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You have to answer this interview question honestly and compellingly while avoiding cliches. Let me show you how.
I’m Renee Marinelli, MD, and I’ve assisted thousands of medical applicants like you get into med school. I’ve been through the medical school interview process as an applicant, as part of AdComs, and as a coach to current applicants.
After a long application process, the interview process can be daunting, but with my tips, it doesn’t have to be scary. Think of your interview as an opportunity to demonstrate how you’re a uniquely great fit for the school. Think of the “Why do you want to be a doctor?” question as a chance to shine.
Get out paper and pencil — or open the Notes App — and prepare to outline your answer for this important interview question right now! Let’s talk about what to do and what not to do for the “Why do you want to be a doctor?” question.
Prepare for traditional and MMI interviews with Physician Advisors and former AdComs. We’ll help get you ready for the most important day of your professional life so far!
Self-Reflection: Identify Your True Motivation
The question “Why do you want to be a doctor?” is really multiple questions with multiple answers:
- “When did you know you were interested in becoming a doctor?”
- “What steps did you take to explore medicine as a career?”
- “When did you absolutely know for sure you wanted to be a doctor?”
- “What are your future goals — as in, what does being a doctor mean to you?”
- “Why will this school help you achieve those goals?”
Past, present, and future — don’t dwell on any one aspect, but try to cover everything briefly to craft a compelling, holistic answer to this challenging question. Self-reflect on your past experiences and future goals when crafting your answer.
Besides making your answer personal, I recommend emphasizing patient care. AdComs want to hear that you’re passionate about helping people, not just in it for the money or the mental exercise.
Learn More: MCAT Tips for Success
What to Include in Your Answer (Checklist)
Based on my experience on admissions committees and coaching applicants, here’s a handy checklist of what to include in your answer to the question, “Why do you want to be a doctor?”
- Personal experiences — By making your answer personal, you avoid generically listing cliches. Draw from your own past experiences from youth to the present.
- Passion for medicine — Show commitment to and excitement for your medical career path. Med schools want passionate students and alumni.
- Alignment with med school’s values — Tailor your response (particularly the beginning and ending) for the specific program you’re interviewing for.
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Common Pitfalls You Should Avoid
In my years of AdCom experience, as well as helping students like you get into medical school, here are some common pitfalls I’ve run into:
- Avoid generic responses, like “I want to help people,” with no elaboration or anchor in personal experience. Or, “I like science,” or “I am interested in how the human body works.”
- Don’t just list off your clinical and volunteering experiences. These are relevant, but they are not an answer to the question of why you are so determined to pursue a career in medicine. Nurses, social workers, and many other public servants volunteer or work with patients. If you mention these experiences, you must tie them in with your own personal motivations and anecdotes to describe why you have to become a doctor, specifically.
- Don’t mention money or job security as a reason you want to be a doctor. Your income will be low for many years during school and residency, and AdComs don’t want to hear about your dreams of being rich.
- Don’t get overly emotional. This is still a professional interview. You can share a touching personal story that shows why you believe you’ll make a good doctor, but practice with friends in advance to avoid losing control while sharing.
- Do not give parental acceptance as a reason (even if that’s part of your story). AdComs aren’t looking for students who are in the application process to appease their parents. Instead, they’re looking for self-starters who will stay passionate about medicine through the grueling times in med school and residency.
- Avoid flexing. Humility is an important trait for a physician, so avoid over-exaggerating your stories for the sake of sounding impressive. Don’t sell yourself short – just make sure you’re honest about the scope of your experiences.
Are you still developing your application as an undergrad or gap-year student? We’d love to help you create a plan to get the experience you need for acceptance.
Practice Makes Perfect
The more times you practice giving your answers, the better you will be when showtime comes. Practice makes perfect — or at least, practice makes your final product look more polished, so make sure you’re practicing effectively.
Here are my tips for practicing this interview question:
- Mock interview with a friend or colleague. They can give you multiple questions or just this one.
- Record yourself giving the answer to this vital question. Get feedback from a professor or mentor on what to change about the content or your delivery.
- Don’t recite a script! Initially, you can work off a few bullet points to help you remember key points. Eventually, though, you should practice telling your story from memory. That way in the interview, you’ll remember the gist of your answer while keeping your delivery natural.
- Make edits! Change anything that comes off as unnatural, cliche, or irrelevant. But don’t get rid of the basic structure of your answer: personal retellings in chronological order plus patient focus.
- Stay calm and confident during the actual interview. Sit up straight, speak slowly and clearly, smile, maintain eye contact, and be yourself.
Learn More: Best Examples of Medical School Personal Statement
3 Sample Answers
These are 3 example answers that can help to answer the interview question, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” Plus, I include some commentary after each.
