My father is a failed doctor, how should I handle this?

[Gavanshir]

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Hi, my father was kicked out of his residency program some 15 years ago after getting into an argument with his chief regarding a procedure that he didn't think was appropriate. After a few stints in a couple of other programs, he went through a divorce, became depressed and didn't want to practice medicine ever again. He changed fields altogether and now works at an insurance company.

So there you have it. I still feel that it would be a positive to mention in my PS that my father was an MD but I dont know how I should handle it if they ask me about him in the interview. I feel that the adcoms would judge that maybe I will have the same fate as him and would have reservations about me. Your opinions would be greatly apreciated.

 

[HumidBeing]

If you want to mention that it was his profession, fine. I'd steer clear of the details, though.

 

[Mobius1985]

I can't think why you'd want to mention this. Definitely don't do so if you can't present it in a positive way. If it comes up in an interview, as it may should you present the situation in your PS, I can see there is a high probability the conversation could become stressful. Why do that to yourself?

 

[Gavanshir]

I think that they would ask what type of doctor he is or where he works. I don't think they would look over that..

 

[cgbg]

you an turn this into a positive. you can say that the decision to go into medicine was not easy for you, and you saw the tougher sides of medicine from an early age, yet despite this you are commited to it and have learned from your dad's experience. if you are comfortable talking about this you can spin this quite well. unfortunately much of the application process is about spin, this is a perfect example.

 

[WellWornLad]

Do yourself a favor and don't mention any of this on your application. Don't even mention he was a doctor. It's just a minefield that you don't want to have to dance through. Trust me, my circumstances are similar and it made for one of my worst interview experiences when it came up.

 

[Terpskins99]

Hi, my father was kicked out of his residency program some 15 years ago after getting into an argument with his chief regarding a procedure that he didn't think was appropriate. After a few stints in a couple of other programs, he went through a divorce, became depressed and didn't want to practice medicine ever again. He changed fields altogether and now works at an insurance company.

So there you have it. I still feel that it would be a positive to mention in my PS that my father was an MD but I dont know how I should handle it if they ask me about him in the interview. I feel that the adcoms would judge that maybe I will have the same fate as him and would have reservations about me. Your opinions would be greatly apreciated.

I don't think it is a good idea to bring him up. What purpose would it serve?

The interview is just as much an opportunity for the admissions staff to raise red flags in a candidate as it is to find hidden strengths. Who here hasn't heard of that person with the stellar academic record that interviewed at a ton of locations and failed to receive a single acceptance? I know I have. Of course, the guy I talked with had no idea what went wrong. He began going on how his numbers were FAR better than everyone else that got accepted and how that medical school was totally insane for passing him since his numbers were so much better than what they usually took. 🙄

I have a strong suspicion that many interviewers simply want to make sure you're a regular person. Someone that won't raise trouble and embarrass the program.

Every medical school class has at least one character that you know the administration shakes their heads at. The student that mouths off to professors or flunks their exams because they skip lecture. The majority of your interviewers are going to be professors (almost all of mine were), so they have a pretty good idea of what they do and don't like to see in a medical student.

 

[Gavanshir]

you an turn this into a positive. you can say that the decision to go into medicine was not easy for you, and you saw the tougher sides of medicine from an early age, yet despite this you are commited to it and have learned from your dad's experience. if you are comfortable talking about this you can spin this quite well. unfortunately much of the application process is about spin, this is a perfect example.

Your description here is in fact true and exactly what I've been considering. I think I would be able to put a very positive spin on it since I have indeed previously strugged with my father's shadow over me and had doubts about myself but was able to overcome these. However, I feel that if the adcoms want to see my father's case as a red flag then they will no matter how much I spin it. I feel that they might think that I have some sort of a genetic predisposition to failing in medicine heh.

Do yourself a favor and don't mention any of this on your application. Don't even mention he was a doctor. It's just a minefield that you don't want to have to dance through. Trust me, my circumstances are similar and it made for one of my worst interview experiences when it came up.

WellWornLad I wish you would elaborate on this and your experience, it would be very helpful.

I don't think it is a good idea to bring him up. What purpose would it serve?

