So, I am very curious to see your responses. Those of you who have already became Dr’s. what was your answer to the interviewer as to why you chose to pursue medicine?
I always hear they frown on the answer of " I wanted to help people." So, how did you answer this question?
For those of us that have not yet been asked, what answer will you give as to why you want to become a doctor? I can’t wait to read these!
Sheesh, I have to answer this now? Heehee.
I need to formulate it in my mind. It’s a lot of random reasons that are all connected to me but may make no sense to others, but it goes way back to my childhood and playing superheros on the front lawn with my brothers. When picking our superpower, I always wanted to be the healer. The one who transferred energy to the wounded and took away their pain. Obviously we don’t grow up wearing capes (lab coats maybe) but I lost that dream along the way, and my path has come full circle again…now just don’t go stealing my superman quote at your interviews! Just kidding.
Seriously, let me ponder and see if I can make sense of the other reasons that have me on this path.
Great tidbit!!
MIne was a combination of wanting the intellectual scientific challenge with helping people (in a nutshell), articulated it much better in my personal statement. It’s amazing to see what intentions and ideals go into this process and what actually comes out after residency.
For the money of course…what else could it be!!!
http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2005/04…
LOL…Dazed did you really say that??
O.k. I’m thinking about this more. Forgive me if it is verbose.
As a former pastor’s wife, I still wanted to help people. It’s at the core of who I am. I thought the way to do that was through healing the soul, bringing them close to their creator and giving them hope in eternity, but things happened through the years and my soul became crushed. It was brought to the brink of destruction and in my desparation to see the good in humanity, I saw scores of people merely trying to survive this thing called life. It dawned on me, that the spirit becomes too quickly beaten down when the body is weak. But as I was making my way to that realization I had a sick baby. A stranger, out of the kindess of her heart and a passion that said children deserve to be healthy, stepped in to give me aid as a lactation consultant. In that moment she had done more for me than anyone up until that point. My daughter grew strong again, and healthy and is quite the sassy 8 year old now, but that woman started me on a journey. For me it’s about doing a little of what she did by empowering mother’s to be able to care for their children’s health. It’s about ensuring they have access to proper care, to preventative care as well as a good eye that can catch things that may actually be wrong.
So I’m back trying to be a superhero again. Maybe it will become a reality this time. I’m not sure, but I will give it my damndest to see that it does.
- Dazed Said:
For the money of course...what else could it be!!!
http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2005/04...
http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2005/04...
Read the article...that's quite a sum of cash.
Very nice boobs, touching really.
Well, I’m not sure if adcom will appreciate my reasons, but they are mine none the less.
I would think that adcoms could and would be able to appreciate your uniquely yours, story. it says a great deal about your path and journey to helping people. in my opinion.
Any of our current “Drs.” asked this question at anytime during their interview process? I would love to read what you said!
I just read that article! Amazing amounts of money. I can’t even fathom it. I’ve just always wanted to be a doctor, for as long as I can remember, I always was trying to heal everything and treat sick patients and make everything better. I’m fascinated with science and discoveries that can make people feel better. I’d have to think really long and hard to give a really intelligent answer on this though and I’m still just dazzled by that article.
Rhonda, take your time in answering, no rush! That article is very eye opening!
Go deeper with the reasons. Give examples. Tell a story (succinctly). WHY do you want to help people? BOOBS gives the standard “helping people” answer depth and breadth in her posting.
There are no “right” or “wrong” answers, I don’t think. There are trite answers, however.
One of my mantras is “details details details.”
Cheers,
Judy
Cool! I have depth!
No seriously, I’ve been thinking about this post since I posted it Judy, wondering how does one get past wanting to help people? Either you do or you don’t and how each individual interprets “help” is going to be different. Mine is through medicine, another may be through giving children a voice, another may be through education. None are really any more valiant than another since it takes all types to make the world go round, but it is important to me and it is what makes me wake up at 5 a.m. to get to an 8 a.m. class on time.
Susan that is great! Now I would STILL love to read what our residing doctors or current med students used for an answer when they were asked! Anyone??
I went into medicine to do something more meaningful with my life. Although I made a lot of money in computers and definitely had fun some if not most of the time, in the end it was all about sitting in a cubicle solving these little puzzles and making things work but not really affecting the world in a significant way. I feel I have a lot more to contribute to society than just doing the software equivalent of crosswords or sudoku all day long. Medicine offers the challenges and the opportunities to work with people and touch their lives in ways that software engineering cannot.
Obviously, I’m not admitted yet but working that direction. My response has been and I will definitely look for help tweaking WHEN the time comes (notice I did NOT say, “IF”):
When I was very young I remember playing house with my friends but they were mom and sister, I was Dr. J. As I grew up obstacles self-made, and those not so, became prevalent and in my opinion back then, insurmountable. The drive to be a doctor has never left me.
A few years ago, while on the partner track at one of the largest public accounting firms, I was driving behind a dark blue Chevy Corsica. The road ran east-west at 55 MPH with side roads stopped via stop signs.
At the dip of the only hill on this road a pickup truck had stopped at it’s stop sign. Then for no apparent reason, barreled forward, slamming into the side of the blue Corsica I was behind pushing her into the oncoming lane of traffic where a Mack truck was barreling down, east bound, and ended up on top of her hood smashing the front side completely.
Immediately stopping my truck, throwing on the hazards, desperately trying to reach 9-1-1, I asked the other drivers if they were okay, told the Mack driver to call 9-1-1 since he had signal, and looked inside the Corsica.
She was not in good shape. The Mack truck still running, the driver of the pickup truck sitting down on grassy median, I pried/kicked open the door of the lady’s car. I knew from training she needed to remain calm, awake, and immobile.
I kept her calm by talking to her. Asked her about her family, all the time keeping her head still, telling her not to move, that help was on the way. We talked about the weather, her hobbies and about keeping very, very still.
In a few minutes the rescue team arrived. They took over, cleaned me up (I had a few blood blotches on me), took my statement, and I left. This was not the only time I’ve been first responder on accident scene, it has happened a lot.
In the 30 minutes it took me to leave that scene, I have never felt more at peace and more at odds with my career choice. Arriving at work, I opened up my paycheck stub… it meant nothing. I’d share with you the amount but will suffice to say it was staggering and more than any doc I know save for the cardio-thoracic surgeons.
I felt nothing. Zip. Almost guilty, in fact. I won’t lie and say it’s not nice to pay the bills, live in a big fancy house, and drive a big, black, shiny Escalade but in all honesty, it does not matter. I will give it all up for the one chance to attend med school.
I’d always wanted to help people, diagnose what was wrong with them, prescribe course of action, watch the improvement, and watch them become healthy. In high school I volunteered for the church, belonged to the medical explorer’s club, researched various diseases (usually oncology related). Later in college, I would write research papers on the latest genetic findings, drug therapies, medical ethics questions, and oncology.
In college, I had dreamed of helping sick kids when my own son died of SIDS and I realized how discriminatory some doctors can be against single moms. I had dreamed of helping pediatric AIDS victims in Africa on mission trips, and volunteering with cleft palate surgery kids in Mexico.
The last two I’ve been able to do without being an MD but at a very rudimentary level. I truly believe God gave me the gift of a great mind and I’m using it for nothing. This past year I had the great privilege of being on the inside of a doctor’s personal life. After all the time I spent with him, and seeing that life, I want it for myself.
I want to have more days where my work means giving back to others. I want more days where my brain is pushed to understand, diagnose, and assist. I want to be an M.D.
P.S. Details, have never been my short-suit! 