Not to be paranoid or anything. I'm just curious. How often do adcoms google applicants or look them up on facebook? I know people who purposely disable their fb accounts for example when applying to medical schools.
do adcoms google or facebook applicants?
- Thread starter Prism328
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http://forums.studentdoctor.net/search.php?searchid=14161975
SDN would benefit from a "Use the search function before starting threads" reminder.
SDN would benefit from a "Use the search function before starting threads" reminder.
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Obviously, it's best to keep things private. I do, but I didn't always. I still didn't accept friend requests from people I didn't know, but I guess someone got by somehow? I noticed after the app cycle that I was friends with someone I didn't know. Their work info said "___________ Medical School Faculty". This was a state school I never received an interview from. Always wondered about it... But for the record there was never anything on my facebook I'd want to hide from adcoms.
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I followed your link and it said there was nothing.
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Likely not, but is it worth it in the incredibly small chance that someone DOES look you up?
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Even if they did, in most cases they'd have to do it post-interview or would need your picture in hand. Some names are so common that a google search turns up hundreds of names. That being said, if you have a unique or novel name it's best to be extra cautious.
My advice to people is always to keep your personal life personal. Using facebook for professional networking is a fine idea, but don't post personal data or compromising photos or information. Once your life is in the cloud it can grow legs of its own and before you know it things you thought were personal are suddenly very public. Think of it this way, if Facebook had a small chance to cost you 1 job interview or medical school interview would you ever take that chance? I know I wouldn't. Maybe I'm getting too old. I don't see what Facebook accomplishes that an e-mail, phone call or meeting someone in person can't already do a better job of.
My advice to people is always to keep your personal life personal. Using facebook for professional networking is a fine idea, but don't post personal data or compromising photos or information. Once your life is in the cloud it can grow legs of its own and before you know it things you thought were personal are suddenly very public. Think of it this way, if Facebook had a small chance to cost you 1 job interview or medical school interview would you ever take that chance? I know I wouldn't. Maybe I'm getting too old. I don't see what Facebook accomplishes that an e-mail, phone call or meeting someone in person can't already do a better job of.
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not sure about facebook or google, but i know that some schools' admins do watch SDN. (like the ones at my school 
)
)Why do you say this? You don't think that with your age, undergraduate university and activities that it wouldn't be pretty easy to figure out which Katherine Jacobs we're looking for? It is very common to facebook applicants among student interviewers at my school. Part of it is curiosity, another part is logistics. If we can find a picture of you it is easier to recognise you when we see you.
I never try to "friend" anyone, personally. However, if someone involved in your admissions, say... someone who committee of admissions was in their own description, would you REALLY reject them as a "friend?" The same flaw here is when people say to keep things private so that employers can't see. Are you going to refuse to "friend" a possible employer? Individual privacy settings can only go so far. Just keep it clean, as if all your "friends" were possible employers.
You can put them on a custom friend list and give them a very limited view so they can't see much more than a non-friend.
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Yeah, seems that the link expired. Just search for threads with "facebook" in the title in Pre-Allopathic. It's one of those questions that comes up all the time.
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It might be. You're assuming that someone has posted all of that information in the first place. Given your assumption, I'd agree that it wouldn't be that difficult to find your Katherine Jacobs. However, you have completely missed the point of my post by fixating on one line (as is often the case on Internet forums). I don't have a facebook or myspace. If I did, it would be for professional reasons only and I wouldn't give the information out to personal friends. If you do have one of these things, keep it private because it can and will be used against you in a court of public opinion. I am able to avoid your scenario with admissions personnel friending me (or attempting to) because I don't have an account in the first place.
This is true, and I'm sure it is what most people would do. However, on some level it might seem like you're hiding something. If they can see little more than a nonfriend, it is likely they'll notice. That being said, this is unlikely to become an issue during admissions. It is more of a life-long and emerging process. I'd imagine that as these social networking sites become more and more mainstreamed, more issues will come up. We're already seeing cases of people losing their jobs because of things posted on their networking sites, so the problem is only starting.
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Well, some of them either Facebook stalk or SDN stalk, because I made a facebook page for our entering med school class and the link got sent out in an e-mail to all acceptees soon after by the admissions department.
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