family member or other connections to medical school question

[mkitty]

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Why do schools ask whether you've got family member or some other type of connection (like know a faculty there who can write you a letter for example)? Is there an extra advantage to those students who do?

I forgot that specific term where having connections allows you to have better chance at getting a job, position as president (look at Bush), extra food...etc. I'm starving out here.

 

[bwells46]

Why do schools ask whether you've got family member or some other type of connection (like know a faculty there who can write you a letter for example)? Is there an extra advantage to those students who do?

I forgot that specific term where having connections allows you to have better chance at getting a job, position as president (look at Bush), extra food...etc. I'm starving out here.

I believe the word you're looking for it nepotism.

I would imagine that having a relative who is faculty at a medical school would help with admission.

 

[BaylorGuy]

connections=awesome

 

[jc11011]

connections=awesome

Only for those who have them.

 

[kalenakai]

Down with Nepotism! 🙁

I felt so disadvantaged as I filled out the entire first form of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine secondary, asking about all these family connections to MSSM. I had none whatsoever... oh well.

 

[jc11011]

Down with Nepotism! 🙁

I felt so disadvantaged as I filled out the entire first form of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine secondary, asking about all these family connections to MSSM. I had none whatsoever... oh well.

I don't think it'll be that big of a deal. I mean, how many people do you think will have connections?! It certainly won't be enough to fill up an entire class.

 

[Reimat]

I felt so disadvantaged as I filled out the entire first form of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine secondary, asking about all these family connections to MSSM. I had none whatsoever... oh well.

Yea, I hate having no family connections anywhere. Children of doctors have all these perks

 

[myodana]

<--- daughter of well respected doctor, and only 1 acceptance out of 20. it doesn't help that much.

 

[kalenakai]

<--- daughter of well respected doctor, and only 1 acceptance out of 20. it doesn't help that much.

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm guessing it wouldn't play THAT much of a part in the decision process, but it still intrigues me when 1/3 of an application is devoted to listing/describing family or other connections. 🙂

 

[chaeymaey]

It seems to be really important to lower ranked schools for some reason. The NYMC, Drexel, and Temple secondaries ask this question over and over. I have family alumni at USC and UTSW, but those school's didn't ask so I had to work it into my essays. Luckily, I have a relative who works at one of Drexel's hospitals so that I can actually fill in question on one of my secondaries.

 

[DrBowtie]

It seems to be really important to lower ranked schools for some reason. The NYMC, Drexel, and Temple secondaries ask this question over and over. I have family alumni at USC and UTSW, but those school's didn't ask so I had to work it into my essays. Luckily, I have a relative who works at one of Drexel's hospitals so that I can actually fill in question on one of my secondaries.

Not because they are lower ranked. Mostly private schools are the ones that care, you just happen to list the "lower ranked schools".

 

[Centinel]

Not because they are lower ranked. Mostly private schools are the ones that care, you just happen to list the "lower ranked schools".

Gotta go with Brett on this one. UPenn, for example, had an application that did little more than ask what sort of connections you had to the med school. I think NYU was similar, as well.

 

[gujuDoc]

I don't think Private schools are the only ones that way, because University of Florida is like that too.

Actually someone once told me that Harvard's law school application involved the question of whether the applicant is a descendent of John Adams. I don't know how true it is, but that is an example of where a not so low tier school has asked about nepotism.

Of course that second example is law school related, so it probably has nothing to do with this matter of med school and probably the med school wouldn't give two cents for nepotism in that manner.

However, I think we cannot generalize public vs. private, or low vs. high ranked schools in this manner.

Degree of nepotism is relative to case by case basis. Sometimes it helps, other times it doesn't help. Whether it hurts your chances, is another question though, that I don't have the answer too.

 

[SpeedRacer]

<--- daughter of well respected doctor, and only 1 acceptance out of 20. it doesn't help that much.

you only need one...

 

[gujuDoc]

you only need one...

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀

 

[kalenakai]

you only need one...

word to your mother. 😎

 

[wetlightning]

haha, wonder HOW much of a factor it is. my dad did his fellowship at umich, i love ann arbor, my numbers aren't good enough for them! 🙂

 

[DrHopeless]

VCU has some questions related to this also, so state school also care, but I guess not to a great extend.

1a. Name of any relative who has received or will receive their M.D. from our school:

Are your parents VCU School of Medicine Faculty members?

 

[myodana]

you only need one...

you are so correct! 🙂

 

[jtorres]

I believe the word you're looking for it nepotism.

