are there any fat/obese medical students in your class?

[ucjffj]

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is there a bias?

 

[Back34]

No, fat / obese people are forbidden to practice medicine.

 

[ParisHilton]

Yes there are, but I think I know where you're going with this. The med school interview, like any other interview, is more or less a global first impression and being obese may subconsciously affect the impression you make. You won't show up wearing beachwear so I'm sure you can hide a few extra pounds with conservative clothing, but if you're grossly obese, you may want to do something about it (as if health reasons weren't enough). I hope I answered your question. The way I see it, med schools get thousands of applications and they're just looking for ways to eliminate people and depending on how well the interviewers know each other, they will make fun of some applicants when they leave the room.

 

[ericdamiansean]

And what if the interviewer IS fat himself/herself? Doesn't that constitute hypocrisy?

Many docs in the hospital where we go to for visits are future candidates for heart surgery, DM, liver cirrhosis etc

 

[ParisHilton]

And what if the interviewer IS fat himself/herself? Doesn't that constitute hypocrisy?

Many docs in the hospital where we go to for visits are future candidates for heart surgery, DM, liver cirrhosis etc

I agree with you a 100%. I don't think they're necessarily looking for supermodels, either, but it would help! I don't see why else the OP is asking this question. It's like asking if there are any ugly people in med school. My answer to this would be of course there are but it would help if you weren't ugly. 😀 Forget attendings - just look at cops. There's no way some of them could pass the physical if they had to retake it again.

 

[ericdamiansean]

Recently, in my country, there was a scheme to get fat cops to exercise, and if they lost weight, they were given some incentives

Try telling the top thoracic surgeon in your hospital that if he stopped drinking, we'll double his paycheck 😛

Day in and day out people are telling other people to do things/giving advice without first looking at themselves. That's one reason why I don't smoke, I'll be a hypocrite

 

[care bear]

i feel that there is definitely a 'culture of thinness' in med school. it's not like the girls really want to be thin b/c they really care about their looks, because i don't think med school girls tend to be all that high maintenance. rather, i think there are just a lot of naturally skinny people in med school and i personally think it goes along with the fact that there are a lot of type A personalities in med school.

the kind of person (me)who loves to sit around and 'smell the roses' 80% of the time, and thus has a curvier/plumper figure, might not usually generate the grades and MCAT scores necessary to make it into med school. the people who get into med school tend to be very driven people who are always on the go, who 'forget to eat' now and then , and who prioritize exercise above everything else but studying. therefore, i don't think you see a lot of overweight or even (for women) 'curvier' types in med school.

but up to a certain point, i actually don't think that would be a disadvantage in admissions. . . i think the old men on adcoms probably like women with a little meat on their bones. . .they grew up in the days when actresses sdidn't look like stick figures. 😛

 

[thackl]

Only a few heavyweights at my school. The class overall is pretty hot, but I'm married so I don't really notice 😉

 

[VienneseWaltz]

i personally think it goes along with the fact that there are a lot of type A personalities in med school.

I think that about sums it up. There are very few heavy people in our class. Not everyone is model-thin, but we have a lot of exercise freaks in our class. I think the natural health-consciousness that goes along with being in medicine (at least, until a call schedule starts wreaking havoc on your exercise and diet) also contributes. Compared to grad school, there are far fewer smokers as well.

I really think it matters very little at the interview stage, however.

 

[pocahontas]

there are definitely ppl at school are not model thin...OF COURSE! i think medical school is pretty conservative...grades, mcats, it's the numbers that really count. that plus being pleasant in an interview. human nature is human nature so it may carry over in an interview but really in the end the numbers are the top factor in selection criteria. that's at least what i think 😎

 

[starayamoskva]

We have one morbidly obese chain smoker in our class.

I know she has gotten dinged on her clinical grades because of the smoking but no one has written in the comments about her weight (at least not that she has discussed with others).

We also have our share of Calista Flockhart skeletons and a few Rubinesque girls as well. I would have to say the majority of the guys are buff but there are a couple of heavy weights of the male gender as well.

About 90% of our patients are obese with a large portion of those being morbidly obese. At one point on my surgery rotation we added up the weight of our service, with 12 patients the service tipped the scale at a whopping 5225 lbs. The smallest patient was 185 and the heaviest was 640lbs!

