Weight Gain and Interviews

[reapplicanthelpme2014]

As you can tell by the title, I've gained weight and look chunkier then my usual self (don't worry, actively working on it). I just wanted to see if anyone knew how interviewers felt about overweight applicants. This might seem trivial, but I can understand it being a concern that a potential future doctor is overweight. Of course, I plan on dressing appropriately and I will look very professional. But will my weight be an issue with interviewers and possibly prevent me from getting an acceptance?

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[darkjedi]

Probably not, unless you're talking like maybe morbidly obese. Even then it will differ from person to person.

 

[jd989898]

Far too many variables to give a reasonable answer that is consistent for all situations. Obviously it is a factor in some cases and obviously the extent of the obesity is a factor. There's generally a difference between colloquial terms such as chubby (~15-50lb overweight), fat (50-100lb overweight), morbidly obese (100lb+ overweight). "Chunkier than your usual self" could mean anything from chubby to morbidly obese.

 

[LAtoDavis]

Height and weight? a/s/l?

 

[reapplicanthelpme2014]

I'm fairly tall (5'8) and I won't post my weight, but let's just say I'm a big girl. And I've gained a substantial amount of weight over the past year (stress eating at night) that I'm working on loosing now that I'm done with school. Nonetheless, I have two interviews coming up and I'm scared that being fat will make the interviewers look at me some kind of way...

 

[LizzyM]

BMI? (Look it up) About 1/4 of our new students are overweight but <2% are obese (BMI >30). never mind your weight, let your personality and your intelligence overshadow any thought the interviewer might have about your size.

 

[gyngyn]

BMI? (Look it up) About 1/4 of our new students are overweight but <2% are obese (BMI >30). never mind your weight, let your personality and your intelligence overshadow any thought the interviewer might have about your size.

Wow. I can't say we even have a handful that are overweight.

 

[AspiringERMD]

Stress either makes me eat too much or too little. This time, my BMI fell to 19 (from 21). Though it's been inching back up in recent weeks to 19.5. *shrug*

 

[LizzyM]

Wow. I can't say we even have a handful that are overweight.

By that I mean a BMI of 25.0 or higher.... I wear a size 10 when I weight that much so it isn't what you'd identify as "overweight" in everyday life.

 

[jd989898]

Wow. I can't say we even have a handful that are overweight.

There's a big difference between medically overweight and everyday American overweight. Those who most American people would say are "normal" are actually overweight by the BMI scale and those regarded simply as "overweight" or "chubby" would be considered obese by the BMI scale.

 

[reapplicanthelpme2014]

Wow. I can't say we even have a handful that are overweight.

Is this because you look down upon applicants that are overweight? Also, my BMI is 30ish

 

[darkjedi]

Is this because you look down upon applicants that are overweight? Also, my BMI is 30ish

I think it is mostly in part due to the self-selection bias, but it does seem like most people in medicine are relatively fit compared to the general population and especially so when they are young while in medicine school. That said there are still people who are on the larger side of the spectrum. BMI is an incredibly poor tool to be able to tell if an individual looks large or not. In the end it will be your personality that will make or break the interview.

 

[reapplicanthelpme2014]

I think it is mostly in part due to the self-selection bias, but it does seem like most people in medicine are relatively fit compared to the general population and especially so when they are young while in medicine school. That said there are still people who are on the larger side of the spectrum. BMI is an incredibly poor tool to be able to tell if an individual looks large or not. In the end it will be your personality that will make or break the interview.

Thank you for this. Let me just prepare myself for the interview rather than worrying about being too big lol. Thanks for the answers, everyone!

 

[EMDO2018]

I'm fairly tall (5'8) and I won't post my weight, but let's just say I'm a big girl. And I've gained a substantial amount of weight over the past year (stress eating at night) that I'm working on loosing now that I'm done with school. Nonetheless, I have two interviews coming up and I'm scared that being fat will make the interviewers look at me some kind of way...

