negative perceptions based on appearance

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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brightness

brightness

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Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
 
If you allow your perception of yourself to interfere with your confidence then perhaps it could be held against you. If that is you in the picture your statement regarding yourself is quite wrong. Be confident, and nothing will be held against you for your self-established low level of attractiveness (despite it being untrue).
 
people have expressed interest in losing weight before an interview but i don't think it's a huge factor unless you obviously don't take care of your appearance or don't care to look better for the interview. nothing you can really do now anyway. just go in and let your passion and enthusiasm for medicine shine through. being self-conscious and doubting yourself will also manifest itself in the interview, and that can definitely have a negative impact.
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
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I think you have a nice-looking face based on your avatar.

Although adcoms will have their opinions (they are human), I think they will look mostly at you as an applicant- your numbers, experiences, etc. A holistic approach.

To that end, speak confidently and prove charm the committee and prove to them that you belong in their class. Don't worry about their opinions. You are you and there a million things that make you stand out.

Remember, "Opinions are like ass cracks- everyone has them and they are all crappy." Hope this helps :laugh:

Good Luck

~PG
 
I don't believe that interviewers will be biased based on appearance. Although I'm a few years away from applying, I think interviewers will be more interested in what you have to say rather than how you look (although you should at least look presentable 😛 ). As long as you give honest answers and behave appropriately, I think you should be fine. As far as success with patients, I have found that being helpful, courteous, and understanding has brought me a long way. Anyway, don't be discouraged! 😀

Just my $0.02.
 
i guess a picture can't show everything, but i don't think you look at all unattractive. please don't let your insecurities get to you or else they will show through when you interview.

and anyway, i've seen plenty of funny looking doctors out there. they got in. and you're not at all funny looking 😍 so i say you have nothing to worry about.
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
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Strangely enough my brother fears the complete opposite.

Hes a very good looking guy (that bastard)

Hes afraid if he gets a male interviewer his good looks will work against him because the interviewer will be a "less sympathetic" due to envy.

My brother is an idiot.

(By the way if that is you in the picture you have nothing to worry about because your cute)
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...

Judging by your avatar and from your post, it seems you have an altered perception of yourself. A lot of people tend to over-criticize their own appearance - you look fine! I'm not going to preach any further about it, but whatever you do, don't let it affect your confidence. Go in there and let your actions and your thoughts represent you, and no matter what you'll leave them with a good impression.

It's weird because a lot of my friends have lots of scarring from acne, some of them have minor facial defects (eg. in the eye), some are balding, etc. but I NEVER seem to notice it, and never did when I first met them, because they're so much more than their appearances. They're witty and kind, earnest and hard-working, honest and decent. All I see is a beautiful person when I think of them (as horribly cliche and vomit-inducing as that sounds, it's true).
 
QuietStorm- said:
Strangely enough my brother fears the complete opposite.

Hes a very good looking guy (that bastard)

Hes afraid if he gets a male interviewer his good looks will work against him because the interviewer will be a "less sympathetic" due to envy.

My brother is an idiot.

(By the way if that is you in the picture you have nothing to worry about because your cute)
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Haha, wow, your bro is a little paranoid. If anything, interviewers will probably envy our youth and wish they could do it all over again.

By the way, I also agree - she's cute 😀
 
I forgot to add, STAY AWAY FROM GREY'S ANATOMY.
That show is bad for anyone's self esteem :meanie: 😀
 
looks matter, not ALOT but they definitely help.
I agree that its the personality that decides everything in the end. But its better if you look good so they dont mind looking at u for a long time. If they cant look at u too long, they wont listen to you that much either. Its unfair, but its unfair as someone being born with an exceptional mind vs someone who has to make up for stupidity with hardwork. It all balances out I guess
 
Have you ever seen a group of academic physicians? They can sometimes be quite ugly, fat, etc. themselves. Sure appearance probably plays a role in their decision, but they're used to seeing ugly in the mirror every morning when they wake up, so chances are interviewing you will be a welcome respite!
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...

