Is it possible to get into med school if you're asocial?

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SiriusA

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I'm basically a loner (think I might have some sort of avoidant personality or something, but anyway). I'm good at working in groups in an academic setting and I speak often and contribute a lot to discussions. However, I don't keep many friends around, avoid opportunities to socialize and avoid leadership positions that involve managing or working with other people. I am working on these things but it's difficult to reverse habits/ingrained personality traits just for college.

I see that a lot of medical schools want leaders, etc. -- basically extroverted people who aren't typical nerds. So you can get into med school with just research (great for me since you can work alone), classes, MCAT, and one-on-one volunteering/tutoring? I'm good at tutoring people 1-v-1 and people call me a good teacher... it's just, I dislike (and probably have issues) with casual socializing. So I think I'm gonna get destroyed by interviews. :scared: Are there people like me in med school?
 
I feel somewhat similar to how you feel. I have no idea because I'm just a freshman undergrad. I have a feeling with hard work particularly with interview skills, you will have no problem getting into at least one school you're happy with so long as you get a bunch of different interviews whenever you apply. I don't feel like the interview is really "casual socializing," but more of a formal setting that someone like you will do fine with if you practice and have calmed your nerves a bit.
 
dumakey1212 said:
I feel somewhat similar to how you feel. I have no idea because I'm just a freshman undergrad. I have a feeling with hard work particularly with interview skills, you will have no problem getting into at least one school you're happy with so long as you get a bunch of different interviews whenever you apply. I don't feel like the interview is really "casual socializing," but more of a formal setting that someone like you will do fine with if you practice and have calmed your nerves a bit.
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Yeah but won't they be able to tell if I'm weird? :scared:
 
SiriusA said:
I'm basically a loner (think I might have some sort of avoidant personality or something, but anyway). I'm good at working in groups in an academic setting and I speak often and contribute a lot to discussions. However, I don't keep many friends around, avoid opportunities to socialize and avoid leadership positions that involve managing or working with other people. I am working on these things but it's difficult to reverse habits/ingrained personality traits just for college.

I see that a lot of medical schools want leaders, etc. -- basically extroverted people who aren't typical nerds. So you can get into med school with just research (great for me since you can work alone), classes, MCAT, and one-on-one volunteering/tutoring? I'm good at tutoring people 1-v-1 and people call me a good teacher... it's just, I dislike (and probably have issues) with casual socializing. So I think I'm gonna get destroyed by interviews. :scared: Are there people like me in med school?
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It might mean that you're introverted, and there are plenty of introverted people who excel in leadership positions. When you're doing interviews, just try to put your best foot forward to make a good impression and stand out. You don't have to be extroverted, but you do have to sell yourself as a good applicant. So if you're in a group setting, talk as if you're in a 1v1 conversation to your interviewer and don't be afraid to speak with other applicants. Plenty of introverts get into medical school and excel. You have time to learn how to work in group settings, just don't succumb to your weaknesses.

You should try to become more confident in yourself. You're not "weird" because you prefer quiet time.
 
SiriusA said:
Yeah but won't they be able to tell if I'm weird? :scared:
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In my opinion, weird is good, but I'd use a different weird because I feel like "weird" has a somewhat negative connotation in our society. Think about it as different. As long as you sell yourself as a good applicant and come off as good to the interviewers, I'd think that will help you.
 
Either way, you might want to work on these social "issues" as being a doctor usually (in most cases) means you need to be a vocal leader of a medical team and, at the very least, communicate effectively with patients.
 
Geebeejay said:
Either way, you might want to work on these social "issues" as being a doctor usually (in most cases) means you need to be a vocal leader of a medical team and, at the very least, communicate effectively with patients.
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I can communicate effectively -- during my college interviews I got comments about how articulate and well-spoken I am. So it's not really the communication I have issues with. I dunno how to describe it... people say I'm really serious, I'm bad at joking around or being friendly (or really maintaining any sort of casual relationship) and I prefer doing everything alone.

Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter too much, I'll worry about interviews when I get there in a few years.
 
SiriusA said:
I can communicate effectively -- during my college interviews I got comments about how articulate and well-spoken I am. So it's not really the communication I have issues with. I dunno how to describe it... people say I'm really serious, I'm bad at joking around or being friendly (or really maintaining any sort of casual relationship) and I prefer doing everything alone.

Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter too much, I'll worry about interviews when I get there in a few years.
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That's fine, but interviews are a little different then patient interaction...interviews you prepare for and many people have set answers for "common interview questions" or whatever. just saying, if you think you are socially inept, you should work on it. And if you are bad at "leading", you should try to work on that too....put yourself out of your comfort zone and work on these social skills. Patients don't want to be spoken to like an interviewer or dealt with by a robotic, rehearsed and boring doctor.
 
