how can i, or should i, add that i;ve shadowed physicians performing "later" term abortions? should i exclude it? for one shadow, it was a pretty big chunk of my experience.
Listing abortion on ECs?
- Thread starter kcola
- Start date
Just list it as shadowing a gynecologist, no need to make it controversial and it's an important shadowing experience. You were there learning about medicine as practiced by a provider. If you do list it as exactly what it is expect it to come up at every single interview. will it or won't it help? dunno, but it does end up being a good talking point.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2010
- Messages
- 2,824
- Reaction score
- 1,168
OP, listen to the Doctor.
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2011
- Messages
- 1,262
- Reaction score
- 2
+1
Abortion is one of the most dreaded issues to address during interviews and you'd probably be talking about it during each interview. Your views might not agree with Adcom members and you don't want that to influence their opinion of you.
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
- Messages
- 226
- Reaction score
- 0
1
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 17, 2010
- Messages
- 279
- Reaction score
- 8
So I was in the same situation and no matter who I asked for advice on this (physician/professional wise), I got the same response...think of an alternative way to talk about it...do NOT mention abortion specifically. My entire clinical experience (5 years) is in an abortion clinic as a surgical assistant, so needless to say it was very difficult to not mention it or talk about it during interviews. However, I just turned it into my experiences with "family planning" which is significantly less controversial and technically accurate. It is sad we have to take into account stuff like this, but it is the reality of the situation. As my adviser said "You do not want to risk the chance (granted it is very very small) that one person negatively looks at your application because of your abortion experience."
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2008
- Messages
- 2,822
- Reaction score
- 3,371
This was my first thought too. Just say you were shadowing/working at a reproductive health clinic; that should come off as being far less controversial.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2009
- Messages
- 353
- Reaction score
- 1
👍
I am a patient support/patient advocate with Planned Parenthood. I stated that I volunteered in a women's health clinic and what my duties were without stating abortions as the "procedure" I was assisting with.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2004
- Messages
- 949
- Reaction score
- 74
I donno maybe I'm just reckless, but it seems to me that it could be an interesting thing to put on your application. You can pretty much be assured that interviewers will ask you about it, and you can take the opportunity to have a well reasoned, intelligent response about a controversial issue. You made the choice to work in that field for a reason, and I'm sure there were challenges that you had to overcome in order to do that job well. It sounds like a great opportunity to highlight your strengths, and show off what you are made of.
I'm really not sure that the best way to approach the application process is to avoid anything that may seem difficult. My best interviews were the ones that focused on challenging issues, because it gave me a chance to intelligently manage a difficult topic. I don't know if I would have made the same impression if all I got were softball "why DO" "why our school" questions.
Just my own thoughts. The other recommendations about generalizing the experience are probably safer alternatives. I guess it depends on how well you think you can manage the questions when they come (and they will!), and if you are willing to take the risk.
I'm really not sure that the best way to approach the application process is to avoid anything that may seem difficult. My best interviews were the ones that focused on challenging issues, because it gave me a chance to intelligently manage a difficult topic. I don't know if I would have made the same impression if all I got were softball "why DO" "why our school" questions.
Just my own thoughts. The other recommendations about generalizing the experience are probably safer alternatives. I guess it depends on how well you think you can manage the questions when they come (and they will!), and if you are willing to take the risk.
- Joined
- May 17, 2010
- Messages
- 279
- Reaction score
- 8
fiznat,
My interviews still focused on the issue in a challenging way because even family planning and reproductive health are not exactly the most mellow and uncontroversial specialties in the medical field. You can find a way to talk about it in an interesting way without creating unnecessary hostility. So for example, I talked about the struggles I watched my patients endure (and supported them through) as they navigated birth control options that contradicted cultural and religious belief systems. They seemed to eat that **** up! haha
My interviews still focused on the issue in a challenging way because even family planning and reproductive health are not exactly the most mellow and uncontroversial specialties in the medical field. You can find a way to talk about it in an interesting way without creating unnecessary hostility. So for example, I talked about the struggles I watched my patients endure (and supported them through) as they navigated birth control options that contradicted cultural and religious belief systems. They seemed to eat that **** up! haha
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2009
- Messages
- 308
- Reaction score
- 30
Saying that you work in an abortion clinic that performs later term abortions is like saying "I work with baby murderers." It's all about how you word it and what about your experience you decide to tell them. I'd leave it neutral on your apps then when brought up in the interview get a sense of who your interviewers are and go from there.