Depends on the profession. I'd say that medicine is probably in the lower end of the spectrum where looks matter, as opposed to professions that involve any type of sales or advertising, with modeling, of course, taking the extreme end.

Does it help to be both smart and good looking? Absolutely. There'll be nothing on this planet you won't be able to accomplish.

Will it hurt your chances of being a doctor if you don't have model looks? Shouldn't matter much. Given equal knowledge, what's more important than your looks will be the way you carry yourself in front of your patients. If you're continually subconscious about your looks, your patients might read your body language and misintepret it as incompetence, which, in turn, will make them doubt your ability as a doctor.

If a doctor's life is as busy as I imagine it to be, then your looks will probably be the last of your worries. Just derive confidence in the fact that you're a smart, knowledgeble person; and if you carry yourself accordingly, your patients could care less about your looks.
 
Usually I'd make a joke, but you sound serious about this, so here goes:

Will your apperance make a difference? Yes.

Will it make a large one? Depends if it affects you. If you dress well, have good body language and speak well in spite of what you may perceive as not being unattractive (which btw, seems like you're a bit too hard on yourself), then I have full confidence that you will be just fine.

It's important to reach a state of objective awareness. Absolutely anything that day can affect the interviewer. Maybe he/she's having a bad day, had her car broke down, or conversely, just found out that he/she got a permotion.

Point is that there's millions of hypotheticals and thinking about any one of them will be counterproductive. Why not focus on the things you can control and improve them to your best abilities?
-Dr. P.
 
Being "too" attractive can be a problem too. I don't know about you, but when I see pretty I think dumb. I've seen a few studies along similar lines too--past a certain point of attractiveness the halo effect goes away, and people have a hard time believing really attractive people can be intelligent.

You'd only have to worry if you were seriously hideous or deformed (although deformed might get you diversity points, so scratch that). But you're not. I'd totally do you if I were into women.

Treat yourself to a well-fitting outfit (now's not the time for Goodwill), some nice jewelery, and a makeup consultation before interviews. You'll feel tons better, trust me, and you'll carry yourself better too. (I should probably add here that I'm a female, despite the SN.)
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...

Not to be an ass, but I hope you're not just fishing for compliments by saying you look ugly while putting your picture up as your avatar. You obviously aren't hideous, and with medicine being an intellectual/academic field of study, looks won't matter quite as much as, say sales.

If you're overweight and want to change, I think you know what to do. Most people do, it's just that they don't want it quite badly enough.
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...

I think the bigger issue is to look like you take good care of yourself, and respect your appearance. Light foundation, blush, good posture, flattering suit, firm handshake and a smile. You're good to go. I hope.
 
As med students can attest by looking around them everyday in class, less than beautiful appearance is no hinderance.
 
I think that unless you're head-turningly beautiful or pitiably ugly, looks will probably play little part in the interview. The way you carry yourself- posture and facial expressions- will send much more important signals and carry much more weight.

brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...
 
crazy_cavalier said:
Judging by your avatar and from your post, it seems you have an altered perception of yourself. A lot of people tend to over-criticize their own appearance - you look fine! I'm not going to preach any further about it, but whatever you do, don't let it affect your confidence. Go in there and let your actions and your thoughts represent you, and no matter what you'll leave them with a good impression.

It's weird because a lot of my friends have lots of scarring from acne, some of them have minor facial defects (eg. in the eye), some are balding, etc. but I NEVER seem to notice it, and never did when I first met them, because they're so much more than their appearances. They're witty and kind, earnest and hard-working, honest and decent. All I see is a beautiful person when I think of them (as horribly cliche and vomit-inducing as that sounds, it's true).
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Great post.

We really are our worst critics. Just to sympathize with the OP: I was really worried about this when I first started interviewing. I don't think it's really played a huge part though. Crazy_cavalier is right; we are so much more than how we look. Look presentable in your interviewing clothes and be confident in who you are. If all else fails, I'll come interview with you and you'll look great by comparision. (Sorry, couldn't resist a little self-slam. :laugh: )
 
That's the vibe I got....I suppose you could wear a paper bag over your head, as long as it matches your suit of course....😉

Pkboi24 said:
Not to be an ass, but I hope you're not just fishing for compliments by saying you look ugly while putting your picture up as your avatar. You obviously aren't hideous, and with medicine being an intellectual/academic field of study, looks won't matter quite as much as, say sales.

