Opinion Wanted: Role of Beauty into residency matching

[lwilliam802]

It's no secret that being beautiful helps you in almost every aspect in life. Better job, better spouse, etc. The NRMP has all kinds of matching data on what may be linked to increasing one's chance of matching into a particular residency. Board scores, research, LORs...but what about the obvious...beauty and perceived social intelligence. I am wondering if anyone has come across any literature which can help to quantify this. Are PD's able to view an applicant's picture when considering who to offer an interview to? Especially some fields... Is it a coincidence that most Dermatology departments are quite attractive? Do you think attractive medical students gravitate towards that specialty or are PDs are particularly inclined to consider attractive applicants? Or it is the case that beauty is also another indicator of intellectual fitness and therefore those that are beautiful are more likely to have a better CVs and therefore more likely to match into specialties like Derm? Is it not possible to exclude a picture when applying? If so, does that hurt your application? Or is it case by case, like include if you are attractive, exclude if you are not attractive or apart of some undesirable ethnic group? Any thoughts are appreciated!

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[IceHouse]

I'm glad I've matched otherwise I would have no chance after smashing my face with the face-palm.

 

[doc MD]

It's no secret that being beautiful helps you in almost every aspect in life. Better job, better spouse, etc. The NRMP has all kinds of matching data on what may be linked to increasing one's chance of matching into a particular residency. Board scores, research, LORs...but what about the obvious...beauty and perceived social intelligence. I am wondering if anyone has come across any literature which can help to quantify this. Are PD's able to view an applicant's picture when considering who to offer an interview to? Especially some fields... Is it a coincidence that most Dermatology departments are quite attractive? Do you think attractive medical students gravitate towards that specialty or are PDs are particularly inclined to consider attractive applicants? Or it is the case that beauty is also another indicator of intellectual fitness and therefore those that are beautiful are more likely to have a better CVs and therefore more likely to match into specialties like Derm? Is it not possible to exclude a picture when applying? If so, does that hurt your application? Or is it case by case, like include if you are attractive, exclude if you are not attractive or apart of some undesirable ethnic group? Any thoughts are appreciated!

I'm glad I've matched otherwise I would have no chance after smashing my face with the face-palm.

double face palm

 

[spartan564]

Here OP I have an application picture you can use:

 

[Hoser]

All joking aside, I know it's helped for fellowship matching...

 

[spartan564]

All joking aside, I know it's helped for fellowship matching...

What makes you say that? I agree though, being attractive definitely helps although the extent to which it does is unclear.