Medical School Applications: Why do you want to become a doctor?

Why do you want become a doctor?

As spring is rolling around, many of you out there are probably asking this very question, as it is the question you have to answer on your medical school application. If you haven’t started to think about it, and you’re applying to medical school this year, get your rump working! The earlier you apply, the better. (As I write this, I can feel 100s of college advisors saying the exact same thing. I know it might seem like overkill to say it again, but it’s so true to the application process, it might as well be a truism. Apply early!)

A California Spring last year.

The process of applying to medical school makes you jump through so many hoops, I feel like it has dichotomized the average applicant into two groups. Firstly, those whom unquestionably know they want to become a doctor, who have been fixated on the idea since infancy, and who never deeply question the decision, no matter how large the barrier to entry. The second group, one which I think the majority of applicants fall into, is one which involves very deep seeded questioning.  Each barrier to entry, whether it be a sustained high GPA, the Mcat, or the high cost, has you analyzing the opportunity cost, and other possibilities.

I personally belong in the latter group. So as I approached my application cycle, I had already asked myself if I wanted to be a doctor plenty of times already, and the answer was yes. But when I actually had to answer the question of why, I talked myself every which way.

Was my desire driven by the peachy look that baby gave me right after his MRI? Was it being able to help the patient’s family I consoled in the ER? Was it my admiration for the many amazing doctors I've seen in action? Or do I want to become a doctor because shows like House, Scrubs, and ER make it seem like the cat’s meow, the most bad-assery, kick-assery job on the planet? Has Hollywood, and society brainwashed me into coveting this profession?

Well...The true answer is probably a little bit of everything I mentioned has contributed to my desire.

Is it ok to want something just because society taught you it was coveted? Well…probably not. And my best advice is to be conscientious of this possibility. Also know that some of what we desire has been engrained in us by cultural norms since birth. Whether it be driving a Ferrari, buying a house, or becoming a doctor... So how do we know, what we want is genuinely what we want, and not some byproduct of societal norms?

In my search for the answer, I found it helpful to shadow a couple doctors to see if I would like the lifestyle and values the profession encourages. TV and society has definitely construed the profession in its own light, so it was helpful to see the real thing in action. Also, seeing many different types of doctors helped me determine if being a doctor was in line with the type of person I wanted to be, the type of life I wanted to live, and if that life would actually make me happy.

So hopefully, my shared experience will help you answer the question, why do you want to become a doctor? If anyone has any questions out there, feel free to ask! Happy writing!