"Future Doctors Share Too Much on Facebook"

[Kaustikos]

PH33R!


Why would any hacker worth his salt want to see the private profile of some loser in Michigan? Unless.... the hacker is an Adcom!

Nah, it's Angelina Jolie

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Kaustikos]

howww? by hacking?

It doesn't matter if it's hacking or simply using "networking". Your pictures that you think only your friends have/are looking at can be easily leaked and found by anyone. I'm not trying to scare people, but it just seems people are sometimes naive in how they use the internet/myspace.

"Yo, only Ted will see this pic of me completely wasted and dry humping this cadillac holdin a bottle of jack!"

And then it becomes a picture on 4chan. You tell me how that happened

 

[Dissected]

yea I see your point. it can be a pretty thin line to walk sometimes.

"Yo, only Ted will see this pic of me completely wasted and dry humping this cadillac holdin a bottle of jack!"

haha, is this one from personal experience?

 

[HugzMonster]

I think facebook is great. It can get petty and obnoxious but what collaboration technology doesn't suffer from that? I remember refusing to want to own a cell phone because of the types of people I'd see in public walking around shouting on them with no regard to the surrounding public.

AOLIM was the same way with custom profiles and away messages. Is it really important that people know you are taking a shower?

It's still practical enough as a communication tool to merrit my use. I use it all the time to put together group events.

 

[Crazyday]

It started with AIM, then myspace and now Facebook. People LOVE to publicize their "social" life and how many friends they have. It's an innate, subconscious desire for acceptability from their peers. We all want to be "cool".

With saying that, I find it absolutely pathetic that people do this. I only used facebook as a means of keeping contact information of people I knew so that I would never have to ask. Now it's become a gossip corner where everyone is looking at your friend number and your pictures to see what you're doing/how cool you are. I am half expecting a new monologue feature from gossip girl everytime I log on.

I actually agree with this. I'm a junior in high school and I've never had a myspace or facebook, and I'd say I'm pretty popular.

There's no reason to have one. Everyone seems to have one these days, and I don't really understand why. My friends know me, and if I want to talk to them I call them or go out and do something with them.

People take it way too seriously. Earlier today I was walking in the hall and overheard a conversation where some girl was talking crap on another girl, and if she knew her name she'd destroy her on myspace. I just /facepalmed and walked on. What happened to the good old days of actually having a spine, or talking to somebody in person, hearing their voice?

Some people don't use it in this way, but most people do. It's dumb if you ask me. Putting pictures of yourself drunk/half-naked etc. on a public profile? You're really begging for attention, and not attention that most professional people would consider positive.

Good for the adcoms. Another way to weed out some of the fools with no common sense.

 

[Dissected]

I actually agree with this. I'm a junior in high school and I've never had a myspace or facebook, and I'd say I'm pretty popular.

yay!


anyways, you are right about the misuse, especially for professionals. BUT, it is an extremely useful tool when moving away for college, med school, beyond, etc. Keeping up with old friends is the best part about it for me. I would have lost touch with a lot of people without it.

every man to his own...

 

[Crazyday]

yay!


anyways, you are right about the misuse, especially for professionals. BUT, it is an extremely useful tool when moving away for college, med school, beyond, etc. Keeping up with old friends is the best part about it for me. I would have lost touch with a lot of people without it.

every man to his own...

People who use it to keep in touch and what not, kudos to them. That's cool.

But I find that a lot of people don't use it for that (if not a majority), and I don't understand why they'd want to advertise to the world that they went out and got smashed that weekend or what not. That's something you keep behind closed doors, especially when you're supposed to act and play the role of a professional.

I don't care if you did go out and get smashed, but you don't have to tell me and everyone else about it.

 

[messenger634]

People who use it to keep in touch and what not, kudos to them. That's cool.

But I find that a lot of people don't use it for that (if not a majority), and I don't understand why they'd want to advertise to the world that they went out and got smashed that weekend or what not. That's something you keep behind closed doors, especially when you're supposed to act and play the role of a professional.

I don't care if you did go out and get smashed, but you don't have to tell me and everyone else about it.

good points and well put!

co-sign all of this.

 

[cyclin M]

Except in the new century when pretty much everything you say is recorded in some fashion... perhaps in the future that statement won't be true of thinking either

Well this is only partially true, because only some states allow you to record conversations without the other party's knowledge.

 

[secret25]

Response to the idea that facebook is used to show how cool and/or popular someone is:

I have a digital camera that I rarely use, I pretty much depend on my friends to take pictures because I'm too lazy to be bothered when I go out. Plus I find it annoying when about 10 people are taking pictures of the exact same thing. So my friends take pictures of events, whether we're drinking or not, and post them on facebook. Now, because of facebook, I have access to photos of a whole bunch of events that I've been to. I haven't printed a picture, except for those occasional ones for wall frames, in years. I'm done creating my own concrete photo albums, and really I only use digital for everything else, so why would I bother creating actual photo albums? Especially considering I seem to move to a new city every few years, carrying all that around is annoying, so ALL my pictures pre-facebook, just stay at my parent's house. So having pictures, whether they're drunk pictures at parties or sober pictures with my family at graduation, on facebook is important to me. I don't do it to show 'how cool or popular I am,' (considering the majority of us are in college, no one thinks it's 'cool' to drink anymore, it's more of a lifestyle choice) and honestly, who looks at friends numbers to decide how popular someone is? People add people as friends who they've met once, it means nothing. (Although it can, I've used facebook more than once to reconnect with high school friends, and some people, as far back as 2nd grade when I lived in a completely different country.) Just my two cents.

