Med school & Politics

[6ft3dr2b]

I'm just curious...what's the political climate like in med schools? Are most students liberal (because they sympathize with so many different types of patients) or maybe theyre more conservative (because they're gonna be rich!...lol). I know views depend on the individual. I was just wondering if the medical field attracts a certain type of person with a certain type of view.

Thanks,

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Blake]

What's politics ? Considering most of MS1s at my school are under 20, it's not that much of a concern right now...

 

[velo]

liberal liberal liberal here

not sure why, but I'm not complaining!

 

[deleted50478]

I've heard of some people starting off liberal then becoming more conservative as they notice more and more that people bring most problems on themselves and don't want to lift a finger to help themselves. That's just what I heard some people saying.
Personally, I think I've probably moved left a bit.

 

[fourthyearmed]

I think it depends on what part of the country you are in. In the South where I am we're all pretty conservative.

 

[doc05]

usually, liberal if you're in peds or fp. otherwise, conservative.

 

[principessa]

It's pretty liberal here.

 

[automaton]

my school is full of liberals. the atmosphere is quite hostile for conservatives. but the vast majority of the people i interact with here are liberals. they are decent people, but they want me to sacrifice myself just because they are willing to sacrifice themselves. i don't want to pay for america's diabetes management from my own pocketbook, and i don't want to pay for america's foodstamps with my own pocketbook. keep your hands off my pocketbook and stop offering it to other people. thanks.

 

[velo]

my school is full of liberals. the atmosphere is quite hostile for conservatives. but the vast majority of the people i interact with here are liberals. they are decent people, but they want me to sacrifice myself just because they are willing to sacrifice themselves. i don't want to pay for america's diabetes management from my own pocketbook, and i don't want to pay for america's foodstamps with my own pocketbook. keep your hands off my pocketbook and stop offering it to other people. thanks.

Taxes are the price you pay for a society. You can't have a society with only rich people...for their to be rich people there must be poor people. Rich people benefit tremendously from the society, but the catch is they have to pay for it--and part of that is paying to help the poor. If my taxes go to something useful (like say diabetes management or foodstamps) instead of an unnecessary political war that I won't name, I'd say things are going pretty well.

 

[Tiki]

I'm pretty liberal, and I can't really see that changing much.

 

[azzarah]

Also, the big "academic" schools are more liberal from what I've observed.

 

[automaton]

Taxes are the price you pay for a society. You can't have a society with only rich people...for their to be rich people there must be poor people. Rich people benefit tremendously from the society, but the catch is they have to pay for it--and part of that is paying to help the poor. If my taxes go to something useful (like say diabetes management or foodstamps) instead of an unnecessary political war that I won't name, I'd say things are going pretty well.

yes yes, i agree with you in theory, fear not. what i am annoyed about especially is not the fact that social welfare exists at all, but that my future colleagues are offering healthcare as a right, and when people ask "who's going to provide that?", they merrily reply that they will. and i'm just kind of watching this unfold and am thinking, can you please just talk for yourself?

i am for religious freedom. i am for freedom of speech. i am for tolerance of different viewpoints. i just wish the tolerance of different viewpoints were extended to me and my selfish tendencies.

thank you, and have a great day!

tiki: i think i've said this before but your signature rules.

 

[doc05]

my school is full of liberals. the atmosphere is quite hostile for conservatives. but the vast majority of the people i interact with here are liberals. they are decent people, but they want me to sacrifice myself just because they are willing to sacrifice themselves. i don't want to pay for america's diabetes management from my own pocketbook, and i don't want to pay for america's foodstamps with my own pocketbook. keep your hands off my pocketbook and stop offering it to other people. thanks.

don't worry about this. by the time they've finished residency and gone into private practice, 90% of them will become conservative....once you have money, it's nice to actually keep it.

 

[automaton]

usually, liberal if you're in peds or fp. otherwise, conservative.

although i will say that the vast majority of my class is liberal, it's true that the most vocal about it are interested in family and peds. i attribute this to their desire to help people. bless their hearts. i wish they could do all this good work on their own without trying to sign me up for it in the process.

 

[velo]

yes yes, i agree with you in theory, fear not. what i am annoyed about especially is not the fact that social welfare exists at all, but that my future colleagues are offering healthcare as a right, and when people ask "who's going to provide that?", they merrily reply that they will. and i'm just kind of watching this unfold and am thinking, can you please just talk for yourself?

i am for religious freedom. i am for freedom of speech. i am for tolerance of different viewpoints. i just wish the tolerance of different viewpoints were extended to me and my selfish tendencies.

thank you, and have a great day!

tiki: i think i've said this before but your signature rules.

Hey, if you can admit that a major factor driving your conservative ideology is selfishness then more power to you. That's more honest than almost any conservative I've run across.

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

Hey, if you can admit that a major factor driving your conservative ideology is selfishness then more power to you. That's more honest than almost any conservative I've run across.

I think it has more to do with individualist philosophy, a la Ayn Rand, which by definition includes a degree of egocentrism.

On a similar note, I have a question for you, velocy - do you think Liberals generally accept collectivist Marxist philosophy?

Personally, I'm a libertarian. I get no lub.

 

[beastmaster]

Rich people benefit tremendously from the society, but the catch is they have to pay for it--and part of that is paying to help the poor.

You have it backwards. Rich people become rich BY benefitting society. By producing and innovating and improving the standard of living in this liberal version of God that you guys call "society." They have no obligations to anyone but themselves. The riches of the rich are not the causes of poverty.

It's weird how liberals are okay with heavy taxation but then complain that their taxes are being mismanaged in ways they disapprove of. Ever consider the option of individuals chosing how money is best spent?

Conservatives, frankly, could use a little less Jesus in their lives

 

[velo]

I think it has more to do with individualist philosophy, a la Ayn Rand, which by definition includes a degree of egocentrism.

On a similar note, I have a question for you, velocy - do you think Liberals generally accept collectivist Marxist philosophy?

Personally, I'm a libertarian. I get no lub.

My God, but I can't stand Ayn Rand

No I don't think most Liberals accept the collectivist philosophy, at least I don't. I don't think our goal should be a classless society--I just believe in altruism. If I'm doing well I have no conflicts about helping those aren't. If you're prospering in a society its only right to give back to it.