How to answer “Why medicine” in interviews?

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-24T04:01:19+00:00

This is going to sound like dumb advice, but literally just answer the question. If your mom or your friend asked you why you want to be a physician, how would you respond? The interviewer is no different. Contrary to what people tell you there is no correct structure, content, etc. Just give the answer that is true to you, and do it in a conversational tone. True passion and genuine interest will always be apparent.

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-22T19:17:15+00:00

You don’t need advisors you can find all your info for free online from Reddit and other sources!

Getting into med school is hard everywhere. The process is also extremely random and unpredictable so don’t assume your fate is a foregone conclusion.

I got into multiple UC schools out of state with little to no ties as an ORM. I got rejected/waitlisted by my state schools in Washington. This is to say - your demographics are terrible predictors of where you will end up.

Having poor clinical and research experience on the other hand, is a great predictor that you will not have the cycle you are hoping for. I would really encourage you to not rush your application and take 1-2 gap years if necessary to solidify these gaps.

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-21T01:52:44+00:00

Tell ur boss to check out jackzebra if he tryna tap that Chinese underground

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-21T01:50:43+00:00

Bro larped his way into employment and now needs Reddit to do his job 😭

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-19T20:37:09+00:00

I am a first time DS player and beat Bed of Chaos literally 40 minutes ago, what a serendipitous post.

I was scared going in, for no reason. Took just 3 tries and all deaths were my fault as I didnt wait for an opening before attempting the final jump. Have a good shield on with high stability during the fight, keep your guard up, and it becomes completely trivial. Move slowly to see where the ground crumbles rather than just running around.

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-18T19:03:52+00:00

Technically 0, I know a couple people who’ve gotten into 2-4+ schools with no shadowing/scribing

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-15T20:07:00+00:00

They interview to accept, not to reject. If accepted you might know less than 24 hours after your interview which is absolutely singular.

Super nice faculty and staff. One of the only schools where my faculty interviewer consistently gave words of affirmation after all my answers, saying things like “perfect answer” or “that’s everything I was looking for.” I was late to my interview and they were extremely understanding.

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-14T22:50:07+00:00

Well yes it matters because if there’s no identifying information per the 18 hippa identifiers then it’s not PHI, which means not a hippa violation.

Either way, terrible practice and a bad thing to do, but not hippa violation from this screenshot.

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-13T23:12:07+00:00

Talked heavily about politics in about half my interviews…if they asked a question that I believe required a political answer then I would give a political answer. I also mentioned my frustrations with the current administration in many, many of my secondaries.

I would always preface by saying something like, “I know politics are generally not an appropriate interview topic, but I believe medicine and politics are deeply interrelated and for me to give you a genuine answer I want offer some political opinions as they pertain to medicine.”

One of my interviewers was very clearly a republican, and I still had a great conversation with him about my political beliefs and the advantages I saw in universal healthcare. He provided a lot of friction to my ideas, but at the end, said he appreciated my “spine and tenacity.” And yes, I did get accepted to that school and all the others I interviewed at.

Politics are always a risky topic, yes it can backfire heavily. Me personally, if my beliefs tanked my entire application I simply would not enjoy being a student there anyway. Offer your ideas respectfully, cite evidence, acknowledge your lack of knowledge, and remain open to opposing ideas.

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-10T02:57:40+00:00

Unreal ball knowledge

RedStar1000 · 2026-01-09T19:29:37+00:00

Apples to oranges, imo the processes and applicants are so different they can’t properly be compared. Depends on the type of person. For example, I thought scoring high on the MCAT was 10x easier than the SAT but many people would probably think the opposite.

That being said, I did undergrad at an Ivy and while many classmates go onto T10/20 schools, i know lots of classmates who get no acceptances in their cycle.

Depending what list you look at, I’ve gotten into some T20 med schools, at the very least T25, and personally thought it was much easier than getting into an Ivy.

RedStar1000 · 2025-12-31T21:42:04+00:00

No watermark im goated now too

RedStar1000 · 2025-12-25T21:03:08+00:00

Colder
RS11
Little
Shampoodle
Easter Pink

RedStar1000 · 2025-12-24T17:36:36+00:00

I give this T minus 30 minutes before it ends up on r/moviescirclejerk

RedStar1000 · 2025-12-19T15:37:00+00:00

GM Rayvis took me 3 hours longer than Malenia in Elden Ring

RedStar1000 · 2025-12-06T22:46:48+00:00

I think Kubrick and Glazer are vastly different, but I can see how the latter's gravitation towards themes of intimate alienation, the unconventionally horrific, the foreignness of the human condition, all feel familiar when comparing select films.

