Think for a second about a doctor you know who is committed to medicine. Think about how that commitment is demonstrated.
You’d probably say that he or she is willing to put patients’ needs first. Or that he or she cares more about helping patients than about making money or gaining status as a physician. Your future patients expect that same type of relationship, which requires that you put your patient’s interests ahead of your own.
A commitment to a medical career and, more importantly, a commitment to others, is something that medical school interviewers look for in applicants. So it’s important to know how to communicate that you’re serious about a medical career during your medical school application process.
Learn [how to demonstrate integrity in medical school applications.]
1. Leverage essays and interviews: You might express your commitment through your essays and interviews. For example, you probably have a primary application essay that describes a person you know well that was seriously ill and how your role in their care led to you wanting to become a physician. This type of story demonstrates you thought a lot about this person, cared about their plight and wanted to be helpful.
Your behavior will often tell the rest of the story, so demonstrating how you put others first is a good place to start. For instance, on interview day, show courtesy and respect to everyone you meet.
Ask others why they love medicine or why they are committed to the particular school you are visiting. As a bonus, these conversations may resonate with you and provide you with insight into your own feelings.
You may be asked to speak or write about why you want to attend a particular school. Social life, outdoor activities or nonmedical opportunities may be on your list, but it may not be wise to articulate that early in the conversation.
Practice [answers to frequently asked medical school interview questions.]
What you should articulate instead is that your career plans are to enter medical school and that your commitment to patients and medicine come before extracurricular activities. You should have outside interests, but before and during the interview, a commitment to a medical career needs to be the focus.
If you are specifically asked about outside interests, it is fine to discuss them. Just consider how your answer may be perceived. I know of one student who lost a residency because when asked why he wanted to be accepted to the position, he answered that it was because the city had many attractive women.
2. Demonstrate your volunteer experiences: Your commitment to medicine can be shown by how you follow up with obligations, particularly volunteer work. It is not the number of volunteer activities that makes you competitive for a school, but rather the quality of your commitment and the level of ownership you have in the mission of the organization.
One student walked out on a group he founded and away from a project he initiated when his interests suddenly changed. After learning about this, the interviewer felt the student’s interests might veer away from medicine and go in yet another direction. The student didn’t get accepted.
See [how volunteer work can inspire future physicians.]
3. Avoid emphasizing politics or hobbies: Although you may have interests in politics, administration or the business of medicine, try to stay focused on medicine during the application process. If the interviewer thinks that politics is your first goal and medicine your second, they may not take a chance on offering you an acceptance.
As well, if you’re perceived as a person who would rather play video games instead of volunteering in your community, you will be at a disadvantage. The key is to choose your activities wisely so that you can put your best foot forward during interviews.
Physicians can also demonstrate their commitment to medicine by being there for colleagues as well as for patients. As our CEO and President Dr. Delos “Toby” Cosgrove describes it, today’s medicine is a team sport. Ask yourself if the activity descriptions on your application show that you’re a team player.
Finally, have someone who is objective read your entire application to see if they honestly believe that it speaks to a commitment to medicine. If they express doubt, rewrite your application and prepare for your interviews by practicing answers that offer real examples of your commitment to others.
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Commitment a Key Theme for Medical School Applications originally appeared on usnews.com