Oh and my facebook is as private as can be, and according to my friends who work there (who can easily be wrong, I understand), no one can see it who aren't allowed to, aside from a few exceptions which really wouldn't apply to me since I don't intend to do anything that would grant me any governmental attention.

 

[JackInTheBox]

Plus I find it annoying when about 10 people are taking pictures of the exact same thing.

That is pretty annoying, but I wouldn't rely on Facebook to be your source for pictures. For one thing, They downsample the crap out of pictures, so something taken with an $8000 DSLR ends up looking like something someone snapped with a cell phone camera through a dirty window.

Oh and my facebook is as private as can be, and according to my friends who work there (who can easily be wrong, I understand), no one can see it who aren't allowed to, aside from a few exceptions which really wouldn't apply to me since I don't intend to do anything that would grant me any governmental attention.

It's totally doable to get around the security settings. One easy example is to have someone look at a picture of someone who isn't your friend on Facebook. Alll they have to do is right click, "copy image location," and paste it to you. You should be able to see the picture without any problems, even if you aren't friends with that person or logged into Facebook.

 

[Chemdude]

Facebook is the antichrist.

 

[secret25]

That is pretty annoying, but I wouldn't rely on Facebook to be your source for pictures. For one thing, They downsample the crap out of pictures, so something taken with an $8000 DSLR ends up looking like something someone snapped with a cell phone camera through a dirty window.



It's totally doable to get around the security settings. One easy example is to have someone look at a picture of someone who isn't your friend on Facebook. Alll they have to do is right click, "copy image location," and paste it to you. You should be able to see the picture without any problems, even if you aren't friends with that person or logged into Facebook.

I agree with the fact that facebook quality is not very high, BUT it's still better than no pictures at all, which is realistically my only other option, because I am pretty terrible about taking pictures.

About the second part, I'm not worried about friends of friends seeing my pictures. (Although, there are settings that don't allow ANYONE except your friends to see your pictures, although most people don't use that, but I've had issues sending friends pictures of me that they aren't configured to see.) I don't normally take pictures that I wouldn't want random other people my age seeing. I'm 22, drinking is no longer illegal, so the only issue is AdComs and I sincerely doubt too many AdComs are friends of friends of mine on facebook and already know they are, and therefore would know to check their friends' facebooks for pictures of me (sorry if that sentence doesn't make sense). Of course there are exceptions to every rule. Anyway, just saying, as long as privacy settings are activated (and, EVERYONE should make sure their privacy settings are newly activated because mine were changed when facebook's layout changed), I feel like chances for repercussions are low, although they are still there.

My main point was just in response to the idea that people use facebook to make themselves look cool, and I don't think that's the case at all, for the majority of people.

 

[supergirl87]

It's totally doable to get around the security settings. One easy example is to have someone look at a picture of someone who isn't your friend on Facebook. All they have to do is right click, "copy image location," and paste it to you. You should be able to see the picture without any problems, even if you aren't friends with that person or logged into Facebook.

True. I know I've done this before. This thread made me go on my FB account and delete a few photos. They were harmless, but I thought it was unneccessary for everyone to see them. I have all of my security features up. But like someone said, it is not that hard to get around them if you knew how.

 

[silverlining1]

I agree with the fact that facebook quality is not very high, BUT it's still better than no pictures at all, which is realistically my only other option, because I am pretty terrible about taking pictures.

Indeed, facebook photo compression is awful. Have you ever considered using another site like Flickr, though? You can download full-res photos, and you can share the URL/login info so that all your friends can check out the pics and upload their own.

I actually used to be extremely anti-Facebook - I felt that it demeaned friendships and that real friends should just communicate face-to-face or some other more direct means than wall posts. However, I've found that you can really use it to bring friends closer - it's great for keeping in touch, and I personally use things I see on Facebook as starting points for IRL conversations.

The info I have posted is relatively benign, but sigh... I think I'm going to have to go through and detag a good number of photos in the near future.

EDIT: Detagging done, heh.

 

[Dissected]

The info I have posted is relatively benign, but sigh... I think I'm going to have to go through and detag a good number of photos in the near future.

Indeed.

 

[biophysicianai]

Facebook is the antichrist.

Then we're screwed. It's everywhere.