Are you anti-social or introverted? You say that when you do converse with people, you have a lot to say.

I think you can make it work. Despite the desire for "extroverted leaders" on paper, you've got people with varying types of personalities in medicine.

If you can effectively communicate during interviews (I don't know) and group activities (you say you can), then it seems that you are capable of working with people. You might just not like dealing with them on a platonic level.

I think you can be a physician as long as you can work with people in a non-confrontational and productive way. You don't have to like those people or want to spend time with them, though. 😉
 
You'll do great! Your co-students will probably say things behind your back, may keep an eye on you even. But don't let that phase you, means you can have more time studying without people bothering you. The PsyM residents may even use you as a lab rat if you're lucky enough, I kid.

Nothing wrong with being serious and bad at joking around, just don't get into anything in peds. You also do not have to be a social butterfly for interviews. You just have to look responsible, willing to work, and with a good undergad background.
 
I am a current applicant to medical school that felt the feelings you describe. I have always been introverted, shy, and work well by myself. What I have learned this year, especially in the interviews, is to own who I am. As an introvert, I am not great at making small talk (although it is something that I have worked to get better at), but I am really great at listening, which will be very important as a physician. For any weakness that you feel you have, I have two suggestions that will help you succeed if you want to get into medical school:
1. Take steps to show that you are working on making it less of a weakness. For example, I forced myself to step outside my comfort zone by taking on a few leadership roles and making myself attend more social events.
2. Think about any benefits to your weakness, and express these to your interviewer. The above example where I said I am a better listener because I am introverted is just one example.

From one introvert to another, good luck in whatever you pursue! :luck:
 
When I first started college, I was a lot like you. At least you recognize it, that's a first step. I used to think I would be doomed for my interviews as well. But I really pushed myself to change over the course of college. I would try to start up conversations with people or teachers just to practice conversing. At first, I felt really stupid or embarrassed if I said or did something stupid. But then I thought, "who cares what they think, they probably won't remember this." At the beginning, I barely talked to people but eventually I started feeling more comfortable with more and more people. You can practice for interviews by talking to yourself alone about your background and/or with someone you're close with. You could also have a mock interview at your pre-health advising office if they provide that. Plus, if you're fortunate to have interviews at multiple schools, you will see that your interview skills will get better at each interview. Anyways I just wanted to tell you not to lose hope and to just keep working at it.
 
Like someone said, if you do well on your interview, you'll get in.

I vehemently question this ridiculous idea of finding only extroverts for medicine. Sometimes the best leaders are introverts because they are able to listen to all ideas and implement the best ones. Extroverted leaders tend to listen to themselves or other extroverts because they are just as loud. If med schools really believe in diversity of experiences, majors, etc., they should also look for diversity of personality type. We need different people to meet different challenges.

Also, I would question the idea that all physicians should be leaders. Not everyone can be a leader at the same time. We need some doctors to lead and others doctors to be lead. Some asocial type of doctors may be magnificent at working independently instead of having to rely on a team for everything. They just need to find the medical setting to be able to do this. I think if we recruited more people that are reclusive, perhaps our rural shortage would decrease. Being in a small community without someone hassling you and working independently can be a dream come true for an asocial type. No need to surround themselves with busy cities.
 
As long as you can act convincingly social during the interviews, you should be OK. Most interviewers tend to be social (though not all of them).
 
SiriusA said:
I'm basically a loner (think I might have some sort of avoidant personality or something, but anyway). I'm good at working in groups in an academic setting and I speak often and contribute a lot to discussions. However, I don't keep many friends around, avoid opportunities to socialize and avoid leadership positions that involve managing or working with other people. I am working on these things but it's difficult to reverse habits/ingrained personality traits just for college.

I see that a lot of medical schools want leaders, etc. -- basically extroverted people who aren't typical nerds. So you can get into med school with just research (great for me since you can work alone), classes, MCAT, and one-on-one volunteering/tutoring? I'm good at tutoring people 1-v-1 and people call me a good teacher... it's just, I dislike (and probably have issues) with casual socializing. So I think I'm gonna get destroyed by interviews. :scared: Are there people like me in med school?
Click to expand...

There are plenty of people like you in med school. It sounds like you are already good at communicating with people when you need to and doing well during interviews. Don't stress out about not being extroverted. Most interviews are 1 on 1 too, you will have plenty of opportunity to sell yourself.

I have probably 3 real friends at college, and I'm accepted for next year. My girlfriend is the same way, and she's an M1. My cousin is in med school and is very introverted. This is absolutely NOT something to stress out about. Focus on your classes, research, MCAT, ECs and you will be more than fine when you go to apply.
 
