Interview: is being short really disadvantaged ?????

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This morning I had an interview for TA position at my school; at the end, the interviewer said that I looked "minuscule" (I'm Asian, 5ft tall. It's not like I had never held office before, but I knew what she's thinking) and she started telling me that "there're X applicants and only 1 opening left .... Even IF you don't get it this year, I strongly encourage you to apply next year...", so it's like a rejection already. I just didn't know what to say when hearing that.

I wonder.... has anything like that ever happened in Medical interviews ?

In case the interviewer makes remarks about your appearance (aka: thinking you're not fit for the job b/c of your appearance)....

In case the interviewer says something like a rejection right in front of you (st. like above).....

.... what would you say/do so that you won't lose your chances ???

.
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Maruko said:
This morning I had an interview for TA position at my school; at the end, the interviewer said that I looked "minuscule" (I'm Asian, 5ft tall. I knew what she's thinking) and she started telling me that "there're 8 applicants and only 1 opening left .... Even IF you don't get it this year, I strongly encourage you to apply next year...", so it's like a rejection already.

I wonder.... has anything like that ever happened in Medical interviews ?

In case the interviewer makes remarks about your appearance (aka: thinking you're not fit for the job b/c of your appearance)....

In case the interviewer says something like a rejection right in front of you (st. like above).....

.... what would you say/do so that you won't lose your chances ???
Click to expand...

I'd say something like "Well, then it's a good thing that X medical school picks candidates on the whole package, and not something superficial such as looks, right?" If you didn't want to respond with something that aggressive, you could always go with something cookie cutter like "I get that sometimes, but thankfully appearances aren't everything."
 
This is the sort of thing that might affect their impression of you, but only a fool would challenge you on it verbally. And don't worry, I really doubt that anyone would seriously think less of a candidate based on height.

If you were a midget or something then you might want to have something to say about it, but you aren't really physically limited so it doesn't matter.
 
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Sir Buckethead said:
This is the sort of thing that might affect their impression of you, but only a fool would challenge you on it verbally. And don't worry, I really doubt that anyone would seriously think less of a candidate based on height.
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Oh oh, of course they won't tell anyone straightly, but when they briefly mention it, it means that they do care. This is psychological issue, of course, even if they did reject a candidate based on appearance and that candidate asked why he/she was rejected, they wouldn't admit what they thought.
 
My sister-in-law is four foot nine (also asian), and they let her join the army. She had to get a special waiver and everything. I don't think that you should worry about your size at all. I don't think that most people (or adcom's) will see small stature as a hindrance to being a doctor.
 
bottom line, appearance does matter in terms of overall impression on an interview, but not enough to worry about. I feel like if you go into the interview expecting to be dismissed based on stature you will come off as defensive or insecure, and that will far outweigh the truly miniscule (sorry, couldnt resist) effect it would otherwise have.
 
Im pretty short, and I had an interviewer say something in passing. He accidentally mistook me for another applicant (who looked very similiar and had the same first name), and after apologizing said something along the lines of "One thing you dont get from a picture is height." I wasnt really bothered by it, and I think a sense of humor is the best approach to this topic. If nothing else, being short makes you unique.
 
You can't change anything about it, so why worry? You're still going to try your best either way, right? If an interviewer is stupid enough to make it seem like a negative attribute (commenting on your height is just as bad as a racist remark), just say you want to go into peds because children like you.
 
I was once turned down for a patient lift tech job because I was "just too small." I'm 5' 2", and I could lift the required weight, etc for the job, but the interviewer told me I was just a "tiny little thing," and she was concerned that my petite size would make the job difficult for me. Never mind that I was a lifter in another hospital a few years prior. It made me SO mad, but you can't do anything about it.
 
I wouldn't stress it...better short than fat. I don't really think there are too many people that are biased based on height, unless you are an athlete, then height becomes more important.
 
bias against short people??? i think you have to think broader.

what about bias against really tall people (i mean giants)?

or obese people?

or abnormally thin individuals?

or how about a mole on your face?

or bad hair?

or an acne rash?

or you look like your interviewers least favorite movie star?

or...heaven forbid...you are too good looking? (i actually knew some cute sorority girls who had difficulty with being taken seriously in their interviews bc of their looks)

or...gasp...what if you are just too AVERAGE..and nothing stands out about you to your interviewer


You cant win. just be confident and be yourself. if you are very abnormal looking then perhaps incorporate your experiences with that in your statement/essays/interview.
 
During the summer after my senior year of high school I was mistaken for a sixth grader at a church camp because I was shorter than them. Talk about a blow to the self esteem...

Really though, no one should judge you on your height. If you want to be a doctor you need to impress adcoms with your application and personality, and if you wow them they'll (hopefully) look past your height.
 