Your weight doesn't matter at all, unless you are morbidly obese to the point where adcoms think you won't have the physical stamina to put up with the demands of med school. I look at my class and see that most of them ~90% are tall, good looking, thin people, indicative of the upper middle class priviledged lifestyle most of them come from.

 

[gyngyn]

There's a big difference between medically overweight and everyday American overweight. Those who most American people would say are "normal" are actually overweight by the BMI scale and those regarded simply as "overweight" or "chubby" would be considered obese by the BMI scale.

Yes, I know.

 

[gyngyn]

By that I mean a BMI of 25.0 or higher.... I wear a size 10 when I weight that much so it isn't what you'd identify as "overweight" in everyday life.

My students dress very lightly (sometimes too lightly!). They really are quite slender as a group. Certainly thinner than national norms. Maybe a regional difference?

 

[NoDakDok]

A 6' male over 183 pounds is considered overweight. A 6' male over 220 pounds is obese.

This doesn't account for where your weight comes from. Since a lot of medical students are 'fit' simply by self selection, I wouldn't be too worried unless it's very clearly an issue. Even then, interview quality matters most.

 

[gyngyn]

Is this because you look down upon applicants that are overweight? Also, my BMI is 30ish

I don't think so. They seem to be reflective of our applicant pool.

 

[godawg300]

Don't wanna hijack this thread but what about muscular applicants. I've actually had that come up at 2 interviews about how I must be in the gym all the time or play football. I'm not sure that's a positive thing either although maybe they were trying to compliment me!?Especially when most applicants I've seen have been really slender/thin. I've seen only 1 heavier female applicant at the few interviews I have attended.

I imagine anything that makes you stick out physically at an interview might not be a good thing!?

 

[newbiev1.1.2]

Was not at all concerned about this.. now I am.. a little.

 

[LizzyM]

My students dress very lightly (sometimes too lightly!). They really are quite slender as a group. Certainly thinner than national norms. Maybe a regional difference?

We actually have height & weight measured on every matriculant so I'm going by what has been measured. Our students are from coast to coast. Consider that 67% of the US population is overweight or obese, that only 25% of our incoming students are in that pool is "counter-culture" in a way.

 

[NoDakDok]

I imagine anything that makes you stick out physically at an interview might not be a good thing!?

Absolutely not. Otherwise interviews would be an entirely negative aspect of everyone's application. Sticking out can be good, or it can be bad.

When it comes down to it, interviews are generally the most subjective part of the application. Will being obese factor in to how the interviewer evaluates you? Maybe, maybe not. But chances are, given a successful interview, the interviewer will have a positive impression of you regardless of weight.

As for fitness, I'm assuming the interviewer was just trying to make small talk with you to bring out your personality and hobbies. In that case, it's generally something that piqued their interest, and as long as you have an articulate, positive response, it should be a good thing. Then again, as I said before, interviews are subjective. For all I know your interviewer could have had a terrible experience with a power lifter who jaded their image of people who lift weights. You never know.

Just do your best at your interview, leave a good impression, and don't worry about things that are out of your control. Doing so will only make it worse.

height & weight measured on every matriculant

What in the world for?

 

[AspiringERMD]

We actually have height & weight measured on every matriculant so I'm going by what has been measured. Our students are from coast to coast. Consider that 67% of the US population is overweight or obese, that only 25% of our incoming students are in that pool is "counter-culture" in a way.

Why do you measure them?

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

Don't worry about your BMI, ever. Worry about how you feel and, most importantly, your HEALTH! The fact that you are aware of your weight and eating habits as a result of stress puts you WAY ahead of the game in this country.

 

[jakeislove]

Even if applicants were judged on weight no one would admit it.

 

[godawg300]

Even if applicants were judged on weight no one would admit it.

Probably.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

My BMI is 18.0, but I really enjoy eating. I've just always been thin.

OP, don't think about your weight. No one will know if you've gained weight recently or not.

