Do looks play a role in admissions?

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studentdoctor08

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For example, would adcoms be more confident with someone who is big and tall who has that type of "presence" over someone who is petite and smaller? I've heard from a friend who visited a medical school and all of the men he saw were tall and big. Just wondering if looks play a role?
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studentdoctor08 said:
For example, would adcoms be more confident with someone who is big and tall who has that type of "presence" over someone who is petite and smaller? I've heard from a friend who visited a medical school and all of the men he saw were tall and big. Just wondering if looks play a role?
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tall and big ( and handsome) = the best genes ever. Hello
 
studentdoctor08 said:
For example, would adcoms be more confident with someone who is big and tall who has that type of "presence" over someone who is petite and smaller? I've heard from a friend who visited a medical school and all of the men he saw were tall and big. Just wondering if looks play a role?
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They're not supposed to, but I'm sure the interviewers have some subconscious preferences towards applicants that have a certain look. That preference probably isn't the same across the board, so it probably evens out to the point where being big and tall isn't necessarily advantageous to being petite and small, or at least not significantly advantageous.
 
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There's a lot of random factors in play. Your interviewers are people not robots, so who you get does affect your outcomes. That being said, they try very hard to not let things like that get in the way, and I certainly don't think it's something you should waste any time worrying about.
 
Well, looks matter in almost every other aspect of life, so why wouldn't that extend to med admissions?

Don't let it bother you too much (or excite you).
 
start takin that protein and get big brah. easy as that. i personally can attribute my acceptance to my big and tallness.
 
Being excessively overweight will be a hindrance. Medical school is stressful so if you are going into it already overweight...where will you be in 4 years? Probably heavier and a ticking time bomb for an MI.

Start doing your own dictations:

Dyslipidemia (period) Hypercholestrolemia (period) Diabetes out of control (period)
 
Still try to look your best: shave, have good hair, dress cleanly, have confidence in yourself and the way you look...I'm sure with all that you are good to go
 
Barcu said:
Well, looks matter in almost every other aspect of life, so why wouldn't that extend to med admissions?

Don't let it bother you too much (or excite you).
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Yes.

Studies in other areas of employment, including law, show that more attractive people, including taller men and slimmer women, earn more. One of the cited studies compared attractiveness of lawyers based on photos taken upon matriculation. So yes, perhaps your appearance now can predict your earnings potential in the way future.

Malcolm Gladwell's book Outlier gives a good overview on how the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are disproportionately tall. Because they're seen as leaders.

The trend follows in medicine, where surgeons are taller and better looking than internists. Surgeons make more money.
 
Of all the girls I know that got into Rush, they were all REALLY, REALLY, attractive. Like 8's and 9's. There's no way I can see this as a coincidence. Rush makes you submit a photo. Also Rush is a low-tier school so they would concentrate on a person's looks. Summary: Some perv on Rush's adcom is looking to get ass from some M1 hotties.
 
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studentdoctor08 said:
I'm a girl and I'm super petite and look really young....
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Get lean, and extenuate your finer features w/ out coming off as forthcoming. Again, it's still likely they will objectively accept/deny you.
 
Of course looks matter! You ever see any ugly people working at Express clothing shops? (this is irrelevant to the OP question) LOL!
 
Ofcourse looks matter. If it's between 2 applicants who both have 4.0's and the same EC's the hot, sexy girl is going to get it over the nerdy, loserman every time.
 
chronicidal said:
Yes.

Studies in other areas of employment, including law, show that more attractive people, including taller men and slimmer women, earn more. One of the cited studies compared attractiveness of lawyers based on photos taken upon matriculation. So yes, perhaps your appearance now can predict your earnings potential in the way future.

Malcolm Gladwell's book Outlier gives a good overview on how the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are disproportionately tall. Because they're seen as leaders.

The trend follows in medicine, where surgeons are taller and better looking than internists. Surgeons make more money.
Click to expand...


A sample size of 24 is no where near big enough to make claims that surgeons are taller or better looking
 
Don15 said:
A sample size of 24 is no where near big enough to make claims that surgeons are taller or better looking
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Most surgeons have big hairy arms. :) Why are they always so hairy???
 
PinkpanthaMD said:
Most surgeons have big hairy arms. :) Why are they always so hairy???
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It's the testosterone, which originally made them big and tall enough to get into med school.

If you don't have hairy arms, don't even bother applying.
 