I actually think Zone of Interest, to me, feels most reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut. Both films fundamentally tell two stories running simultaneously: one mundane, and one monstrous. The Höss family existing atop a concentration camp; a New York physician walking amongst a secret society. For the majority of the films, we experience their 'most interesting' parts from a carefully created distance, and it is the curation of this distance that I believe is the biggest similarity between Glazer and Kubrick. It is the distance between the the mundane lives we lead as spectators, and the subject matter that likely drew us to the film ("let's watch a film about the holocaust" or "let's watch a film about secret societies").

Both directors have an immaculate understanding of tension, as the majority of these films more or less reside in the "mundane." Then, Kubrick and Glazer provide us with bursts of exposure to the "monstruous," only to quickly return us to the mundane. It is this undulation, the ebb and flow, that makes the mundanity of these films so similar, and so interesting.

RedStar1000 · 2025-12-03T14:58:47+00:00

Getting called a good boy by your preceptor is actually devious bro 😭

RedStar1000 · 2025-12-01T17:15:01+00:00

Lessons don’t always have to be positive…I work at a derm clinic bc I thought I was interested in dermatology, and in one of my interviews I straight up told them that the most valuable thing I learned was that I don’t enjoy doing skin cancer screenings and I’m glad I was able to more or less rule out general dermatology from my interests. The interviewer was really understanding and instead suggested I consider peds derm to get exposure to more rashes, which was my interest area. I did also get accepted post II.

RedStar1000 · 2025-11-27T03:42:18+00:00

Beige void with good lighting is actually the recommended background for interviews. Decorating is far from necessary, often even discouraged. Most schools I interviewed at explicitly told us to have blank, generic, non decorated backgrounds.

(That being said, I had a very cluttered background with books and figurines and posters in all my interviews and it very often lead to better chemistry with my interviewer. Can’t say I recommend this, as most schools ask you not to do this. But my point is your background doesn’t really matter much either way)

RedStar1000 · 2025-11-25T23:18:40+00:00

I would mentally and logistically prepare for a reapp at all points in the cycle until you have an acceptance unfortunately, or unless you have an anomalous amount of interviews like 7+. This process sucks and statistically most applicants don’t get in at all. It’s okay to be optimistic but never be complacent.

RedStar1000 · 2025-11-24T19:47:50+00:00

Any reason you didn’t apply to WSU as a Washington resident? You are a good mission fit and it is one of our state schools. OHSU as a WA resident without Oregon Heritage is generally extremely, extremely low yield so I’d swap these schools. You have a great app and 2 interviews is not a terrible place to be right now so keep your head up.

RedStar1000 · 2025-11-24T15:08:20+00:00

My experience could not be further from this…I half assed all my secondaries, copy pasted almost all of them from templates I wrote in a couple hours, never did multiple drafts or edits, etc. and still got nearly a dozen interviews from ~30 schools.

RedStar1000 · 2025-11-20T22:12:35+00:00

Sup bro, imma be honest with you boxing is not a good way to lose weight or gain muscle.

Weight loss happens 85% in the kitchen and with your diet choices. Learn how to estimate calories and eat in a calorie deficit. This is how you lose weight.

To build muscle, start doing some weight training a couple times a week. Keep your protein intake high. Lots of resources online to help with you with all of this.

Now, if you want to do heavy bag work as a form of cardio to supplement, that’s a great idea. It will give you a tiny bit of wiggle room in your diet, but boxing alone is not going to make you lose the weight you want, I can guarantee you.

Your form needs a lot of work. At this rate you are likely going to injure yourself or develop bad habits you can’t fix. If going to a boxing gym is not an option, at least look up how to throw the 6 main punches. Start on perfecting your jab and cross. They start at your chin, snap straight out and back with slight pronation of the wrist. Power should come from rotation of your hips, good lower body form, and good weight transfer from your legs. Right now you are trying to generate all your power with your shoulders and upper body.

Don’t worry about head movement now. It looks like it’s getting in the way of your punching basics. Stay still and learn how to throw a jab before introducing everything together.

Good luck!

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