I'm fairly tall (5'8) and I won't post my weight, but let's just say I'm a big girl. And I've gained a substantial amount of weight over the past year (stress eating at night) that I'm working on loosing now that I'm done with school. Nonetheless, I have two interviews coming up and I'm scared that being fat will make the interviewers look at me some kind of way...

 

[Goro]

I have obese faculty colleagues, so why should we hold it against you if you're overweight? 1/3rd of Americans also fit that bill.

I have had a good number of morbidly obese students as well. You know what? Patients will probably sympathize more with a doctor who's overweight than one who's as thin as Calista Flockheart

As you can tell by the title, I've gained weight and look chunkier then my usual self (don't worry, actively working on it). I just wanted to see if anyone knew how interviewers felt about overweight applicants. This might seem trivial, but I can understand it being a concern that a potential future doctor is overweight. Of course, I plan on dressing appropriately and I will look very professional. But will my weight be an issue with interviewers and possibly prevent me from getting an acceptance?

Not true. I've had students who were football or b-ball players, and few Olympian hopefuls as well.
Don't wanna hijack this thread but what about muscular applicants. I've actually had that come up at 2 interviews about how I must be in the gym all the time or play football. I'm not sure that's a positive thing either although maybe they were trying to compliment me!?Especially when most applicants I've seen have been really slender/thin. I've seen only 1 heavier female applicant at the few interviews I have attended.

I imagine anything that makes you stick out physically at an interview might not be a good thing!?

 

[LizzyM]

TPTB believe that modeling good health habits are part of the physician's duty and therefore baseline health status information is obtained from the students and provided to them for their information and to spur behavior change. (No one is perfect.) They also learn a bit about descriptive statistics by playing with the data from the entire class.

Don't shoot me; I'm only the messenger. Frankly, I believe it is intrusive.

 

[SkipJunior]

I'm sure a lot of applicants have had their minds set at ease today due to the excellent (as always) advice of @Goro @LizzyM @gyngyn

Although I'm not large myself, I fully support my larger sized brothers and sisters in their goals of becoming physicians and I'm glad that most adcoms don't hold the size/weight of the applicants against them.

 

[tmn]

Would an applicant who came to an interview smelling like cigarette smoke be looked upon negatively?

 

[NoDakDok]

Would an applicant who came to an interview smelling like cigarette smoke be looked upon negatively?

As I said before, I'm pretty sure this has more to do with the individual interviewer than it does the ADCOM. In that case, any prejudice the interviewer holds (consciously or subconsciously) is independent of the school, not formally endorsed, but certainly present.

The only exception I can think of is schools that specifically restrict things, such as CWRU's no tobacco and Loma Linda's lifestyle change policies.

 

[moisne]

I don't know.... We have a bit more than 150 students. I'd say 1 is obese, 3-5 are over weight, 3-5 underweight, the the rest are in normal BMI, but I don't know if they have a prejudice against people over weight or if it's a self selecting career for fit people. I am not fit, I just look average.

 

[EMDO2018]

The economy really really needs to turn around so that smart kids coming out of college can have other options where they can have a prestigious career and make good money with guaranteed employment. Law-employment is uncertain, allied health is failing, tech and engineering are failing, which leads to med schools getting a glut of kids with super stellar Stats, from which they can try to pick the most "perfect" people. Its sickening actually to hear about schools gathering statistics on height and weight and promoting behavioral change since physicians "should model good health habits" , at our school the students who want to have a cigarette are forced to walk a mile away from campus, sorta ridiculous honestly.

 

[jakeislove]

The economy really really needs to turn around so that smart kids coming out of college can have other options where they can have a prestigious career and make good money with guaranteed employment. Law-employment is uncertain, allied health is failing, tech and engineering are failing, which leads to med schools getting a glut of kids with super stellar Stats, from which they can try to pick the most "perfect" people. Its sickening actually to hear that about schools gathering statistics on height and weight and promoting behavioral change since physicians "should model good health habits" , at our school the students who want to have a cigarette are forced to walk a mile away from campus, sorta ridiculous honestly.

