in Primary Care. I have specific areas that I am interested in but wonder if it is wise to voice this in interviews, ect.
Do I go for it and explain the area I am most interested in? Or be on the vague side and not mention the specific area?
Any ideas?
Thanks! smile.gif

you will probably be asked - if not in a “what area of medicine interests you” question, then it will be a “where do you see yourself in 10 years question” -
I’d answer honestly about what areas interest you right now as a premed but also explain that you know that you will be exposed to a wide-range of experiences in medical school and can certainly change your mind (as many persons that you know have done).

Thanks for the advice, Lisa.
I figured that would be what I would say because right now I am interested in about 3 areas (Peds, OB/GYN,and ER) but who knows what I will want to do after I actually have experience in these areas.
Janell smile.gif

Be honest with your answers but temper them with humility. I would avoid stating that I KNOW I will go into xyz. Honestly, the vast majority of medical students end up going into something other than what they originally planned to do. So, by stating your interests with the caveat of keeping a mind open to change as you gain experience, you are demonstrating several mature concepts: 1 - that you have put earnest thought into how you feel that your personna will fit into which medical career, 2 - that you are wise enough to avert overcommitting too early in the game & 3 - even though older & allegedly more set in your ways, you can still entertain the concept of malleability.

Plus, only some schools really want primary care as their focus; others are enthusiastic about producing academics and specialists. The way to find a school that's a good match for you is to be honest about what you want.
boston joe

Hi there,
I would encourage you to answer any medical school interview questions honestly. As a physician, you can't always tell patients only what they want to hear. The same principle applies to interviewing for medical school, you can't lie about anything. If you don't know what you want to do, state that and be ready to express the belief that medical school will provide you with the experiences that will enable you to make an informed choice. I was totally convinced that I would enter pediatrics and do something like adolescent medicine. I honored peds and totally loved all things pediatric until I did my first case in the OR during my surgery rotation. I even tried to talk myself out of surgery and into anesthesia but to no avail, I am totally a surgeon. To make matters worse, I have found that while I have enjoyed the learning experiences on my pediatric surgery rotation, I do not enjoy cutting into kids. The pediatric surgeons here at UVA are great teachers but I leave this area of surgery to them.
As you go through medical school, you have to be open to change. As an older student, being rigid will be death to your medical career. You have to grow and adapt so keep an open mind. You also need to be mindful that if you enter a school that has a primary focus on primary care, they may not provide the best guidance if you decide to enter a specialty. If this turns out to be the case, be prepared to do plenty of visiting clerkships at locations that train more academic or specialty physicians. Also, be prepared to find a mentor outside your medical school and keep in touch with them.
Even in a school that trains primary care physicians, there are numerous specialty physicians so find a mentor among them and utilize their good advice. It isn't the medical school that you attend that will mold you as a physician but rather the residency that you choose. Even the top primary care schools will have a percentage of students who become specialists. A good primary care background is important in any discipline so all is not lost.
Just be honest and keep an open mind. You will probably change it as you go through third year anyway. I know of just one of my classmates who started wanting to be a neurosurgeon and is now at Cleveland Clinic in a neurosurgery residency. All of us changed our minds; some more radically than others.
Natalie

Thanks everyone for your comments. I will go with my gut instinct and be honest about my interests. For me, I know that I have to be passionate about whatever area I end up in but I am more than willing to try everything to see what fits best for me. biggrin.gif