If you're overweight and want to change, I think you know what to do. Most people do, it's just that they don't want it quite badly enough.
Click to expand...
 
First of all, if that's you in your avatar, you're pretty darn cute.

Secondly, I kind of understand where this last-minute sort of worry could pop in your head. You have so many things to stress about right now, and the most inane worries can hold a disproportionate sway on your emotions while you're in that state. Everyone's given you lots of good advice. Cliches are cliches because they're generally true.

Good luck!
 
you want to apply to vet school, PA school and med school? you are just a sophomore and you are already worried about interviews? I think you have like a year or 2 to lose weight if you are overweight, otherwise, I don't understand this thread.
 
I think the only thing that would be unattractive and unacceptable is to never smile.
 
QuietStorm- said:
Strangely enough my brother fears the complete opposite.

Hes a very good looking guy (that bastard)

Hes afraid if he gets a male interviewer his good looks will work against him because the interviewer will be a "less sympathetic" due to envy.

My brother is an idiot.

(By the way if that is you in the picture you have nothing to worry about because your cute)
Click to expand...


Haha, that's really funny. To the OP: your avatar pic is cute, and hopefully adcoms base decisions on the candidate's merit, and not looks- but even if they don't, you are *not* unattractive so don't worry!
 
my advice: don't wear a paper bag on your head, that will only turn out bad

j/k. seriously, it's all about how you present yourself. if you're worried about your looks (which you shouldn't be), get new clothes before your interview, get a haircut, or go to a spa the day before if that'll help you feel better about yourself. confidence is way more important than looks, and not being sure of yourself will definitely hinder your chances for admission.
 
Looks have nothing to do with it. I don't care what the heck my doctor looks like because I want one who 1: knows what he/she is doing and 2: genuinely cares about me. Everything else is gravy 🙂 I think most adcoms would agree
 
Yea..we all like to think it doesn't play much of a role and I'm sure unless you are in the extreme categories it really doesn't...but there is a reason that the best salesman/woman (especially with those pharm people) are ridiculously attractive, taller attractive people seem to do better in business and I'm sure it isn't some secret plot...some kind of human nature involved. If there is a tall person group that is trying to put you shorties down I haven't gotten the letter yet...I hope I do soon. I am curious about membership dues. You seem cute to me though and I've seen girls that for most normal purposes would be considered unattractive as for their face and what not..but how the held themselves made them the sexiest things on the planet. Given you don't want the sexy thing so much..(I don't think?) but you get the idea....don't worry about it. Your eyes aren't completed lopsided, you don't have like a mangled face in anyway....I doubt people will say "Oh my sweet Jesus" when you walk in...so you should be ok.

Oh and if any of you people over 6'2" or so got a letter about the meeting please tell me where I go to pick that up.
 
I've thought of vet school, PA school and medical school, yes. I haven't made my mind up for sure that I wouldn't do PA or vet med, although human medicine is my first choice.
I'm at the beginning of my junior year, btw. I didn't mean this to be so...directed at myself, or personal. I just wanted to know what your opinion was on how appearance can effect your chances of getting into medical school. I know it looks terrible to post my photo on the same day! Lol. I was actually spurred to write this post when I posted my photo because I was thinking about all the photos of gorgeous people on this site and f*cking Gray's Anatomy. 😛
Oh well. I didn't mean to bother anyone, and I really sincerely appreciate the comments made, especially the people who said I was attractive- that was so nice of you. I should mention, I guess, that I've was diagnosed with a mental disorder called BDD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder as well as Bulimia when I was young, a freshman in HS. So I have had a lot of pervasive problems with my body for a long time. I probably shouldn't have posted this.
My apologies,
Lindsay
 
I was a Communication major in college....Here a few research supported tidbits about how looks influence interviews:

1)Good looking people are often remembered more favorably by an interviewer than are average looking/plain people

2)Good looking people will often have a higher starting salary/wage offered

3)Tall males fare better than short males during interviews

4)People with wide open eyes fare better than those with "squinty" eyes

5)People with blue eyes fare better than those with brown eyes (damn y'all!)