PinkpanthaMD said:
Most surgeons have big hairy arms. :) Why are they always so hairy???
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...So they can use it as a makeshift surgical sponge during operations, of course! Darwin predicted this ish like 800 years ago, duh!

PS: I'm just joking. They actually use it to hold their extra scalpel blades.
 
ALL things equal between two applicants (and I mean ALL things within an application: grades, MCAT, ECs, research etc.)...the better looking candidate would probably be accepted
 
studentdoctor08 said:
For example, would adcoms be more confident with someone who is big and tall who has that type of "presence" over someone who is petite and smaller? I've heard from a friend who visited a medical school and all of the men he saw were tall and big. Just wondering if looks play a role?
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Is it wrong that I want to go to med school because of this? I'm sure I will help people along the way too.
 
Alhough it shouldn't, there's probably sub-conscious factors at play here.
 
Yes it does but chances for you to be rejected because of looks are pretty low.
 
AestheticMed said:
Just get fuarkin shredded brah.
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I'm gonna stand outside the building in downlighting early in the morning when all the professors are getting in.

Also, looks I think play some role (as always), but a lot less than in other professions.
 
Well, confidence is one of the factors that heavily influences how people perceive your looks. You will look more attractive to other people if you are confident and have a commanding presence. So, if you were not blessed with natural beauty :D act like you were anyway.
 
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Dress professionally. I doubt the other applicants your friend saw were all big and tall because that was known to AdComs upon reading their applications. More likely it was random chance. Similarly, your looks get reduced down to whether you dress professionally, as only one or two people actually see you, yet an entire committee makes the decision. Past that, it's out of your hands anyway.
 
You need to look clean and professional, and appear confident, approachable and friendly.
 
anyone ever sent a fake picture?
 
Appearances/Looks always play a role in any sort of admission. It's practically very difficult to be interviewing someone without formulating some judgement and opinion of the person's appearance. Heck, you will/are probably doing the same while you are staring at the interviewer asking the questions.

Don't stress too much about it, but your will be judged on your appearances all your life and probably have been since the day you were born.
 
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I think in my case the problem is that I am too good looking. I hope my interviewers won't get too jealous and reject me. :(
 
SU1989 said:
I think in my case the problem is that I am too good looking. I hope my interviewers won't get too jealous and reject me. :(
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yeah I'm pretty afraid of that too :thumbup:
 
I once applied to do research with my biochemistry professor, i found out that 7 other people were interviewed. and many of them had better GPA's than mine. I was accepted.
The lab director told me that I was picked because I looked confident and reliable and also because I was dressed nice.
 
Forca Barca said:
I once applied to do research with my biochemistry professor, i found out that 7 other people were interviewed. and many of them had better GPA's than mine. I was accepted.
The lab director told me that I was picked because I looked confident and reliable and also because I was dressed nice.
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just to be clear, looking confident and reliable has nothing to do with having 'good looks'. it's all in how you carry yourself - posture, voice, manners, attitude, etc.
 
Forca Barca said:
I once applied to do research with my biochemistry professor, i found out that 7 other people were interviewed. and many of them had better GPA's than mine. I was accepted.
The lab director told me that I was picked because I looked confident and reliable and also because I was dressed nice.
Click to expand...

Advice for life, right there. I also got the nod to go to the final stage of interviews at a lab because I dressed appropriately and nicely and acted like I could handle the job.
 
chronicidal said:
Yes.

Studies in other areas of employment, including law, show that more attractive people, including taller men and slimmer women, earn more. One of the cited studies compared attractiveness of lawyers based on photos taken upon matriculation. So yes, perhaps your appearance now can predict your earnings potential in the way future.

Malcolm Gladwell's book Outlier gives a good overview on how the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are disproportionately tall. Because they're seen as leaders.

The trend follows in medicine, where surgeons are taller and better looking than internists. Surgeons make more money.
Click to expand...

This thread is hilarious. The last three surgeons who let me observe their surgeries were all under 5'6"

You guys have too much time on your hands, you need to be studying more.
 
I better get some plastics before interview season! lol
 
chronicidal said:
The trend follows in medicine, where surgeons are taller and better looking than internists. Surgeons make more money.
Click to expand...

Well I'm good-looking and short. Does that mean I can be like the "Blade" of physicians/surgeons?
 
drdan83 said:
This thread is hilarious. The last three surgeons who let me observe their surgeries were all under 5'6"

You guys have too much time on your hands, you need to be studying more.
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Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.

And yes, good looks are a plus. Psych 101 people, come on...
 
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