How to Answer the "Why Do You Want to Be a Doctor?" Medical School Interview Question

Today, we’re going to talk about how you should answer the “Why do you want to be a doctor?” question in your medical school interviews.
You’ve worked so hard to be a competitive applicant and earn your invitations to interview at the medical schools you’ve been dreaming about for years. Now it all comes down to this final step. Just one last barrier between you and your white coat.
Imagine yourself sitting down at your medical school interview. You’re nervous, but slowly start relaxing into the conversation. Then your interviewer asks, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” You hesitate. What do you say? How do you answer without being cliche? You start spouting vague generalities about helping people and notice your interviewer’s eyes shift around the room. You’ve lost their interest by giving the same answer as every other med school applicant. So what can you do differently? How do you avoid this common med school interview mistake to the “Why do you want to be a doctor” question?
If you’re nervous about acing your med school interviews, we’re here to help you put your best foot forward by preparing you to give a memorable and unique “Why do you want to be a doctor” response.
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TIMESTAMPS:
[00:00] - Introduction
[01:45] - How to prepare for the "Why do you want to be a doctor?" question
[05:05] - How to avoid common mistakes in your "Why do you want to be a doctor?" response
[06:26] - How to deliver your response in a memorable way
[07:30] - A sample response to the "Why do you want to be a doctor?" question
[09:38] - How to create your own personal "Why do you want to be a doctor?" response
Who we are:
Shemmassian Academic Consulting (SAC) was founded by Dr. Shirag Shemmassian, a medical school admissions expert with over 15 years of experience helping thousands of students get into top programs such as Harvard, Mayo, and UCSF. Despite a roughly 40% medical school matriculation rate nationally, the SAC team’s approach has resulted in over 90% of their students getting accepted the first time they apply. SAC has been featured on The Washington Post, US News and World Report, and NBC.
We'd love to hear from you! Drop a question down below in the comment section. We respond daily!
#medicalschooladmissions #medschoolinterview #premedadvice

[@kl8922]

Because my parents told me to.

[@AbhilashNairSpartnax]

Your parents told you. But do you have interest or not. That's what matters

[@maxpro8575]

🤣

[@grandma460]

🙄😱😞 I pray you are joking. That is way too high of a burden to give one’s child.

[@kl8922]

@@grandma460 I am not. Some cultures (asian) do this because their parents want their children to succeed. But I don't listen to my parents because they have no clue what they are talking about.

[@AbsoluteZero6714]

And I’ll add to that by saying “and because I hope I can convince them not all of us are only out to get money.”

[@gracesmith2303]

I've read and listened to so many guides on formulating a response to "why medicine?" and this is truly the best. I so greatly appreciate how Shemmassian Academic Counseling incorporates brainstorming into videos - it makes the process so much less overwhelming! Thank you again to SAC and Dr. Gupta for another phenomenal video!

[@Shemmassian]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tutorcube5217]

This is very helpful even though I am reapplying in the UK for medicine!

[@Unknown_45h]

You just opened up my mind!!🤯🤞🏼 Absolutely amazing guideline . It made me feel how passionate I'm for this career. Thanks 👍🏼 God Bless you ✨

[@TheOneZepphyr]

You guys make by far the best and most helpful medical school preparatory videos I have seen. They are concise and very straightforward. Huge kudos!

[@Shemmassian]

Thank you so much!!

[@charlesfosu636]

Thanks 🤗,it's really helpful

[@abdelhakhammoudi1156]

Bravo, Dr.Pranjal Gupta!!!

[@laoluadesanya9910]

This was great ! Thank you

[@jeffgoebel5474]

This was excellent! Thank you

[@thskgneizf4334]

Amazing video per usual! Hoping there will be a video addressing the "what are your greatest weaknesses/strengths" questions!!!

[@Shemmassian]

Great suggestion! We'll add this to the list :)

[@rohamhadidchi1196]

Very good advice. I have BS/DO interview coming up.

[@joyleenstrozier4295]

Thanks for sharing this information with me Sir!

[@hawanatusalankoley6886]

Thank you so much 😊

[@namburobert6923]

Beautiful bro....really appreciate it..very informative

[@niloverra3437]

this is freaaking helpful. thank you soo much .thank you

[@naadeedeattoh7196]

This was extremely helpful! Thank you! 😃

[@Shemmassian]

You are welcome!

[@khadijah9604]

Thanks!

[@prototypeblitz8200]

My life felt like it was missing something, and then I realized it was because there hadn’t been a Shemmassian video in a while. Thanks for this as always!

[@Shemmassian]

Haha, we missed you too! :)

[@do7155]

Thank you so much .. This is super helpful !!

[@Shemmassian]

You got it!

[@user-hg5qk7oz5w]

​ @Shemmassian Academic Consulting Good day! I want to download your guide. But It can't be downloaded😢

[@alissahnnh]

Thank you so much for this video! My interview is in 2 days 👩🏻‍⚕️

[@Shemmassian]

Hope it went well!

[@alissahnnh]

@@Shemmassian yes!! I GOT INNN 🤧❤️

[@Shemmassian]

@@alissahnnh Oh my goodness! Congrats!

[@moonyhana]

Because I want to.

[@roseme84]

what if you are a very emotional person? do they frown upon that?

[@Shemmassian]

Hi Denix! Med schools are looking for future physicians who are compassionate and sensitive individuals. However, they also need to be able to manage difficult emotions well in order to deliver high-quality patient care. Hope this helps!

[@adls04]

I'm still 17 so idek yet, but thanks for the vid.

