Conservativism?

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acretinmelon

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Somewhere bogged down in the endless debate about affirmative action, quotas, etc., I noticed a comment about a conservative student scapegoating blah blah blah...

I'm not writing to comment on that whole debate but to pose a separate question: Do you think the med school admissions environment is hostile to conservatives?

I'm secretary of my school's College Republicans club this year and plan to be president in the next two years. I'm involved with a lot of other stuff, no MCAT scores yet, decent grades...but my question is, should I not mention the Republican stuff on applications? I'm not hardcore. I don't bomb abortion clinics. I don't even like W that much. I just live in an extreeeeeemely liberal state.


Thoughts?
 
Perhaps but then again most of the physicians I know are staunch republicans.
 
I actually think that many school would prefer conservatives over liberals. I think that med schools are all into this "tradition" thing, and I feel that the whole entire medicine field is kind of resistant to any change, in terms of the way things are done.
 
Originally posted by acretinmelon
Somewhere bogged down in the endless debate about affirmative action, quotas, etc., I noticed a comment about a conservative student scapegoating blah blah blah...

I'm not writing to comment on that whole debate but to pose a separate question: Do you think the med school admissions environment is hostile to conservatives?

I'm secretary of my school's College Republicans club this year and plan to be president in the next two years. I'm involved with a lot of other stuff, no MCAT scores yet, decent grades...but my question is, should I not mention the Republican stuff on applications? I'm not hardcore. I don't bomb abortion clinics. I don't even like W that much. I just live in an extreeeeeemely liberal state.


Thoughts?
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Just try not to sound like the former SDN poster who posted this on MDapplicants.com:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

http://mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=862
 
I agree, most doctors are republicans. Then again, I think most academics are democrats. So what party are academic physicians? Beats me.
 
I think you'll be alright to list it in your EC's. I'd say you just need to avoid espousing any extreme viewpoints in the interviews and such. Show your diplomatic face to them.

Good luck!🙂
 
Originally posted by Cerberus
Just try not to sound like the former SDN poster who posted this on MDapplicants.com:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

http://mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=862
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Please tell me this is not who I think it is...


I didn't know pre-med students were ranked nationwide. :laugh: Something tells me his gpa and his attitude were his downfall, not his race. 🙄
 
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I think if you have ideas (even non progressive) that are based on reason then fine. If you say something like "abortion is wrong cause God told me so" then you will get in trouble.

The other thing that schools look (i think) is how well you will fit in with the rest of the class. Nowadays med schools are extremely diverse. They don't want someone coming on and offending their Asian/African-American/Gay/whatever students.

If you are applying to WashU there are 4 gay people in the adcom. I would be VERY carefull if you have an anti-gay agenta and you through in something like "we are all sinners" 😛 .
 
Talking about politics is generally not a good idea. I see your conflict though, since you've put some time into your school club and would naturally want to talk about that in your application.

You know what, I still wouldn't talk about it... that's just me.
 
I have been wrestling with the same issue as well. I'm a member of my College Republican organization and I will probably get elected to an office this year. However, when it comes to applying and interviewing at medical schools, I will omit any reference to membership in a campus political organization. I want to be accepted/declined based upon my merits and not on what political and religious views I hold. It really irks me how 'political' medicine is becoming.

As a side note, I'm a member of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and I'm disgusted with their blatant leftist/socialist agenda. When I joined I thought the organization's purpose was to aid us in becoming better physicians, NOT to solely promote socialized medicine. I would love for them to print an article with a dissenting opinion on the medical-political issues they champion. But, of course, that will never happen.

I can't wait to get into medical school so I can "come out" as a Republican. :laugh: Oh the irony!
 
you really do not have to hide your views. as long as you aren't militant or disrespectful, admissions comittees are not going to reject you if you're a republican! if you have spent a lot of time and energy and are really involved in an organization, you should include it in your application (unless it's the local chapter of the kkk - that's something you probably wouldn't want to include...). but seriously, the admissions committee are looking for people who will be able to respect, care for, and empathize with future patients - not all your patients are going to be liberals! i highly doubt you would ever have any trouble if you include it on your application. you may get questions that relate to if/how your political views would translate into patient care (ie, would you feel uncomfortable treating a gay patient), so be prepared for that.

being fairly liberal myself, i would be really upset if my entire class thought the same way i did - it would make our discussions in clinical ethics so boring! if you have to rationalize why republicans would be admitted, think of it as increasing the diversity of the class - like AA for right-wingers. 😉
 
Well, look at this way, if they do discriminate against you, it's probably not the kind of place you would want to go to anyways.

