Having a physician call on your behalf...

[help79]

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What do you guys think about this? I've met several people on interviews who mentioned they have "family friends who are doctors and faculty" at a particular medical school speak to adcom's on their behalf. I know the process of getting into medical school is cut-throat so anything that will give a student advantage over another is "acceptable."

I used to be a nurse and was contemplating on whether I should have some doctors call adcom's on my behalf as well. I want to do it (I'm desparate for some more interviews), but I feel kinda weird about doing that...I guess it's hard for me to accept other peoples help. Either that, or I just feel way elitist. Any thoughts?

 

[help79]

Don't be a "tool". Your situation is completely different. Those contacts are associated with that certain school and therefore have some say as to who should go there (as the rounds are done with them). Your situation is just some random docotor and will make you look like a tool, so dont do it. If I misunderstood and your doctor is part of the school then yes tell him to call!

hahaha no its not some random doctor. they are faculty at the medical schools to which I'm applying.

 

[help79]

Then yes! By all means have them plead for you. And if your worried about being weird don't be as you surely are not the only pre-med to do this. Plus if you worked with them (I am assuming you didn't kill to many patients) they can vouch for your hard work and great work ethic. DO IT!

thanks...i'll do it, but i still feel somewhat toolish. i didn't kill any patients, so i'm all set with that. 😀 thanks again for the input.

 

[LizzyM]

Don't count on in helping. I've seen applicants who had a DEAN call on their behalf and it didnt' make any difference if the applicant just isn't a good fit for the school. (but it might get you a courtesy interview)

 

[christian15213]

I like this post because you were right the first time by calling this person a TOOL... No doctor in any adcom status is going to think, "oh some idiot doctor called me on behalf of this chick to get an interview for medical school." Do you know why no doctor would do that... i will tell you... because you, that doctor and that school would be put on the front of fox news, CNN and MSNBC as the biggest loser med school in the U.S.

please explain to me why your stats and your extra's aren't good enough to get you an interview...

when I am a doctor will I be an elitist?

 

[MattD]

how would fox news et al. ever find out about it? Do you honestly think backroom deals don't happen all the time?

To the OP: If you think it will help more than hurt, and if your conscience allows 'string pulling' for personal gain, then go for it. If you want to be a Dr., you have to get into medical school, through whatever means it requires. That is not an endorsement for cheating or dishonesty, but you will not be the only person to get in due to a phone call. And to those who will complain about the person with higher stats whose seat he/she took, guess what. People get residency spots through phone calls all the time too. Get used to it.

 

[riceman04]

thanks...i'll do it, but i still feel somewhat toolish. i didn't kill any patients, so i'm all set with that. 😀 thanks again for the input.

I have the feeling that you already knew what you were going to do anyway...and despite getting neg feedback, just as long as you received at least one positive message you were going to go ahead and follow through.

I'm not hating...just a little suspect in your motives.

good luck

 

[njbmd]

What do you guys think about this? I've met several people on interviews who mentioned they have "family friends who are doctors and faculty" at a particular medical school speak to adcom's on their behalf. I know the process of getting into medical school is cut-throat so anything that will give a student advantage over another is "acceptable."

I used to be a nurse and was contemplating on whether I should have some doctors call adcom's on my behalf as well. I want to do it (I'm desparate for some more interviews), but I feel kinda weird about doing that...I guess it's hard for me to accept other peoples help. Either that, or I just feel way elitist. Any thoughts?

As opposed to calling members of an admissions committee, why not have this person(s) write you a letter of recommendation? A well-written LOR carries far more weight than a phone call which runs the risk of being considered "annoying". Makes a better impression too.

 

[help79]

I have the feeling that you already knew what you were going to do anyway...and despite getting neg feedback, just as long as you received at least one positive message you were going to go ahead and follow through.

I'm not hating...just a little suspect in your motives.

good luck

don't worry about hating. i actually wasn't sure if it was kosher at all. i still haven't asked anyone to call on my behalf. it's just that every interview i've gone to (4 so far) people tell me they had family friends who called on their behalf pre-interview. i think a previous poster mentioned it before that it happens much more often than we think. that's unfortunately the sad part about the whole process. if you have a mother/father/family member who went to that school, that also gives you an applicant an edge.

the point of this post was to see what you all thought, ethically, about the situation. i wasn't looking for positive input so i could go ahead and do what i "origianlly intended" to do since i didn't have set plans just yet. i was just curious as to the general consensus on what SDN's population's thought was.

 

[help79]

As opposed to calling members of an admissions committee, why not have this person(s) write you a letter of recommendation? A well-written LOR carries far more weight than a phone call which runs the risk of being considered "annoying". Makes a better impression too.

this is true. thanks for the suggestion. you're right, a letter would probably be better.

 

[help79]

I like this post because you were right the first time by calling this person a TOOL... No doctor in any adcom status is going to think, "oh some idiot doctor called me on behalf of this chick to get an interview for medical school." Do you know why no doctor would do that... i will tell you... because you, that doctor and that school would be put on the front of fox news, CNN and MSNBC as the biggest loser med school in the U.S.

please explain to me why your stats and your extra's aren't good enough to get you an interview...

when I am a doctor will I be an elitist?

are you currently in the application process? this happens all the time, and i'm pretty sure i haven't seen FOX news broadcast this on evening news.

 

[A Tree]

Don't count on in helping. I've seen applicants who had a DEAN call on their behalf and it didnt' make any difference if the applicant just isn't a good fit for the school. (but it might get you a courtesy interview)

The possible courtesy interview is the impression I was given in discussing this with a faculty member that will go to bat for my application. It's a really nice gesture and a huge favor, but this person also genuinely thinks I would be a very good fit with the school.

 

[CTtarheel]

Now's the time to cash in on your connections. Nobody seems to think it'll hurt, so take all the help you can get!

 

[UCLAMAN]

Don't count on in helping. I've seen applicants who had a DEAN call on their behalf and it didnt' make any difference if the applicant just isn't a good fit for the school. (but it might get you a courtesy interview)

i dont think it makes a difference either. this is not like residency applications where phone calls may help because some docs are friends with other docs at another institution within the same department. however, for medical school admissions, the adcom is composed of many different people; people with masters in education, PhDs, a doctor from a completely different department than the one your recommending doctor is from, medical students, etc. so just because you know a physician who works at that institution, it by no means will secure you a position at that school. i would imagine that a lot of the people on the adcom would not be all that receptive to some random physician telling them who they should accept, regardless if that physician works at that hospital or not.

i agree with a previous poster...i think a letter from that faculty member would be a lot more tactful.

 

[CTSballer11]

Do it. You are not getting interviews now; what do you have to lose?

 

[HumbleMD]

Don't count on in helping. I've seen applicants who had a DEAN call on their behalf and it didnt' make any difference if the applicant just isn't a good fit for the school. (but it might get you a courtesy interview)

Thanks Lizzy, good to hear. I went into this whole process worried about my lack of "connections" and "networking." I'm happy to say that I've been making it through this process without a hint of croneyism.

 

[etf]

the only connection that can really make a difference is that between your bank account and their endowment fund, via the fedwire system