Trends concerning a common medical school interview question

To assess how truthful medical students were during their interview process at one medical institution when asked what field of medicine they wish to pursue.

Anonymous one-page surveys were collected from matriculated freshman medical students who wished to participate in this study.

A total of 53 freshman medical students completed and returned the anonymous survey. Out of the 53 responses, 21 were uncertain as to what type of medicine they hoped to practice. Out of the respondents who felt certain of their future direction, 81% (26/32) of the respondents told the truth, and 19% (6/32) were not completely truthful.

The findings of this study suggest that further research could be done in regards to the admissions process and how appropriate this question concerning interviewee's field of pursuit is in evaluating prospective medical students for entrance into medical school. It may be useful for medical schools to evaluate their purpose for asking such a question of a prospective medical student since applicants may find themselves not being completely truthful due to various influences and ideas.