Do Interviewers Ask about Connections

[altitude]

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I'm sure many pre-meds get shadowing and research opportunities through connections (e.g. family and friends or more distant connections), and am wondering whether interviewers tend to ask about how you obtained certain jobs and opportunities.

I am wondering whether using family and friends might appear as a sign of immaturity to adcomm (e.g. using your parents to get you a shadowing position). As most of us realize, such opportunities don't come by easy. And the truth of the matter is that we're not too shy to contact a physician ourselves, but it is extremely difficult to contact a "random" physician who has no idea who we are and for him/her to be willing to take us on for shadowing.

So, I am wondering whether an interviewer might ask, for example, "How did you get in contact with this cardiologist for the shadowing opportunity?" Responding with: "He/she is a friend of my parents," just doesn't seem like an answer they'd look favorably upon (despite them likely knowing how difficult it is to obtain such a position). So how do you respond (if they do tend to ask such questions) without sounding like a high schooler?

 

[mmmcdowe]

I'm sure many pre-meds get shadowing and research opportunities through connections (e.g. family and friends or more distant connections), and am wondering whether interviewers tend to ask about how you obtained certain jobs and opportunities.

I am wondering whether using family and friends might appear as a sign of immaturity to adcomm (e.g. using your parents to get you a shadowing position). As most of us realize, such opportunities don't come by easy. And the truth of the matter is that we're not too shy to contact a physician ourselves, but it is extremely difficult to contact a "random" physician who has no idea who we are and for him/her to be willing to take us on for shadowing.

So, I am wondering whether an interviewer might ask, for example, "How did you get in contact with this cardiologist for the shadowing opportunity?" Responding with: "He/she is a friend of my parents," just doesn't seem like an answer they'd look favorably upon (despite them likely knowing how difficult it is to obtain such a position). So how do you respond (if they do tend to ask such questions) without sounding like a high schooler?

I don't think that they would particularly interested in how you got your shadowing position. The context that this question is usually asked is when the EC is particularly unique or off the beaten path. I was asked a lot about how I got involved in insect research, for example.

 

[TheGloaming]

I was never asked this at any of my interviews. If they ask, just tell the truth. The interviewer is interested in what you saw, learned and felt from the experience not how you got to be there. I'm sure they realize it can be extremely difficult to find someone shadow and understand you have to do whatever you can. It does seem like they would be more likely to ask how you got a research position rather than shadowing for some reason.

 

[Oxygen206]

I got a job helping a nurse practitioner open a low-income clinic. I got offered the job because my mom was really good friends with the NP who opened the clinic. No one asked how I got involved with this "unique" EC, but either way what matters the most is what you get out of your specific EC, not how you got it.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Since when is that stuff hard to find? I got my first research gig just cold calling a professor. I got my second one when I got a work study job in a lab that no one ever wanted to work in and asked a few months later if I could have my own project to which they said yes. I got my third research job when I got a job as a lab tech. And since that job was in a med school finding shadowing opportunities hasn't exactly been a difficult thing to do.

My friends back in undergrad both managed to find research and shadowing opportunities pretty easily as well, and I can assure you they were hardly well connected people. If they could do it, anyone can.

The only thing that seems to be difficult to get is non-shadowing clinical experience since most hospitals/clinics seem to only want to give you clerical duties.

 

[sector9]

I was never asked this at my interviews. Use your connections if you have them

 

[FattySlug]

The truth.

 

[TheGloaming]

Since when is that stuff hard to find? I got my first research gig just cold calling a professor. I got my second one when I got a work study job in a lab that no one ever wanted to work in and asked a few months later if I could have my own project to which they said yes. I got my third research job when I got a job as a lab tech. And since that job was in a med school finding shadowing opportunities hasn't exactly been a difficult thing to do.

My friends back in undergrad both managed to find research and shadowing opportunities pretty easily as well, and I can assure you they were hardly well connected people. If they could do it, anyone can.

The only thing that seems to be difficult to get is non-shadowing clinical experience since most hospitals/clinics seem to only want to give you clerical duties.

I found that finding shadowing opportunities was not too difficult but definitely required me to be very proactive. From what I've read on SDN the difficulty really depends on the state or city and the hospital or clinic. Research opportunities really depend on the university also. So, I wouldn't just assume that its easy to find all these opportunities just because it was in your personal experience.

 

[StarlingForce1]

I extremely difficult to contact a "random" physician who has no idea who we are and for him/her to be willing to take us on for shadowing.

Nothing wrong with doing this at all; all 3 physicians I have shadowed, I contacted randomly - and all three agreed to take me on. It was not a matter of luck either; it is a matter of presenting yourself properly and professionally, and displaying a genuine interest in what they do - as opposed to coming off looking like you are just trying to jump through a proverbial hoop to get into medical school.

 

[Dartmouth1230]

One of my interviewers asked how I got one of my research jobs and I told her the truth (he was a family friend). It really wasn't a big deal at all, tons of people use connections to get research jobs/clinical experience/etc...

 

[StarlingForce1]

One of my interviewers asked how I got one of my research jobs and I told her the truth (he was a family friend). It really wasn't a big deal at all, tons of people use connections to get research jobs/clinical experience/etc...

I hope my interviewers ask me this - I can only report my demonstrated initiative, self-motivation, and unrelenting work ethic.

😀

 

[Slev]

Networking is how most opportunities are secured in the real world. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[MedBound1]

I was never asked about it either. But like many have said, if you are asked, just tell the truth..