"How come you have a Reagan poster on your door? Are you some kind of Nazi?"

That's the typical response here at my school. I wonder everyday whether this place is worth the $40,000 each year. And even if it is now, I wonder if it will be so 10 years from now after my classmates are out in the world and dragging my school's already tarnished name further into the dirt with their leftist ignorance.

Although, I guess it's not that much better elsewhere judging by some of the posts here. "Gee, I guess it's OK to say you're a Republican. As long as you're not in the KKK as well." :laugh:

<-- College Republican Treasurer, Mastermind of the Vast Rightwing conspiracy
 
Originally posted by ShantanuThakur
"Gee, I guess it's OK to say you're a Republican. As long as you're not in the KKK as well."
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Gosh how ironic. I wonder if they have ever heard of Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV)?
 
91Bravo : A person that truly believes in something isn't afraid of showing it in public. It shows great weakness of character to deny your beliefs just for the sake of being admitted to a school.

Originally posted by ShantanuThakur
"How come you have a Reagan poster on your door? Are you some kind of Nazi?"
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I am surprised that you are your suprised by the reaction of your classmates, considering the response of Reagan to the HIV crisis of the early 80s and the length of time it took him to EVEN MENTION the words "AIDS" and "homosexual". When your president overlooks your right to life and proper healthcare then YES you have every single right to question the sanity of any person that puts his poster on his door. The republican agenta clashes with the right to life and FREEDOM of many fellow Americans. So why do you wonder when they protest and question it ?
 
Originally posted by Tezzie
The republican agenta clashes with the right to life and FREEDOM of many fellow Americans. So why do you wonder when they protest and question it ?
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As an admirer of President Reagan, let me be the first to concede that he did an awful job on AIDS. He failed a great many people, and too many Americans. However, to condemn what was a great Presidency and a great President, and furthermore to trample upon the party of Lincoln is both immature and irresponsible. The GOP is the party that seeks to recognize the true sanctity of all lives, be they black or white, young or old, born or unborn. You need to be more restrained with your rhetoric and demagoguery.
 
Ronald Reagan was the country's health minister back in the 80's? I had no idea.

I suppose it would have been better, if like Bill Clinton, he had promised around reelection time that "a cure for AIDS will be found in the next 10 years." You know, something any President can - and should - easily deliver. It was Ronald Reagan's lack of lip service to the AIDS crisis - something obviously on everyone's mind - that cost him Minnesota in 1984. I mean, what the hell is wrong with people in the other 49 states?

But you're right, Republicans are evil. They're against freedom, liberty, and in favor of HIV. All part of the conspiracy my friend.
 
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Originally posted by ShantanuThakur
Ronald Reagan was the country's health minister back in the 80's? I had no idea.

I suppose it would have been better, if like Bill Clinton, he had promised around election time that "a cure for AIDS will be found in the next 10 years." You know, something any President can - and should - easily deliver.

But you're right, Republicans are evil. They're against freedom, liberty, and in favor of HIV. All part of the conspiracy my friend.
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Why address the issue at hand when you can just make smart-a$$ remarks?

Don't pretend as though liberals get congratulatory trophies when they speak their viewpoints. The real problem is this stupid 'us against them' mentality that is so endemic in our political dialogue. We're all in this together, and this football mentlity will be--and is--the death of the democratic republic.
 
Originally posted by ankitovich
The GOP is the party that seeks to recognize the true sanctity of all lives, be they black or white, young or old, born or unborn.
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Really? Then why is it that every now and then there are members of GOP making racist comments? Look at Santorum and the response of G.W to his highly offensive comments towards homosexuals. Or how about the theocratic BS that GW said a few months ago ("we are all sinners") ?

And no. I refuse to overlook Reagans "mistake" during the HIV crisis. That "mistake" cost thousands of people their lives. So please stop telling me about the GOPs respect for human life.

I am going into medicine and my goal is to provide the best healthcare for every person. Not those who are just like me.

T.

PS. Although i am liberal i do point out mistakes of Democrats...
 
Originally posted by Tezzie
Look at Santorum and the response of G.W to his highly offensive comments towards homosexuals.
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Do you even know what Senator Santorum actually said? In case you don't here it is:

"If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual (gay) sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything..."

This is his opinion, and I do not see anything offensive in that. He is not imposing it on anybody, and he is as entitled to an opinion as anybody, even if he doesn't agree with you. The same goes for the President. Neither have ever done a thing to trample on the rights of any American, gay or straight. So long as they do not do this, they can say whatever they want, because you need to remember that free speech applies to them just as much as it does to you or I.

