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So why do you want to be a doctor, anyway?  Have you dreamed of practicing medicine since childhood?  Have your parents encouraged your area of study?  Do you have personal experiences where a doctor or other health professional has positively influenced your life?

Individuals come to the field of medicine for a variety of reasons, most of them valid.  If you are considering becoming a doctor, dentist, optometrist, vet, or other health professional, you’ve likely been pondering why you want to pursue this area of study…and if you haven’t, you should be.  Because when it comes time to apply for health professional school, you will absolutely be asked the deceptively simple question, "WHY?"

Because you want to help people?

Because you’ve always been fascinated with medical science?

Because doctors play an important role in people’s lives?

Yes, of course.  But you’ll need to do better than that --not because being altruistic is bad, or your intellectual curiosity won’t serve you well.  Obviously these are both important qualities. But these answers are generic.  You need to think about why YOU want to pursue a healthcare field.  Perhaps you’ve had a personal experience being in the hospital or watching a sick family member negotiate his or her medical care.  Maybe you’ve spent some time shadowing doctors and working with patients.  Start from childhood and think about those moments in your life that have influenced you.  The important point is to make your personal statement personal.  Whether you are composing your essay to a professional school or answering an interview question, your audience wants to know you and how you’ve come to be where you’re at today.  Don’t be afraid to show heart, but be sincere (NOT melodramatic) and realistic.  Admissions professionals tell us they sometimes read 40-50 essays a day, or interview a dozen potential medical students in eight hours.  Don’t bore them with clichés, or try to be gimmicky or cutesy.  Ultimately, they want candidates who are mature, thoughtful, and have a sense of purpose. 

The process is an involved one, both coming to a decision about pursing healthcare as a profession, and being able to articulate your reasons.  This is why medical schools look for candidates who have explored their profession (by shadowing, internships), and who have pursued meaningful experiences to increase self-awareness.  Yes, this might prevent you from traveling south for spring break, waiting tables or working construction over the summer.  In the end, though, we probably all agree that we want the professional in the white coat treating us to be a reflective and thoughtful human being who really wants to be a doctor.

For more information about pursuing a career in the health sciences, contact Jill Rogers in the career center at Rogersji@wabash.edu, or 361-6171.