The thing is, if you are morbidly obese how are you supposed to counsel your patient that they need to lose weight?

Oh well, I am not on the AdComm so I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[lattimer13]

The thing is, if you are morbidly obese how are you supposed to counsel your patient that they need to lose weight?

i agree. i guess they can't.

there are a couple of obese ones in our class as well.

 

[16846]

There are a few in my class, but most of the people are extreme Type A and basically live at the gym when they aren't studying. I wonder what drives an extreme Type A personality? Having to be the best? Control?

 

[John Deere Gree]

There are tons of good looking people at my school...


too bad I'm not one of them.

 

[Xandie]

There aren't too many obviously obese people in my class, but some people that are hide it well (myself included). I agree with what people are saying about counseling someone to lose weight if you are overweight yourself, but I also think you can make recommendations and know what's best without making those choices for yourself.

Anyone ever taught someone (i.e. a little sib) to drive? I'm sure you gave them the whole thing about turn signals, stopping fully at red lights, and never speeding. We all know what we're SUPPOSED to do, but that doesn't necessarily directly correlate with our own behaviors.

Keep in mind, also, that obese people don't choose to be that way--it's a matter of lifestyle, genetics, and ingrained habits. The bottom line, I guess, is to not judge your patients or your colleagues.

 

[babyruth]

I know that at our school, everyone after the second year is skinnier or plumper, depending on your methods for dealing with stress!

Some people deal with stress, myself included, by eating more--hence the extra twenty pounds I gained since last year. It's hard to get out and exercise when I am studying all the time. When I do have the time, I would rather take a nap or just watch TV--let my brain go into slow wave for a while.

Anyone got any suggestions for losing weight for a lazy, but studious medical student? 😀

 

[mfleur]

I know that at our school, everyone after the second year is skinnier or plumper, depending on your methods for dealing with stress!

Some people deal with stress, myself included, by eating more--hence the extra twenty pounds I gained since last year. It's hard to get out and exercise when I am studying all the time. When I do have the time, I would rather take a nap or just watch TV--let my brain go into slow wave for a while.

Anyone got any suggestions for losing weight for a lazy, but studious medical student? 😀

crack....

but seriously, get off your ass and go to the gym. Trust me I'm a doctor...sort of.

 

[fourthyearmed]

I know that at our school, everyone after the second year is skinnier or plumper, depending on your methods for dealing with stress!

Some people deal with stress, myself included, by eating more--hence the extra twenty pounds I gained since last year. It's hard to get out and exercise when I am studying all the time. When I do have the time, I would rather take a nap or just watch TV--let my brain go into slow wave for a while.

Exactly! And 3rd year is bad too for gaining because during OB and Surgery you feel like you need to eat even when you are not hungry because you might have to go into a surgery and you don't want to risk being hungry and possibly feeling faint.

 

[debvz]

I'd think it would be extremely difficult to scrub into some of the more complicated, interesting, or demanding surgeries (the ones that require 3-4+ scrubbed in) if you are a morbidly obese med student, and it may limit the opportunity to do so......

 

[ericdamiansean]

Most of the people here at my place have grown horizontally, and of course, the major change would be our faces, people tend to now look older, maybe the looks come with supposed maturity 😛

 

[ericdamiansean]

There are tons of good looking people at my school...


too bad I'm not one of them.

Don't ya dare wallow in self pity!! Go get plastic surgery

 

[Sweet Tea]

We have some people who would probably qualify as being obese (or morbidly obese) in terms of BMI, but they're former weightlifters and have about 0.8% bodyfat, so I don't think that counts. I'm probably one of the heaviest people in our class; I'm 10-15 pounds overweight, however, a lot of that weight is muscle, I eat well, and I'm in the gym at least 3 times a week. For having a few extra pounds I'm in good shape. My class is very active individually, and we do a lot of sports. I'm surprised by the number of smokers we have in our class, but then again many of my classmates have families that own tobacco farms. Comes with being in this part of the country.

Greenville is one of the fattest cities in the country. Not including the undergrad population (aka, anorexics with fake boobs), the obese and morbidly obese people greatly outnumber the people who are at a healthy weight. It's inspired me to do what I can to take care of my health and be a better example for my patients. Personally, I can't tell a patient that they need to lose weight at the risk of ruining their health when I'm not doing what I can to take care of myself. But that's just me.

