Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? 20 years?
This is a question that seeks to explore how stable you are and to assess your ambition as to whether it is good for medicine or only self-serving. Programs expect their graduates to reflect positively on them long after leaving them. Do you have plans? A definite roadmap for your professional life? Are you going to hop from one subspecialty to another, making no impact on any of them. In other words, have plans! But make sure that they include your community and medicine in general. You should always include a sentiment for caring for the underserved to do your part in correcting inequities in health care.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
10 years from now I see myself moving to a rural area to join a group OB/GYN practice. I believe that rural areas are in more need of women's health care, and I hope to have an influence on increasing pap screenings and limiting teen pregnancies. Many women in rural areas are not educated about the value of routine pap screenings and are often at increased risk (smoking, lack of access to care, poor education, etc.). Women should not still be dying from preventable cancers such as cervical cancer. Teen pregnancies are also a concern in rural areas. My hope is that with better access to birth control and by providing reproductive education I can limit the number of teen pregnancies in my area. Furthermore, my husband and I would like to raise our kids out in the country.
Marcie's Feedback
Awesome! You have admirable long-term goals, and any interviewer will be impressed by this response. Why are you particularly interested in helping women in rural areas? Do you just want to work where you can have the most impact? If so, definitely mention this. Great job!
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