Sample #1
I was first interested in medicine at a young age when a doctor in their cliche white coat came to a parent’s day at school. Helping people while solving complex scientific problems spoke to me. That day inspired me to start a medical club at my high school, where I learned the value of community service, clinical volunteering, and local awareness campaigns. Before senior year, I went on a Global Medical Brigade to Honduras, where I helped set up a mobile clinic for the local population. Many of them had not seen a doctor in 10 years, solidifying my passion for bringing healthcare to underserved populations. During undergrad, I shadowed a primary care physician who purposefully marketed her practice to healthcare deserts and communities with higher rates of poverty. In her marketing material, she showed what public transport they could take to their appointments. I was inspired by this provider’s commitment to making a difference in small ways. All this has helped me realize what kind of difference I can make in patients’ lives, especially patients who are systemically denied access to healthcare. I plan to raise awareness for healthcare disparities, and I am confident in this school’s ability to hone my own awareness and medical skills to make a meaningful difference in the medical profession.
In this answer, the interviewee covered the beginning of their interest, the steps they took during high school, and the exploration they had during premed.
Since a doctor coming to a parent’s day is unique to the interviewee’s experience, they included it. Because that same experience was not highly compelling, they swiftly moved on to more emotionally and professionally relevant events.
Mentioning Global Medical Brigades shows that the interviewee not only has experience serving underserved populations but also that they are invested in their medical career.
Mentioning clinical experience (i.e., shadowing) is beneficial, and complimenting the school is always an honest but effective way of showing your commitment. However, the interviewee could have enhanced their answer by mentioning details about the curriculum of the school that aligns with their experience and goals.
Sample #2
I first thought about becoming a doctor when my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Seeing him struggle with simple tasks was hard for our family. When I went with my mom to help grandpa bathe and eat, it taught me the importance of compassion in the face of struggle. One day, his doctor took the time to explain everything to us. She was patient and kind. That really stuck with me. I want to be a doctor to help real people like my grandpa. Your school will give me the skills I need to make an impact. I’m excited about the focus on public health, medical research, and serving underserved populations here.
This interviewee’s story about their family member is unique, relevant, honest, personal, and compelling.
The interviewee wanted to add experiences from high school and college, but nothing was quite as powerful as the story about their grandpa, so they edited down to this core story.
Although this answer does not include clinical experience or further exploration of the medical field in high school or college, this brief and compelling story about their grandpa is likely to incite follow-up questions from the interviewer. From there, the applicant can talk about their actual experiences – professional, clinical, and philanthropic – to prove that they’ve explored the field of medicine and have what it takes to become a doctor.
Sample #3
Years ago, when my younger brother got pneumonia, the doctors at St. Mary’s saw him right away, made him better with both medicine and bedside manner, made my parents feel heard, and explained everything very clearly to us. Their reassuring way of communicating was like medicine to us, the family. That was the first time I thought, “I want to do this.” Only a couple years later, I volunteered at a local clinic while in high school, so I could see if this was really the right path for me. There was one patient, Mr. Johnson, who was really nervous about his blood tests. I watched my supervisor, Dr. Carroll, sit with him and explain everything in a calm, reassuring way. Seeing the relief on Mr. Johnson’s face helped me realize that healthcare is more than just problem solving with medicine — it’s about reassuring people who need help. In college, I was on the premed track because I knew healthcare was the path for me, but I was still trying to figure out the specific health profession. I joined a health outreach program because my friend recommended it. The program went to local communities with limited access to healthcare, and I remember meeting a woman who didn’t know she had high blood pressure. We explained hypertension to her and what she needed to do to reduce further complications. She was so grateful and said we might have saved her life. It made me realize that treatment is one thing, but making regular people feel heard and understood is even more important. I want to be that person who helps others, not just with doctor’s appointments but with listening and calmly communicating. With this school’s focus on underserved communities, I know it’s the right place for me to learn and grow into the reassuring physician I aim to be.
This answer focuses on being a “reassuring” doctor. Giving real examples from personal experiences allows the interviewee to paint a picture of how they gained a desire to be a doctor.
It’s important not to discount the importance of medicine, but this interviewee also demonstrates a passion for patient care extending beyond just medicine. They want the AdCom to know they are committed to caring for patients as a healthcare professional, not just treating them.
Having a repeated word like “reassuring” can come off as rehearsed (you should be rehearsing no matter your answer), so practice delivering your answer to family or a colleague. Get feedback on how to sound more natural — more “off-the-cuff.”
Read Next: Medical Ethics in the Med School Admissions Process
You Can Do This
I believe in you! You’ve made it this far into the field of medicine. You landed an interview, which means that you’re a qualified candidate on paper. Don’t let a single interview answer stop you now! Just keep the tips above in mind and practice your answers, and I’m sure you’ll do an amazing job on interview day.
And remember: you can always ask for help. I lead the MedSchoolCoach team of med school application coaches who are ready to help you increase your odds of acceptance.
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96% of students who do 3+ mock interviews with a MedSchoolCoach Physician Advisor end up getting accepted into medical school. Learn how our 1-on-1 interview prep works by scheduling a free consultation with our enrollment team!
Renee Marinelli, MD
Dr. Marinelli has practiced family medicine, served on the University of California Admissions Committee, and has helped hundreds of students get into medical school. She spearheads a team of physician advisors who guide MedSchoolCoach students.
