Acceptance to Med School because of who you know?

[RubRoss LSU]

Just curious, but does anyone know of any instances where an applicant may not have the most competitive credentials but has doctor and/ or political friends that persuade the adcoms to accept that applicant? I'd like to know if my file may get passed over because of a situation like that.

 

[gbleeker]

If it happened in any degree, how would anyone have a clue?

 

[nimotsu]

I knew some people applying for undergrad that utilized such tatics.. they weren't really qualified, and even their enlisted help had no effect.

I'd have to say it's probably the same for med school unless pork barrel legislation or a loftly donation is involved.. probably at private schools. But if I was on an adcom, I would feel that using integrity to select applicants rather than be bribed should predominante... and I bet many professional schools feel this way as well.

 

[Sicilian]

Just curious, but does anyone know of any instances where an applicant may not have the most competitive credentials but has doctor and/ or political friends that persuade the adcoms to accept that applicant? I'd like to know if my file may get passed over because of a situation like that.

Of course its happened. But I would presume such applicants make up less than 1% of the total applicant pool.

 

[drmota]

i know a girl who this year got an interview invite at her dad's alma mater before even filling out a secondary. he has been donating to the school since he graduated med school. i'm not gonna mention the school so don't even bother asking.
-mota

edit: oh, and it's NOT one of those schools like wake forest or umich that invite people before they fill out a secondary.

 

[gbleeker]

Here's my take; disagree or agree it is up to you!

Any adcom board probably looks at applicants who have "ties" to their school ie. a person you know that the adcom boards knows such as alumni. Is this ok? Sure... but I am willing to bet the adcom boards take all of these with a huge grain of salt.

If they are accepting any student who has "connections" they are setting up that student to fail. We are talking about people who, assuming without connections, would not get in, or they wouldnt' need these said connections.

The adcom board will not just select anyone; they want to make sure the school is producing quality students, and the school itself isn't wasting the money on the students, for several of them to eventually drop out. I'm sure that some boards look at "ties" to either alumni or private individuals (donors) but definitely through a microscope. All I think that all these ties gain an applicant is a tiny head start, for the whole process, if anything at all.

 

[mommy2three]

i can say honestly that yes it has happened. there is someone in my class who is the daughter of the dean and definetly not the brightest light bulb in the light bulb bunch.

 

[Law2Doc]

Just curious, but does anyone know of any instances where an applicant may not have the most competitive credentials but has doctor and/ or political friends that persuade the adcoms to accept that applicant? I'd like to know if my file may get passed over because of a situation like that.

I think it's not unusual for places to give courtesy interviews or promise to carefully review applications of children of folks with certain connections. You don't usually see schools throw away all semblance of objective criteria, though. Numerical rankings are important to the schools, and they like to see their numerical admissions stats improve year after year, and make themselves seem more competitive. Thus the person usually still has to have credentials which qualify them to get into med school, and won't pull down the average too much. A C student with a crummy MCAT score will not get into med school based on connections - it just doesn't happen.

 

[Fermata]

"Yes, I am THE Bruce Dickinson".

 

[VPDcurt]

Just curious, but does anyone know of any instances where an applicant may not have the most competitive credentials ... persuade the adcoms to accept that applicant?

Sounds a lot more like AA and that occurs much more frequently than people getting in with connections.

 

[potato51]

yes yes yes... a not-so-bright friend of mine got into one of the U of Texas schools because his dad is faculty.

 

[NYMed]

My best friend got into Case because she knew someone on the ADCOM. She's a very smart girl with a great MCAT and extracurrics, but her GPA just wasn't there. In any case, ironically enough, she chose not to go (she got into other good schools - although not as good as Case - on her own). The thing is, I'm sure she would've done great had she chosen to attend, but I don't think she would have gotten in if it wasn't for the connection.

