How to say "why radiology" without sounding like an ass

[Green Grass]

Those of you that like radiology for generic reasons (i.e. the technology is cool, you like anatomy,...) and for lifestyle reasons (i.e. you don't like clinical medicine all that much, you want to have a life outside of medicine), how did you go about writing this in your residency application or talking about it at your interviews? I've been trying to think of how to put this into words, without coming off as someone who dislikes medicine and wants a good lifestyle.

Any ideas/hints?

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[Labslave]

Those of you that like radiology for generic reasons (i.e. the technology is cool, you like anatomy,...) and for lifestyle reasons (i.e. you don't like clinical medicine all that much, you want to have a life outside of medicine), how did you go about writing this in your residency application or talking about it at your interviews? I've been trying to think of how to put this into words, without coming off as someone who dislikes medicine and wants a good lifestyle.

Any ideas/hints?

For starters, focus on some of the other reasons you like radiology. You do have some, right?

 

[Green Grass]

For starters, focus on some of the other reasons you like radiology. You do have some, right?

Honestly, I think it's the most fascinating area of medicine and it's what I'm interested in. Plus, I think it gives me the best opportunity to help a HUGE number of people through medicine and outside of medicine.

But I don't think this is "catchy" enough to sound good in an app or interview. Seems generic to me, but it's my true feelings. HHhhmmmm...

 

[Jonathan13180]

Honestly, I think it's the most fascinating area of medicine and it's what I'm interested in. Plus, I think it gives me the best opportunity to help a HUGE number of people through medicine and outside of medicine.

But I don't think this is "catchy" enough to sound good in an app or interview. Seems generic to me, but it's my true feelings. HHhhmmmm...

I would think its better to stay "vanilla" on a personal statement than to make up some "cool" story about why you like rads. Ive talked to some on the interview committee who have said that they would rather people have personal statements that are generic then for applicants to forcefully make up some interesting story about their decision for rads. If you like rads because its cool, the technology, because you like puzzles, then you are not unique, true, but its WHY you want rads. In the end, your app will speak for itself. Goodluck.

 

[Green Grass]

I would think its better to stay "vanilla" on a personal statement than to make up some "cool" story about why you like rads. Ive talked to some on the interview committee who have said that they would rather people have personal statements that are generic then for applicants to forcefully make up some interesting story about their decision for rads. If you like rads because its cool, the technology, because you like puzzles, then you are not unique, true, but its WHY you want rads. In the end, your app will speak for itself. Goodluck.

Thank you for the helpful answer!

Much appreciated.

 

[Labslave]

Thank you for the helpful answer!

Much appreciated.

I would agree with what was said, but there are just so many more reasons that radiology could be a good fit for you...

Do you like the more cerebral side of medicine, thinking about differential diagnosis, knowing about all of the zebras, etc.?

Do you like the efficient nature of the field, where you can get through many different clinical cases per day vs. spending much more time on a fewer number of patients in fields like IM, neurology?

How about the breadth of the field - you can do everything from strictly diagnostic work sitting in a dark room listening to your iPod, to mammograms with clinic, to being a pseudo-surgeon and doing IR. (Appropriate if you liked a lot of different things in third year).

The list goes on. Think about it hard and why you really like it. Congrats on choosing one of the best fields in medicine.

 

[Labslave]

Oh, and also focus on your clinical experiences. Think about some of your rotations and the critical role that imaging played in the diagnosis and management of patients.

It doesn't have to be clever, and I agree that being vanilla won't necessarily hurt you, but if you make sure that your personal statement is based on your experiences, it will undoubtedly be unique. Good luck.

 

[penguin24]

Lifestyle is a no-no on PS/Interviews. That's like writing your PS for getting into med school and saying you want to be a doctor to make lots of money, you would never say that. On most of my rads interviews, they don't even bother to ask why radiology. On those rare occasions that they do, I just say I like to see the pathology on the imaging, and that when I was on medicine/surgery I always was drawn to the imaging as opposed to the physical exam. Just say your true feelings and you should be fine. There has to be a real reason your going into rads besides lifestyle.

Whether or not you get an interview will most likely be determined by board scores, M3 clerkships, letters, etc, not PS. And when you get IV, they will likely care more about your communication skills & personality. Don't sweat it.

 

[colbgw02]

I would think its better to stay "vanilla" on a personal statement than to make up some "cool" story about why you like rads. Ive talked to some on the interview committee who have said that they would rather people have personal statements that are generic then for applicants to forcefully make up some interesting story about their decision for rads. If you like rads because its cool, the technology, because you like puzzles, then you are not unique, true, but its WHY you want rads. In the end, your app will speak for itself. Goodluck.

This. Assuming your application doesn't have a glaring hole in it that requires explanation, you'll never be faulted for writing a bland personal statement. The radiology residency program director at my medical school once told me that, in ten years, she had only read one "creative" personal statement that was worth anything. She had, however, read many "creative" personal statements that caused her to immediately disregard an applicant.

I empathize with you on this question because I think it's a pretty stupid one. My medical school had a very strong medicine department, so many students ended up in internal medicine. Is that because they were all preordained to be internists? Of course not, and if our school had a decent OB/GYN program then you'd probably see record numbers of OB/GYN applicants.