 

[Kaustikos]

Response to the idea that facebook is used to show how cool and/or popular someone is:

I have a digital camera that I rarely use, I pretty much depend on my friends to take pictures because I'm too lazy to be bothered when I go out. Plus I find it annoying when about 10 people are taking pictures of the exact same thing. So my friends take pictures of events, whether we're drinking or not, and post them on facebook. Now, because of facebook, I have access to photos of a whole bunch of events that I've been to. I haven't printed a picture, except for those occasional ones for wall frames, in years. I'm done creating my own concrete photo albums, and really I only use digital for everything else, so why would I bother creating actual photo albums? Especially considering I seem to move to a new city every few years, carrying all that around is annoying, so ALL my pictures pre-facebook, just stay at my parent's house. So having pictures, whether they're drunk pictures at parties or sober pictures with my family at graduation, on facebook is important to me. I don't do it to show 'how cool or popular I am,' (considering the majority of us are in college, no one thinks it's 'cool' to drink anymore, it's more of a lifestyle choice) and honestly, who looks at friends numbers to decide how popular someone is? People add people as friends who they've met once, it means nothing. (Although it can, I've used facebook more than once to reconnect with high school friends, and some people, as far back as 2nd grade when I lived in a completely different country.) Just my two cents.

Oh and my facebook is as private as can be, and according to my friends who work there (who can easily be wrong, I understand), no one can see it who aren't allowed to, aside from a few exceptions which really wouldn't apply to me since I don't intend to do anything that would grant me any governmental attention.

You make a good point, one that makes light of some of the positive aspects of facebook. But you're basically stating what people should be doing. But you cannot say that you have not seen pictures taken/posted that you yourself cringe at or hesitate to consider as something you would want to see publicly.

Also, to your second statement; you would have to live in a closed environment if the form of validation to your "privacy" on facebook are your friends.

 

[JeanLuc]

This thread is pointless. The topic is pointless. There is an extremely simple way to keep all of your actions on facebook confidential.
1) Set privacy options to fullest extent; hide profile picture from non-friends; do not allow non-friends to see who your friends are; etc etc
2) Change your name on facebook. If your name is say Trian Basescu, change it so that it now reads T. R. Baseson or whatever name you like... change it to a nickname perhaps
3) notify your friends of the change
Now, no one will find you. Quite simple.

Also, I believe your new name will be associated with all of the photos where you may have been tagged by your prior name.

Edit:
I'm sorry that was a bit harsh. This thread is not pointless. However, the solution is quite simple. I do apologise for the unkind tone above.

 

[Jtrenier]

It wouldn't surprise me that many high schoolers and some college students use facebook for gossip and social status; however, after college, facebook is the best way for keeping in touch with everyone, which is what most people in my age range (mid/late-twenties professionals) seem to use it for. For example, I use facebook to keep in touch with my friends and classmates from high school, college, and grad school. I also keep in touch with current and ex co-workers, childhood friends, friends in other countries (from when I've worked & studied abroad) and friends from different cities who I've met at different salsa events. The point is that the more you move around and meet people in life, facebook/social networking sites become an invaluable tool for keeping up w/ the hundreds of people you meet. This can be useful as you network professionally and just for fun as well. Now I know people in pretty much every major city in the U.S. and when I interview I have someone to show me around the city or hang out with.

BTW, I highly doubt that adcoms waste their freetime spying on applicants' facebook profiles. They receive thousands of applications and spend only a few minutes reviewing each of them. Actually, I would be quite flattered if they did look up my facebook profile; it would mean that my application actually stood out among the other thousands of highly qualified applicants.

 

[Twiigg]

This thread is pointless. The topic is pointless. There is an extremely simple way to keep all of your actions on facebook confidential.
1) Set privacy options to fullest extent; hide profile picture from non-friends; do not allow non-friends to see who your friends are; etc etc
2) Change your name on facebook. If your name is say Trian Basescu, change it so that it now reads T. R. Baseson or whatever name you like... change it to a nickname perhaps
3) notify your friends of the change
Now, no one will find you. Quite simple.

Also, I believe your new name will be associated with all of the photos where you may have been tagged by your prior name.

Edit:
I'm sorry that was a bit harsh. This thread is not pointless. However, the solution is quite simple. I do apologise for the unkind tone above.

Fact: Nothing put on the internet is personal/private, no matter how misleading you try to be.

 

[secret25]

You make a good point, one that makes light of some of the positive aspects of facebook. But you're basically stating what people should be doing. But you cannot say that you have not seen pictures taken/posted that you yourself cringe at or hesitate to consider as something you would want to see publicly.

Also, to your second statement; you would have to live in a closed environment if the form of validation to your "privacy" on facebook are your friends.

I wasn't responding to the idea that there are pictures that are a bit cringeworthy on facebook (I know I have pictures that are probably less than ideal) but just what other people were saying about using facebook to show off the number of friends they have or the crazy weekend from the night before. I was just saying that it now just happens to be what most of us use to have any pictures from that crazy night, in addition to Wedding pictures and Graduation pictures and whatever else.

