Alumni Influence

[danib2k15]

How influential is having a relative (parent) attend a medical school? If you received an II from this school does it mean they cut you some slack? Just curious

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[Ismet]

It'll likely get you an interview. If your stats are well below the average for that school, then you can assume some slack was cut. You still have to prove yourself though.

 

[danib2k15]

Thanks @Ismet, would you say that's the case across the board? Or would, say a top 10 med school, handle that differently?

 

[Ismet]

Thanks @Ismet, would you say that's the case across the board? Or would, say a top 10 med school, handle that differently?

I'd say generally, it will get you an interview. If your relative is a big-wig (aka a dean), it may get you farther, though I'm sure this is on a case-by-case and school-by-school basis. And of course this is all assuming that the applicant is relatively competitive in the first place.

There have been "legacy" applicants that bomb their interview and get rejected.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

lol is that really a thing in the US? Canada is soooo not like that.....

 

[NotASerialKiller]

lol is that really a thing in the US? Canada is soooo not like that.....

I've heard stories about Queen's...

 

[nwts]

How influential is having a relative (parent) attend a medical school? If you received an II from this school does it mean they cut you some slack? Just curious

I'm not sure since I'm not on an adcom, but I have read that having a parent who went to a medical school isn't very helpful at many schools these days. At some schools, your parents would need to be donating a lot of money for you to even get a courtesy interview. It's probably school-dependent, though.

 

[danib2k15]

I'm not sure since I'm not on an adcom, but I have read that having a parent who went to a medical school isn't very helpful at many schools these days. At some schools, your parents would need to be donating a lot of money for you to even get a courtesy interview. It's probably school-dependent, though.

Thanks!

 

[nwts]

Thanks!

You're welcome! Best of luck in your applications!

 

[ConfusedChemist]

I've heard stories about Queen's...

ahaha I have actually heard of this too....as in I know of a couple such students attending this year. Not quite as blatant, but it's there

 

[GrapesofRath]

From the school I have a neighbor who's been on the admissions committee for 20 years his wording is that alumni/parental connections can do 1 of a few things for their specific school. Emphasis on this specific school, n=1, and all that good stuff.

a) They can give you a courtesy interview, particularly if your parent is a significant name or kept up their ties to the school. If your stats clearly aren't good enough(ie a 3.5/31 applying to a top 20 school which is an example of a courtesy interview) you will go on the wait list pile soon after your interview.
b) They can push someone who would have been qualified enough for a II without their connections from the wait-list to the accepted pile. Ie at this top school, a person with a 3.86/36 who was good enough to get a II but didn't wow at the interview and probably would have been headed for the waitlist otherwise now could easily end up in the acceptance pile due to that connection.
c) For your 3.7/34 applicant who is pretty qualified but not quite good enough(note this is for top 20 schools which is where the ADCOM I'm referring to works for) to get a II, they can get a II from a parental alumni connection. And if they get a II and they have those stats, at this school as I was described they won't automatically put them in the waitlist pile like they might with a courtesy interview from a 3.6/31. Hence, you can get a II when you probably wouldn't have otherwise and if you really impress them, you can land in the acceptance pile.

Note a TON of this varies by the influence and significance of your parent and their connection to the school. That's why I was a bit hesitant to list those three scenarios as each case of this is so variable and it will work differently at each school, but this at least provides a rough estimate at one specific school.

 

[WFU2015]

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[Ismet]

This is slightly on topic, but can anyone comment on this scenario? I'm just curious if it will help me get an interview or what

My friend's dad (not my dad) is head of orthopedics in a med school I applied to and also president of a hospital affiliated with the school. He wrote me a letter of rec and I submitted it to that school only.

Will this help me or was it pretty much pointless since he's not actually my family? I'm afraid it might look like I was just name dropping by submitting the letter and am almost regretting it now. Over reacting?

(Sorry for the quick thread hijack OP!)

Did your friend's dad directly observe you doing something? Volunteering? Shadowing? Even if you wanted to use it as a "character letter," he needed to have worked with you or observed you doing something more than just being a good friend to his kid. Otherwise I think it starts to raise eyebrows about name dropping.

 

[Fedekz]

This is slightly on topic, but can anyone comment on this scenario? I'm just curious if it will help me get an interview or what

My friend's dad (not my dad) is head of orthopedics in a med school I applied to and also president of a hospital affiliated with the school. He wrote me a letter of rec and I submitted it to that school only.

Will this help me or was it pretty much pointless since he's not actually my family? I'm afraid it might look like I was just name dropping by submitting the letter and am almost regretting it now. Over reacting?

(Sorry for the quick thread hijack OP!)

Probably depends on who reviews your application and if they know of him. If they recognize him I imagine it would have a positive effect on your app.

 

[WFU2015]

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[Goro]

At my school, these usually lead to a polite interview, which will be followed by a polite wait-listing, and later on by a polite rejection.

How influential is having a relative (parent) attend a medical school? If you received an II from this school does it mean they cut you some slack? Just curious

 

[Seth Joo]

How influential is having a relative (parent) attend a medical school? If you received an II from this school does it mean they cut you some slack? Just curious

Not sure about it, but I knew a medical student at the university where I received my undergraduate degree, his father was a high level professor in the medical school, so I wonder if that played a role in him getting in that school, but I think he was actually quite brilliant himself, so his father passed on his genes to his son.

I think being a child of alumni does not have the same bearing for medical school as it does for undergraduate.

 

[gyngyn]

This is slightly on topic, but can anyone comment on this scenario? I'm just curious if it will help me get an interview or what

My friend's dad (not my dad) is head of orthopedics in a med school I applied to and also president of a hospital affiliated with the school. He wrote me a letter of rec and I submitted it to that school only.

