Well, that's my question. My father and grandfather are and I want to know if it makes me stand out or increases my chances in anyway. Anyone who actually knows or has related family who are physicians and are applying lemme know!
If people in your family are physicians does it increase your acceptance?
- Thread starter CCUmed
- Start date
- Joined
- May 19, 2009
- Messages
- 320
- Reaction score
- 0
I wish...as far as i know there isn't an advantage to having physicians in the family...the only way i think it might make a difference if u apply to their alma maters but I am not so sure about this
- Joined
- May 19, 2009
- Messages
- 320
- Reaction score
- 0
and don't expect this to be a big boost in any case...maybe it just gets you over the hump, but can't be the strength of the application
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
- Messages
- 1,598
- Reaction score
- 2
I think being legacy helps a bit at alma maters. My boss is 3rd generation (and all of his siblings are MDs as well) at UMD...I think applicants with physician parents have a better idea of how to hit the ground running and what to do when to boost their chances, so that's the biggest plus of a physician parent. Not that an acceptance is obtained by virtue of your family.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 100
- Reaction score
- 0
Uh, no. What difference does it make? What about having a doctor in the family makes you more likely to be a good doctor? Sure, you've seen some of the ins and outs of medicine that a kid from a non-doctor family hasn't seen from a personal perspective. But I don't know how that makes you a more competitive applicant...
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
- Messages
- 1,598
- Reaction score
- 2
I never said that a doctor's child would make a better physician than someone who didn't have a physician in the family (I'm the first in mine...so to say that would be insulting myself) but I can see the benefit of having a parent who has been there and through the application process for connections as well as knowing those "ins and outs" to point them out to their child who is following the same path for one reason or another. Thus giving thier applicant child a better idea of what activities would be beneficial in the application process unlike a majority of premeds who stick to routine experiences like volunteering, Habitat for Humanity, EMT work, or maybe helping out a professor doing research at their undergrad. Having a parent who is a physician has very little to do with an individual's motivation and ability to be a successful physician - or at least it should.
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2008
- Messages
- 134
- Reaction score
- 1
I think it does make a difference even if they don't go around screaming it out. It probably makes very little or no difference. The system is very silly really on these aspects. If you have the passion with a good GPA/MCAT and decent EC. I can't see how you can't get into med school.
- Joined
- May 19, 2009
- Messages
- 320
- Reaction score
- 0
ill add my own question to this thread since its somewhat related...
my brother is in a med school so would it be alright to write in the secondaries that one of the reasons I want to come to that school is because of my brother being there?
my brother is in a med school so would it be alright to write in the secondaries that one of the reasons I want to come to that school is because of my brother being there?
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2008
- Messages
- 937
- Reaction score
- 0
It doesn't matter either way. In fact, if you do have a physician in the family, make sure you never mention that as a factor as to why you want to be a physician.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
- 27,757
- Reaction score
- 51,576
From what I see, having physicians in the family makes it easier to get shadowing opportunities so in that regard the applications as a group tend to be stronger than the applications of a group on non-MD related applicants.
Legacies help very little unless you are on the cusp in which case you might get a little boost. If you are inclined to matriculate because a sib attends, and you are a strong applicant who will have several choices, you might get a little boost because it appears you might choose your sib's school over all others.
If you have docs in the family, you do need to be careful to elucidate your reasons for choosing medicine without appearing to having had the decision made for you (being pressured) or having made it by default or as a way of going along with tradition.
Legacies help very little unless you are on the cusp in which case you might get a little boost. If you are inclined to matriculate because a sib attends, and you are a strong applicant who will have several choices, you might get a little boost because it appears you might choose your sib's school over all others.
If you have docs in the family, you do need to be careful to elucidate your reasons for choosing medicine without appearing to having had the decision made for you (being pressured) or having made it by default or as a way of going along with tradition.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2008
- Messages
- 226
- Reaction score
- 1
Definitely agree with this...It's viewed in the sense that you don't have your own reasons as to why medicine, simply that you want to/"forced" into applying by your relatives...
On another note, I definitely became interested in medicine through a physician father, but keeping the interest was not related to that...I did get to shadow a lot informally in high school and there were plenty of people to choose from, but you should find your own reasons and tell your story...you'll be fine without relying a physician relative
Edit: Just saw LizzyM's post...I mimic her, you can disregard
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2008
- Messages
- 1,341
- Reaction score
- 181
You might get some shadowing connections from it but it really doesn't help much with admissions. (so the same as if she worked at any hospital)
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2007
- Messages
- 2,101
- Reaction score
- 4
I've heard rumors for decreased tuition?
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 0
Some people are of the opinion that the bold passage below in the Hippocratic Oath is in some way an historic yet vague obligation for physicians to pass their knowledge along to the subsequent generation of doctors ... not sure what I think.
"I swear by Apollo, the healer, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath and agreement: To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and, if necessary, to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art.
I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot."
"I swear by Apollo, the healer, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath and agreement: To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and, if necessary, to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art.
I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot."
Similar threads
- Question