I definitely know that there are ways to get around it, but every experience I've heard of facebook actually being used, the employer commented on the lack of privacy settings. I've heard offhand comments that it's possible to hack into it, and I believe them, but I think the majority of employers and adcoms don't try to hack into accounts, but use the tools that are most easily at their disposal, considering how busy they are. Or maybe I'm just being naive.

 

[silverlining1]

BTW, I highly doubt that adcoms waste their freetime spying on applicants' facebook profiles. They receive thousands of applications and spend only a few minutes reviewing each of them. Actually, I would be quite flattered if they did look up my facebook profile; it would mean that my application actually stood out among the other thousands of highly qualified applicants.

I don't know what happens during applications, but I know for sure that adcoms may look at your facebook profile after you get in. At the UCLA orientation, the dean had gone on facebook and pulled pictures from people's profiles and then showed a slideshow. Haha.

 

[GoBuckeyes913]

This thread is pointless. The topic is pointless. There is an extremely simple way to keep all of your actions on facebook confidential.
1) Set privacy options to fullest extent; hide profile picture from non-friends; do not allow non-friends to see who your friends are; etc etc
2) Change your name on facebook. If your name is say Trian Basescu, change it so that it now reads T. R. Baseson or whatever name you like... change it to a nickname perhaps
3) notify your friends of the change
Now, no one will find you. Quite simple.

Also, I believe your new name will be associated with all of the photos where you may have been tagged by your prior name.

Edit:
I'm sorry that was a bit harsh. This thread is not pointless. However, the solution is quite simple. I do apologise for the unkind tone above.

While I have mixed feelings about Facebook/Myspace, I think it's unecessary to freak out about it to the degree most people are here. Keep your page private, and don't post pictures of yourself blackout drunk groping some chick at the bar. If I had $1 for every time a patient revealed way too much about themselves to me I could probably pay a semester of tuition. (i.e. 3am in the ED, vibrator stuck in the rectum). ..And they want to pass judgement on ME? Puh-lease.

 

[Dissected]

While I have mixed feelings about Facebook/Myspace, I think it's unecessary to freak out about it to the degree most people are here. Keep your page private, and don't post pictures of yourself blackout drunk groping some chick at the bar. If I had $1 for every time a patient revealed way too much about themselves to me I could probably pay a semester of tuition. (i.e. 3am in the ED, vibrator stuck in the rectum). ..And they want to pass judgement on ME? Puh-lease.

way off topic, but my roommate (ER scribe) came home with a story about a guy who had a WINE DECANTER as a foreign rectal object. I've heard a lot of these stories...but a wine decanter? wow.

carry on...

 

[JackInTheBox]

way off topic, but my roommate (ER scribe) came home with a story about a guy who had a WINE DECANTER as a foreign rectal object. I've heard a lot of these stories...but a wine decanter? wow.

carry on...

You'd be surprised the things that people put up their poopers. Their excuses can be pretty hilarious too, but they often revolve around the central theme of "I fell on it."

 

[Jtrenier]

I don't know what happens during applications, but I know for sure that adcoms may look at your facebook profile after you get in. At the UCLA orientation, the dean had gone on facebook and pulled pictures from people's profiles and then showed a slideshow. Haha.

It was probably very easy for him to do that b/c I'm sure all the new students had their profiles under the UCLA network.

 

[whoknows2012]

you guys are crazy if you think adcoms are going to hack facebook to see your profile, if it is private. And even if its not, there is no way facebook profile checking by adcoms is common at all....I am NOT saying it doesn't happen...just that it wouldn't be considered common. Crazyday....I too don't use facebook in the fashion you think most people do...and to be completely honest, while most of my friends have and use facebook, I don't know one who uses it in the negative way you describe. I think a better assessment of facebook usage would be that most people use it in the way secret25 describes, and SOME people abuse it or use it in negative ways. Also I would think that being that you are in high school, you probably hear and see what the less mature population on facebook does, when the older more mature population probably makes up the majority of facebook.

 

[halekulani]

I don't know what happens during applications, but I know for sure that adcoms may look at your facebook profile after you get in. At the UCLA orientation, the dean had gone on facebook and pulled pictures from people's profiles and then showed a slideshow. Haha.

lol wat
awkward....haha

 

[scarletgirl777]

You can have an avid social life without chronicling it in detailed picture form on Facebook to prove you have an avid social life.

But that's the entire POINT of Facebook.

 

[87138]

My main point was just in response to the idea that people use facebook to make themselves look cool, and I don't think that's the case at all, for the majority of people.

Well, they do, but you're allowed to disagree anyway.

 

[fahimaz7]

you guys are crazy if you think adcoms are going to hack facebook to see your profile, if it is private. And even if its not, there is no way facebook profile checking by adcoms is common at all....I am NOT saying it doesn't happen...just that it wouldn't be considered common. Crazyday....I too don't use facebook in the fashion you think most people do...and to be completely honest, while most of my friends have and use facebook, I don't know one who uses it in the negative way you describe. I think a better assessment of facebook usage would be that most people use it in the way secret25 describes, and SOME people abuse it or use it in negative ways. Also I would think that being that you are in high school, you probably hear and see what the less mature population on facebook does, when the older more mature population probably makes up the majority of facebook.