 

[spaceman_spiff]

this is one of my biggest fears, well not that people are getting in because they know someone, but that I might not be getting in because I don't...

thanks sdn, my daily paranoia fix

 

[silverquick]

This is a quote from Amherst College Premed Guide

"Having a physician in the family:Based on a review of records and fates of Amherst premeds, it appears that your chances are improved if Mom or Dad is a doctor. Perhaps the rationale is that medical schools can be more confident that an applicant has a realistic, rather than romanticized, idea of what it is like to be a physician if the applicant has had direct contact with medical practice in the family. Your chances seem to be improved at all medical schools, but most improved at the medical school which your physician parent attended, if it was a medical school in the U.S. It is also favorable to have a parent or other close relative on the faculty of a medical school. The highest benefit probably goes to those with a parent on a medical school admissions committee. Whether any of this is fair or not, you might as well be aware of what the situation is. "

http://www.amherst.edu/~sageorge/guide1.html

 

[justskipee]

I am positive that having a close connection with someone influencial at a medical school can get you an interview. That is is the person writes a letter or speaks to the admissions committee. But once you get the interview, you're on your own to get the acceptance.

 

[ahumdinger]

WashU gives special consideration to applicants affiliated with WashU (employee of WashU, parents are employees, maybe even undergraduate status-but not sure on this last one). Basically, the deal is that you have immunity from rejection until the very end. You just keep staying in the re-evaluation pool until april. However, that is not to say that you have an easy in. Last year, of 36 WashU employee's children who applied, only 6 were accepted (and not all of them eventually attended, so that suggests that they were such superstars that they got into better schools).

Also, I heard through the grapevine that some faculty member was upset with the Dean of Admissions because said faculty member's neice/nephew/other relative was not granted admittance. So that person either really sucked or WashU tries to accept people fairly.

I bet knowing someone usually won't make a huge difference unless that someone gives a lot of $$$.

 

[Isis33]

In what I've experienced, from people I know and stories I've heard,not saying this is the rule or anything, but if a candidate has good credentials near the average of the school's than knowing someone influential will most likely guarantee your acceptance that IS only if you have the credentials to go along with this connection. Without the credentials, it might make a difference in them taking a more careful look at your file but thats about it.

 

[Napoleon4000]

I like this thread and agree with it's basic premise: nepotism.

Society perpetuates the have's and continues to leave out the have-nots. Since this unpredictable process of medical school entrance is rather ARBITRARY and SUBJECTIVE and led by people, one can expect no less than biases to exist. Thus, it would make sense for schools to exercise nepotism in the selection of candidates for admission.

Examples:

Family doctor ----> probably will accept candidate based on that fact
Musician ------> probably will accept based on this fact
Researcher ------> probably based on this acceptance

Medical schools, like most professions, follow this rule of nepotism because it provides a sense of security in the selection of people most like them. It would be foolish not to think that some members of committees don't allow for "professional courtesies" to member of this "fraternity." Forgive me ladies. Perhaps one day things will change, allowing for more diversity in personality types and backgrounds. What do you think?

 

[kapnut]

Let's be clear, "knowing someone" can mean alot of things. Bottom line the relative of a dean or a president of the university your admission is basically sealed.
Also, "making a donation" can vary, but if your dad just wrote a huge check(at least high 6 figures) numbers or not you have a huge leg up.

 

[DrBowtie]

I like this thread and agree with it's basic premise: nepotism.

Society perpetuates the have's and continues to leave out the have-nots. Since this unpredictable process of medical school entrance is rather ARBITRARY and SUBJECTIVE and led by people, one can expect no less than biases to exist. Thus, it would make sense for schools to exercise nepotism in the selection of candidates for admission.

Examples:

Family doctor ----> probably will accept candidate based on that fact
Musician ------> probably will accept based on this fact
Researcher ------> probably based on this acceptance

Medical schools, like most professions, follow this rule of nepotism because it provides a sense of security in the selection of people most like them. It would be foolish not to think that some members of committees don't allow for "professional courtesies" to member of this "fraternity." Forgive me ladies. Perhaps one day things will change, allowing for more diversity in personality types and backgrounds. What do you think?

 

[Law2Doc]

Let's be clear, "knowing someone" can mean alot of things. Bottom line the relative of a dean or a president of the university your admission is basically sealed.
Also, "making a donation" can vary, but if your dad just wrote a huge check(at least high 6 figures) numbers or not you have a huge leg up.