Will this help me or was it pretty much pointless since he's not actually my family? I'm afraid it might look like I was just name dropping by submitting the letter and am almost regretting it now. Over reacting?

(Sorry for the quick thread hijack OP!)

This is one of the reasons we pay so little attention to physician letters.
They are often friends of the family. This is still not as bad as Moms that write "LOE's"under their work (maiden) name.

 

[WFU2015]

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[Anomandaris]

This is one of the reasons we pay so little attention to physician letters.
They are often friends of the family. This is still not as bad as Moms that write "LOE's"under their work (maiden) name.

Wait, sorry, what?! Is this in particular for your school, or in general? I shadowed an internal/ER/peds physician for quite a while and he wrote me a really strong letter (so I'm told) and I was really hoping that would make a big impact... And a lot of schools I applied to specifically asked for a physician letter. I'm confused now haha

 

[Seth Joo]

I


In most schools, letter of evaluation from professors who taught you in a class are needed first. Letters from PI next. Last are letters from physician. Since most students shadow in a pretty casual way and physicians tend to write positive but somewhat vague or information not germane for your academic ability, they are not that impactful.

Schools require them anyway but the OP was asking if being a child of an alumni would make any positive impact as an applicant. To me I doubt it unless that alumni was donating a large sum of money to the school.

 

[Goro]

You tawkin tome?

In NY we have had on occasion not be so polite about it, you gotta a problem with that?

 

[Goro]

It won't help. MD LORs are routinely considered to be "fluff".

This is slightly on topic, but can anyone comment on this scenario? I'm just curious if it will help me get an interview or what

My friend's dad (not my dad) is head of orthopedics in a med school I applied to and also president of a hospital affiliated with the school. He wrote me a letter of rec and I submitted it to that school only.

Will this help me or was it pretty much pointless since he's not actually my family? I'm afraid it might look like I was just name dropping by submitting the letter and am almost regretting it now. Over reacting?

(Sorry for the quick thread hijack OP!)

 

[Anomandaris]

I


In most schools, letter of evaluation from professors who taught you in a class are needed first. Letters from PI next. Last are letters from physician. Since most students shadow in a pretty casual way and physicians tend to write positive but somewhat vague or information not germane for your academic ability, they are not that impactful.

What about for non-trad's who have been out of school for a while? I'm not that old, but I graduated college early from a giant public school and most of my professors don't even remember anymore (heck, one of them who promised to write me a letter even retired). If a school specifies for non-trads that a physician letter is a good substitute, can I safely assume they might hold a different opinion? Most schools I applied to said if you've been out of school for a few years, they prefer letters from work supervisors, physicians shadowed, etc. Essentially people who have known you more recently.

 

[Seth Joo]

That was the OP, the updated question was about a strong LOR from a physician.

A strong letter would help, one that sounds like the physician was doing it as a favor would not, even letters from former professors that are not singing praises about you won't do much either. It tends to be a factor in the admissions process that is kind of out of the applicant's control. Things like grades, MCAT scores, extra-curricular activities, personal statements, are things in the applicant's control. I think most admissions committee members probably know this already.

 

[gyngyn]

Wait, sorry, what?! Is this in particular for your school, or in general? I shadowed an internal/ER/peds physician for quite a while and he wrote me a really strong letter (so I'm told) and I was really hoping that would make a big impact... And a lot of schools I applied to specifically asked for a physician letter. I'm confused now haha

Undergraduate schools seem to request clinician letters as part of their committee letter (apparently to assure that some clinical contact has happened).
MD schools consider shadowing letters fluff.
Utah and AZ request "clinical letters" most of the rest of us could do without them. Just put it in your Activities section.

DO schools do love a DO letter, though.

 

[Anomandaris]

Undergraduate schools seem to request these letters as part of their committee letter (apparently to assure that some clinical contact has happened).
MD schools consider shadowing letters fluff.
Utah and AZ request "clinical letters" most of the rest of us could do without them. Just put it in your Activities section.

DO schools do love a DO letter, though.

Well that's disheartening... Sad that these letters are all blanketed under a single generalization...

 

[GrapesofRath]

I believe Rosalind Franklin also wants a letter from someone in the "medical profession" and often times shadowing letters work fine for this. So add that school to the list of "those who want clinical letters".

 

[Goro]

DO schools like them not because of the glowing things doctors say (and doctors seem to be incapable of saying anything bad about an applicant), but because they show us that you're done your homework in actively seeking out a DO.

Well that's disheartening... Sad that these letters are all blanketed under a single generalization...

 

[Anomandaris]

Alright then... pardon me while I go /wrists LOL. Just kidding. Not really. Yes.

Guess I've been lied to my whole life ahahahahahaha

 

[Holmwood]

Alright then... pardon me while I go /wrists LOL. Just kidding. Not really. Yes.

Guess I've been lied to my whole life ahahahahahaha

If your parent is a doctor or faculty, they're able to provide you with better information on how to best build your application from very early in your academic career anyway. That's an advantage most applicants don't have, which puts you ahead of alot of applicants from the getgo.

 

[Anomandaris]

If your parent is a doctor or faculty, they're able to provide you with better information on how to best build your application from very early in your academic career anyway. That's an advantage most applicants don't have, which puts you ahead of alot of applicants from the getgo.

Well, unfortunately, no one in my family was in any position to provide guidance regarding medicine, in the U.S. anyway. Also literally have no family in the U.S. at all. Was grasping at straws through HS to be honest. Most the med students/my horribly useless pre-med advisor/other physicians I spoke with all told me a physician letter is good since they've been through the whole system here and have a better inkling regarding what qualities in a person would make a good physician. Apparently I was misled, but hey, it's too late now!!

EDIT: I meant no other family beyond my immediate family. Heck, I wasn't even born here.