If they are doing it for undergraduate admissions, you can be damn sure that they are doing it for medical school admissions. Some of the ADCOM members are also on this site.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122170459104151023.html

http://www.admissions.com/news.do?doc=PLAYING_IT_SAFE_IN_FACEBOOK&newssection=newsarticle

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-facebook-college-20-sep20,0,2460681.story

 

[Dissected]

If they are doing it for undergraduate admissions, you can be damn sure that they are doing it for medical school admissions. Some of the ADCOM members are also on this site.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122170459104151023.html

http://www.admissions.com/news.do?doc=PLAYING_IT_SAFE_IN_FACEBOOK&newssection=newsarticle

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-facebook-college-20-sep20,0,2460681.story

Second one - 1. Don’t think that privatizing your profile settings is enough
Even if your kids make certain parts of their profile private, they still have to be careful. Quite frankly, anyone without privacy settings is just begging to be found out. But even with privacy settings, it’s still all too easy to finagle a profile peek. There are ways around those privacy settings, be they hacking or merely joining the desired network with a new email account. - clever buggers...

Third one - Olson stressed that schools weren't routinely checking the sites as part of the evaluation process but were visiting only if there was something troublesome in the application or information that needed to be confirmed.

My guess is its a rarity.. ADCOMS are probably more likely to find you posting in here than try and look up your facebook. Its always a risk though, probably not worth ignoring if it means there's a chance a med school will see you negatively.

 

[Fiko18]

i've heard of large companies and corporations buying facebook profile accessability, whether the profile is private or not, in order to get extra info on ppl applying for a top position. I wonder if admissions committees go far enough as to buy viewing privaleges of facebook profiles. maybe, but i doubt it.

 

[cbrons]

You know what's annoying?

When you check out some chicks facebook profile and see a picture, and you don't know if she's hot or not because she took it at a weird angle. I assume all these girls are ugly because they took the picture with a "myspace angle." Friendship request = denied.

 

[cbrons]

If they are doing it for undergraduate admissions, you can be damn sure that they are doing it for medical school admissions. Some of the ADCOM members are also on this site.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122170459104151023.html

http://www.admissions.com/news.do?doc=PLAYING_IT_SAFE_IN_FACEBOOK&newssection=newsarticle

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-facebook-college-20-sep20,0,2460681.story

If I was an adcom at medical schools, I would check out peoples facebook profiles. Now... I would look at their pictures to see whether or not they at least had some form of a social life (I would find it a positive to see a few pictures of the person drinking socially here and there). If, on the other hand, their profile was all about research, school, and tips on how to increase your MCAT VR score, I'd probably deny their application. This is because well-controlled correlational studies have shown a positive relationship between amount of drinking and recreation in undergrad. and how much of an annoying, uppity (goody-two-shoes) a**h*** you are and that no one will enjoy associating with you in a socially close-knit grad. program.

 

[goldenwest]

Well, you aren't an adcom.



There's no finagling around my facebook security settings that I'm aware of. It would have to be straight hacking since I'm the only person allowed to see my own photos. Not that there's anything I'd really care about them seeing anyway.

 

[sindadel]

I check out potential employees on FB. A few drunk photos - whatever, assuming they are in their early twenties. A pattern of poor decisions photo-documented on FB helps me make my mind up.

I use FB to get back in touch with old friends. And weirdly, despite a number of, shall we say, less than sober episodes, since I joined, there are NO drunk photos on FB. Only drink with people you really trust.

 

[Crazyday]

You'd be surprised the things that people put up their poopers. Their excuses can be pretty hilarious too, but they often revolve around the central theme of "I fell on it."

I have a friend who is a phlebotomist, and yea, he said they had a dude come in like once every 2 weeks with a figurine or something random stuck way up his ass. His excuse was always "I fell on it", even though it was roughly an arms length in.

you guys are crazy if you think adcoms are going to hack facebook to see your profile, if it is private. And even if its not, there is no way facebook profile checking by adcoms is common at all....I am NOT saying it doesn't happen...just that it wouldn't be considered common. Crazyday....I too don't use facebook in the fashion you think most people do...and to be completely honest, while most of my friends have and use facebook, I don't know one who uses it in the negative way you describe. I think a better assessment of facebook usage would be that most people use it in the way secret25 describes, and SOME people abuse it or use it in negative ways. Also I would think that being that you are in high school, you probably hear and see what the less mature population on facebook does, when the older more mature population probably makes up the majority of facebook.

You're probably right, but like all these studies say, when they look at these people's profiles, a staggering number of them have inappropriate images of themselves even on public profiles. I'll agree that the maturity level in high school is a lot lower than college/medical school (hopefully ), so more people use it for the wrong reasons.

As far as hacking private profiles, I highly doubt that too. As long as you show enough restraint to make it private, I think that would appease most of them.