The interview is just as much an opportunity for the admissions staff to raise red flags in a candidate as it is to find hidden strengths. Who here hasn't heard of that person with the stellar academic record that interviewed at a ton of locations and failed to receive a single acceptance? I know I have. Of course, the guy I talked with had no idea what went wrong. He began going on how his numbers were FAR better than everyone else that got accepted and how that medical school was totally insane for passing him since his numbers were so much better than what they usually took.

I have a strong suspicion that many interviewers simply want to make sure you're a regular person. Someone that won't raise trouble and embarrass the program.

Every medical school class has at least one character that you know the administration shakes their heads at. The student that mouths off to professors or flunks their exams because they skip lecture. The majority of your interviewers are going to be professors (almost all of mine were), so they have a pretty good idea of what they do and don't like to see in a medical student.

Terpskins99, while I completely agree with everything that you said, I still think that to mention that my father earned an MD degree is a huge positive for my application. In fact my grandfather is also an MD, I feel that that continuity would have a positive impact.

I have also considered outright changing the reality by saying that my father has retired early but I'm not sure whether medschools would do a background check on him or just google him to see if his name comes up as an MD in his state, and of course I'd be uncomfortable about it but at this point I am willing to do whatever it takes since I will be evading the truth either way.

 

[BigRedPremed]

I see no benefits to mentioning this unless it has influenced your life in a positive way. This story simply has no relevance to your application. No med school is going to accept you simply because your dad was a MD and your grandfather was a MD. It's not their job to keep the "continuity" in your family alive.

For the life of me, I can't understand why you are so desperate to reveal to adcoms that your father is a MD, even to the point of lying about his background.

 

[flip26]

Figure out some way to not mention this in your app. It is irrelevant and can only be construed as a negative.

Don't go down the path of explaining that you are out to regain the family honor or something like that...your dad's problems should have NOTHING to do with your motivation.

 

[GreenShirt]

You don't have to mention that he was kicked out of residency, you simply state that he has an MD degree and chose to work in the insurance industry (not every MD graduate goes into clinical practice, some go into industry or consulting jobs....this is not unusual).

An interviewer could follow this up with a question about whether you plan on working with patients or if you want to follow in your father's foot steps, which you would want to answer carefully.

The whole point of brining up physicians in the family to adcoms is to show that you have seen first-hand what the life of a doctor entails and it should only be brought up if is has had a positive influence on you.

 

[Jolie South]

your app is about you not the failed career of your father. forget about mentioning it in your PS or secondaries. don't even mention it in interviews.

talk instead about why YOU want to go into medicine and focus on your positive attributes and accomplishments.

 

[CCLCMer]

Hi, my father was kicked out of his residency program some 15 years ago after getting into an argument with his chief regarding a procedure that he didn't think was appropriate. After a few stints in a couple of other programs, he went through a divorce, became depressed and didn't want to practice medicine ever again. He changed fields altogether and now works at an insurance company.

So there you have it. I still feel that it would be a positive to mention in my PS that my father was an MD but I dont know how I should handle it if they ask me about him in the interview. I feel that the adcoms would judge that maybe I will have the same fate as him and would have reservations about me. Your opinions would be greatly apreciated.

Good grief, what on earth would possibly make you think it's a good idea to bring this up? What does your dad's history have to do with why YOU want to go to med school? The adcomm is not going to fall dead with amazement that your dad has an MD. Lots of people in med school (and applicants) have parents who are doctors. Unless your dad went to that school, I wouldn't mention it. And even if he did go to that school, you still might want to think twice before you air out his dirty laundry and embarrass him for no good reason.

your app is about you not the failed career of your father. forget about mentioning it in your PS or secondaries. don't even mention it in interviews.

talk instead about why YOU want to go into medicine and focus on your positive attributes and accomplishments.

Agree with this completely.

 

[LizzyM]

This is one time when it might be best to entirely skip the section of the AMCAS that asks for parents names & alma maters. Unlikely that you know anything about clinical medicine based on conversations with your dad if he's been away from clinical care for 15 years (from the time you were a young kid). So, anything you might say about how you tested your interest in medicine shouldn't include dad.

Nothing good can come of bringing Dad's career into the conversation.

 

[notdeadyet]

Nothing good can come of bringing Dad's career into the conversation.

And not just in Gavanshir's case. Though different folks have different thoughts on this, I think the more someone talks about their parents in their personal statements, the more I question their maturity and depth of individual experiences.

This is about YOU. Not your family.