Although i am liberal i do point out mistakes of Democrats...
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Good to know. So I can trust that you will not overlook all that Governor Bill Clinton did in the 1980s to aid and abet the spread of the same disease.
 
Liberals make anti-homosexual slurs all the time, here's an article on some recent ones:

http://www.cornellreview.org/nsogart.cgi?num=145

And Robert Byrd, when asked about his opinion on race relations a couple of years back on national TV, blamed the problem on "white *******". He's the highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, BTW.

Cruz Bustamente (the front-runner in the Calif. gubernatorial campaign) used the n-word when addressing a California African-American organization a few years ago. Gee, I guess he's never used that before. Now the NAACP is kissing his ass.

Former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, after she lost her own primary race, blamed the problem on Jews. "That's J-E-W-S!!!"

'Course, they're Democrats. When they do it, it's all in good humor :laugh:

Seriously though, I'm a minority member, I've been a Republican since I came to this country, and I've found the Republican party to be quite accepting of minorities. I don't need to hear your ignorant, whackass claims about how the Republican party is oppressing me. +pissed+

If anything, I'll be doing the oppressing. Tee hee. 😀

Getting back to Reagan, what would you have had him do? Make some ridiculous promises like Clinton did to appease voters who care about AIDS related issues? Yeah, that would have been real honorable. I believe the less the government interferes in healthcare, the better. Ronald Reagan believed something to the same effect, and that's why he was such a great President. :clap:
 
To the OP:
I would recommend letting the schools know about your leadership position. Thats what they are looking for....LEADERSHIP!!! Then if it does come up during an interview, let them know that you respect others opinions in politics and can understand some of the views (debate issues🙂 ), yet have your own as well. Let them know you are a mature individual who believes in the basic rights given to us as Americans. Do not attack anyone for his or her beliefs (like is being done on this thread) as they have the right to theirs.
For the rest of the name callers/finger pointers out there: grow up. I am a Registered Republican. I know the party has its long list of problems, and I have my issues with many of the stances too. The Democrats have a long list of problems as well. But to sit here and finger point does nothing....only causes most of the public to become more apathetic in politics (look at the current voter turnout trends). The majority of the people that are serious about politics are the fringe....that 20-30%of the population who will ALWAYS vote R and the 20-30% who will ALWAYS vote D. But the 40-60% ????? are sick of the finger pointing and dont care.
stomper
 
to address the original post, go ahead and mention it, but don't preach. as some have said, although 90% of the physicians i've met are stridently conservative, the people you'll meet in academia are almost polar opposties...

But you're right, Republicans are evil. They're against freedom, liberty, and in favor of HIV. All part of the conspiracy my friend.
Click to expand...

:laugh: :laugh:
When your president overlooks your right to life and proper healthcare then YES you have every single right to question the sanity of any person that puts his poster on his door. The republican agenta clashes with the right to life and FREEDOM of many fellow Americans.
Click to expand...

holy cow, that's a wee bit melodramatic...


if you have to rationalize why republicans would be admitted, think of it as increasing the diversity of the class - like AA for right-wingers.
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pwrpfgrl, that statement is PRICELESS😀
 
Originally posted by ShantanuThakur
Liberals make anti-homosexual slurs all the time, here's an article on some recent ones:

http://www.cornellreview.org/nsogart.cgi?num=145
Click to expand...

Not that I want to get involved in this debate right now...but I have to dis the Cornell Review. If anyone at Cornell actually reads that paper, it's just for humor's sake. It's a student-published paper that has the most ultra-conservative, biased reporting I've ever seen, which I guess is fair given that the one paper that is actually decent at Cornell (the Daily Sun) has a decidedly liberal stance, but I wouldn't cite the Review in any serious debate. All the Review publishes is thinly veiled far-right-wing propaganda.

OK, end of rant...let the debate continue!😀
 
Regan was a Nazi?

Nazi: Government control in all aspects of a persons life

Regan: Deregulated the govenment to keep it close to the people

Nazi: As socialist as it comes

Regan: As far from socialism as it gets

Nazi: Worshipped pagen gods and gods of war

Regan: Christian

Nazi: wants to rule the world

Regan: Brought about the fall of communism in the Soviet Union

Nazi: No respect for human life wether unborn, handicapped
or differnt race

Regan: Recognizes the sanctity of all life... even the unborn

Nazi: Believes in the supremency of the arian

Regan: Believes that preference should never be given based on
race. (Thus not a fan of affirmative action. How radical!)

