involvement in politcal organizations? bad?

rcd · Aug 25, 2004

I'm teetering with the idea of joining a Republican student organization. Can this be a bad thing come application time? I mean, I'm not really terribly afraid of the interviews, as I figure that they're for the most part professionals, but in general...

constructor · Aug 25, 2004

most doctors are democrats although they're professionals... if you think about it, they're in the profession because they're concerned about helping people, something that is not an issue in the republican platform unless you make over $200,000 a year.

MadameLULU · Aug 25, 2004

constructor said:
most doctors are democrats although they're professionals... if you think about it, they're in the profession because they're concerned about helping people, something that is not an issue in the republican platform unless you make over $200,000 a year.

This is completely FALSE! I would never say that most physicians are <INSERT POLITCAL PARTY HERE>. Although, I do wish more physicans were democrats, so our health care providers could lobby more for a better health care system. Political affiliaton depends on beliefs and physicians hold a wide range of idealogies. There are numerous med students out there and I'm sure SDNers that are republican and ARE interested in helping others.

GO KERRY! GET "W" OUT!

JDAWG07 · Aug 25, 2004

If your really active in it, like if you have a position or something, it might look good - like you really care about politics and the world around you. However, join at your own risk. You may, unwittingly, alienate ADCOM members.

freaker · Aug 25, 2004

Actually, most physicians are Republicans (see medical malpractice reform at the moment and the side the Association of Trial Lawyers of America takes for but one example), but most academic physicians (and other Ivory Tower types) are Dems.

Doctors, in fact, gave $17.5 million * two-thirds of their total campaign contributions * to the GOP in 2001-02, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The AMA itself, which according to the Washington Post has warned Democrats against opposing the Bush settlement cap, contributed $1.6 million to GOP congressional candidates in 2002.

Would I worry about joining a political organization? Absolutely not. However, I might avoid putting it on your AMCAS application unless you took on a significant leadership role (lest you get a reaction like that of our dear friend, constructor, above).

And constructor, please lodge something large and pointed up your tailpipe, and have a nice, delusional day. 🙂

In the meantime, I plan on starting another war for oil money while parading around in my Nazi pajamas. 🙄

casey at bat · Aug 25, 2004

rcd said:
I'm teetering with the idea of joining a Republican student organization. Can this be a bad thing come application time? I mean, I'm not really terribly afraid of the interviews, as I figure that they're for the most part professionals, but in general...

i think with the campaign in full upswing now it's natural for people to feel that way. but usually i don't think it should affect our process at all this cycle....at least i hope not, as i'm guilty myself of being involved in a mainstream organization. but i don't think committees care so much as long as you're passionate about what you do.....i guess it's comparable to one's belief in faith and religion....it's just there. unless of course you get an anti-bush/kerry interviewing you, and you're debating issues rather than focusing on the interview.....but hey, if you open the door for them to know it's a part of you, i don't see why it wouldn't be fair game for them to ask you why? 🙂

casey

Mistress S · Aug 25, 2004

freaker said:
And constructor, please lodge something large and pointed up your tailpipe, and have a nice, delusional day. 🙂

In the meantime, I plan on starting another war for oil money while parading around in my Nazi pajamas. 🙄

Another cogent and respectful reply from the conservatives... 🙄

to the OP: I debated listing my involvement with NARAL, a political action group that supports access to abortion services, on my AMCAS application, but ultimately decided against it--not because I'm ashamed of my political involvement (no one should be) but because I didn't hold a major role in this organization and didn't feel that it was therefore very relevant. You should probably apply the same criteria: if you have a leadership position with this group it may be worth listing, but otherwise they probably don't care so including it in your application will not benefit you and involves the risk of alienating some adcoms. Your call.

rockstar2525 · Aug 25, 2004

I went back and forth on this, but I ended up putting my involvement with NARAL on my AMCAS. I did this partly because I've volunteered with them for seven years and I did a lot of different things for them, and also because I was hoping that this would help me select/weed out schools. My political involvement is really important to me, and I really want to go to a liberal med school, one that has (or at least allows) a med students for choice group. I didn't write a thesis about my involvement, I just mentioned it. I figure if an adcom freaks out about that, that may not be the school for me. The important thing is, I am prepared to deal with the consequences.

liverotcod · Aug 25, 2004

freaker said:
In the meantime, I plan on starting another war for oil money while parading around in my Nazi pajamas. 🙄

<giggles uncontrollably>

Post a picture of this, would you? I'll promise to post one of me kneeling and licking a Frenchman's a$$ while wearing a "STALIN RULES!" nightshirt.