 

[ericdamiansean]

Former weighlifters don't count 😳

 

[ParisHilton]

Whatever happened to "do as I say, not as I do"? Patients come for your expertise; you don't necessarily have to set an example for them. If they want an example they should go see a personal trainer. If it's not our weight, what about how little sleep we get? Or drinking 10 cups of coffee a day? Or how much we smoke or drink? A lot of attendings look like hell but I would still trust them with my health.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

Exactly! And 3rd year is bad too for gaining because during OB and Surgery you feel like you need to eat even when you are not hungry because you might have to go into a surgery and you don't want to risk being hungry and possibly feeling faint.

Someone told me the opposite because on surgery he had time for neither eating nor sleeping ... I guess he never felt faint. I saw an old photo of him, and he really had lost weight.

 

[Sweet Tea]

Someone told me the opposite because on surgery he had time for neither eating nor sleeping ... I guess he never felt faint. I saw an old photo of him, and he really had lost weight.

my bf lost weight on surgery b/c he never had time to eat. i guess it's how you deal with stress and the long hours...he chose to sleep when he could instead of making up for missed meals. i have a feeling that i'm going to sacrifice sleep for food. heh. i figure that as long as it's relatively healthy food and not from the hospital caf, i should be okay.

 

[Discobolus]

I guess I fit that category. I seem to suffer from "former athlete who doesn't train anymore but loves to eat" syndrome. It helps that I'm 6'4" and very broad shouldered, but over the last few years I've turned into a fat boy. Got to lose the weight before next year for several reasons:

1. My feet
2. Fitting into normal hospital scrubs
3. Sweating. I sweat something crazy and it doesn't take much physical activity to get it started. When you have as much muscle as I do (heat generating tissue) and it's covered with a great insulator (fat) it is bound to happen.
4. Oh yeah, also my health 😀

 

[velo]

Whatever happened to "do as I say, not as I do"? Patients come for your expertise; you don't necessarily have to set an example for them. If they want an example they should go see a personal trainer. If it's not our weight, what about how little sleep we get? Or drinking 10 cups of coffee a day? Or how much we smoke or drink? A lot of attendings look like hell but I would still trust them with my health.

Yeah....but most if not all of the patients you counsel to lose weight are there for other reasons, often health problems related to their weight, and don't want to be told that they have to drop those extra tens of pounds. I understand your argument, but in reality if the doctor is overweight him/herself the patient is much more likely to blow off the advice. "That doctor don't know what he's talking about, he's fat himself, where's he get off telling me to lose weight. 'Sides, I can just take these pills for my sweet blood..."

I'm not even saying that your ability as a physician is compromised by being obese, but it does weaken your creadibility when counseling patients about their weight IMO.

As for the OP, yeah I never really thought about it, but almost all our class is thin and active...I guess one or two are kind of plump, but I don't think anyone would qualify as obese. The other patrons at the Steak and Shake yesterday on the other hand......wow.....

 

[ParisHilton]

I understand your argument, but in reality if the doctor is overweight him/herself the patient is much more likely to blow off the advice. "That doctor don't know what he's talking about, he's fat himself, where's he get off telling me to lose weight. 'Sides, I can just take these pills for my sweet blood..."

You know what? After a few years of practice (residency?) I really don't think a doctor could give 2 hoots whether or not the patient follows his advice. After years of counseling people to quit smoking and then 5 minutes later watching them light up in the parking lot, it's only a matter of time before you become jaded and just practice to pay the bills making sure to CYA in case of a lawsuit. I hope I don't get to that point, but that's what I see in attendings far too often.

 

[Blade28]

Someone told me the opposite because on surgery he had time for neither eating nor sleeping ... I guess he never felt faint. I saw an old photo of him, and he really had lost weight.

Yeah, that's what I found during my third-year and fourth-year surgery rotations...rushed breakfasts (if at all), many skipped lunches...this all equates to unwanted weight loss. I'm sure the stress and hectic nature of the service contributes as well.

 

[Gerg]

There's one big guy in the class above me, and I'm the one big guy in my class, so I think that each class might have to have one. I don't know if there is any bias against large people, but I want to lose weight for health reasons. (I'm 330+ and 6'0")

No Adcoms listed my weight as a reason for rejecting me, and I found that I'm really really really happy at my medical school.