Do you really want a doctor who can't follow their own advice or is making lifestyle choices proven to be unhealthy?

 

[EMDO2018]

Do you really want a doctor who can't follow their own advice or is making lifestyle choices proven to be unhealthy?

Whether or not a doctor smokes, or is over weight has nothing to do with how good of a physician they are when it comes to their patients. Some of the best doctors I know are over weight, my GP is overweight and one of the most brilliant guys I've ever known.

 

[mik30102]

Do you really want a doctor who can't follow their own advice or is making lifestyle choices proven to be unhealthy?

I don't really care either way. If anything it might be helpful since a obese doctor/smoker will hopefully know what hasn't worked for them and modify their recommendations to their patients. With that said my GP is obese to the point that his stomach rests on you when he is examining you... It's kinda awkward but I still completely trust his judgment as a physician.

 

[studentp0x]

A 6' male over 183 pounds is considered overweight. A 6' male over 220 pounds is obese.

This doesn't account for where your weight comes from. Since a lot of medical students are 'fit' simply by self selection, I wouldn't be too worried unless it's very clearly an issue. Even then, interview quality matters most.

That's stupid. A 6' 183lb male would look small to me assuming that they don't lift... seems extremely inaccuruate to label them as overweight. 220lbs would be a fair size to have at 220lbs if you do indeed lift.

 

[blackroses]

Whether or not a doctor smokes, or is over weight has nothing to do with how good of a physician they are when it comes to their patients. Some of the best doctors I know are over weight, my GP is overweight and one of the most brilliant guys I've ever known.

I disagree with one aspect of this: smoking can affect how good of a physician they are (note: can, not does). I'm sure we're all well aware of the effects of second-hand smoke. I wouldn't have a problem with an overweight/obese doctor, but I would be uncomfortable around a doctor who smells like smoke. If the doctor is respectful and doesn't smoke while on the clock or in their "work clothes", fine. But you can bet I wouldn't want to see a doctor who smells like cigarette smoke and clearly feels it is more important to get that cigarette in than to protect their patients from the risk of second-hand smoke.

 

[tmn]

Would an applicant who came to an interview with track marks on their arms be looked upon negatively?

 

[tmn]

While it certainly is anybody's choice to be overweight or smoke or use heroine, it shows bad judgment. I would venture to guess many adcoms would agree (whether they would openly admit it or not).

Med schools are not looking for people who exercise their prerogative to make bad decisions.

Our culture is hypersensitive to the point where we accept dangerous lifestyles/choices as normal because no one wants to offend anyone ever. In reality, it shouldn't be offensive to speak out against obesity and smoking. People should feel bad for making unhealthy choices. It is just a matter of fact: it will kill you.

Physicians need to take responsibility and take a stand against unhealthy lifestyles. Do you think so many Americans would be overweight/obese if it hadn't been normalized?

 

[Aerus]

While it certainly is anybody's choice to be overweight

This isn't always the case.

 

[EMDO2018]

While it certainly is anybody's choice to be overweight or smoke or use heroine, it shows bad judgment. I would venture to guess many adcoms would agree (whether they would openly admit it or not).

Med schools are not looking for people who exercise their prerogative to make bad decisions.

Our culture is hypersensitive to the point where we accept dangerous lifestyles/choices as normal because no one wants to offend anyone ever. In reality, it shouldn't be offensive to speak out against obesity and smoking. People should feel bad for making unhealthy choices. It is just a matter of fact: it will kill you.

Physicians need to take responsibility and take a stand against unhealthy lifestyles. Do you think so many Americans would be overweight/obese if it hadn't been normalized?

You think people who are overweight don't know they are over weight? You think they don't know its bad for them? Trying to shame people into becoming thin doesn't work either. It amazes me so many med students can be so immature. What adcoms need to focus on in the admissions process is emotional maturity and social awareness, not whether or not somebody is thin enough to be an example.