Cinclus said:
As long as you can act convincingly social during the interviews, you should be OK. Most interviewers tend to be social (though not all of them).
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This is true. Really, your question shouldn't be so much "can I get in?" as "would I make a good physician and can I make it through medical school?" Getting in is the easy part. They just try to not let anyone in who is isn't quite likely to finish. Nevertheless, the real question is what is going on. Are you just introverted or is there actual psychopathology? If you suspect there is (which "an avoidant personality" would be a personality disorder, although you haven't really said much about it) then you should go see a psychologist and get an evaluation for your own mental health and well-being.
 
you need to practice for the interviews. honestly i think an antisocial liar would do better at interviews than a shy nerd. unfortunately this is the way it is.
 
If you're just an introvert--which it sounds like you are--that just means you prefer to be alone most of the time and prefer to keep a small circle of close friends, among other things. Since you also said that you have no problems working with and communicating with others, it doesn't seem like your introversion should be a problem. But if you get really anxious when interacting with others (which would likely manifest in avoidant personality disorder), then that could pose potential problems.
 
You'll be fine. I got accepted to medical school, and I'm super-introverted. Working as a CNA at a nursing home sure helped me with my shyness around strangers, but I'm no social butterfly. Except for my girlfriend and family, I only have one close friend outside of work, and I'm okay with that.
 
I'm still in high school, so god knows what I will be like in college, but I consider myself quite reclusive. I don't think it's bad. I will probably just need to work on becoming slightly more social with people. As long as you CAN work with people, you should be fine.
 
there are plenty of med students that are a little weird. Most of them are comfortable hanging out and partying with people they get to know and be friends with (ie not COMPLETE loners) though. Then there
are the ones that are total extroverts on the opposite end of the spectrum. Many people can be a little awkward sometimes, I know I can be, and that's not necessarily a bad thing and it's certainly not a thing unique to medical students.... everyone has their little quirks, and sometimes weird is good
 
Volunteer in positions where you have to actively talk to strangers.

Take on leadership roles to build confidence to talk anyone, both compassionately and assertively, depending on the scenario.

To improve a personal weakness, one must first realize it, which you have done, then you need a desire to improve, and the stronger the desire the better, and lastly you have to action: very very few people are genetically predisposed to social awkwardness/anxiety that cannot be fixed, so don't just ask "can antisocial people become doctors"; ask instead "how to become more social".
 
I was always really outgoing and had a ton of friends in high school, but as I have gotten older I have realized I enjoy my alone time and having a few quality friends much more.

For anyone out there that kind of has a tendency towards this, you might enjoy reading 'The Highly Sensitive Person' by Elaine Aron. Even if you aren't HSP it is really fascinating and gives some good insight. I realized I get really over stimulated by my environment and that drives me to want to be alone.

I think you will be fine, but you must force yourself to do some volunteering where you talk to people and get out of your comfort zone. If anything it will build up some self confidence and make you feel better. Good luck with everything!!
 
I am very introverted as well, and I think one of my biggest weaknesses is that I don't like to talk about myself. I rarely talk about my worries to others (except when I vent on sdn...) and when I am with friends I do most of the listening. It's not that I don't trust my friends or anything, but I just grew up like that. But now that I am about to apply to medical schools and job search and everything I have to practice how to present myself in a good way. It's really hard and I get super nervous and uncomfortable. I don't think I'll ever get comfortable, but maybe I will learn to fake it.
My post probably doesn't offer much help but I just wanted to let you know that are more people in a similar situation. Good luck to us!
 
Trust me, Not all extroverts do well on med school interviews. At these interviews, I see people that are too excited in my opinion. I think sincerity and a calm wellspokeness can go a long way in an interview cycle. Its good that you're working on your weaknesses.. try to focus on being more personable/likeable than being extroverted. Like you don't have to be a good small talker but learn to smile more and nod your head when you're listening to others.. stuff like that. You'll be great... we need more people like you in this world .. in leadership positions..and certainly in medicine.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile
 
Many different types of people can excel in medicine. People tend to find specialties that suite their personalities.

To reiterate above comments, practice for interviews so you're well-spoken and confident. Its ok to be more a watcher/listener during interview socializing but just don't appear aloof and uninterested. That's a turn off. I remember from my interviewing days that the people who made the worst impressions were the overly-loud, obnoxious bragging sort.
 
Bea5T said:
If all doctors are supposed to be extroverted social butterflies than I must have had some weird doctors my entire life.
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Honestly I think this is why the admissions process is so subjective. There was a time when physicians were admitted entirely by numbers. I don't know about you, but the older physicians I had were terrible. Maybe I just had bad luck.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717
 
Just because you're an introvert doesn't mean you're doomed with be terrible in the social scene forever. I'm a natural introvert, but I consider myself extremely outgoing and social. It's all about becoming more skilled in the social scene. Do I still find social situations draining and do I still despise small talk? Yes! I still prefer being alone, but I have the skills to be social through practice.

