.

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Height is not on AMCAS so they wouldn't even know about you being shorter than average (which doesn't affect your ability to be a great doctor) until your interview at the medical school. Anecdotally, I have seen many shorter physicians at the hospital I work at and they are great to work with. You do you.
 
lorenm12 said:
Hey everyone,

I wasn't sure exactly which forum to ask this in, but I was hoping to hear some opinions. I am a senior pre-med student, and I am looking to take a few gap years and apply to medical school in 2 years. All other things aside, like grades, MCAT, extracurriculars, etc., I was wondering how important a person's height is for medical schools. I'm an extremely short male, just under 5 ft, and I genuinely worry sometimes that this may be counted against me in in-person medical school interviews. I've personally never seen many short male doctors to begin with, which I'm sure has at least something to do with how uncommon my height is. However, I know that male height plays a significant role in getting other jobs, how much you get paid, etc. So I was wondering if height plays a big role in getting into medical school, residencies, and generally being taken seriously by others in the field and by patients. If anyone has any experiences they could share as a short pre-med or even med student, or any advice, that would be great.
Click to expand...
We don't care. I've had some VERY petite female students, and they have still do OMM, sometimes on very large people!
 
I don't think that should matter at all....height, really?? As long as your competent with the course work provided by medical school, there shouldn't be a problem.

I swear sometimes I can't with SDN.
 
Consciously, no ADCOMS do not care and do not take that in to account. Statistically, however, doctors are taller and more good looking than the population at large. At that, more successful/prestigious doctors are taller and better looking than other physicians.

This is not, however, likely due to actively choosing taller/better looking people. People who were raised in wealthier households will tend to have better care in youth and thus better nutrition and will be taller. These same people are also more likely to have access to tutoring/networking opportunities that result in higher GPA/MCAT/EC numbers that will inevitably predispose them towards success.

And more attractive people (Attractivness positively correlated with tallness as it also correlated with better health which correlated with higher socioeconomic status) are going to have received more subconscious encouragement and support their entire lives so they are more likely to be confident in interviews and more confident with pursueing higher positions.

Overall, being tall and attractive will pre-dispose you towards success, however if you are able to...get over those hurdles, all else equal you should be fine.

Phenotypic differences between male physicians, surgeons, and film stars: comparative study
 
lorenm12 said:
Hey everyone,

I wasn't sure exactly which forum to ask this in, but I was hoping to hear some opinions. I am a senior pre-med student, and I am looking to take a few gap years and apply to medical school in 2 years. All other things aside, like grades, MCAT, extracurriculars, etc., I was wondering how important a person's height is for medical schools. I'm an extremely short male, just under 5 ft, and I genuinely worry sometimes that this may be counted against me in in-person medical school interviews. I've personally never seen many short male doctors to begin with, which I'm sure has at least something to do with how uncommon my height is. However, I know that male height plays a significant role in getting other jobs, how much you get paid, etc. So I was wondering if height plays a big role in getting into medical school, residencies, and generally being taken seriously by others in the field and by patients. If anyone has any experiences they could share as a short pre-med or even med student, or any advice, that would be great.
Click to expand...


Yes, it will have a subconscious effect on how you're perceived at the interview. This is true for interviews in all fields, not just Medical School. It's not fair, but you can't do anything about it.

Good luck!
 
You can't change your height. Those are the cards you've been dealt. Your options are to quit or keep pushing forward. It's up to you to decide.
 
I'm 5'4" and there is guy in my class who is like 4'11". I don't think its ever stopped anyone.

I'm not going to lie and say there may not be an unconscious bias against shorter males. There absolutely is. And there will be times where you might need to work a little harder to win someone over or be taken seriously. In the end there is nothing you can do about this. Just buy well-fitting suits and find a good tailor.

Being mistaken a kid is sometimes flattering, at least.
 
I'm under 5' as well, although I'm a female. If anything, it drives me to work harder so that my work ethic/accomplishments leave more of an impression than my stature.
 
doc05 said:
Yes, it will have a subconscious effect on how you're perceived at the interview. This is true for interviews in all fields, not just Medical School. It's not fair, but you can't do anything about it.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

.
 
Last edited:
lorenm12 said:
Yeah this is what I'm the most concerned about. How serious of an issue do you think this will be? Is there anything I can do to make my height less shocking for an interviewer? Besides being confident, etc.
Click to expand...

Nothing you can do, just act confident. The interview are done while sitting, so you're face to face anyways.
 
lorenm12 said:
1) How serious of an issue do you think this will be?
2) Is there anything I can do to make my height less shocking for an interviewer? Besides being confident, etc.
Click to expand...
1) It will not be an issue.

2) Your height will not be "shocking" to anyone. We don't interview folks while standing. Act confident, even if you have to fake it. Be warm, have a nice smile and an appropriate handshake. See if they have practice interviews with videotaping in your school's career center to be sure you are sending out the right vibe.
 
Like everything in life, you just gotta play the cards you were dealt
 
JeSuisUnDoc said:
Really?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN
Click to expand...
I mean sure, that is a study from 2006 with only 12 measurements in each category and they are spanish doctors, but I gotta throw in some source to back it up. The rest of it (About rich people being taller, raised healthier etc.) can all be extensively found with quick searches.
 
getdown said:
you can kiss ortho good bye
Click to expand...

There is an orthopedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins who is an achondroplastic dwarf, Dr Ain, who stands at 4 feet 3 inches.
It ain’t about the size. It’s about the attitude, baby!
But yes, we all know that we surgeons are the good looking jerks 😉

Johns Hopkins Magazine -- April 1999


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
One resident was performing compressions on a step-school.

Nobody cares about "height" in a professional setting where everybody are professionals working together.

From a societal perspective, I don't know how people look at height. But that's not what you were asking.
 
Goro said:
It's never been an issue here.
Click to expand...
At less than five feet tall, OP may have a medical condition causing him to be this short. Might something like hypochondroplasia cause him to be discriminated against?
 
Walter Raleigh said:
At less than five feet tall, OP may have a medical condition causing him to be this short. Might something like hypochondroplasia cause him to be discriminated against?
Click to expand...
Nope. I knew a nephrologist at Sloan-Kettering who had a tiny, deformed arm.

How tiny? Think T. rex forearm.

Didn't stop her.
 
@Goro: it's good to know that adcoms are generally on the level with physical disabilities that a student might be able to work around - like having a tiny arm, or having a mild case of dwarfism.
 
OrthoTraumaMD said:
There is an orthopedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins who is an achondroplastic dwarf, Dr Ain, who stands at 4 feet 3 inches.
It ain’t about the size. It’s about the attitude, baby!
But yes, we all know that we surgeons are the good looking jerks 😉

Johns Hopkins Magazine -- April 1999


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

Reminds me of that one episode on scrubs where Turk had to work with the dwarf surgeon. It does make one wonder how he performs surgeries. Normal bed height and he just uses steps? Or does he lower it and make everyone else bend down? probably the former. Ped surgeons tend to be more cheerful as a group than adult surgeons.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

19fools
Height & Interviews
Replies
43
Views
4K
holycrap
holycrap
A
Anxiety at new heights after acceptance
Replies
29
Views
3K
BabyShades
BabyShades
H
Fear of heights
Replies
9
Views
2K
DancingThruLife
D
caseofthemndays
Height correlation
Replies
21
Views
3K
Drogba
D
J
Height... high heels at interview
Replies
36
Views
10K
DoctorDreamer
DoctorDreamer
Top