I'm pretty sure I remember seeing something abut tall people leaving a better impression or having better income in the business world - some crap like that.

Anyways, we're all dealt an interesting hand of pluses and minuses - nothing you can do about being short. Napoleon had a complex for a reason, follow in his footsteps and fight harder.
 
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The interviewer said you looked miniscule? If I was you, I'd make sure she loses her job.
 
Well, 5 ft flat is pretty short, even for a girl, but I wouldn't stress much about it. As long as you are not a real dwarf or giant, you will be fine.
 
There are plenty of 5-ft Asian girls at my med school. Don't worry about it.
 
I think the only way height would be discriminated against would be for males. For females, petite is "cute". For a guy, it means "panzy".
 
F12 said:
There are plenty of 5-ft Asian girls at my med school. Don't worry about it.
Click to expand...

Really? hmm...

Avg Korean and Chinese girls are like 5" 4', almost as tall as white girls. Anyways, don't stress, since being short and cute is better than tall and fugly. Ask anyone that. but are you cute?

😉
 
PilSeungKorea said:
Really? hmm...
Click to expand...

To be specific, there are 2 ~5ft Asian girls in my class, a few others in other classes. I think one of them is more like 4'10".

Again, I stress that height really doesn't matter. You're going to be sitting down during the interview, anyway.

If anyone is wondering, I'm about 5' 9.5" (I'm a dude).
 
F12 said:
To be specific, there are 2 ~5ft Asian girls in my class, a few others in other classes. I think one of them is more like 4'10".

Again, I stress that height really doesn't matter. You're going to be sitting down during the interview, anyway.
Click to expand...
It matters if you want to do surgery. Otherwises, not
 
I'm pretty short for a guy (5'5") and Asian (not to reinforce stereotypes 🙂) , but it hasn't really been that big of an issue. Many people tell me that I "carry myself well" and that they perceive me as taller. (That may just be people being nice). I teach in an urban high school and some of the kids are a whole foot taller than me, but I've never had any problems. No problems in my previous job interviews either. Well see how the med school thing works out (I had one interview and am now on the WL)

I really think there's absolute height and perceived height. I can't change the former, so I have to focus on the latter. I'm fine with my height and I carry myself with confidence (I think that buys me a couple of inches, right?).
 
Wait I thought to Universal averages were Female: 5' 2" Male: 5' 9" That would make the OP just slightly below average, right?
 
amwatts0322 said:
Wait I thought to Universal averages were Female: 5' 2" Male: 5' 9" That would make the OP just slightly below average, right?
Click to expand...

Avg is closer to 5'4-5'5 for woman, about 5'10 for men.
 
Maruko said:
This morning I had an interview for TA position at my school; at the end, the interviewer said that I looked "minuscule" (I'm Asian, 5ft tall. It's not like I had never held office before, but I knew what she's thinking) and she started telling me that "there're X applicants and only 1 opening left .... Even IF you don't get it this year, I strongly encourage you to apply next year...", so it's like a rejection already. I just didn't know what to say when hearing that.

I wonder.... has anything like that ever happened in Medical interviews ?

In case the interviewer makes remarks about your appearance (aka: thinking you're not fit for the job b/c of your appearance)....

In case the interviewer says something like a rejection right in front of you (st. like above).....

.... what would you say/do so that you won't lose your chances ???

.
Click to expand...

Technically speaking, if you dont get the job and feel that you are being discriminated, especially the interviewer made that comment, you can sue just for the heck of it. This would work great if you are a "little person" (i.e., midget)... but you are not.

In reality though, dont sweat it.. there are a lot of shorter people out there. If you are female, 5' is still okay. If you are a guy, that's probably an issue. Ultimately, what you've accomplished is what matters, not your height.

To answer your last question, you can say, well sir, I'm maybe short, but I ride a Ducati (it's a kick-*** motorcycle; its lowest end weighs >350lb with a696 cc displacement, btw.. not bad for a small gal).
 
i'm a male and height means everything....i'm only 5'5. being tall makes life so much easier-- there are NO advantages to being short (don't get me that crap on how smaller people can fit into small spaces or boxes, wtf?)

the taller you are, the more attractive you become, for males anyways
 
Maruko said:
This morning I had an interview for TA position at my school; at the end, the interviewer said that I looked "minuscule" (I'm Asian, 5ft tall. It's not like I had never held office before, but I knew what she's thinking) and she started telling me that "there're X applicants and only 1 opening left .... Even IF you don't get it this year, I strongly encourage you to apply next year...", so it's like a rejection already. I just didn't know what to say when hearing that.

I wonder.... has anything like that ever happened in Medical interviews ?

In case the interviewer makes remarks about your appearance (aka: thinking you're not fit for the job b/c of your appearance)....

