MD offers to call to med school to support my application post interview

[HYL]

I would like to seek your opinion on an offer made by an MD that I work with. I work in a clinic as a scribe. He offers to call to one of the 2 medical schools that I interviewed with so far to support my application. My LizzyM is 77 and I have 3 years of undergraduate research with 1 PI and will have 2 years of clinical experience both paid and volunteer by June next year. I fully agree with LizzyM and Goro that admission into med schools is a privilege regardless of stats and/or ECs. As I am not sure how the system works and would not want the action of this MD who has good intentions to jeopardize my chances for acceptance. Appreciate your thoughts on this especially LizzyM, Goro and other current or ex adcoms. Thanks

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[21Rush12]

I don’t think it would harm you, but honestly the likelihood of it helping is minuscule. You’re already a well qualified applicant that they have interviewed.

In my opinion you should thank him for his support, and then let him know that it’s probably best to email. That way he still can if he wants to and you will have no knowledge of it.

 

[HomeSkool]

A letter or e-mail would be more appropriate than a phone call. My question is why you didn't have him write an LOR for you in the first place.

Regardless, I think it's a kind but unnecessary gesture. The school liked you enough to meet you, and LORs are generally meant to help you get an interview in the first place.

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[Tenk]

I had a similar experience only I was a volunteer. I was at a waitlist at one of the doc’s alma maters. I didn’t even ask her to but she said she would make a phone call. Next day I got an acceptance. I didn’t end up going there due to tuition difference but it did make me wonder...

Do it. No mercy.

 

[Med Ed]

I would like to seek your opinion on an offer made by an MD that I work with. I work in a clinic as a scribe. He offers to call to one of the 2 medical schools that I interviewed with so far to support my application. My LizzyM is 77 and I have 3 years of undergraduate research with 1 PI and will have 2 years of clinical experience both paid and volunteer by June next year. I fully agree with LizzyM and Goro that admission into med schools is a privilege regardless of stats and/or ECs. As I am not sure how the system works and would not want the action of this MD who has good intentions to jeopardize my chances for acceptance. Appreciate your thoughts on this especially LizzyM, Goro and other current or ex adcoms. Thanks

One of the major things admissions deans do is field unsolicited calls and emails from various people who are trying to influence the admissions process. Occasionally some of this info gets transmitted to committee. In my experience it usually has no effect whatsoever, but sometimes it can help and sometimes it can hurt. It typically hurts when the caller is a VIP trying to argue on behalf of a family member whose qualifications are marginal. You stand a better chance if the doc you work with actually knows someone in the admissions office at the school.

 

[LizzyM]

My dean takes these calls but never transmits the information to the adcom. Thus it plays no part in admission decisions. The dean holds all the cards regarding taking people from the unranked waitlist so a call might play a part after May 1 but I don't see it making any difference at this point.

Making the call would be like teaching a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

My dean takes these calls but never transmits the information to the adcom. Thus it plays no part in admission decisions. The dean holds all the cards regarding taking people from the unranked waitlist so a call might play a part after May 1 but I don't see it making any difference at this point.
Making the call would be like teaching a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

 

[Goro]

I would like to seek your opinion on an offer made by an MD that I work with. I work in a clinic as a scribe. He offers to call to one of the 2 medical schools that I interviewed with so far to support my application. My LizzyM is 77 and I have 3 years of undergraduate research with 1 PI and will have 2 years of clinical experience both paid and volunteer by June next year. I fully agree with LizzyM and Goro that admission into med schools is a privilege regardless of stats and/or ECs. As I am not sure how the system works and would not want the action of this MD who has good intentions to jeopardize my chances for acceptance. Appreciate your thoughts on this especially LizzyM, Goro and other current or ex adcoms. Thanks

It won't help. Like LizzyM, I've been on Adcom for a LONG time, and never, ever once has our wily old Admissions dean relayed info that "Dr ___ called the Dean to say how wonderful his candidate was".

You app and a good list is what will get you into med school, not some random cold call.

 

[878956]

A cold call? No. An additional letter of recommendation send via the AMCAS after the interview cycle? Yes.

 

[LizzyM]

A cold call? No. An additional letter of recommendation send via the AMCAS after the interview cycle? Yes.

Except that we seldom interact with newly uploaded letters after the interviews are done. They go into the file, but frankly, post-interview we tend to look at the pre-interview eval by a reader (or two) and the interviewers' comments. The letters were reviewed by the reader(s) and anything important was noted at that time.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

If you're post-interview, what could an unsolicited call do that your PS, ECs, LORs, essays and you in-person couldn't? I assume this physician already wrote you an LOR, so that's redundant. If not then 1) you missed an opportunity 2) they weren't one of your top 5 recommendations so why would they matter now 3) they are a recent professional relationship and could only provide a marginal reference.

 

[HYL]

If you're post-interview, what could an unsolicited call do that your PS, ECs, LORs, essays and you in-person couldn't? I assume this physician already wrote you an LOR, so that's redundant. If not then 1) you missed an opportunity 2) they weren't one of your top 5 recommendations so why would they matter now 3) they are a recent professional relationship and could only provide a marginal reference.

It is a recent professional relationship in the past 6 months with 20 hours of interaction per week.

 

[de Ribas]

I would like to seek your opinion on an offer made by an MD that I work with. I work in a clinic as a scribe. He offers to call to one of the 2 medical schools that I interviewed with so far to support my application. My LizzyM is 77 and I have 3 years of undergraduate research with 1 PI and will have 2 years of clinical experience both paid and volunteer by June next year. I fully agree with LizzyM and Goro that admission into med schools is a privilege regardless of stats and/or ECs. As I am not sure how the system works and would not want the action of this MD who has good intentions to jeopardize my chances for acceptance. Appreciate your thoughts on this especially LizzyM, Goro and other current or ex adcoms. Thanks

Isn't what a LOR is for?

 

[Med Ed]

Isn't what a LOR is for?

It is, but the timeline doesn't work for a LOR this cycle.

 

[HYL]

It is, but the timeline doesn't work for a LOR this cycle.

Would a LOR from this MD be helpful for those pre-II schools that I have not heard back from?

 

[HYL]

Appreciate anymore inputs to my question above. Thanks