Do schools check students' facebooks?

[LondonBridge]

Unless you have your Facebook privacy settings set so that EVERYONE can see your stuff, I don't see this being a problem.

I have my Facebook set so that only my friends can see my photos and posts.

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[IMSingular]

If your Facebook profile is too clean they may interprete that as "Too good to be true"

I think it's idiotic to base admissions decisions on Faccebook. People should have some scope to have fun.

 

[Midwestern Blot]

This actually reminds me of an honest question I've had in my mind all application season... would you see it as a red flag if an applicant didn't have a Facebook? Considering most people have one, would you reflexively get a feeling that he/she is antisocial or odd?

The next MSAR is rumored to have an average Facebook friends for matriculants statistic

 

[NickNaylor]

I will occasionally look up applicants that I'm interviewing. I wouldn't say it's a regular thing though.

 

[orthomyxo]

We looked at applicants FB pages when applying to residency.. I am certain someone somewhere does the same for people applying to medical school.

I'm sorry, but that is just ****ing stupid.

 

[Myuu]

I'm sorry, but that is just ****ing stupid.

No, no, it's not. But thanks for posting your thoughts on an open and fully accessible forum?

 

[Midwestern Blot]

No, no, it's not. But thanks for posting your thoughts on an open and fully accessible forum?

To some degree, yes it is. Facebook is not a professional networking site and should be treated as personal property.

 

[flatearth22]

Do they check BodySpaces? Wonder if they're rejecting me because they're jelly of my aesthetics?

 

[RollTide22]

The next MSAR is rumored to have an average Facebook friends for matriculants statistic

haha hopefully they wouldn't include that average into the US News & World Report rankings or else the top 10 med schools will be taking a drop

 

[glasshalfMD]

Yes the admissions office is really going to hold it against you if you don't have a FB account. </sarcasm>

Seriously, if someone holds it against you for valuing your privacy and wanting to socialize through *gasp* calling/emailing/meeting people, then THAT'S a red flag.

Hahaha, I love that I know who you are now and can visualize you making these comments in real life. So much better. Now off to learn about CELLS.

... maybe I'll post on FB about it first so I look SUPER STUDIOUS

 

[AllDaWEI]

If your Facebook profile is too clean they may interprete that as "Too good to be true"

I think it's idiotic to base admissions decisions on Faccebook. People should have some scope to have fun.

What does "fun" mean? I thought it was some mystical creature, even rarer than a unicorn!

 

[Myuu]

To some degree, yes it is. Facebook is not a professional networking site and should be treated as personal property.

Which is precisely why you (assuming you have a facebook account) plastered yourself all over the internet (assuming your assumed facebook use is like most people)?

 

[AllDaWEI]

Which is precisely why you (assuming you have a facebook account) plastered yourself all over the internet (assuming your assumed facebook use is like most people)?

Does it really matter whether you believe it should be public or not? With the medical school school admissions process being more full of bullsh*t than a farm with bulls on laxatives, are you honestly surprised?

 

[orthomyxo]

No, no, it's not. But thanks for posting your thoughts on an open and fully accessible forum?

What?

 

[Myuu]

Does it really matter whether you believe it should be public or not? With the medical school school admissions process being more full of bullsh*t than a farm with bulls on laxatives, are you honestly surprised?

What?

What I am saying is that the notion that anything on the internet is somehow private is laughable.

 

[neuro nephrons]

in addition to facebook, you should google yourself every few months as well

 

[BluegrassDancin]

My friend who works HR at a big company outside of DC told me the company has a way to view everything on your Facebook, private (even the "only me" setting) or not. I doubt medical school admissions committees have the time or the resources for something like that, but it's probably good practice in general to not post something online that you wouldn't want people to see.

I would strongly suggest finding better friends that don't embellish, pass along hearsay or flat out lie.

Employers have no option other than to see your public profile. End of discussion as beyond that would require a court order. While FB is great at giving your information away...they don't cater to companies wanting to spy.

Believe me or don't, but it's literally part of his job. I'm willing to bet that neither you nor I really know the full extent of what is possible in terms of internet privacy or lack thereof.

My point is, again, that it's probably good practice to only post things about yourself online that you wouldn't mind anyone theoretically having access to.

 

[StoicJosher]

Believe me or don't, but it's literally part of his job. I'm willing to bet that neither you nor I really know the full extent of what is possible in terms of internet privacy or lack thereof.

My point is, again, that it's probably good practice to only post things about yourself online that you wouldn't mind anyone theoretically having access to.

Most of the present day privacy problems on facebook has to do with people being stupid enough to not use the privacy settings. But someone who ends up using it and hiding things should be protected by Facebook under their privacy policy. So if Facebook was providing such a way, someone would have figured it out and Facebook would've gone under.

That being said, there are ways to view things hidden on Facebook but those are not always the ethical methods. Companies that do access profiles that way need to work on their ethics.

 

[ACal]

I will occasionally look up applicants that I'm interviewing. I wouldn't say it's a regular thing though.

How would you get their information/photos unless you friend them? Don't most people have their settings so that only friends or people in their network can see them?

 

[Velour Fog]

Do they check BodySpaces? Wonder if they're rejecting me because they're jelly of my aesthetics?

Lack of pepper on angus would be my guess.

 

[StoicJosher]

How would you get their information/photos unless you friend them? Don't most people have their settings so that only friends or people in their network can see them?

Lots of people don't.

 

[AllDaWEI]

Believe me or don't, but it's literally part of his job. I'm willing to bet that neither you nor I really know the full extent of what is possible in terms of internet privacy or lack thereof.

My point is, again, that it's probably good practice to only post things about yourself online that you wouldn't mind anyone theoretically having access to.

I'm surprised that so many people have confidence in Facebook's privacy settings.

Hacking comes to mind. Its not like the applicant would ever know.

 

[Isoprop]

To some degree, yes it is. Facebook is not a professional networking site and should be treated as personal property.

Med schools generally wouldn't care what you do on your personal time unless it makes them look bad. Med students represent the school whenever they are in public, and posting crap on FB where the world can see will make the med school look bad.

Would you want to go to school with someone who will potentially embarass the school?

 

[AllDaWEI]

Med schools generally wouldn't care what you do on your personal time unless it makes them look bad. Med students represent the school whenever they are in public, and posting crap on FB where the world can see will make the med school look bad.

Would you want to go to school with someone who will potentially embarass the school?

That is a valid viewpoint, but what about schools that sell collegiate clothing which in turn is worn by a student who does something stupid and then posts it on Facebook?

 

[Jarudy]

If your Facebook profile is too clean they may interprete that as "Too good to be true"

No.

 

[AllDaWEI]

No.

Definitely not. It seems like medical schools expect some super natural inviduals that all work non-stop, are very altruistic and only volunteer in their freetime, if they are not volunteering they are doing research, and have no idea what a party is and never did anythimg remotely bad.

It won't look suspicious at all. Actually, the less human you look, the better.

But sshh, if they ever find out that it is quite possibly a charade, the universe will implode and life will cease to exist.

 

[mauberley]

Definitely not. It seems like medical schools expect some super natural inviduals that all work non-stop, are very altruistic and only volunteer in their freetime, if they are not volunteering they are doing research, and have no idea what a party is and never did anythimg remotely bad.

It won't look suspicious at all. Actually, the less human you look, the better.

But sshh, if they ever find out that it is quite possibly a charade, the universe will implode and life will cease to exist.

"Professionalism." Time and a place.