Gift giving?

[toriz]

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I have heard of applicants sending "gifts" to admissions committees during the processing of their application.
I am curious on how this comes off from an admissions committee perspective when an applicant sends things like cookies/cakes/fruit baskets, etc. along with their 'thank you for interviewing me' letter. Obviously this goes above and beyond being courteous, but I am wondering if it actually could create bias towards some applicants?

Would their opinion be different if the "gift" were accompanied by a letter of interest as opposed to a thank you letter? Does it make an applicant seem more desperate? Or is it more acceptable now, during the holiday season, to pass a long a gift?

I am asking because one of the doctors I shadow told me he had sent a small box of cookies to the head of admissions along with his "thank you for interviewing me" letter. He eventually was accepted and attended the school. Personally, (I am currently working as a teacher, btw) if a student sent me cookies I would love it, but I don't know if it would effect my evaluation of them in class. I would imagine this to be subjective, however.

 

[Lawpy]

I bet the analogy in med school is that one guy who gives residents snacks and coffee for better evaluations ☕☕

 

[mimelim]

It is inappropriate with a letter of interest. It can negatively affect you. With a thank you note, less likely to hurt you, but still possible. It will not help.

Best case, it gets put out for the office staff without a name on it. Worst case, it rubs people the wrong way and hurts your application.

 

[mimelim]

I bet the analogy in med school is that one guy who gives residents snacks and coffee for better evaluations ☕☕

You look like an idiot if you do that. I've seen it kill someone's evals for trying to pull **** like that.

 

[Lawpy]

You look like an idiot if you do that. I've seen it kill someone's evals for trying to pull **** like that.

yeah i agree. i made the analogy because it looks like bribery in both cases

 

[Goro]

This.

yeah i agree. i made the analogy because it looks like bribery in both cases

 

[Frogger27]

This.

What if they send you a cute kitten?

 

[Goro]

My daughter would love it, she wants a kitten! But we're maxed out with cats and litter boxes.

What if they send you a cute kitten?

 

[gyngyn]

Do not send gifts.

 

[jqueb29]

Send me the gifts instead. You'll get just as much benefit as you would sending to the admissions office.

 

[libertyyne]

So if I am on a surgery rotation And I pick up coffee in the morning or donuts in the morning for the team that would be considered inappropriate?

 

[WedgeDawg]

So if I am on a surgery rotation And I pick up coffee in the morning or donuts in the morning for the team that would be considered inappropriate?

Totally context dependent. Sometimes the team will have one person (usually a resident) get food or coffee for everyone each day. It is possible that med students on their rotation will be asked to share in this endeavor and may have one day of the or every other week where it's their turn to get the food/coffee. They either should be reimbursed by the attending/department or there should be an understanding that it's a mutual buy-in type of thing. This is okay and helps reinforce positive team dynamics.

Getting coffee/donuts unsolicited may be okay if it is signed by the entire med student team and not just from one person and it would probably be very weird to do it every day - think just like once near the end of the rotation. Getting coffee/donuts and saying they're just for you is going to look bad and will probably earn you the ire of your colleagues. Don't pull that kind of stuff.

 

[libertyyne]

Send me the gifts instead. You'll get just as much benefit as you would sending to the admissions office.

Thank you. I have been trying to figure out how to get rid of this gold bullion I was trying to gift to the adcoms. I just need your routing number , account number and SsN/dob / and mother's maiden name to make the transfer.

 

[libertyyne]

Totally context dependent. Sometimes the team will have one person (usually a resident) get food or coffee for everyone each day. It is possible that med students on their rotation will be asked to share in this endeavor and may have one day of the or every other week where it's their turn to get the food/coffee. They either should be reimbursed by the attending/department or there should be an understanding that it's a mutual buy-in type of thing. This is okay and helps reinforce positive team dynamics.

Getting coffee/donuts unsolicited may be okay if it is signed by the entire med student team and not just from one person and it would probably be very weird to do it every day - think just like once near the end of the rotation. Getting coffee/donuts and saying they're just for you is going to look bad and will probably earn you the ire of your colleagues. Don't pull that kind of stuff.

I was thinking along the lines of : thanks for putting up with me , here is some cheap coffee and donuts. At the end of the rotation. Or jumping in on the morning food run pool.

 

[WedgeDawg]

I was thinking along the lines of : thanks for putting up with me , here is some cheap coffee and donuts.

If you say or imply the gift is from you only, you're gonna be in for a bad time

 

[libertyyne]

If you say or imply the gift is from you only, you're gonna be in for a bad time

Good to know, Idont want to come off as bribing anyone, I mean it works, but still would rather not risk it.

 

[kb1900]

ur actually supposed to just mail in a 7 figure check...not a gift basket of cookies

 

[libertyyne]

ur actually supposed to just mail in a 7 figure check...not a gift basket of cookies

Someone did mail in a chilli's coupon with a gift card the other day, soo I guess that counts.