 

[Alexander99]

Don't mention it in your personal statement or at the interview. If asked what your parents do, just say your dad is an insurance salesman. Mentioning this would be similar to mentioning on a first date that you're a habitual cheater. Nothing good will come out of it.

 

[SaveThisLabRat]

I have noooo idea how mentioning your dad's career flaw is supposed to help you out. If you had been shadowing him or something, I could see.

That would be like telling UCLA that I'm the daughter of a lady that sued them. I didn't even include her name in "Alumni" (which she is). Hell, I was afraid to put her as one of my parents.

 

[Gavanshir]

Maybe my question wasn't formulated properly, but I never wanted to mention my father's past in the PS. I did want to mention that he is a doctor either in the PS or the interview because I know that it is a positive. I know this for a fact and I think Lizzy can confirm that although only slightly, physician parents are looked upon positively.

Also, you can tell that I want to mention this because I'm not the strongest applicant. I think my father's family's extensive medical background can help strengthen my application. This shouldn't be misunderstood as me trying to ride on my parents' accomplishments because I never have and by all means my entire application is about me.

In the current draft of my PS, the only thing I mention is that my decision of choosing a career in medicine was not influenced by my father although he is a physician... followed by my own personal life stories and what influenced me to choose medicine.

I think GreenShirt had a very positive and helpful comment so I'll quote it again. Thank you for all of your advice and comments.

You don't have to mention that he was kicked out of residency, you simply state that he has an MD degree and chose to work in the insurance industry (not every MD graduate goes into clinical practice, some go into industry or consulting jobs....this is not unusual).

An interviewer could follow this up with a question about whether you plan on working with patients or if you want to follow in your father's foot steps, which you would want to answer carefully.

The whole point of brining up physicians in the family to adcoms is to show that you have seen first-hand what the life of a doctor entails and it should only be brought up if is has had a positive influence on you.

 

[mbe36]

Leave him out of this completely.

Think of it this way: Say you were applying to be a Bank Manager. But, your father was also a bank manager 15 years ago. The thing is, he ended up robbing a bank. I'm sure you would not bring this up. I know your situation is different, but saying your father was an MD does not simply give you "extra points". They will most likely bring it up in the interview hoping he has shared some wisdom with you or influenced your decision in a positive manner. Leave it out. It is NOT worth the risk.

 

[LizzyM]

If there is any plus to having a parent who is a physician, it is knowing what the workload is, understanding the toll it can take on family life, etc. Given that your dad hasn't practiced medicine in 15 years, you don't have that advantage.

There might be some people who have a soft spot for applicants who have multiple family members in medicine, but there is also the concern that the applicant is applying because of a family dynasty rather than making a mature and independent decision.

 

[brianmartin]

Having an MD family member means nothing unless you actually gained some knowledge about the field, or they had a specific positive impact in your life. So unless this is the case, don't even mention it.

 

[flip26]

Maybe my question wasn't formulated properly, but I never wanted to mention my father's past in the PS. I did want to mention that he is a doctor either in the PS or the interview because I know that it is a positive. I know this for a fact and I think Lizzy can confirm that although only slightly, physician parents are looked upon positively.

Also, you can tell that I want to mention this because I'm not the strongest applicant. I think my father's family's extensive medical background can help strengthen my application. This shouldn't be misunderstood as me trying to ride on my parents' accomplishments because I never have and by all means my entire application is about me.

In the current draft of my PS, the only thing I mention is that my decision of choosing a career in medicine was not influenced by my father although he is a physician... followed by my own personal life stories and what influenced me to choose medicine.

I think GreenShirt had a very positive and helpful comment so I'll quote it again. Thank you for all of your advice and comments.

Wow. Some people just don't "get it" and they never will.

What is the logical link in your mind between being a weak applicant and bringing up your dad's sordid past - exactly how is that going to be helpful to you?

Epic fail in the making...do keep us posted.

Fascinating...

 

[redlight]

Hi, my father was kicked out of his residency program some 15 years ago after getting into an argument with his chief regarding a procedure that he didn't think was appropriate. After a few stints in a couple of other programs, he went through a divorce, became depressed and didn't want to practice medicine ever again. He changed fields altogether and now works at an insurance company.