I would imagine that having a relative who is faculty at a medical school would help with admission.

yeah nepotism, thats the word. one that is completely acceptable in our wonderful society; even looked upon as a valuable asset; even though you did nothing to deserve it. in other words a handout. kind of like me counting on being a URM to me help me get into med school, yet i'm wrong for it.

 

[gujuDoc]

yeah nepotism, thats the word. one that is completely acceptable in our wonderful society; even looked upon as a valuable asset; even though you did nothing to deserve it. in other words a handout. kind of like me counting on being a URM to me help me get into med school, yet i'm wrong for it.

I think the nepotism thing is worse. Let's just say I know of someone who got in, not because they went to a top 10 private school for undergrad (especially considering how low their GPA was), but b/c their dad was a big shot at this particular med school. Another case, I know of someone getting into dental school because his dad was a big shot at that particular dental school that he got into. But that same dental applicant was rejected from every other dental school he applied to.

Another case, a girl I knew got into North Dakota because her dad did residency there. However, in her case, she didn't take that acceptance and reapplied instead, using her own merits. So I have more respect for her. Unlike the other two cases, she actually made the effort to improve her application to get more then one interview the second time around. Nonetheless, its nerve wrecking to see how she was able to even secure the one acceptance from the time before just cuz of who her dad was.

I think nepotism is far worse then the URM thing.

 

[MoosePilot]

I think nepotism is far worse then the URM thing.

I think they're exactly the same. Admission based on an irrelevant factor.

 

[drmota]

<--- daughter of well respected doctor, and only 1 acceptance out of 20. it doesn't help that much.

son of two doctors...both of whom went to med school in a FOREIGN COUNTRY...no help whatsover. luckily my bro is an M 4 at u of minn and has friends conducting interviews...he told me "get an interview, and i'll get you in" 😎
-mota

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Connections may help gain an interview, but won't gain you an acceptance. I know because people in my immediate family are alumni/faculty of a certain prominent med school. Legacy status gives you a few points, but not enough to push you in front of all other applicants. And, it only counts if your parents/siblings are graduates of the medical school or have tenured positions. Med schools like children of faculty because they can groom you into being an academician. Family who had fellowships, were instructors, did their residency programs, or work for a certain medical school are much much less influential and usually are insignificant, unless they have it in with the dean. Big money alumni donate loads to schools, so that's why they want to keep them happy by accepting their kids.

 

[drmota]

listen to the mighty angus...he had his wheaties this morning.
-mota

 

[crazy_cavalier]

I have no legacy connections anywhere... being 2nd-generation rocks. I guess I get no perks for having mama or papa go to School X.

OH WELL. Time to start a legacy of my own! RAWR

 

[CTSballer11]

I have no legacy connections anywhere... being 2nd-generation rocks. I guess I get no perks for having mama or papa go to School X.

OH WELL. Time to start a legacy of my own! RAWR

I second that.

 

[kalenakai]

I have no legacy connections anywhere... being 2nd-generation rocks. I guess I get no perks for having mama or papa go to School X.

OH WELL. Time to start a legacy of my own! RAWR

I'll "RAWR" with you, crazy_cavalier!

 

[docbill]

Hippocratic Oath is the reason.

This was a private profession only to be tought to children or physicians.

I will keep this Oath and this stipulation to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others.

FYI.. connections will help you get an interview and accepted and pass and complete medical school and get residency and get a great job. No matter if you are not excellent. It sucks when you are on the non receiving end like I.

 

[stifler]

Yea, I hate having no family connections anywhere. Children of doctors have all these perks

perks as in landing neat internships and never having to worry about finding to shadow yes. but getting into medical school and connections, i doubt most people have connections like that. seriously though if your parents are faculty then perhaps, but if your uncle is.. i doubt it would help much at all

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
I am the tenth physician in my family. I applied to six schools and got into all six but I was not a legacy at any of the schools that I applied to. I doubt if having physicians in my family helped my cause other than they regularly kicked my rear end when I slacked off, so I didn't.

I do have a close friend whose father was a professor at a state medical school. In fact, he was a department chair. This friend had a double major in Econ and Biology with a 3.98 GPA and 42 MCAT. He was a traditional applicant and did not get into any of the schools that he applied to. He was interviewed and came across as fairly immature.

Sitting out that year really helped him. He went in on the next application cycle so family ties didn't really help him nor did having a competitive GPA and MCAT score. He kept killing himself on the interviews.

