Advice to the Next Generation
Questions from Our Readers, Answers from Physicians
Question
"Some medical schools seek out applicants who are interested in particular fields of medicine, or so I hear Harvard wants researchers, UMass wants primary care docs. At this point of the game, knowing very little about the realities of any specialty, many seem like they would be valid career choices for me. When I am applying to medical school this year, is it ethical for me to emphasize my interest in one particular area to the school that seeks students for that specialty, while simultaneously indicating an interest in a different specialty to a second school, if I am in fact interested in both, and possibly several others I haven't mentioned?"
– Susannah Clark, Tufts University
Answer
The most important thing is to be a person of integrity; the best way to maintain that is to be genuinely honest. If you are sincerely interested in the the specialities that Med Schools A and B each target, it's appropriate to say so at the respective school but not to mention your other interests. What is not appropriate is to feign an interest or to tell both medical schools that each is your top choice and that you would definitely go if accepted.
– Canh Vu, M.D., Attending Psychiatrist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Chair, Harvard's Eliot House Premedical Committee.