M.D.'s for Parents: Mention it?

[SBuck53]

Getting to the point: Both of my parents are MDs. I have been advised by some to for sure mention this in secondaries, and by others to avoid speaking too much about it.

What are your thoughts? Anyone else have doctors for parents?

I have put it in one so far, mentioning it about know the unique challenges that come with the life of a physician. But I am nervous to talk extensivly about it. Will it come off as "prescribed" pursuit of a career because its what my parents do? I have had shadowing experience outside of watching my parents work, and it would be dishonest to list the thousands of hours I have spent with them at work or dictating at home, but I have heard some people list shadowing their parents as shadowing hours? Is this true?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

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[kpcrew]

It's probably fine to mention that your parents are doctors and how that sparked your interest. Try to avoid making it look like they pressured you into the family business or something like that. Describe your desire to go into medicine as clearly your own. Your application should be about you, demonstrating how you would make a good doctor.

If the hours were clinical and you could smell patients, go for it. It's not about the amount of time spent but how much you gained from the experience.

 

[SpacemanSpifff]

I have had mixed advice on this as well, some people have said it would be valuable to mention, others say it would not be beneficial. I decided to omit my parents' professions because it had little to do with my decision to pursue medicine. Being honest in your essays will always lead to your best work: if your parents were powerful influences in your decision, explain why while emphasizing your own motivations, like kpcrew stated. Have someone else read your essay before submitting to ensure that there is no subtext indicating any sense of entitlement.

 

[Praefectus]

If you mention it, you shouldn't ever imply that they pushed you into the "family business". You're pursuing medicine because of your own aspirations and goals.

 

[Pigglyjuff]

Wow your family must be loaded.

 

[gyngyn]

The demographic section of the AMCAS application requires that you identify your parents highest attained degree and the institution they attended. Voluntary inclusion of their profession should be specific to your development. Thus it might be perfectly reasonable. On the other hand, if you use your parent's workplace as a "shadowing experience" who is going to be the contact person, your Mom?

 

[rubisco88]

Don't overemphasize it or brag about it. If your parent's have ties the university, you will probably already get a bump. You don't want to have people on the adcom that don't know you assume that you went into medicine because your parents forced you or had a strong influence on you. They need to see that it was your choice alone. As someone else said, the adcom will already know your parents are docs because you will list it in the demographic section.

 

[Gnomo]

The demographic section of the AMCAS application requires that you identify your parents highest attained degree and the institution they attended. Voluntary inclusion of their profession should be specific to your development. Thus it might be perfectly reasonable. On the other hand, if you use your parent's workplace as a "shadowing experience" who is going to be the contact person, your Mom?

This. On the AMCAS, you enter biographic information, including the highest degree earned by each of your parents and from where it was obtained. Pretty sure adcoms will see "X Medical School" for both of your parents and get the idea.

 

[SBuck53]

Thank you all for the input! I had forgotten that it was already listed on the AMCAS primary, so I suppose there is no way to avoid med schools knowing. I think I will bring it up in essays as part of my inspiration to apply to schools, but that it was my idea, not theirs. I definitely think it influence my decision to pursue medicine, so it should be worth writing about.

This is certainly the truth, as both my parents have never pushed me into medicine. 2 other siblings and neither is pursuing medicine.

Thanks alot of the input!

 

[Gnomo]

Thank you all for the input! I had forgotten that it was already listed on the AMCAS primary, so I suppose there is no way to avoid med schools knowing. I think I will bring it up in essays as part of my inspiration to apply to schools, but that it was my idea, not theirs. I definitely think it influence my decision to pursue medicine, so it should be worth writing about.

This is certainly the truth, as both my parents have never pushed me into medicine. 2 other siblings and neither is pursuing medicine.

Thanks alot of the input!

Spin it the right way. E.g., their careers allowed you to get early exposure to the field of medicine. You have seen the time commitment it takes (long hours, call, continuing education, etc.).

In other words, your parents' careers have provided you insight, not inspiration. Something along those lines.

 

[SBuck53]

Spin it the right way. E.g., their careers allowed you to get early exposure to the field of medicine. You have seen the time commitment it takes (long hours, call, continuing education, etc.).

In other words, your parents' careers have provided you insight, not inspiration. Something along those lines.

Exactly what I was gunna go for! And the fact that I think I have a better idea of exactly what the life of a physician is like, the good and bad. Thanks Gnomo!

I am curious though, anyone else's parents MDs? Perhaps that already applied?

 

[ShenanigansMD]

I got one parent, and I'm totally bragging about it; she's awesome.

and i'm applying right now, so I'll see how I do

 

[mimelim]

Hopkins interviewer: "I saw that your father went to HMS, when are you interviewing up there?"
Me: "Date"
Hopkins interviewer: "Well, would you seriously consider coming here over HMS?"
Me: "My father told me that the best trained interns at Brigham came from Hopkins, so there is a good possibility."
Hopkins interviewer: *smirk*

It may be 'illegal' to ask questions about your interviewing pattern and other schools, but just be prepared to answer questions about parent's alma maters and how that is affecting your application process. This is especially true if you mention a parent being a physician in your personal statement.