But this is besides the fact. You don't need to be an extrovert to excel in medicine. Be a leader and be articulate in your ideas. You can always work on your social skills.
 
ChartaBona said:
You'll be fine. I got accepted to medical school, and I'm super-introverted. Working as a CNA at a nursing home sure helped me with my shyness around strangers, but I'm no social butterfly. Except for my girlfriend and family, I only have one close friend outside of work, and I'm okay with that.
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Sounds just like me :laugh:
 
UrbanRiver said:
Trust me, Not all extroverts do well on med school interviews. At these interviews, I see people that are too excited in my opinion. I think sincerity and a calm wellspokeness can go a long way in an interview cycle. Its good that you're working on your weaknesses.. try to focus on being more personable/likeable than being extroverted. Like you don't have to be a good small talker but learn to smile more and nod your head when you're listening to others.. stuff like that. You'll be great... we need more people like you in this world .. in leadership positions..and certainly in medicine.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone. I think it's a good idea to maybe work on being personable/likeable instead of trying to change myself from an introvert to an extrovert just for the sake of admissions or fitting in at med school.
 
Your fine, there are plenty of people like you in medical school. Just put on smile and practice for the interview. Interviews are more about acting and telling people what THEY want to hear these days.
 
UrbanRiver said:
Trust me, Not all extroverts do well on med school interviews. At these interviews, I see people that are too excited in my opinion. I think sincerity and a calm wellspokeness can go a long way in an interview cycle. Its good that you're working on your weaknesses.. try to focus on being more personable/likeable than being extroverted. Like you don't have to be a good small talker but learn to smile more and nod your head when you're listening to others.. stuff like that. You'll be great... we need more people like you in this world .. in leadership positions..and certainly in medicine.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Missed this when I looked at this thread earlier, but I definitely want to point this out as a possible problem with interviews. Maybe it's just me, but I get REALLY turned off by applicants that are extremely excited when I interview them. It seems artificial (even if it isn't), and sometimes it can be to the point of unprofessional.

When you're going on interviews, definitely be interested and excited, but don't go overboard with it. And if you're one of those people that is just generally excited, do some mock interviews to make sure that your excitement isn't over the top.
 
NickNaylor said:
Missed this when I looked at this thread earlier, but I definitely want to point this out as a possible problem with interviews. Maybe it's just me, but I get REALLY turned off by applicants that are extremely excited when I interview them. It seems artificial (even if it isn't), and sometimes it can be to the point of unprofessional.

When you're going on interviews, definitely be interested and excited, but don't go overboard with it. And if you're one of those people that is just generally excited, do some mock interviews to make sure that your excitement isn't over the top.
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Ugh I have to agree. I've seen these sorts of people and it comes off as very artificial, not unlike how the ones that seem really quiet come off as very moody or introverted (even if both are genuine, caring people). It's one of the casualties of the interview format, but one that most people are probably content to live with.
 
NickNaylor said:
Missed this when I looked at this thread earlier, but I definitely want to point this out as a possible problem with interviews. Maybe it's just me, but I get REALLY turned off by applicants that are extremely excited when I interview them. It seems artificial (even if it isn't), and sometimes it can be to the point of unprofessional.

When you're going on interviews, definitely be interested and excited, but don't go overboard with it. And if you're one of those people that is just generally excited, do some mock interviews to make sure that your excitement isn't over the top.
Click to expand...

I think there's a certain maturity in knowing how to mold your excitement to a situation. If you were describing your activities to your friends, perhaps it would be appropriate to be full-blown, off-the-wall energetic but in a more professional setting like an interview, one definitely must check themselves.

OP: You don't need extroversion to be passionate and genuine - just do what you do and do it well.
 
IncognitoGuy said:
I think there's a certain maturity in knowing how to mold your excitement to a situation. If you were describing your activities to your friends, perhaps it would be appropriate to be full-blown, off-the-wall energetic but in a more professional setting like an interview, one definitely must check themselves.

OP: You don't need extroversion to be passionate and genuine - just do what you do and do it well.
Click to expand...

Yeah, exactly - there is nothing wrong with excitement, but it has to be presented in the right way given the situation.
 
Introverts have higher baseline activity in the RAS (reticular activating system) than extroverts, hence extroverts typically seek out more stimulating environments and activities whereas introverts become overloaded by similar exposure. So, if you wish, think of it as your brain being self-sufficient and at a higher activity level on its own, not requiring extreme stimulus...
 
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