How important is family support to the adcom?

[TheShaker]

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I am asking this question to learn from my mistakes, reflect on my interview experience, and to allow myself and new applicants to better prepare for the coming application cycle.

In all of my interviews, I had them ask if I have the support of my family in my pursuit of a medical education. In most of my interviews I have told them that I receive a fair amount of support and left it at that. At one interview, and this was the only school I got straight up rejected from, I spoke truthfully. My almost exact words: My parents tend to tell me to pick a different field, a field that is much easier than medicine. They believe in me but they don't want me to go through such an intense amount of stress for almost a decade. They support me in my endeavors but they do worry about me as they see me being stressed out a lot.

Is this a red flag to the adcom? Is them knowing that you have a support structure really that important? What does this mean for applicants who don't necessarily have the support of the people around them?

 

[ericksonj15]

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[Doctor Strange]

I doubt this comes into play at all. I think you're over-analyzing here. I've given similar responses at my interviews (e.g., My parents never wanted me to be a doctor.. too much time and stress... they still support me... blah blah blah) and don't think it's negatively impacted my in any way.

 

[Mountaineer12]

I think the more alarming thing would be the bit about your parents seeing you stress out a lot. Maybe it made them think you couldn't handle the stress of med school? More than likely you're looking too much into it.

 

[coffeesnob]

Is there some sort of red-flag elsewhere in your application forcing everybody to ask you about this? I was never asked anything remotely related to this, and based on your other posts, we interviewed at 2 of the same schools.

This.

I don't understand why interviewers at several different places would be interested in your family support situation... Did you mention anything related to this in your personal statement, or anywhere on AMCAS?

 

[1289]

Ive been to a total of 8 interviews over the last two cycles and have never been asked anything like this either... agree with the person above that maybe some red flag in your app prompted this concern?

 

[TheShaker]

I don't know, almost every interview started off asking about my family and demographics. My parents are blue collar workers without a US education so maybe that has something to do with it? I don't know what else in my application would prompt that question, I always thought it was common. Maybe you guys are right and I'm overthinking it but I find it strange that none of you got that question!

 

[Gauss44]

Hopefully not that important for the sake of any previously orphaned single adult.

 

[snorlax]

I don't know, almost every interview started off asking about my family and demographics. My parents are blue collar workers without a US education so maybe that has something to do with it? I don't know what else in my application would prompt that question, I always thought it was common. Maybe you guys are right and I'm overthinking it but I find it strange that none of you got that question!

I was also asked the same questions at almost all of my interviews (had a total of 7). Tell me about your family/ Does your family support your decision to pursue medicine/ Did your mother (who is a nurse) influence your decision to pursue medicine? My family had no influence on my decision to pursue medicine, but it seems my interviewers always had that pre-misconception. I guess I wasn't good at conveying my motivations, which is why I am on several waiting lists. Maybe your situation is similar?

 

[Girly X]

While I think family support is important, I was never asked either. But my personal statement had strong family themes and whenever I could, I brought up my family in my interviews. I did extremely well, so it probably made a difference. Willing to bet there is something of concern along these lines in your app or LORs and then your response during the interview did not completely clear things up for them (hence the waitlists).

With so many waitlists, I doubt you'll be reapplying when things shake out. But if you end up doing so, as others have said, please have someone read your entire app. And do a couple of mock interviews for feedback on how you come across as you answer this question.

 

[Mountaineer12]

I was asked something a long the lines of "what kind of support system to do you have going into medical school" at my three interviews. I thought it was a common place question as well.