SlopinMunkyDude · Aug 25, 2004

Oh please, Mistress S. Get over yourself. You blather on about not making a cogent point when all you did was say the same thing freaker said, only he beat you to the punch and you added your personal anecdote.

As for respect, I think that all went out the window with the following comment, don't you think?

if you think about it, they're in the profession because they're concerned about helping people, something that is not an issue in the republican platform unless you make over $200,000 a year.

Large, pointy things were wholly called for on that steaming load of horse#$#& .

See, OP. Don't put this in your AMCAS unless you held a leadership position worth noting OR this is a defining characteristic of who you are. Everyone has had a political barb thrown at them once and a while, and you're going to stir up feelings one way or the other. I guess if you're willing to take a 50/50 shot that those feelings are going to be for your betterment, list it on your AMCAS. Otherwise, the advise about excluding it is sound.

I'm not sure using political affiliation as a screening tool is even failsafe, as you could very well get the one outlier on the staff as your interviewer.

Mistress S · Aug 25, 2004

SlopinMunkyDude said:
Oh please, Mistress S. Get over yourself. You blather on about not making a cogent point when all you did was say the same thing freaker said, only he beat you to the punch and you added your personal anecdote.

As for respect, I think that all went out the window with the following comment, don't you think?

Large, pointy things were wholly called for on that steaming load of horse#$#& .

.

I was referring to the disrepectfulness and lack of cogency in freaker's reply to constructor, which I do feel was uncalled for (constructor made a general statement about his perception of the political philosophies of a group, and freaker responded with a harsh and grotesque personal insult)--not the advice freaker gave to the OP, which pretty much mirrored exactly what I and everyone else have advised the OP to do. I am not interested in having a debate about the validity of constructor's or anyone else's political views, but I am tired of some people on this board--and they are often, although not exclusively, conservative--responding to any criticism of their political views with unnecessary personal attacks that are often extremely rude and do nothing to further any kind of intelligient debate, not to mention being out of place on these forums.

Truce57 · Aug 25, 2004

I actually founded a political organization on my campus this past year and listed it on secondaries (not AMCAS) under leadership as "Political Organization: Co-President, Co-Founder" and left it at that. From my other activities you can't really tell what party I am affiliated with (and it's neither dem nor rep). 🙂

VPDcurt · Aug 25, 2004

Join the student organization if you are passionate about politics. Getting involved with such a group is always a good idea in my opinion. This is America - take advantage what this country offers.

Tiger26 · Aug 25, 2004

You're gonna alienate half your interviewers either way if you put it on

VPDcurt · Aug 25, 2004

I would think and hope that it doesn't affect your chances at gaining admission. if you do decide to include it, make sure you show them that you are open-minded about listening to and understanding the other views but that you are also passionate about your own. personally, i think a strong political stance can show that you care about the world in which you live.

VPDcurt · Aug 25, 2004

Tiger26 said:
You're gonna alienate half your interviewers either way if you put it on

very good point

Pinkertinkle · Aug 25, 2004

Just don't put down you subscribe to national socialist theory.

calstudent · Aug 25, 2004

why not?
don't be afraid of who you are. this is not something sketchy, and it shows, like an above poster said, that you care about your country's politics at least in one way.

very few people in this country dislike others simply because of their political persuasion--there is a lot more to it.

Ajay · Aug 26, 2004

I think that if you mention this in your statement you'll leave yourself open to a lot of questions about politics i.e. why you joined; don't you agree with policy x or y?

