Do I need a photo of myself to apply to med school?

[pithy84]

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A thread (which is locked) asks about a portrait photo and whether it is good enough. It is for Texas, and I am only doing the AMCAS.

Will I need a photo of myself at some point in this process?

 

[bcemslayer]

I had to send a photo of myself before all my interviews. Only a few schools require a picture for the secondary.

 

[Ismet]

Have someone take a picture of you and crop it to 2x2.

For the love of all that is good, use a neutral background and dress professionally like you would for an interview. It should just be your head down to your shoulders/chest. Similar to the picture in your passport, but you're allowed to smile.

No cropping of facebook photos or candids or beach photos or a picture where it's obvious you're at a bar/club. If you're a girl, make sure your blouse isn't so low cut that it's not seen in the crop of the picture and it looks like you're naked. Wear a suit jacket or blazer. You'd think those things go without saying, but I've seen many cringe-worthy pics.

 

[yungspleen]

Wear a suit jacket or blazer.

Shirt and tie not good enough?

 

[gyngyn]

Have someone take a picture of you and crop it to 2x2.

For the love of all that is good, use a neutral background and dress professionally like you would for an interview. It should just be your head down to your shoulders/chest. Similar to the picture in your passport, but you're allowed to smile.

No cropping of facebook photos or candids or beach photos or a picture where it's obvious you're at a bar/club. If you're a girl, make sure your blouse isn't so low cut that it's not seen in the crop of the picture and it looks like you're naked. Wear a suit jacket or blazer. You'd think those things go without saying, but I've seen many cringe-worthy pics.

I'm sick of Tinder photos. That "over the shoulder smoulder" just reeks!

 

[starspells]

I'm sick of Tinder photos. That "over the shoulder smoulder" just reeks!

My friend wanted to submit a picture from a garden photoshoot.

 

[gyngyn]

My friend wanted to submit a picture from a garden photoshoot.

Compared to what I've seen already, this would be a blessing.
Wedding pics, graduation hoods (and little else), bar scenes, plenty of dude's hands on the shoulder...ick.

 

[Ismet]

Shirt and tie not good enough?

It's passable, but best choice is suit jacket and tie. You need a suit for interviews anyway.

 

[Ismet]

Compared to what I've seen already, this would be a blessing.
Wedding pics, graduation hoods (and little else), bar scenes, plenty of dude's hands on the shoulder...ick.

Ah yes the phantom hands!

 

[Toutie]

Compared to what I've seen already, this would be a blessing.
Wedding pics, graduation hoods (and little else), bar scenes, plenty of dude's hands on the shoulder...ick.

Glamour Shots!

 

[starspells]

Compared to what I've seen already, this would be a blessing.
Wedding pics, graduation hoods (and little else), bar scenes, plenty of dude's hands on the shoulder...ick.

No duck faces yet?

 

[anonymoose1640]

I got my picture taken at CVS for like $10! I definitely recommend it. I got a shoulders up picture with a plain white background and it worked out fine. It's a good option if you don't have any professional headshots lying around.

Also to answer your original question I think the majority of my secondaries requested a picture.

 

[redferrari]

I'm sick of Tinder photos. That "over the shoulder smoulder" just reeks!

Do people actually do this frequently? Crazy how people so intelligent can be so dumb.

 

[pithy84]

No, I don't "have any professional headshots lying around."

Question: For a male applicant, how necessary is the tie? I have a pretty good photo in a dress shirt and navy blazer but no tie.

I will wear a tie for the actual interview.

Edit: Yes, I am being belligerent because I don't want to get a haircut and I don't want to take a picture and I hate being photographed. I always look terrible and I have like one photograph where I don't look terrible.

 

[bananafish94]

I walked over to the local Walgreens wearing a jacket, tie, and sweatpants. I asked for a passport photo and it was a perfect headshot. Pretty cheap too. I would avoid cropping a photo you already have, you don't want to project laziness at all.

 

[gyngyn]

No duck faces yet?

Boatloads.

 

[gyngyn]

Glamour Shots!

More skanky than glamorous.

 

[takeurmeds02]

Lol, it's funny being a member of SDN through a new cycle and the exact same questions are asked with so many blank profiles on the boards.

But yea, passportphoto-ish. I went to CVS in my upper professional garb and had them take a passport photo for about 10 bucks. I had on a suit and tie on a white background.

 

[WhittyPsyche]

I'm sick of Tinder photos. That "over the shoulder smoulder" just reeks!

I actually had to google what this "look" was. Every google image was Taylor swift in this pose oddly enough lol.


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[BeachBlondie]

Boatloads.

Damn. THAT's why I've been waitlisted for two years....

 

[Goro]

I can just hear my Jewish friends going "OY!!

Damn. THAT's why I've been waitlisted for two years....

 

[BeachBlondie]

I can just hear my Jewish friends going "OY!!

It's the eyeliner, isn't it?

 

[Goro]

Actually, it was the balloon-like lips for me!

It's the eyeliner, isn't it?

 

[BeachBlondie]

Actually, it was the balloon-like lips for me!

If you had an interview candidate came in, looking like this, would you say something to them?

 

[Goro]

I'd love to, but my wily old Admissions dean wouldn't let me!

We'd definitely discuss it in the Adcom meeting!!!

If you had an interview candidate came in, looking like this, would you say something to them?