The truth for many people is that you run across someone, whether it be a resident or an attending, who you think is just great and does a great job of teaching you their specialty. Since we're all pretty cerebral to begin with, that usually sparks enough interest to lead to an application. The "grown-up" word for this is mentorship, and that's something you can talk about in a personal statement or during interviews. It's an angle that's truthful and gives you something legitimate to talk about without coming off sounding like a d**chenozzle.

 

[Jonathan13180]

This. Assuming your application doesn't have a glaring hole in it that requires explanation, you'll never be faulted for writing a bland personal statement. The radiology residency program director at my medical school once told me that, in ten years, she had only read one "creative" personal statement that was worth anything. She had, however, read many "creative" personal statements that caused her to immediately disregard an applicant.

I empathize with you on this question because I think it's a pretty stupid one. My medical school had a very strong medicine department, so many students ended up in internal medicine. Is that because they were all preordained to be internists? Of course not, and if our school had a decent OB/GYN program then you'd probably see record numbers of OB/GYN applicants.

The truth for many people is that you run across someone, whether it be a resident or an attending, who you think is just great and does a great job of teaching you their specialty. Since we're all pretty cerebral to begin with, that usually sparks enough interest to lead to an application. The "grown-up" word for this is mentorship, and that's something you can talk about in a personal statement or during interviews. It's an angle that's truthful and gives you something legitimate to talk about without coming off sounding like a d**chenozzle.

I would agree with the past two posters comments. Often times it is someone, usually an attending, who sparks an interest in a field we otherwise may not have chosen. I doubt many of my peers who happen (god knows why) to ask me to edit their PS and Im astounded to find how "cool" their PS is knowing full well that most of them are fabricated. Most of the people I know choose specialties not because of some predestined plan, but moreso because of what they experience clinically-whether it be an interesting case, an attending who ACTUALLY acknowledges our existence, etc. I also have to believe that, with respect to rads, the PS is the last? thing they look at? I would imagine that board scores and clinical grades are top 2, then research, yada yada.....trust me, if PS' were of great importance to PD, then hell, I would have a lot more interviews!!! I spell checked!

I wish everyone the best of luck with rads interviews and acceptances.

 

[penguin24]

The truth for many people is that you run across someone, whether it be a resident or an attending, who you think is just great and does a great job of teaching you their specialty. Since we're all pretty cerebral to begin with, that usually sparks enough interest to lead to an application. The "grown-up" word for this is mentorship, and that's something you can talk about in a personal statement or during interviews. It's an angle that's truthful and gives you something legitimate to talk about without coming off sounding like a d**chenozzle.

It's true that some ppl choose their specialty b/c they knew a really cool person in that specialty that sparked an interest. However, I think the PS should be about the aspects of the specialty that you like, not about the aspects of your mentor who sparked the interest. Maybe talk about it during a 25 minute interview, but I would leave that out of the PS, or at least only make a brief mention.

 

[fun8stuff]

I liked how the previous PD at my med school put it, regarding PS's: "10% are bad, 80% are unoriginal, 10% great. You are shooting to be in that 80%. No one has secured a competitive residency position based on their personal statement."

Many of us come to radiology for the same reasons. 1000s of people have already written PS's displaying these reasons. Writing a unique PS would be like trying to reinvent the wheel. It's all been done before. I think the best thing you can do is pick a handful of reasons of why you want to do radiology (regardless of originality) and try and display these while summarizing how you came to be interested in the field and display traits you have to offer- why they should pick you out of all the applicants. Don't try and be overly creative, be honest and shoot to be in that 80%. Let the rest of your app speak for itself.

 

[synapse lapse]

Great advise in this thread. I have actually been asked why rads in all my interviews thus far (3 as of now) but the question doesn't bother me in the least - I am truly passionate about this field and hopefully articulate that well in my interviews. However, recognizing the myriad of reasons people chose a specialty I think anyone can form a coherent discussion on why they want to do radiology. If you can't, I don't think you are making the right career decision.

 

[Labslave]

However, recognizing the myriad of reasons people chose a specialty I think anyone can form a coherent discussion on why they want to do radiology. If you can't, I don't think you are making the right career decision.

 

[Taurus]

The PS won't get you the interview. It depends more on your grades, board scores, research, LOR's, etc.

However, a bad PS will lose you many interviews.

 

[penguin24]

The PS won't get you the interview. It depends more on your grades, board scores, research, LOR's, etc.

However, a bad PS will lose you many interviews.

I agree. I just have one question. Everybody talks about 'a bad PS will kill your chaces'. But, what exactly is a bad PS? Nobody is foolish enough to talk about going into specialty for money, power, respect, etc. So what does a bad PS consist of?

 

[Taurus]

I agree. I just have one question. Everybody talks about 'a bad PS will kill your chaces'. But, what exactly is a bad PS? Nobody is foolish enough to talk about going into specialty for money, power, respect, etc. So what does a bad PS consist of?

Misspellings. Bad grammar. Writing at a 4th grade level. Incoherent essay. Etc, etc.

That's why it behooves you to go through many drafts of your PS and have others, especially your home PD, read it. Only a few talented literary applicants can put together a decent PS in one night.