Ultimately, such a discussion can hinder your ability to get some of your other points across.

hy2026 · Aug 26, 2004

as a fellow republican, I say go for it ( though I wish Colin Powell or John McCain was the president), do not be worried about what they want to hear, but have your own voice!!!

FIGHT THE POWER!!! REPRESENTING!!!!

Freakingzooming · Aug 26, 2004

i was thinking of helping out Obama's campaign in way I can... organizing rallies... tp-ing Keyes maryland licensed plates car.

jeatmonkey · Aug 26, 2004

I have a similar question to what the OP asked. I founded an organization right before the start of the war in Iraq for students and professors. Our main goal was to organize seminars and meetings for the campus to discuss their views on what was going on. We also did some great things like raise money for humanitarian efforts. Im not sure if I am going to put this on my amcas or secondaries because I dont want to look like a hippie (adcoms usually being very conservative) I also was only president for one year before I transfered to another school. Alot of members in this organization were protestors of the war, and also Bush, including myself, but that is not what the main goal for this organization was about. It was more about raising awareness on campus, no matter what your views on the war were, but just a chance to voice his/her own opinions.
I certainly dont want to alienate myself from any interviewers, but I think my reasoning for creating this organization says a lot about the kind of person I am, Im just not sure if adcoms will look down on that I guess...

Radio Edit · Aug 26, 2004

rcd said:
I'm teetering with the idea of joining a Republican student organization. Can this be a bad thing come application time? I mean, I'm not really terribly afraid of the interviews, as I figure that they're for the most part professionals, but in general...

of course its bad! shame on any medical profession hopeful to be active in his political beliefs!!! 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄

calstudent · Aug 26, 2004

jeatmonkey said:
I have a similar question to what the OP asked. I founded an organization right before the start of the war in Iraq for students and professors. Our main goal was to organize seminars and meetings for the campus to discuss their views on what was going on. We also did some great things like raise money for humanitarian efforts. Im not sure if I am going to put this on my amcas or secondaries because I dont want to look like a hippie (adcoms usually being very conservative) I also was only president for one year before I transfered to another school. Alot of members in this organization were protestors of the war, and also Bush, including myself, but that is not what the main goal for this organization was about. It was more about raising awareness on campus, no matter what your views on the war were, but just a chance to voice his/her own opinions.
I certainly dont want to alienate myself from any interviewers, but I think my reasoning for creating this organization says a lot about the kind of person I am, Im just not sure if adcoms will look down on that I guess...

Well, I am just another applicant, so don't take what I say for the official word; this is a decision that you only can make for yourself.
However, I would put it down. The war has obviously polarized our country in many ways, but focusing on the humanitarian aspect is, anyone would argue, commendable. You should be proud of it, that you got involved to find out more information and inform others. It certainly doesn't sound hippy to me.
Even if you had founded a pro-War organization, say, to support our troops or something, I would have said the same thing.
And, being prez. and founder says a lot--it takes a lot of initiative.

Fed Meat · Aug 27, 2004

Mistress S said:
I was referring to the disrepectfulness and lack of cogency in freaker's reply to constructor, which I do feel was uncalled for (constructor made a general statement about his perception of the political philosophies of a group, and freaker responded with a harsh and grotesque personal insult)--not the advice freaker gave to the OP, which pretty much mirrored exactly what I and everyone else have advised the OP to do. I am not interested in having a debate about the validity of constructor's or anyone else's political views, but I am tired of some people on this board--and they are often, although not exclusively, conservative--responding to any criticism of their political views with unnecessary personal attacks that are often extremely rude and do nothing to further any kind of intelligient debate, not to mention being out of place on these forums.

haha. This girl actually thinks that undermining someone's character with disgusting generalizations is somehow less offensive than "rudeness." As if a blanket statement like "conservatives only care about others if they are rich" in anyway furthers debate (I guess it could, seeing as conservatives are far more likely to give to charity relative to income than liberals are (and conservatives live in more rural areas--not generally associated with the rich), but that's not the issue on this thread, is it?). :idea:

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