 

[Ruhroh]

I have had mixed advice on this as well, some people have said it would be valuable to mention, others say it would not be beneficial. I decided to omit my parents' professions because it had little to do with my decision to pursue medicine.

Not sure if you are implying your parents are physicians. But if so, I think it would be a little myopic to say parents have little to do in a decision to follow in their footsteps.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

Not sure if you are implying your parents are physicians. But if so, I think it would be a little myopic to say parents have little to do in a decision to follow in their footsteps.

Lol, "My doctor parents had absolutely nothing to do with my decision to become a physician."

Try explaining that one.

 

[410322]

Lol, "My doctor parents had absolutely nothing to do with my decision to become a physician."

Try explaining that one.

"I ran away when I thought I might want to try the pre-med route so that adcoms wouldn't think they influenced me!"

 

[SBuck53]

I got one parent, and I'm totally bragging about it; she's awesome.

and i'm applying right now, so I'll see how I do

Cool, I'll have to keep up with ya to see how it goes!

 

[SpacemanSpifff]

Not sure if you are implying your parents are physicians. But if so, I think it would be a little myopic to say parents have little to do in a decision to follow in their footsteps.

They are. And while I disagree with your assessment, I can understand why you might think that.

Lol, "My doctor parents had absolutely nothing to do with my decision to become a physician."

Try explaining that one.

While I don't claim that they had zero influence on my decision, my choices have been my own. I don't anticipate having any problems explaining my motivations.

 

[tiedyeddog]

One of my parents is a doc and I mentioned it. My experience with family members in health care really introduced me to medicine and I think it has given me a lot more insight into the lifestyle of doctors.

I would do as others have said, ok to mention but you must emphasize why going into medicine is your own choosing and not your parents.

 

[NickNaylor]

Don't forget that you provided this information in your demographic information on AMCAS. People will know that your parents are physicians. As others have mentioned, though, it shouldn't be a significant part of your decision. If you portray it that way and you get an interview, I can almost assure you that interviewers will be skeptical of your genuine interest in medicine. I know I am when I interview applicants that have physicians as parents.

 

[mulberry]

The demographic section of the AMCAS application requires that you identify your parents highest attained degree and the institution they attended. Voluntary inclusion of their profession should be specific to your development. Thus it might be perfectly reasonable. On the other hand, if you use your parent's workplace as a "shadowing experience" who is going to be the contact person, your Mom?

Perfectly capable of doing so. My mom has a supervising/office manager that could be used as the reference. Others have similar opportunities.

 

[pefro123]

My dad's a doctor, and his influence on me and the joy he took in treating patients was the core of my personal statement and I was accepted. I think it's seen as an asset to an application because no one knows the demands of being a physician more than the family of a physician. Many doctors, its seems, discourage their kids from going into medicine, so the fact that you are still striving to be a doctor could give you an advantage. And who says only doctors push their kids to be doctors. Parents, regardless of occupation, can and do push their kids into medicine for various reasons. At least you understand what you're getting yourself into.

 

[SBuck53]

My dad's a doctor, and his influence on me and the joy he took in treating patients was the core of my personal statement and I was accepted. I think it's seen as an asset to an application because no one knows the demands of being a physician more than the family of a physician. Many doctors, its seems, discourage their kids from going into medicine, so the fact that you are still striving to be a doctor could give you an advantage. And who says only doctors push their kids to be doctors. Parents, regardless of occupation, can and do push their kids into medicine for various reasons. At least you understand what you're getting yourself into.

Thanks for the input! I have a similar experience, seeing my parents at work definitely influence my decision to pursue medicine.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

I know what my mom does is cool, but I'm gonna be honest here and her hours initially scared me away from the idea of being a physician. I then grew up and realized that if you love your job then it really doesn't matter, but I don't want to sound insincere and be like "oh family life with a doctor parent was AMAZING!!!!" because it was sort of a drag. I'll just have to find a way to articulate this without sounding naive.

 

[SBuck53]

I know what my mom does is cool, but I'm gonna be honest here and her hours initially scared me away from the idea of being a physician. I then grew up and realized that if you love your job then it really doesn't matter, but I don't want to sound insincere and be like "oh family life with a doctor parent was AMAZING!!!!" because it was sort of a drag. I'll just have to find a way to articulate this without sounding naive.

I definitely know where you are coming from. Both my parents are family physicians that worked alot. Not dissimilar from other working parents, but as family physicians they did all their own charting and such, so even when they got home from work they would be working for hours.

I had been in daycare all my early years. Got dropped off early from school and picked up late. Obviously, this is similar to other working parents. And not at all saying I didn't have a great childhood, my parents were always great. But the time required at their job meant I spent alot of time alone growing up.

I feel ya man