If I was an adcom at medical schools, I would check out peoples facebook profiles. Now... I would look at their pictures to see whether or not they at least had some form of a social life (I would find it a positive to see a few pictures of the person drinking socially here and there). If, on the other hand, their profile was all about research, school, and tips on how to increase your MCAT VR score, I'd probably deny their application. This is because well-controlled correlational studies have shown a positive relationship between amount of drinking and recreation in undergrad. and how much of an annoying, uppity (goody-two-shoes) a**h*** you are and that no one will enjoy associating with you in a socially close-knit grad. program.

That seems pretty extreme. Just because someone has higher values/standards and might actually enjoy studying and learning doesn't make them an automatic fail doctor. I know several people that are all about studying and doing well in school and they're very nice, sociable people. I'm glad you're not an adcom.

 

[beachblonde]

I don't know what happens during applications, but I know for sure that adcoms may look at your facebook profile after you get in. At the UCLA orientation, the dean had gone on facebook and pulled pictures from people's profiles and then showed a slideshow. Haha.

My sorority's national org did that that at the national convention. They went on, found sisters' profiles, pulled up "inappropriate" photos, and made a slideshow out of them. I imagine that taught some people a lesson or two about posting photos of yourself, half dressed, drunk, and falling over on facebook.

If I was an adcom at medical schools, I would check out peoples facebook profiles. Now... I would look at their pictures to see whether or not they at least had some form of a social life (I would find it a positive to see a few pictures of the person drinking socially here and there). If, on the other hand, their profile was all about research, school, and tips on how to increase your MCAT VR score, I'd probably deny their application. This is because well-controlled correlational studies have shown a positive relationship between amount of drinking and recreation in undergrad. and how much of an annoying, uppity (goody-two-shoes) a**h*** you are and that no one will enjoy associating with you in a socially close-knit grad. program.

That seems pretty extreme. Just because someone has higher values/standards and might actually enjoy studying and learning doesn't make them an automatic fail doctor. I know several people that are all about studying and doing well in school and they're very nice, sociable people. I'm glad you're not an adcom.

Self righteous, much? And at such a young age....

FWIW, good gracious I hope you're not drinking in high school. For every stupid thing a drunk college kid does, high schoolers manage to do things 10 times dumber. It makes me sad when I open up the newspaper and yet another high school student died because they were driving drunk.

 

[Crazyday]

Self righteous, much? And at such a young age....

FWIW, good gracious I hope you're not drinking in high school. For every stupid thing a drunk college kid does, high schoolers manage to do things 10 times dumber. It makes me sad when I open up the newspaper and yet another high school student died because they were driving drunk.

I'm not drinking, but the vast majority of kids at my high school do. It's hard to find people that don't, even.

I'm not self righteous, I'm just saying that because someone likes to study and likes their schoolwork, and doesn't like to drink/party, that doesn't mean you should just reject them because of that.

If I was an adcom I wouldn't dock someone that I knew did drink some, that's fine and like has been said it shows you are a social, recreational person. On the same token, I wouldn't dock somebody because they didn't have those things. You can be recreational and social without having to drink and go out to parties.

And yes, it's sad to see the number of high school students that die or are permamently disabled because they chose to drive drunk or on drugs. Several students at my school died last year because of it. And it's only getting worse as time goes on.

 

[cbrons]

If I was an adcom at medical schools, I would check out peoples facebook profiles. Now... I would look at their pictures to see whether or not they at least had some form of a social life (I would find it a positive to see a few pictures of the person drinking socially here and there). If, on the other hand, their profile was all about research, school, and tips on how to increase your MCAT VR score, I'd probably deny their application. This is because well-controlled correlational studies have shown a positive relationship between amount of drinking and recreation in undergrad. and how much of an annoying, uppity (goody-two-shoes) a**h*** you are and that no one will enjoy associating with you in a socially close-knit grad. program.

This is the joke...

Well, you aren't an adcom.

That seems pretty extreme. Just because someone has higher values/standards and might actually enjoy studying and learning doesn't make them an automatic fail doctor. I know several people that are all about studying and doing well in school and they're very nice, sociable people. I'm glad you're not an adcom.

...this is people taking the joke seriously

 

[cbrons]

And yes, it's sad to see the number of high school students that die or are permamently disabled because they chose to drive drunk or on drugs. Several students at my school died last year because of it. And it's only getting worse as time goes on.

Maybe if our society focused more on responsible drinking rather than making the whole act a forbidden fruit all together, a lot less kids would die. But politicians don't listen to scientists and researchers - they listen to PTA moms. Just remember that.

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/index.html (Alcohol Problems & Solutions)

 

[Crazyday]

Maybe if our society focused more on responsible drinking rather than making the whole act a forbidden fruit all together, a lot less kids would die. But politicians don't listen to scientists and researchers - they listen to PTA moms. Just remember that.