That's a fable. If the kid of a dean is borderline competitive (i.e. numbers close to the school's low end matriculants), then they are perhaps set, but the school isn't going to just let a 2.0/20 student into med school no matter who they know.
As for the huge check, I actually know someone whose family built a building on a major university campus (with the family name on it) and a kid in that family still didn't get into that place's undergrad. Believe it or not, some places have integrity.

 

[USArmyDoc]

It depends. If the individual is competitive, yes it will work. If people on these boards think it doesn't happen, they are sorely mistaken. I can think of two people off the top of my head that got in this way.

 

[RubRoss LSU]

I like the way this thread is going.... but let's make it more interesting.

Would you ever resort to politics and nepotism to receive admittance into your medical school of choice? Do you want med school that bad to leave all dignity and ethics behind just to become a doctor one day?

Since my stats are in the general mix of your average applicant pool, it is going to be difficult for me to become accepted (IMO of course). I believe that if I did know someone who had connections with the adcom, I would utilize that to the greatest extent. I just don't think I will have proven that I am worthy of the extensive quest for an MD behind my name.

Only time will tell....

 

[modelslashactor]

honestly I don't know if they have to be competitive. A guy from my high school, who had crummy grades and a fairly serious criminal record, got into a BS/MD direct program after his dad made a phone call.

don't lose sleep over stuff like this, it's been going on for centuries and medicine probably is less affected by it than other professions. for comparison, check out politics. can you name more than 10 people in the national government who didn't come from powerful families?

 

[Deanmonster]

I'm sure this happens more in medical school than anywhere else. After all, it's in the Hippocratic Oath:

"...To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents... and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant..."

Who you know is at least as important as what you know in our society. That's why we should be severed from our parents at birth and put into state run educational facilities. Level the playing field.

 

[Deanmonster]

As for the huge check, I actually know someone whose family built a building on a major university campus (with the family name on it) and a kid in that family still didn't get into that place's undergrad. Believe it or not, some places have integrity.

I call Shenanigans on you. Shenanigans!!!

 

[minnie2240]

Connections are a load of bull crap...

The 3 schools at which I had major connections had are 3 of the 6 that I have not gotten interviews at! I have interviews at 8 other schools all on my own.

So ya know what? It means nada.
Unless they just magically accept me no interview required.

 

[justskipee]

Connections are a load of bull crap...

The 3 schools at which I had major connections had are 3 of the 6 that I have not gotten interviews at! I have interviews at 8 other schools all on my own.

So ya know what? It means nada.
Unless they just magically accept me no interview required.

maybe your connections weren't well liked by the committee, or didn't have a strong weight at the university.

 

[minnie2240]

maybe your connections weren't well liked by the committee, or didn't have a strong weight at the university.

Maybe but I find that hard to believe. I cant reveal to which schools. But my connections gave big bucks, really really big bucks.

 

[justskipee]

Maybe but I find that hard to believe. I cant reveal to which schools. But my connections gave big bucks, really really big bucks.

Do medical schools adcoms like venison or something?

 

[USArmyDoc]

For med school, I think a good connection is someone who is the head of all education programs at the school or the dean. If you know the Dean of the school you stand a chance. Still, stats have to be good.

 

[newguy357]

I know of a person who was invited for an interview at a top 10 medical school because a parent graduated from it. The interview invite even said that was why.

 

[minnie2240]

Do medical schools adcoms like venison or something?

haha nice

 

[gary5]

Of course it happens. If your Dad donated $10M to the university, you're in. Or if you're Dad (or Mom) is head of any department in the hospital, you're in too. etc etc Welcome to life.

 

[nekrogg]

I know of a person who was invited for an interview at a top 10 medical school because a parent graduated from it. The interview invite even said that was why.

My parents graduated from a school with a top 10 med school and are now both practicing medicine. and damn straight i will completely use it to the max because i believe that i will be a good doctor and if that makes them see it then so be it.. no? lol just my selfish 2 cents

 

[newguy357]

My parents graduated from a school with a top 10 med school and are now both practicing medicine. and damn straight i will completely use it to the max because i believe that i will be a good doctor and if that makes them see it then so be it.. no? lol just my selfish 2 cents

You'll find no objection from me. I'm all for nepotism, even if I receive no benefit in the realm of medical school admissions.