Being overweight doesn't happen over night, losing weight doesn't happen over night. For all you know, the 220 pound applicant may have lost 80 pounds in the last year, should adcoms still judge them? The situation isn't black and white. Med schools should never try to police peoples personal lives unless the person is doing something that is illegal, compromises patient care, or stops the person from fulfilling academic requirements

 

[jakeislove]

I don't really care either way. If anything it might be helpful since a obese doctor/smoker will hopefully know what hasn't worked for them and modify their recommendations to their patients. With that said my GP is obese to the point that his stomach rests on you when he is examining you... It's kinda awkward but I still completely trust his judgment as a physician.

The guy might walk on water but I wouldn't trust his advice on any lifestyle modifications.

People make judgements all the time. Someone who struggles with weight might identify better with their overweight doctor or patient.

I feel bad for overweight children but know it's a losing battle.

 

[G_Marker]

While it certainly is anybody's choice to be overweight or smoke or use heroine, it shows bad judgment. I would venture to guess many adcoms would agree (whether they would openly admit it or not).

Med schools are not looking for people who exercise their prerogative to make bad decisions.

Our culture is hypersensitive to the point where we accept dangerous lifestyles/choices as normal because no one wants to offend anyone ever. In reality, it shouldn't be offensive to speak out against obesity and smoking. People should feel bad for making unhealthy choices. It is just a matter of fact: it will kill you.

Physicians need to take responsibility and take a stand against unhealthy lifestyles. Do you think so many Americans would be overweight/obese if it hadn't been normalized?

It's quite a jump to go from overweight to using heroine.

I'm not terribly overweight, but my BMI is in the 25-26 range. I recently gained ~20 lbs because of a medication I am on (that I have to be on because other meds don't work for me at all, and I am almost non-functional without the medication). I am not eating more than I used to eat, but this medication is messing with my metabolism. I'm in the process of finding a way to offset these effects with more exercise and healthier eating habits. This is by no means easy, and it's definitely much more difficult for me than average.

I can see how situations like this, which the average person might not understand or know about, could bring someone to say that I'm making "bad decisions." In fact, there are many more situations that could cause someone to be a bit heftier, and mine is just a single example. It's important not to make that snap judgement when you meet someone. You have no idea why they are overweight or obese, and they very well may have reasons behind it. As future physicians, we need to be sensitive to those reasons in order to help our patients the most.

 

[tmn]

This isn't always the case.

I think we all know that, and I was writing under the assumption that people reading my post would realize that I know that as well. My fault for assuming. I am obviously addressing people who do not have a pathological reason for being overweight. If you disagree with what I said, please address the substance of my post and not some unimportant detail.

 

[tmn]

You think people who are overweight don't know they are over weight? You think they don't know its bad for them? Trying to shame people into becoming thin doesn't work either.

Do you think such a substantial percent of our population would be overweight/obese if it wasn't normalized? I'd guess no, and that "shame" (for lack of a better word) works at least to some degree to deter being overweight. Should someone be ashamed for chronically making bad decisions?

 

[tmn]

What adcoms need to focus on in the admissions process is emotional maturity and social awareness, not whether or not somebody is thin enough to be an example.

Adcoms literally have their choice of qualified candidates. Maturity and physical health are not mutually exclusive. Should an applicant have a high MCAT or a high GPA? Ideally, both.

 

[tmn]

Being overweight doesn't happen over night, losing weight doesn't happen over night. For all you know, the 220 pound applicant may have lost 80 pounds in the last year, should adcoms still judge them? The situation isn't black and white.

This is a very good point, but I would guess that the subset of overweight people who are in the process of actively losing weight are in a small minority. It's true that any given overweight applicant could be actively losing weight at the time of interaction.

 

[tmn]

Med schools should never try to police peoples personal lives

I could not agree more.