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/index.html (Alcohol Problems & Solutions)

Yea, it's a vicious cycle. Not only does our society exacerbate drinking, the media, music industry, TV, all project poor ideas that only make the effects worse. Most everyone listens to rap these days, and most of it talks about ho's, pimps, drugs, killing and other stuff we could really do without. Then most of the few that don't listen to rap listen to modern "metal", which is just someone screaming lyrics (if they could be called that) that can't be understood into a mic. What happened to music with feeling, music that actually made you feel good? Music that connected generations of people?

And the kiddies eat it all up too. Stand in the school parking lot sometime, that's all you hear. You never hear Boston, the Beatles, or anything older. It's all about being gangster, being hip. The kids don't realize they don't live in the "ghetto", as much as they wish they were. Why my generation seeks to act in the likeness of, and to idolize such a poor ideology, is beyond me. A sign of the times perhaps.

So all the higher ups say that one thing is awful to even touch, then all the "cool" music and media projects the likeness of it so strongly on the kids. Of course the kids are going to feel a want to "rebel", and take it to extreme measures just to spite the authority. The snag they don't realize: they're just rebelling against themselves and their own future.

You'd figure kids would learn. You can't just go and get a factory job and support a family and live decently off of it anymore. You have to get a education. They don't see it though. I guess they'll learn the hard way. Although they say the children of today are our future...

And don't get me wrong, I do not scorn alcohol. Drinking on occasion is fine, even healthy. Even on more than occasion for relaxing, just letting off some stress. Doesn't bother me any. Of course I don't drink, as it's illegal since I'm only 17 and I'm not going to risk getting a MIP. I don't think binge drinking or drinking until you're wasted is particularly healthy (which is what seems to be "cool"), but to each their own.

Back to the point about promoting responsible drinking, you're right. Most parents and most of society really just makes too big of a deal about alcohol. Maybe if more parents talked to their kids about it, and society didn't crack down on it so harshly, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

If drinking under the age of 21 wasn't illegal, if kids could get together and drink a little just to relax without having to worry about getting busted, I don't think it'd be such a big issue. Kids wouldn't feel like they had to go get wasted at a party to be cool, to feel like they were avoiding the law or rebelling or whatever. And there'd be a lot less DWI's. Even if kids did go get drunk at parties (and they would), it wouldn't be taboo if say the parents went and drove them home. Sure, it's promoting something that may not be healthy, but it's a hell of a lot safer. And the kids are going to find a way to do it anyway. The responsible kids who don't drink now would most likely drink responsibly in such a scenario.

Kind of went off on a rant/tangent there.

And I didn't realize you were being sarcastic/joking. It's hard to read sarcasm through text sometimes. I've seen some people that would be dense and one-sided enough to do exactly what you said.

 

[cbrons]

Yeah, good points... and good for you (you won't be one of the idiots like I wa--- I mean, a lot of people I knew in high school were)

So on prom night, do the cops look to bust the parents who allow drinking under their roof provided they take the keys away from all the kids and make them spend the night so they can drive home sober? Or is that anathema? I hear *****s all the time crying about how evil it is for some parents to do this. I think these parents should be given a medal for risking a lot of legal trouble. At least they live in reality and are taking a proactive stance to prevent HS kids from getting loaded in some sleazy hotel (or elsewhere) unsupervised.

Illinois is bad with their regulations. They keep passing increasingly harsh laws ... now if you get caught drinking under 21, you get your DL taken away for 6 months. To me, thats ridiculous. They are no longer trying to alleviate the problem... they are instead creating new ones.

 

[Haemulon]

I have pretty much taken everything off of my facebook profile now. Last year a number of personal facebook pictures ended up in the med school year book for a bunch of students, including a couple of mine. Fortunately they wern't bad photos .... but still. It was definitely not cool to randomly pull things off FB like that for publication use. So since then I deleted everything. Even if only your friends can view your page, stuff can still get out. So beware.

 

[Japika]

I'm with you on this. I'm over 21, and really not the Girls Gone Wild type, but I'm sure some 80-year-old adcom members might frown at some of my pictures. I think it's ridiculous. Going to a bar on a weekend when you're old enough to do so should hardly be something to be judgmental about. I'd rather have a doctor who has a social life and can handle his/her stress than one who bottles it all up and lives in the library. Honestly, it was college! Of course there are some things that you shouldn't put up there (mostly those are the things you shouldn't really be doing in the first place) but the way I see it, if I'm comfortable with my mother seeing the pictures, I hardly think the adcoms should judge me for them.

you most certainly shouldn't be disqualified by adcoms. They should only judge you on things they ask you about. If they ask you "do you spend 1500 dollars a semester on alcohol for yourself alone" and you answer truthfully "yes", they should be allowed to use that how they see fit.

Now, when it comes to your peers and general public, who have access to your public information, like facebook profiles with pictures of you drinking from a bottle of greygoose in a moving car while you take pictures with the flash on (yes they are out there ) you shouldn't be surprised if somebody uses it against you. Beyond that, I have seen something on facebook alone, that warrants expulsion for any university and jail time (so many underage drinkers with fake ID's and students doing drugs it's ridiculous).

