How will Congressional Committee experience look?

[ahc336]

Hi all, I am a political science major pursuing medical school. I am a sophomore at a large state university. I have connections with a House Member and a Senator, both of the Republican party. I myself do not identify as R but that is neither here nor there.

To my question: I am going to pursue an internship this summer on the Hill within the Subcommittee on Health (House-side, under the Energy & Commerce Committee), or the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Senate-side. Presumedly, any internship I got would be under a Republican majority/Member. How would Adcoms view this internship experience? Am I better off not doing this? The work I would be doing would be (hopefully) non-partisan, but I cannot guarantee the political views of adcoms or of medical schools so I feel like this could be risky. Please advise!

Thank you all in advance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[sovereign0]

Politics is a sensitive issue so in your AMCAS and interviews it is best to remain as neutral as possible. This can be hard if you are asked to go into detail - "Oh, who did you report to?" You can't dodge a question like that easily.

What is important from this experience - as is with any experience - is what you gain from it and how it has changed you. One potential question I can see people thinking when they read your app is why is this guy pursuing medical school? This and that extracurricular is political, his major is political, so why medical school? If you can tie your experience with the Subcommittee on Health with your rationale for being a doctor, then it can be a valuable experience.

 

[ahc336]

Obviously, as a PS major I'm a good people-person (and I like to think I'm a good interviewer as well). I believe I could defend my motives in an interview, but defending a party platform on something as polarized as healthcare would be difficult.

On the other hand, it'd be one of the only medically-related EC's I could bolster myself with this summer :/

 

[sovereign0]

Obviously, as a PS major I'm a good people-person (and I like to think I'm a good interviewer as well). I believe I could defend my motives in an interview, but defending a party platform on something as polarized as healthcare would be difficult.

On the other hand, it'd be one of the only medically-related EC's I could bolster myself with this summer :/

This is a little concerning. "Defending your motives" with philosophy and beliefs is not enough. You need a track record of extracurriculars that support your aspirations, meaningful enough that you can discuss them openly and how they drove you to pursue this career path. You defend your motives by what you have done, supported by what you say about them. You can't say you want to be a doctor without the clinical experiences to prove it, and you can't have clinical experiences but be unable to talk about why they made you want to be a doctor.

It's medically-related, but more related to healthcare policy than taking care of patients. Hospital administration is where you go if you are interested in healthcare policy. Medical school is where you go if you want to take care of patients.

Now don't get me wrong, this experience sounds AWESOME, could be invaluable and really set you apart - but only if it is dwarfed by your clinical experiences with patients. That should be your extracurricular centerpiece. Experiences like these should serve to give you a unique perspective, a well-rounded candidate. But if you lack meaningful clinical experience, and your extracurricular track record is more aligned with an MHA, MBA, MA, or policy, then your defense of your motives won't hold up to an interview or adcom.

 

[ahc336]

To be more concise, I plan on getting clinical experience! This would be a one-summer or half-summer thing.

 

[Ad2b]

I don't believe it would be seen as medically related in any aspect because unless the Subcommittee is sending you to Ghana to do a survey on the funds we send there and how they are used in the clinics along the river in Accra, while asking you to tend to dirty, filthy children getting ready for surgery ...

It's political internship, not medical. While the political internship is good for networking, I am not sure I would bring it up on AMCAS or in interviews.

 

[Ad2b]

To be more concise, I plan on getting clinical experience! This would be a one-summer or half-summer thing.

Then don't say it would be your only medical-related EC. Call it what it is and get clinical.

 

[ahc336]

Then don't say it would be your only medical-related EC. Call it what it is and get clinical.

Thank you for your reply, but I believe I said "On the other hand, it'd be one of the only medically-related EC's I could bolster myself with this summer :/"

Emphasis on this summer. Thanks again for your reply.

 

[Ad2b]

But my point is: it is NOT medically related.

 

[Doudline]

A political internship in the Senate/House isn't exactly controversial. If the person reading your application is made uneasy by your implication in politics -even with a party he/she despises-, I would suggest that the person in question has no business being on an admission committee.

On another note, not all your activities have to be tied to medicine.
As long as the clinical side of your application is in check -shadowing, clinical volunteering, etc- you should pursue your interests, whichever they are.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I think it sounds like an interesting opp. and you should go for it.

 

[Medical Bear]

I agree with @wholeheartedly, it is interesting. I would just make sure not to portray as partisan/political and emphasize the medical related things you'd be doing.