[@SpicePlayz]

0:10 I am not dreaming of any medical schools I just randomly chose it😢😔 I wish I chose art but I can't stop now I am far away from the starting point ..so I guess I will keep walking in this race till I reach somewhere. At least it is better than standing still.

[@SpicePlayz]

haha Dr.Mike video

[@grandma460]

Oh I’m so sorry. Maybe take a leave of absence. 😞. It’s a tough field even for those with passion. RN here Wishing you the best

[@SpicePlayz]

@@grandma460 thnx

[@sun-wo9vp]

sorry to hear that. I've a passion for music and art as well but i'm thinking of becoming a neurologist, i'm still not sure if i'll go with that tho. Its tough to choose.

[@LLL_14_85]

Can one say, "I wanna try torturing myself mentally" cuz most of the doctors and students do go through that

[@duabaloch7586]

my interview is in 4 days and im freaking out!!!

[@nasseralsubaie8623]

How was it dude? 😅

[@duabaloch7586]

@@nasseralsubaie8623 I'm now a Med School Student ♥

[@WhatdoyouWant-kt3ib]

@@duabaloch7586how are you now ? Good job 👏

[@duabaloch7586]

@@WhatdoyouWant-kt3ib i just started 3rd year of medschool 🥹

[@alazdanowicz2299]

The ultimate guide

[@amenmahary]

Hi I want to first say thank you for these amazing videos they have been very helpful! But I was wondering how can I contact y’all to ask some questions please let me know! :)

[@Shemmassian]

Thanks, Amen! You can get in touch with us here: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/contact

[@maxpro8575]

Doctor or a pilot? I love both btw

[@astrocat9216]

I once asked this question to myself, but i ended up crying when i told my dad why i want to become a pilot. Felt like i was being forced to become a doctor, :( still don't know what i want in life.

[@user-dp3iy2ch4p]

@@astrocat9216 same broooo can we talk about it

[@nubeim]

Monke

[@nubeim]

4:59

[@jhomelynaraos9947]

“become a doctor or a failure”

[@arnavhirekar5544]

Because I don't wanna be Engineer

[@nubeim]

Please help me om a grade 6 and they are asking me what is my dream career and it is to be a doctor but idk what to say it has to be 2 min video about me talking about my dream career please help mee

[@seldom7288]

In my country if you get the grades you get in . Which I feel should be in every country , you worked hard you get to choose what you want to study without someone judging your reasoning. Yea and let’s not fool ourselves a majority of people who want medicine want it for prestige, money and etc. But who cares , if someone wants to feel appreciated and wants medicine because of that , who are we to judge him or what he went through. Or someone who went through poverty and wants money. “But he won’t last if that is his goal”. Well yea he will , he worked hard his entire schooling years to get accepted. Meaning he proved that he is a hard working and serious applicant.

[@NoOne-ip9nl]

There is so much more to medicine than being knowledgeable. A doctor who is very smart but lacks empathy is not a good doctor.

[@AbhilashNairSpartnax]

Exactly The why doesn't matter. The 'How am I performing' Question is more important

[@seldom7288]

@@NoOne-ip9nl you can be emphatic and passionate for medicine but if you can’t express the empathy that the interviewers want, you won’t get in.

[@keytianahempstead2354]

These type of sentiments is exactly why we have such large gaps and disparities in medicine in the US. Granted, if you are not from here, it is hard to gauge the nuance. But entering into a field where people are at their most vulnerable and you get in simply because of good grades yet do not know how to relate to people, be compassionate, be empathetic, or possibly have some subconscious biases affects the patients. Not to mention, people who are more privileged to have the resources throughout their entire lives are going to more than likely be the ones with the best grades. This is in no way to say people who grow up in poverty cannot or do not have good grades but life experiences are very tied into academic performance. Which is why a large percentage of people who are physicians and apply to be come from families who make well into the 6 figures and whose parents are also physicians. In the end, it is important we care because it is about the patients we treat/will be treating at the end of the day.

[@jsaikris]

@@keytianahempstead2354 But the people who are in poverty and do have great grades now have to compete with the extracurriculars of people with greater resources!! Also, the interview process introduces a lot of implicit biases... so there are new issues and you have to pray that the people who interview you are diverse because if they aren't then they may not really understand your perspective that well.

[@SparklessMaterial]

Video was helpful for sure! However the sample response made me want to throw up. It was so cringey to me.

[@cringenightmareintown4030]

Medic gaming

[@bayan1507]

My channel about medicine. ...

[@sharjjahnaziz4122]

Never in my life did I had to answer these questions. My interview was just under 5 minutes. In my case it was all who you know. The same thing for my best friend. He was accepted into University of Michigan School of Medicine. I guess our parents knew who to speak to to get us in with minimal issues. He and I never had to submit 50 applications to 50 medical schools. But thus was back in 2004. I am not quite sure how things are now. And yes, I was accepted into David Geffen School of Medicine - UCLA. My interview was just only 2 questions.

[@physicstutor9127]

Wait... you charge $4000 minimum for advice?

[@Shemmassian]

We offer various comprehensive plans for med school application support. You can learn more here: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/medical-school-admissions

[@physicstutor9127]

@@Shemmassian Gotcha, thanks!

[@Yo-nm7sur]

money...

[@lilyjamneshan8426]

Amazing video per usual! Hoping there will be a video addressing the "what are your greatest weaknesses/strengths" questions!!!

[@Shemmassian]

Great suggestion, Lily! We will add this to our list :)