So there you have it. I still feel that it would be a positive to mention in my PS that my father was an MD but I dont know how I should handle it if they ask me about him in the interview. I feel that the adcoms would judge that maybe I will have the same fate as him and would have reservations about me. Your opinions would be greatly apreciated.

don't mention it in your ps at all unless your dad being an MD has made a substantial positive influence on your progression in medicine (i.e. unless he has shown you the ropes or something or -as someone else pointed out- unless him being a doc has shown you the impact it has on family life and how big a commitment being a doctor requires, do not mention him at all. dont assume u mentioning your dad is an MD will do any good).

however, what i just stated does not seem to be the case, so i don't think it's wise to mention your father at all. a real adcom (LizzyM) just discouraged you from doing this, and you are being kind of hardheaded here. i think you should try and speak to more adcom members about this before you follow through.. try the mentor section of sdn for some more advice.

Wow. Some people just don't "get it" and they never will.

What is the logical link in your mind between being a weak applicant and bringing up your dad's sordid past - exactly how is that going to be helpful to you?

Epic fail in the making...do keep us posted.

Fascinating...

haha, that's messed up.

 

[WellWornLad]

...I did want to mention that he is a doctor either in the PS or the interview because I know that it is a positive. I know this for a fact and I think Lizzy can confirm that although only slightly, physician parents are looked upon positively.

Also, you can tell that I want to mention this because I'm not the strongest applicant. I think my father's family's extensive medical background can help strengthen my application...

It's very common for applicants to think a "family connection" to medicine will strengthen them. That's not the case.

It puts your motives to become a physician directly in the cross-hairs. They will wonder whether you have a genuine interest in medicine or whether you just want to live up to expectations or otherwise please your family. If you just report one of your parents as being a physician on the primary without mentioning it elsewhere (as I did), it may or may not come up in the interview. If you make a point of mentioning it in your PS, expect a whole new level of grilling during interviews. Unless you plan on lying during your interviews, that line of questioning will invariably stumble upon the whole sordid episode, which will raise more questions in the interviewer's mind than can probably be addressed in the remainder of your interview time.

Adcoms are impressed when an applicant is the first in their family to graduate college, not when half their family are physicians. To try and leverage the latter for your application looks ridiculous, and I imagine is it as much a pet peeve among adcoms as "I have always wanted to be a doctor," or "I love to help people."

 

[TrojanHorse]

first and foremost, YOU are the person that the medical school is going to be accepting or rejecting. Your application, personal statement, secondaries, and interview should focus on YOU as much as possible. Although an MD degree is impressive, no one gets in because their parents were doctors. Just the fact that you are calling your father a "failed" doctor is awkward. It could possibly add a negative energy to your persona and make adcoms second guess your judgement.

I looked over your MD apps, didn't see a score for your MCAT. The main concenr for you should not be whether to include your father in your PS, but to rock the MCAT because your GPA is a bit on the low side.

 

[pianola]

Whatever your decision, I have a hard time believing that using the word "failed" in an interview or otherwise is going to help your case much. Especially in relation to a blood relative.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

 

[BigRedPremed]

Maybe my question wasn't formulated properly, but I never wanted to mention my father's past in the PS. I did want to mention that he is a doctor either in the PS or the interview because I know that it is a positive. I know this for a fact and I think Lizzy can confirm that although only slightly, physician parents are looked upon positively.

Also, you can tell that I want to mention this because I'm not the strongest applicant. I think my father's family's extensive medical background can help strengthen my application. This shouldn't be misunderstood as me trying to ride on my parents' accomplishments because I never have and by all means my entire application is about me.

In the current draft of my PS, the only thing I mention is that my decision of choosing a career in medicine was not influenced by my father although he is a physician... followed by my own personal life stories and what influenced me to choose medicine.

I think GreenShirt had a very positive and helpful comment so I'll quote it again. Thank you for all of your advice and comments.

You can't mention that your father was a MD without eliciting extra questions. Interviewers love to interrogate applicants whose parents are physicians to find out a) what, if anything, they learned about medicine from their parents and b) to make sure their motivations for entering medicine was their own.

If you mention that your dad works in the insurance industry, you WILL get the inevitable question, "Why did your dad choose to work in insurance instead of practicing clinically?" That's the logical next question.

If your parents do anything else, most likely your interviewers won't care. But, as soon as you mention the fact that your dad was a MD, you are opening a can of worms.