Moral of the story: Put together the best package that you can and do not worry about connections and other intangibles. Also, do not screw up the interview. Once you get to that step, the interview probably makes more of a difference than anything else.

njbmd 🙂

 

[mynamewastaken]

Just a lil anectdote.....i went to college with a dude who's father was a president and ceo of a major US University health system...who's medical school happens to be a top 3 school....the kid was smart and had good grades (3.7 ish dont know MCAT- from an IVY) but never did one EC....got in no problem....imagine in that section of family mambers in faculty..."father- runs this whole place" haha i guess it depends on the connection but lets face it in many cases people in very important places have children applying....i think thats different from having physicians as parents though as far as influence....also this person had a close family friend who's daughter also went to school with me who was a much less competitive applicant....he didn't get into any medical schools and very late in the game was accepted off the wait list at this top school....def sounded like a phone call was made.

 

[neurogeek23]

Yea I've always wondered how important these connections really are. My grandfather went to harvard undergrad, medschool and then was a proff at the med school, so my family is very upset with me for not applying because they believe I would *definitely* get in. However my stats aren't competitive at alllll for Harvard (3.4 gpa, 3.1 sci gpa and 32Q) and I never took calc2. They want me to take calc2 next semester (I get free classes at a university because I work there) and apply, but I really don't think one connection is enough to overcome my stats at a school like harvard.

 

[amojan99]

Hi there,
I am the tenth physician in my family. I applied to six schools and got into all six but I was not a legacy at any of the schools that I applied to. I doubt if having physicians in my family helped my cause other than they regularly kicked my rear end when I slacked off, so I didn't.

I do have a close friend whose father was a professor at a state medical school. In fact, he was a department chair. This friend had a double major in Econ and Biology with a 3.98 GPA and 42 MCAT. He was a traditional applicant and did not get into any of the schools that he applied to. He was interviewed and came across as fairly immature.

Sitting out that year really helped him. He went in on the next application cycle so family ties didn't really help him nor did having a competitive GPA and MCAT score. He kept killing himself on the interviews.

Moral of the story: Put together the best package that you can and do not worry about connections and other intangibles. Also, do not screw up the interview. Once you get to that step, the interview probably makes more of a difference than anything else.

njbmd 🙂

Dude, with those stats, unless your friend physically reached over the desk and hauled each interviewer over and gave them a vicious noogie, I dont thinks its possible to be rejected from every school he applied to. Something doesnt fit. Cmon, a 42 MCAT rejected from EVERY SCHOOL? Almost absolutely impossible.

 

[gujuDoc]

Dude, with those stats, unless your friend physically reached over the desk and hauled each interviewer over and gave them a vicious noogie, I dont thinks its possible to be rejected from every school he applied to. Something doesnt fit. Cmon, a 42 MCAT rejected from EVERY SCHOOL? Almost absolutely impossible.

Probably lack of proper clinical and/or research experiences, leadership, and other extracurricular activities.

I once heard a story of a guy with a 4.0 and 40 that got rejected from every school he applied to. but it was totally justified, seeing that this particular person did the dumbest and stupidest thing of all by not writing a personal statement, but rather that he should be accepted based on stats alone because he thought quite highly of himself.

So maybe this dude did something stupid like that, or couldn't pull it off in the interviews.

I had a friend that couldn't hold his own in two of his three interviews. I've already spoken about this on here before, but I'll say it again. This particular friend got nervous beyond nervous in one interview due to lack of knowing how to answer the "what's wrong with our healthcare system?" type of questions, and went wrong in another interview because he was trying BS his way through what he's done (i.e. clinical experience, etc.).

So yes, if something went truly truly truly wrong, it can screw you over. An interview does not guarantee an acceptance, but it can prevent you from getting one if you screw up.

 

[myodana]

Connections may help gain an interview, but won't gain you an acceptance. I know because people in my immediate family are alumni/faculty of a certain prominent med school. Legacy status gives you a few points, but not enough to push you in front of all other applicants. And, it only counts if your parents/siblings are graduates of the medical school or have tenured positions. Med schools like children of faculty because they can groom you into being an academician. Family who had fellowships, were instructors, did their residency programs, or work for a certain medical school are much much less influential and usually are insignificant, unless they have it in with the dean. Big money alumni donate loads to schools, so that's why they want to keep them happy by accepting their kids.

couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[rpkall]

How is it different? Nepotism vs. URM?

In either case, you're someone born into the circumstance of being given an advantage that is not based solely on your individual merit.