Gerg

 

[Tiki]

Yeah....but most if not all of the patients you counsel to lose weight are there for other reasons, often health problems related to their weight, and don't want to be told that they have to drop those extra tens of pounds. I understand your argument, but in reality if the doctor is overweight him/herself the patient is much more likely to blow off the advice. "That doctor don't know what he's talking about, he's fat himself, where's he get off telling me to lose weight. 'Sides, I can just take these pills for my sweet blood..."

I'm not even saying that your ability as a physician is compromised by being obese, but it does weaken your creadibility when counseling patients about their weight IMO.

As for the OP, yeah I never really thought about it, but almost all our class is thin and active...I guess one or two are kind of plump, but I don't think anyone would qualify as obese. The other patrons at the Steak and Shake yesterday on the other hand......wow.....

I disagree with this and I'll tell you why. As someone who has lost a significant amount of weight and still has about fifty pounds to go, I can relate to the patients in a way that a skinny-all-my-life person never will be able to. When I talk to the patients, I will be talking to them from experience. They'll know that I'm not some naturally skinny person who has never understood or experienced the many issues that come from being an obese person, and therefore I believe I will be able to connect with them on a level that many of my more svelte colleagues won't.

 

[velo]

I disagree with this and I'll tell you why. As someone who has lost a significant amount of weight and still has about fifty pounds to go, I can relate to the patients in a way that a skinny-all-my-life person never will be able to. When I talk to the patients, I will be talking to them from experience. They'll know that I'm not some naturally skinny person who has never understood or experienced the many issues that come from being an obese person, and therefore I believe I will be able to connect with them on a level that many of my more svelte colleagues won't.

Hey, congrats on losing that weight! I see your point, I guess in my mind I'm imagining a physicain who is obese and not motivated to drop the weight. Its hard to take advice from an expert who ignores his own advise. In your case, you can tell them that you've been losing weight, empathize with their situation, and probably have a better chance of successfully counseling them. But I feel like a physician who's overweight and doesn't care would have a harder time selling them on losing weight...

 

[Tiki]

Hey, congrats on losing that weight! I see your point, I guess in my mind I'm imagining a physicain who is obese and not motivated to drop the weight. Its hard to take advice from an expert who ignores his own advise. In your case, you can tell them that you've been losing weight, empathize with their situation, and probably have a better chance of successfully counseling them. But I feel like a physician who's overweight and doesn't care would have a harder time selling them on losing weight...

Thanks!! 🙂

I see your point about the obese physician who doesn't care... Personally, I can't understand why someone would not want to lose weight after going through the medical school curriculum. I haven't even been at school for a month and I've already been scared out of eating cookies from biochemistry class. I keep hearing my prof yell about calories and increased reactive oxygen species damaging my DNA. 😀

 

[JattMed]

Exactly! And 3rd year is bad too for gaining because during OB and Surgery you feel like you need to eat even when you are not hungry because you might have to go into a surgery and you don't want to risk being hungry and possibly feeling faint.

I cannot do that (eat before surgery) I have this nasty gastro-colic reflex (that kicks in very soon after eating (5-20 minutes)). Heck I'd need a toilet at the foot of the table.

 

[carrigallen]

One of the moderators of SDN, ussdefiant, who is a 3rd year student at Temple, was +400 lbs before he received a gastric bypass surgery.

He posted this information a few months ago, so I believe it is ok to share it.

 

[luckygirl]

There are no obese people in my M1 class - but certainly a few that are overweight. I have to agree with the "Type A personality" arguement! Although we have only been in class for a few weeks - let's see how we look 1 year from now!

 

[Blade28]

I wouldn't say there are any "obese" people in our class...maybe just a couple that could stand to lose a few pounds for health reasons. In general, though, it's quite a fit class.

The stress and hectic lifestyle of med school will affect students differently. Some remain constantly busy, never have time to eat, and drop the pounds like crazy. Others snack all the time (as they study, on call, whenever), or eat when they're studying/depressed.

 

[care bear]

I wouldn't say there are any "obese" people in our class...maybe just a couple that could stand to lose a few pounds for health reasons. In general, though, it's quite a fit class.

