What First Drew You to Medicine
PanelMediumAnswer the question
What First Drew You to Medicine
What event or experience first made you seriously consider medicine as a career, and what has sustained that interest since?
How has your understanding of what medicine involves changed since that initial experience?
What have you done to test whether medicine is the right choice for you, not just a childhood aspiration?
If you were not accepted to medical school this year, what would you do?
Speak it out loud and we'll type it for you (free), or type your own notes — then mark yourself below.
- Answer the question directly, give evidence, then reflect on what it means for you as a doctor.
What strong answers doReveal the benchmark
Hidden so they don't bias your answer. Score yourself first, then reveal them to compare.
- Anchor the answer in one specific, concrete experience rather than 'I've always wanted to help people', and show how your understanding of medicine has grown since.
- Demonstrate that you know medicine involves sustained uncertainty, interpersonal complexity and systemic constraints, and that you have tested the choice through real contact with patients and the unglamorous side of care.
- On Auckland's Kira Talent platform you get 30 seconds to prepare and 3 minutes to record, so name the experience in the first fifteen seconds and never read a script to camera.
Mark yourself
Score each skill against the rubric, then add a line of evidence. Scale:
Motivation for medicine
0/3Demonstrates specific, reflective motivation that goes beyond surface-level aspiration
Communication
0/3Structures a coherent narrative within a strict time format
Resilience
0/3Engages honestly with the possibility of rejection and articulates a credible contingency
Insight
0/3Shows how understanding of medicine has evolved through experience