In case the interviewer says something like a rejection right in front of you (st. like above).....

.... what would you say/do so that you won't lose your chances ???

.
Click to expand...

only about the last point, the perceived rejection -- i make a similar comment to everyone I interview. not to crush hopes but because the reality is, especially with regards to med school admissions, it is competitive and there's always a high likelihood that you won't get a spot at the school I'm at or anywhere for that matter. Encouraging to reapply suggests that there's something there that makes a candidate suitable on paper and if they don't get in with this pool of applicants, they may with another pool. I don't think you can read too much into it more than that.

about the first half...well no doubt those were ill chosen words, but it wasn't necessarily malicious. Not that it justifies it. I don't know enough about the person that said those words. some people just don't have filters on and every word that comes out of their mouths is a stream of consciousness. (i,e, some of the older, tenured faculty in the sciences 😉 ) Maybe she's concerned you won't be able to grab and hold the attention of the students in your section. who knows. personally, i'm in favor of a witty response when i ask an inappropriate question 🙂
 
I learned something in sociology about shorter people having more of a disadvantage. It was some kind of unrecognizable discrimination, so meaning its like an unconscious thing we do and sometimes we don't recognize we are doing it..Has anyone else heard of this before??
 
To answer the OP question: possibly? There are studies published showing that physical appearance-- height, weight, beauty, has an effect with job acceptances, promotions, etc..

But my opinion, is you are only as short as you feel... (figuratively)...

A good example-- take Madeleine Albright, the first female US Sec of State.

That lady is a GIANT in the political arena...in terms of gaining respect from fellow politicians, the general public, etc. To me, as I admire her greatly, her ideals seem larger-than-life, so you can imagine my surprise at Duke's graduation when this little tiny lady up on the platform, measuring only 4'10", was introduced as the keynote speaker by the name Madeleine Albright!
 
if it makes anyone feel better, I got my haircut last week and the lady asked me which high school I attend and how my spring break was going. I'm 23 btw. glad I still look young.
 
Sparda29 said:
I think that they would look down on obese people thinking that it displays laziness. Problem with that is, what if the person just doesn't give a crap and just wants to enjoy life?
Click to expand...



We usually get stuck paying a portion of their astronomical medical bills in one way or another.
 
WildlifeSaver said:
I learned something in sociology about shorter people having more of a disadvantage. It was some kind of unrecognizable discrimination, so meaning its like an unconscious thing we do and sometimes we don't recognize we are doing it..Has anyone else heard of this before??
Click to expand...



I certainly don't mean to be short (no pun intended) or condescending to you, but this "study" or whatever basically backs up what would be referred to as "common sense."
 
chudog15 said:
if it makes anyone feel better, I got my haircut last week and the lady asked me which high school I attend and how my spring break was going. I'm 23 btw. glad I still look young.
Click to expand...

Same age and situation. I dunno about you guys but yeah I'd rather look younger than older. 😛
 
WildlifeSaver said:
I learned something in sociology about shorter people having more of a disadvantage. It was some kind of unrecognizable discrimination, so meaning its like an unconscious thing we do and sometimes we don't recognize we are doing it..Has anyone else heard of this before??
Click to expand...

Yes. As a society we tend to trust good-looking people more often. Sucks but it's reality. Good looks and charisma are a big plus.

I always make it a conscious effort not to judge anybody based on what they look like. As your mind automatically starts to form a partial picture of what the person will be like before you really get to know them.
 
im a shorter guy. its how you carry yourself, ive always been a bit jockey, played sports, was the smallest guy in my fraternity (to be fair, it was full of football and rugby players)..who cares, just be confident in yourself and people will find it attractive, regardless of physical height or appearance. im 5"5.5..so i round to 5"6.i dated a 5"9 girls last year. and could you imagine us during formals and cocktails when she would wear high heels?? its never been a problem. like some posters said above, your as tall as how you carry yourself, or perceive to be. but actually being taller really does make a difference. come to think of it, half of the girls ive dated have been taller or of equal height...ill let some of you smaller guys in on a little secret trick of mine.....when with a group of guys that are mostly taller than you, walk in fromt of the pack and take up the most space deliberately at the table/bar/club😉
 
Being short hurts you more if you are a guy than a girl. Btw, averages are 5'8 (males) and 5'2 (females), world wide. But all the most successful actors are short'ish, so who knows?
 
rogerwilco said:
I certainly don't mean to be short (no pun intended) or condescending to you, but this "study" or whatever basically backs up what would be referred to as "common sense."
Click to expand...
So I guess I don't have any Rogerwilco😛
 
The moral of the story is: If you are short, you are obviously not getting into medical school - you should get leg extension surgery and reapply next year with more ECs.
 
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