I would like to propose a question. If you are doing something that could make yourself look bad and hinder your chances are getting into medical school, do you think, how you could negatively impact the perception of the profession is fair to your peers and future colleagues.

Do Americans just not care about the people around them? Is it just the people close to them?

 

[cbrons]

you most certainly shouldn't be disqualified by adcoms. They should only judge you on things they ask you about. If they ask you "do you spend 1500 dollars a semester on alcohol for yourself alone" and you answer truthfully "yes", they should be allowed to use that how they see fit.

Now, when it comes to your peers and general public, who have access to your public information, like facebook profiles with pictures of you drinking from a bottle of greygoose in a moving car while you take pictures with the flash on (yes they are out there ) you shouldn't be surprised if somebody uses it against you. Beyond that, I have seen something on facebook alone, that warrants expulsion for any university and jail time (so many underage drinkers with fake ID's and students doing drugs it's ridiculous).

I would like to propose a question. If you are doing something that could make yourself look bad and hinder your chances are getting into medical school, do you think, how you could negatively impact the perception of the profession is fair to your peers and future colleagues.

Neither of those warrant jail time or expulsion. Its really no ones business what you do (as far as the drugs) with your body - why don't you mind your own damn business? And a bunch of college kids drinking? WOW what a TERRIBLE CRIME. Lets punish it some more and see if it really makes a difference. We won't save any lives, hell, we'll probably kill even more of them off with our stupid policies but at least we're taking the moral high ground.

Do Americans just not care about the people around them? Is it just the people close to them?

Are you kidding me? We idolize people who care and fight for the rights of EvERy MaN!!!!!--------->

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGuhZvO1DKg[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Kaustikos]

Back to the point about promoting responsible drinking, you're right. Most parents and most of society really just makes too big of a deal about alcohol. Maybe if more parents talked to their kids about it, and society didn't crack down on it so harshly, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

If drinking under the age of 21 wasn't illegal, if kids could get together and drink a little just to relax without having to worry about getting busted, I don't think it'd be such a big issue. Kids wouldn't feel like they had to go get wasted at a party to be cool, to feel like they were avoiding the law or rebelling or whatever. And there'd be a lot less DWI's. Even if kids did go get drunk at parties (and they would), it wouldn't be taboo if say the parents went and drove them home. Sure, it's promoting something that may not be healthy, but it's a hell of a lot safer. And the kids are going to find a way to do it anyway. The responsible kids who don't drink now would most likely drink responsibly in such a scenario.

Kind of went off on a rant/tangent there.

The one way I look at that argument, about kids drinking "underage" and how it would be if they were "allowed" to drink is to look at teenage sex.I want you to take that argument and look at teenage sex as an example of how much better we would be if it were legal to drink responsibly. Even if they were "taught" to drink responsibly, I doubt we'd see ANY improvement. If anything, we'd see a spike and then a gradual return to the same situation. Teenagers just don't want to listen and they won't. They don't listen about having protected sex, not everyone, and you still see 13 yr olds getting pregnant. You think that if we made alcohol legal we would see an improvement? It goes back to the idea that Teenagers want to "rebel" against society and if it means getting intoxicated and having unprotected sex, then so be it. Saying it's "legal" won't change a thing because of what alcohol does to you and how it affects your body.
You seem pretty mature and have decent taste in music (I don't see radiohead in your library ), and I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just pointing out how promoting responsible drinking and the like won't change anything. It doesn't for adults - we still have DUI's and vehicle manslaughters, alcoholism and the like - even with taxi's offering free rides and the like. Some people just don't learn.

 

[cbrons]

The one way I look at that argument, about kids drinking "underage" and how it would be if they were "allowed" to drink is to look at teenage sex.I want you to take that argument and look at teenage sex as an example of how much better we would be if it were legal to drink responsibly. Even if they were "taught" to drink responsibly, I doubt we'd see ANY improvement. If anything, we'd see a spike and then a gradual return to the same situation. Teenagers just don't want to listen and they won't. They don't listen about having protected sex, not everyone, and you still see 13 yr olds getting pregnant. You think that if we made alcohol legal we would see an improvement? It goes back to the idea that Teenagers want to "rebel" against society and if it means getting intoxicated and having unprotected sex, then so be it. Saying it's "legal" won't change a thing because of what alcohol does to you and how it affects your body.
You seem pretty mature and have decent taste in music (I don't see radiohead in your library ), and I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just pointing out how promoting responsible drinking and the like won't change anything. It doesn't for adults - we still have DUI's and vehicle manslaughters, alcoholism and the like - even with taxi's offering free rides and the like. Some people just don't learn.

The purpose of lowering the MLDA is that it would eliminate drinking as some sort of right of passage, since you can do it at any age. The MLDA didn't reduce the amount of motor vehicle fatalities, it only displaced them to a later age group... the reduction in fatalities that you see in most literature doesn't take into account that most states also mandated other things - including seat belt laws - at the same time. Here is research that is largely ignored: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1000359 (you can read a summary here: http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/532)