Admission Interview Q: the inevitable Why Do you want to be a doctor :-)

Hey people: I just know I am going to be asked time and time again why I want to be a doctor in the med school interviews I have .. which is understandable :-)

In the UK we are advised that any answer should be contained within 2 minutes
Could anyone tell me what they think of this

"So Ellen, why do you want to be a doctor"?

In anticipation of being asked this very question, I have reflected on it extensively.
In all honesty, I did toy with the idea of actively constructing some unique soliloquy - but instead have decided to go with my ubiquitous gut inspired reasoning which fundamentally is centred around the fact that I get to combine ongoing scientific investigation and learning with extensive human interaction.. which is really attractive to me.

I also spent some time shadowing doctors, watching the process of diagnostic problem solving, translating all that extensive theory into practice and getting a peak into the fairly central pre requisite need and opportunity to really learn more about the social complexities which I'm sure are often adjuvant to most patient's medical problems. So that experience gave me a really exciting insight into the role of a physician and very much reaffirmed to me my desire.

Finally and probably most importantly to me, when I sat down 5 years ago and began to actively reflect on what I wanted to do with my life, I very quickly decided that if only to me, whatever path I took needed to be something meritorious, something I could reconcile morally; and as far as I'm concerned the NHS or more specifically the provision of healthcare is one of the most civilising and humanitarian aspects of our society, so on that level it makes a lot of sense, and would mean a lot to me to be involved in it.

Interesting insight, Ellen! Over here in the U.S. it makes people uncomfortable, too, sometimes. I think it varies a lot from one region to the next, too.


the second "which is" can be replaced:
and learning with extensive human interaction -- and this appeals to me.

I also spent some time ...

So That experience gave me an really exciting insight into the role of a physician and very much reaffirmed to me my desire to _____ (say something very specific here. A specific vision is important).

You came up with a nice ending to this part... I like it!