how much does having legacy help for getting into med school?

[fastfingers]

How much does having legacy help in terms of getting into medical school? Lets say my brother goes to a med school and I'm applying there too. Does my chances go up by a significant amount?

I remember for undergrad, that it helped a ton (maybe what is equivalent to like a +300 points on the SAT).

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[ialwayslose]

How much does having legacy help in terms of getting into medical school? Lets say my brother goes to a med school and I'm applying there too. Does my chances go up by a significant amount?

I remember for undergrad, that it helped a ton (maybe what is equivalent to like a +300 points on the SAT).

my very first rejection pre-interview came from the only school i had legacy. I was well above their statistics for acceptance. So in my case, it didn't help, but its easy to imagine that it would.

 

[Hotshy]

All depends upon the culture of the school, I would not count on it though.

 

[StoicJosher]

I think I remember LizzyM saying that having a legacy might get you as far as an interview but not any further.. If she didn't say it, I blame source amnesia.

 

[FattySlug]

I got an interview from Tufts where a cousin of mine attended school, he is also a donor though not much. I hope they didn't interview me because of that.

 

[Neurosis]

This may sound outlandish but, wouldn't you rather get into med school based on your own merits rather than connections. I'm not saying connections are bad, but, I would rather look back and think "wow, I can't believe all my efforts paid off." Then again I'm just an idealistic/naive college freshman.

 

[AM90]

I have too much pride when it comes to academics, so I'd rather know I got in because of my own efforts.

 

[Neurosis]

I have too much pride when it comes to academics, so I'd rather know I got in because of my own efforts.

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Also, I love your avatar.

 

[ranson]

My friend received an interview at a school for being a legacy. The email that he got said that this school would accept a legacy over another person if they had the same stats.

 

[kristinairene]

This may sound outlandish but, wouldn't you rather get into med school based on your own merits rather than connections. I'm not saying connections are bad, but, I would rather look back and think "wow, I can't believe all my efforts paid off." Then again I'm just an idealistic/naive college freshman.

This exactly. I also would rather not have a doctor who only got into med school because of connections. I couldn't trust or at least I wouldn't want someone cutting me up and giving me wrong medications from someone who didn't have enough knowledge in it.

 

[tantacles]

How much does having legacy help in terms of getting into medical school? Lets say my brother goes to a med school and I'm applying there too. Does my chances go up by a significant amount?

I remember for undergrad, that it helped a ton (maybe what is equivalent to like a +300 points on the SAT).

From what I understand, legacy helps you get your file read more holistically, especially at schools where your GPA or MCAT might be less than the median. It also might slightly positively improve the committee's view of you, depending on how many know that you are a legacy applicant.

That being said, you can see posts here from legacy applicants who failed to gain admission, let alone an interview, from said schools. The proof is in the pudding. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't apply to a school you have a legacy at, but it does mean that you absolutely shouldn't bank on an acceptance there.

 

[235788]

I have too much pride when it comes to academics, so I'd rather know I got in because of my own efforts.

soo your rationalizing for not having connections?

OP, i'm sure it helps, but wont make/break you.

 

[FattySlug]

I have too much pride when it comes to academics, so I'd rather know I got in because of my own efforts.

"That's pride ****ing with you. **** pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps"
Marsellus Wallace.

 

[pre med 2014]

What if your father is a distinguished medical professor at the school you get into? Does it mean you got in based on a connection?

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

What if your father is a distinguished medical professor at the school you get into? Does it mean you got in based on a connection?

Get in? Not automatically.
Get interview? Highly likely.

 

[EnergyDrink]

I had a friend who didn't get interviewed anywhere but her dad's alma mater, which was better (in ranking) than some of the others she applied to. Accepted.

 

[Lexdiamondz]

This may sound outlandish but, wouldn't you rather get into med school based on your own merits rather than connections. I'm not saying connections are bad, but, I would rather look back and think "wow, I can't believe all my efforts paid off." Then again I'm just an idealistic/naive college freshman.

Yeah the real world generally doesnt work like that...the majority of real jobs you'll ever get as an adult will generally be through connections of one sort or another.

Think about it...these days admissions reps and human resources have to go through thousands of applications, transcripts and résumés in order to pick a small handful of acceptances. Having connections, moreso than almost anything else, will seal the deal because otherwise you're just a piece of paper in the pile.

This exactly. I also would rather not have a doctor who only got into med school because of connections. I couldn't trust or at least I wouldn't want someone cutting me up and giving me wrong medications from someone who didn't have enough knowledge in it.

But he would have gotten the same education and training as any other physician in his field. The only reason why I would mistrust a physician would be if they have a bad reputation or graduated at the bottom of their class.

 

[bookfreak89]

This exactly. I also would rather not have a doctor who only got into med school because of connections. I couldn't trust or at least I wouldn't want someone cutting me up and giving me wrong medications from someone who didn't have enough knowledge in it.

This does not make any sense. The people admitted to medical school through legacy will need to graduate, pass the boards, and attend residency just like the rest of us. Being a legacy admit does not equate to being a physician "who doesn't have enough knowledge". Plus, how would you know if your physician IS a legacy admit?

 

[theseeker4]

But he would have gotten the same education and training as any other physician in his field. The only reason why I would mistrust a physician would be if they have a bad reputation or graduated at the bottom of their class.

Exactly this. Why worry about why someone got into medical school? Other than being annoyed at not having the same connections yourself, obviously. Someone who gets through all the classes and exams, clinical rotations, scores a residency spot and completes that residency in good standing tells you infinitely more about their ability as a doctor than their undergraduate stats and MCAT score. I would much rather have a doctor who got in because his father was dean of admissions at Harvard and rocked all his board exams and graduated top of his class than the student who got in on their own merit, but struggled with every course and exam they ever had and had to re-do rotations to graduate.

These situations may be rare, but the performance in medical school and on rotations speaks much more to their abilities as a doctor than their med school application does.

 

[ppfizenm]

A friend from undergrad got multiple interviews/acceptances at pretty decent schools b/c his mom is a neurosurgeon who knows tons of people. GPA and MCAT = nothing spectacular

 

[Slack3r]

Almost every secondary I filled out how some section where it asks you if you have an immediate family member who is attending, graduated from, or is employed at that given medical school. Can't imagine it doesn't hurt.

I got interviewed at one school after a friend's dad who works there asked a dean to take a look at my app. Didn't end up going to the interview, but can't imagine they would have interviewed me otherwise.

 

[ppfizenm]

Additionally I got waitlisted at a DO school where the doctor who wrote my letter of rec teaches so I have no clue.

 

[fastfingers]

alright thanks for the info. I personally don't have any legacy, but I was asking for somebody.

i guess for myself, i actually did have a cousin who went to a med school, although i got rejected 2 days after sending in my secondary.