The stress and hectic lifestyle of med school will affect students differently. Some remain constantly busy, never have time to eat, and drop the pounds like crazy. Others snack all the time (as they study, on call, whenever), or eat when they're studying/depressed.

this is getting off topic from the thread, but. . .

i wonder if there's a way to predict how easily you'll gain weight when you're older. i'm 22 and not skinny, i'm a size 6-8 with a tall but curvy body. i also tend to eat when i'm stressed. . .and i never really exercise except to walk.

i wish there was some computer program that could show you yourself in 20 years if you continue such & such habits. . .and then let you plug in different habits and see the revised picture. . .that'd be really neat!

 

[citygirl]

A few overweight (me included) in our class but no one obese.

I think in general "pretty" people do better when there is some type of subjective evaluation like job or other interviews. It may be largely unconscious on behalf of the interviewer but it's there.

 

[UnskinnyBop]

I disagree with the above statement. I'm a post-bac, and the advising people keep telling me I should probably wear glasses and dye my blonde hair when I go for my interviews because people will assume I'm stupid. In my undergrad (compsci/math major), the profs called me Computer Science Barbie and didn't take me seriously at all. I think there's just as much bias, in academic situations, against attractive people.


Pardon the vanity of the above... I promise I don't run around thinking I'm "hot stuff" all the time!!! 😉

 

[Blake]

A few overweights ( like 5% ), but no obese people.

 

[velo]

I disagree with the above statement. I'm a post-bac, and the advising people keep telling me I should probably wear glasses and dye my blonde hair when I go for my interviews because people will assume I'm stupid. In my undergrad (compsci/math major), the profs called me Computer Science Barbie and didn't take me seriously at all. I think there's just as much bias, in academic situations, against attractive people.


Pardon the vanity of the above... I promise I don't run around thinking I'm "hot stuff" all the time!!! 😉

well I guess being attractive is just your cross to bear.... 😉

 

[16846]

well I guess being attractive is just your cross to bear.... 😉

🙄

The eyes on this smiley don't roll back far enough.

 

[ParisHilton]

In my undergrad (compsci/math major), the profs called me Computer Science Barbie and didn't take me seriously at all. I think there's just as much bias, in academic situations, against attractive people.

Me too! Except I was known as Comp Sci Ken. I think if you're both attractive and smart it's like too much to handle for some people.

Sincerely,
Bill Gates

 

[UnskinnyBop]

Oh people, don't hate me because I'm beautiful! It's hard work getting up every day, fixing my hair, plucking my eyebrows, painting my toenails, and choosing just the right shade of pink lipgloss. People don't know how tough we have it, Bill Gates!
Love,
Anna Nicole Smith

 

[azzarah]

I don't think being thin or fat or ugly or beautiful is going to make a huge difference. Heck, I went to all my med school interviews with a pierced nose (with a stud), but I still got in at most of the schools I applied to.

 

[citygirl]

I disagree with the above statement. I'm a post-bac, and the advising people keep telling me I should probably wear glasses and dye my blonde hair when I go for my interviews because people will assume I'm stupid. In my undergrad (compsci/math major), the profs called me Computer Science Barbie and didn't take me seriously at all. I think there's just as much bias, in academic situations, against attractive people.


Pardon the vanity of the above... I promise I don't run around thinking I'm "hot stuff" all the time!!! 😉

That's why I said "in general". Of course there are situations where it can backfire. Being female (of any degree of attractiveness) can be a negative in the academic world, especially in fields that are relatively male-dominated. Things are changing but there is always going to be some kind of bias out there. The only thing that really hurts or helps you in an interview is what is going on in the head of the person that is interviewing you and you can't plan for that.

 

[CrazyPremed]

I guess I fit that category. I seem to suffer from "former athlete who doesn't train anymore but loves to eat" syndrome. It helps that I'm 6'4" and very broad shouldered, but over the last few years I've turned into a fat boy. Got to lose the weight before next year for several reasons:

1. My feet
2. Fitting into normal hospital scrubs
3. Sweating. I sweat something crazy and it doesn't take much physical activity to get it started. When you have as much muscle as I do (heat generating tissue) and it's covered with a great insulator (fat) it is bound to happen.
4. Oh yeah, also my health 😀

Man, you must have taken a page from the story of my life! (I'm only 6' 3", but I'm still growing!)

 

[kappasigMD41]

is there a bias?

They have to roll me into class in a wheel barrel. I got in, so I guess the answer is no, there is no bias. However, all the kids laugh and point at me. My mom said it was okay though, since I'm a special boy who is just has particularly large glands. 🙂