Does working at the medical school help with acceptance?

[WTEngel]

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So I have been offered a full time faculty position in the emergency medicine education program (pre-hospital paramedic education specifically) at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Any thoughts on whether this will be of any benefit in the admissions process?

I am already full time faculty for another program, not affiliated with a medical school, so the benefit derived from the position is the same either way. I really enjoy the institution I work at now, but I am willing to take a risk and change institutions if the end justifies the means.

I am hesitant to think that it would be of too much benefit, just wanted to get some outside opinions on the matter.

 

[xroc]

I personally think that the benefit is probably minimal. It will, however, give you something to talk about during your interviews and you can provide reasons as to why you like the school/program using your experiences working there.

 

[BABSstudent]

I personally think that the benefit is probably minimal. It will, however, give you something to talk about during your interviews and you can provide reasons as to why you like the school/program using your experiences working there.

+1

This is probably the only benefit. It gives you and the interviewer (assuming it is someone at that hospital) common ground and something to talk about.


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[Sophocles]

+1

This is probably the only benefit. It gives you and the interviewer (assuming it is someone at that hospital) common ground and something to talk about.


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I disagree. I think it would be really helpful. Not in the sense that you would get preferential treatment but rather that you could really get to meet people that could give you an added benefit. I'm sure having a LOR from a faculty that the adcoms know would help. I'm sure that you could also use a teaching job to talk about leadership, but it seems that you would have this benefit regardless of whether you keep your present job or you switch. Either way it can't hurt you, it could only help you; unless, you are a horrible person to work with. Then, I'm sure that word will get around about your work ethic, but I highly doubt you would have to worry about not working hard enough.

 

[sinombre]

I doubt working at a medical school can hurt your chances of gaining acceptance at the school you work at, but whether or not it can help you (directly) depends on a lot of things.

Anecdotal evidence: I work at a medical school which has rejected me, while I've interviewed at other schools in my state. I've gotten to know plenty of physicians fairly well, but none of them are on the admissions committee (which I assume would be a giant foot in the door, not unlike any other competitive non-medical position).

Despite how it will affect your chances of acceptance, it will likely yield invaluable opportunities and experiences. It certainly has for me.

 

[doorner]

I tend to think it is a big help, providing you have the stats to get an interview. I got accepted to a school that I work at currently, and I was really able to make the case that I am a great fit for the school because I'm already a part of the community there. If an interview is about showing a school you'll fit in and contribute something to the community, it helps to have already contributed something.

 

[theseeker4]

So I have been offered a full time faculty position in the emergency medicine education program (pre-hospital paramedic education specifically) at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Any thoughts on whether this will be of any benefit in the admissions process?

I am already full time faculty for another program, not affiliated with a medical school, so the benefit derived from the position is the same either way. I really enjoy the institution I work at now, but I am willing to take a risk and change institutions if the end justifies the means.

I am hesitant to think that it would be of too much benefit, just wanted to get some outside opinions on the matter.

It would probably have a chance at helping you. There are obviously no guarantees, but having someone on the admissions committee, or someone who knows those on the committee, be able to say "yeah, I worked with him/her, I think he/she would be great to have as a med student" is infinitely more valuable than the typical LOR from someone no one on the admissions committee has ever met before.

 

[Praefectus]

No. If anything, it'll just make you upset when you see interviewees touring the hospital while your application still sits in limbo.

 

[angemon89]

Strong LOR's from people who work there are probably better.

 

[MrChance2]

If you can get people to like you that directly effect admissions then yes. It won't get you in if you are not qualified but if you are in a pool of people with similar MCAT and GPA it will. Just the name of the school doesn't matter much though. A lot of the staff at these big universities don't even know each other.

 

[Geebeejay]

From personal experience, no it does not help you. One of my LORs came from a very well known, highly regarded MD working for the affiliated hospital, and I still haven't received an interview or felt any sort of "special treatment" that would put me ahead of the crop.

 

[WTEngel]

Seems to be mixed opinions.. Fair enough.

I guess it is all in what you make of it...

Thanks for the opinions guys.

 

[darkjedi]

Not directly, but as other's have said, the LOR from a faculty member from the school can be helpful as well as the fact that you can talk at length about why you like a particular school because you have worked for them and interacted with their faculty and doctors.

The fact that I worked in the hospital of the school I'm currently at now while I was applying, I think was what helped push my application over the edge.

If you have the general baseline stats/ECs for the school, they may just be more likely to accept you as you can prove a connection to the school.

 

[Planes2Doc]

I think it depends... If you are within the matriculation stats of the school, then it might have some impact. If your stats are too weak for the school, then it's doubtful. A lot of my fellow classmates worked at higher-ranked medical schools, and obviously were not accepted. I also know someone who is currently doing research at Northwestern, though with his grades and MCAT where they are, he stands virtually no chance at Feinberg unless he makes friends with people in very high places.