The above should liven the debate but please keep it civil. Lets argue like people in search of truth instead of people wishing to impose our will on others.
 
Originally posted by Finn
Regan was a Nazi?
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Nobody on this forum accused Reagan of being a Nazi--you are arguing with shadows, my friend. Extremism is the greatist threat to the state of republican democracy that we all value. Let's stop painting these ridiculous black and white pictures!!! Even with the article from the Cornell Review--why does the author use the words liberal and democrat interchangeably?


Everytime someone tries to point out a misdeed on the part of a public official, some jackass goes and cites a misdeed on the part of an official from "the other party." How does this excuse anything? More importantly, how does this solve anything?
 
Originally posted by Thundrstorm
Please tell me this is not who I think it is...


I didn't know pre-med students were ranked nationwide. :laugh: Something tells me his gpa and his attitude were his downfall, not his race. 🙄
Click to expand...
And the GPA and MCAT were nothing special, I know a lot of SDN posters that have him beat hands down, if we were really ranked on a national system.🙄
 
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Originally posted by Tezzie

And no. I refuse to overlook Reagans "mistake" during the HIV crisis. That "mistake" cost thousands of people their lives. So please stop telling me about the GOPs respect for human life.
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Actually the mistake that cost thousands of people their lives is our apparant inability to practice safe sex.
The problem with the blood supply was a tragedy, but they didn't even have any idea what aids was or how it was transmitted so I wouldn't call it a mistake.
Seriously, we all need to take responsibility for our own actions, and stop thinking that we're immortal. If you practice unsafe sex, you are risking your own life and that of your partner. End of story.
 
i agree with stomper; let them know about your leadership experiences. Being an "open conservative" should lead to some interesting conversations about accessibility of health care as many of your interviews will probably lean left. That's not to say all do, in college I was a member of a group that showed support for GLBT students and I was questioned about that at interviews-some not so nicely. In short, i wouldn't worry about someone holding your political views against you (unless you're crazy exteme but then you probably wouldn't get an interview 😉
 
Does anybody have any reputable reference that backs up the statement "The majority of doctors are conservative?" It isn't that I'm doubting it; so many people, liberal and conservative alike, say this that I assume it is at least likely to be true. But I can't find any data to support it. Anybody have anything?
 
Originally posted by 91Bravo
I have been wrestling with the same issue as well. I'm a member of my College Republican organization and I will probably get elected to an office this year. However, when it comes to applying and interviewing at medical schools, I will omit any reference to membership in a campus political organization. I want to be accepted/declined based upon my merits and not on what political and religious views I hold. It really irks me how 'political' medicine is becoming.

As a side note, I'm a member of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and I'm disgusted with their blatant leftist/socialist agenda.
...
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I'm a liberal (what this person would probably call a "leftist/socialist"), having been involved extensively in the Green Party over the past few years, and even running for office. But I am not putting that on any of my applications. I am trying to stay away from discussions of politics on my essays, although the admissions committees will probably be able to guess, based on the essays. In a way, it's not too relevant. Do your political beliefs determine how good a doctor you are? I don't think so.
 
Originally posted by greggth
I'm a liberal (what this person would probably call a "leftist/socialist"), having been involved extensively in the Green Party over the past few years, and even running for office. But I am not putting that on any of my applications. I am trying to stay away from discussions of politics on my essays, although the admissions committees will probably be able to guess, based on the essays. In a way, it's not too relevant. Do your political beliefs determine how good a doctor you are? I don't think so.
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I agree with the above statement. I have served as a street medic for a number of high-profile protests against large multi-national organizations/companies that I find oppressive and imperialistic.

I will especially try to avoid this topic at my GW interview next week because it was precisely at Foggy Bottom where I got my 3rd arrest warning, witnessed a cop spraying a barrel of pepper spray over a peaceful crowd, and breathed through a tear gas bomb with a vinegar-soaked bandana (make-shift 'gas mask').

Although I find that my activities have contributed to my decision to become a doctor (being a medic in a crazy situation like this is not an easy task!) I would hate to have politics prevent an interview from going well and ultimately have an effect on my acceptance.

I guess this may sound like a cop-out, but my political view shouldn't hold bearing on my ability to be a doctor, but I have a bad feeling that it might.

So I definitely support anyone's decision, Republican, Green, or otherwise, to avoid this topic at all costs cause I sure as h3ll am!!

greenie
 
I am "liberal". I am member of many "liberal" orgs like ACLU, HRC, Amnesty Intl, PFLAG, etc. I have spent years volunteering in these organizations (and no i didn't put down 2000 hours or whatever) and they did become a part of my applications. I am not ashamed of my morals or ethics and no university ,no matter how famous or good, is good enough for me to turn them down.