 

[LizzyM]

In terms of an insider's view of health policy, this is golden! You would be insane not to mention it on an application. You might label it "other" rather than "volunteer, non-clinical" unless it is employment (paid) in which case you would be wise to call it "non-clinical" as there are no patients there getting clinical care.

Some adcoms are partisan, some aren't, but we are respectful and non-judgmental of those who might be on the other side of the aisle politically.

 

[flapjack3d]

Definitely include it. You don't have to talk about what your views are though, unless you want to. As with everything, focus on the skills and insights you gained from the experience.

 

[DokterMom]

This is a fabulous opportunity and one you should grab and run with if at all possible. You may find yourself having to 'tap dance' a bit if, for example, your assigned duties were highly partisan -- for example, searching for arguments and evidence that could be used to defund Planned Parenthood -- and this goes against your beliefs. But even that is worthy of discussion as a challenge essay.

But an inside track on government health policy is a rare opportunity --

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Politics is a sensitive issue so in your AMCAS and interviews it is best to remain as neutral as possible. This can be hard if you are asked to go into detail - "Oh, who did you report to?" You can't dodge a question like that easily.

What is important from this experience - as is with any experience - is what you gain from it and how it has changed you. One potential question I can see people thinking when they read your app is why is this guy pursuing medical school? This and that extracurricular is political, his major is political, so why medical school? If you can tie your experience with the Subcommittee on Health with your rationale for being a doctor, then it can be a valuable experience.

Don't need to tie it with medicine unless they specifically ask you in an interview

 

[Doug Underhill]

Some adcoms are partisan, some aren't, but we are respectful and non-judgmental of those who might be on the other side of the aisle politically.

I can easily see a PI on the adcom unhappy with the dismal funding rate of NIH grants due to budget cutbacks taking a dim view of John Boehner's little buddy applying to their school. Obviously, your experience is infinitely greater than mine on the subject, but people vote straight-ticket D in biology simply due to their survival instincts....and maybe also the Republican Party's views on evolution.

I personally know 2 adcom members, Dr. W and Dr. B, at my school. Both have had to decrease the size and scope of their research operations due to funding. Both will openly speak about how much damage the Republicans are doing to science. I feel like trying to defend sequestration to these members, if you get them in an interview, would be extremely counterproductive.

 

[ChillDawg]

I can easily see a PI on the adcom unhappy with the dismal funding rate of NIH grants due to budget cutbacks taking a dim view of John Boehner's little buddy applying to their school. Obviously, your experience is infinitely greater than mine on the subject, but people vote straight-ticket D in biology simply due to their survival instincts....and maybe also the Republican Party's views on evolution.

I personally know 2 adcom members, Dr. W and Dr. B, at my school. Both have had to decrease the size and scope of their research operations due to funding. Both will openly speak about how much damage the Republicans are doing to science. I feel like trying to defend sequestration to these members, if you get them in an interview, would be extremely counterproductive.

NIH funding has bipartisan support, dawg...
http://washingtonupdate.faseb.org/b...reasing-nih-funding-at-congressional-hearing/

edit: bolded text: don't be so smarmy.

 

[mordac21]

I interned in the US Senate during undergrad -- it was definitely a great experience, and it has come up a few times during interviews. But no one has asked me to "defend my position on X policy" or anything like that after 6 interviews. Just something worth noting: I left out the name of the Senator I interned for in my AMCAS, just to play it absolutely safe. Adcoms can see that you did all of this cool policy-related stuff, but you don't have to bring anything remotely partisan into the app.

 

[Doug Underhill]

Yeah, it should be beneficial if you leave the name of the Congressperson off. I'm just saying that throwing around a big GOP name around certain adcom members may end badly.

 

[ahc336]

Thanks for all the help guys! Bumping so I can hopefully get another adcom opinion.

 

[bd290]

Hi all, I am a political science major pursuing medical school. I am a sophomore at a large state university. I have connections with a House Member and a Senator, both of the Republican party. I myself do not identify as R but that is neither here nor there.

To my question: I am going to pursue an internship this summer on the Hill within the Subcommittee on Health (House-side, under the Energy & Commerce Committee), or the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Senate-side. Presumedly, any internship I got would be under a Republican majority/Member. How would Adcoms view this internship experience? Am I better off not doing this? The work I would be doing would be (hopefully) non-partisan, but I cannot guarantee the political views of adcoms or of medical schools so I feel like this could be risky. Please advise!

Thank you all in advance.

Half the people will probably see R and put your app in the garbage, and the other half will think it was interesting.