I am who i am and i am not going to lie about it just to gain admission to med school. Lying on my application (or just leaving out important parts of my life) is just not me. If a university (or more than just 1) doesn't like me then fine. I am pretty sure that some others will. Even if no university accepts me - i REFUSE to betray my ideals.

I guess when the admission process is over i will tell you ... 😛
 
Originally posted by Tezzie
I am "liberal". I am member of many "liberal" orgs like ACLU, HRC, Amnesty Intl, PFLAG, etc. I have spent years volunteering in these organizations (and no i didn't put down 2000 hours or whatever) and they did become a part of my applications. I am not ashamed of my morals or ethics and no university ,no matter how famous or good, is good enough for me to turn them down.

I am who i am and i am not going to lie about it just to gain admission to med school. Lying on my application (or just leaving out important parts of my life) is just not me. If a university (or more than just 1) doesn't like me then fine. I am pretty sure that some others will. Even if no university accepts me - i REFUSE to betray my ideals.

I guess when the admission process is over i will tell you ... 😛
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Good sentiment, and more power to you. But participation in the groups you mentioned is a little different than participation in the Green Party and street protests. The Greens, after all, are sometimes perceived to have cost Gore the election and plenty of people are mad about that. And street protesters are often perceived as fanatics and troublemakers.

I don't think it's lying or betraying your ideals when you belong to a commonly disliked political group and you don't mention that fact. There are plenty of political groups that have had to operate underground over the course of history. There is no shame in that.

You do bring up an interesting point, though.
 
I think I can lend some good insight here. I applied last year and had the same dilemna. I was a College Republican VP as well as a California Review Senior Staff Writer (conservative school paper). I wasnt sure if putting that on my app would be a good thing. I talked to my med. school advisor and he said I should put that because it shows that you have other interests outside of medicine. In the end, I did put both of those on my extracurriculars cause politics are a big part of my life and I enjoyed doing participating in it. Did I mention it in my primary essay? No...........but I did mention it in the extracurriculars and merely stated what I did or what articles I wrote without outwardly espousing any of my viewpoints (didnt want to offend anyone). My gpa and mcat were average for matriculants (3.7 and 30) and being from california, I applied to alot of schools. I ended up getting 10 interview invites so I dont think my politics really hurt. Who knows, if i didnt put them down, maybe I would have gotten more or maybe I would have received fewer interviews. The fact is though, I did get interviews. During the interviews, I generally didnt mention my politics unless it was brought up by the interviewer (it was brought up about half the time). When they were brought up, I would just considerately state my viewpoints without trying to offend the interviewer. Whether the interviewer will judge you based on your viewpoints or not..........who knows. I do have some examples. My interviewer from NYMC was a rabid liberal........she told me she protested the war in Vietnam and she was an MD interviewing me in gym sweats and a black and yellow tye-die shirt. I assumed she was liberal. She had all my extracurriculars in front of her but she didnt mention my politics. I didnt want to mention them either. In the end, NYMC was the only school to out right rejected me post interview. On the other hand, I had an interviewer from SLU who actually told me she was a liberal and asked me about my politics. I was honest and told her some views and in the end, I got into SLU. So I think it just depends on the interviewer. The school I attend (Creighton) is conservative and the student body is pretty conservative (everyone in my small ethics group was pro life!). The faculty on the other hand seem pretty liberal. They always make snide comments about GW or I even heard some of them mocking the Terminator. My interviewer from Creighton also seemed pretty liberal. In my opinion, the academic professors (especially the PHD's) are liberal while the practicing physicians are conservative. My advice would be to put your extracurriculars down on the application. It makes you different from the cookie cutter premeds. Hope that helps.

Jetson
 
Hah! Politics is one thing. What if you're a member of a religious organization? I know people can't explicitly discriminate on the basis of religion, but do you really think it helps nowadays to have on your application that you were the president of your school's Muslim students' organization! If I exclude it, I'm just another cookie-cutter applicant with generic ECs. With it, I take the risk that people will assume that I'm a kook, or worse, a threat to society. I'm not the average person's stereotype of a Muslim, but that doesn't matter if I don't get the chance to prove it at an interview. Still, I wasn't going to exclude it just because some people might be too thick to look past their own prejudices. It's part of who I am, and I'm not going to deny a part of myself for the comfort of other people.
 
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