6)We trust our eyes more than our ears...translation..our image will often leave a more lasting impression than do our words.

7)Believe it or not, females are much more critical of exterior appearances than are males, especially toward other females.

8)People often remember the nonverbal components of a discussion better than they do the actual verbal content....it's not what you say, but how you say it that will eventually win the day. Have confidence, but not arrogance. Be direct, but not pushy. Be relaxed, but not dull.

Threw that last one in there even though it has nothing to do with looks, but the fact is that good looking people have a built in advantage within our society. They can be so much less deserving of a position, but will end up with it because they have some "indescribable" quality that the interviewer sees in them. I say "indescribable" because you probably won't find anyone who will admit to hiring/admitting a person because they were good looking. But in all fairness, it is usually a subconscious thing that people become more influenced by good looks than they might realize. It happens to us all.

Although, good looks can backfire for an interviewee if the interviewer is extra-aware of how he/she doesn't want to have their opinion influenced by beauty. They may compensate by being over critical of the good looking persons qualifications.

I say all of this as a balding, pudgy, thirty-something, average looking guy. I mean, imagine how I'm feeling about my chances! Sheessh!! I have 3 lined up so far, and you'd better believe I'm jogging my butt off every night.
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...


Concentrate on your academics and staying healthy. Being overweight is not going to affect your application or anyone's perception of your ability to become a good physician. You are not going to be interviewing for a modeling job, you are going to be interviewing for admission to professional school. Your "looks" are not going to matter but your "grooming" will. If you are overweight (or underweight) dress for success and be well-groomed. Be confident that if you have the grades and you are invited for interview, you are a strong candidate for admission.

I can assure you that your patients are going to care more about what's in your brain than what your looks. I have never met a patient who didn't respond positively to a physician who showed a genuine interest in caring for them and a strong knowledge of what that care would involve. Keep your academics strong and resist the "pre-med" syndrome to compare yourself constantly. I cans also assure you that physicians like patients come in all shapes, sizes and colors. It makes life more interesting don't you think?😀

njbmd🙂
 
brightness said:
I've thought of vet school, PA school and medical school, yes. I haven't made my mind up for sure that I wouldn't do PA or vet med, although human medicine is my first choice.
I'm at the beginning of my junior year, btw. I didn't mean this to be so...directed at myself, or personal. I just wanted to know what your opinion was on how appearance can effect your chances of getting into medical school. I know it looks terrible to post my photo on the same day! Lol. I was actually spurred to write this post when I posted my photo because I was thinking about all the photos of gorgeous people on this site and f*cking Gray's Anatomy. 😛
Oh well. I didn't mean to bother anyone, and I really sincerely appreciate the comments made, especially the people who said I was attractive- that was so nice of you. I should mention, I guess, that I've was diagnosed with a mental disorder called BDD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder as well as Bulimia when I was young, a freshman in HS. So I have had a lot of pervasive problems with my body for a long time. I probably shouldn't have posted this.
My apologies,
Lindsay
Click to expand...

Did you include that in your PS? You should have, at least get it in your secondaries. I would definitely say that that counts as overcoming a sort of adversity (I myself haven't really had any).

The interviewers (and I think patients especially) will unfortunately judge somewhat on appearance (there was a study that showed that people do not trust bald men, for instance). But would an average person with a 38 and a 3.9 beat out a "good-looking" person with a 32 and a 3.0? Not likely...
 
brightness said:
I've thought of vet school, PA school and medical school, yes. I haven't made my mind up for sure that I wouldn't do PA or vet med, although human medicine is my first choice.
I'm at the beginning of my junior year, btw. I didn't mean this to be so...directed at myself, or personal. I just wanted to know what your opinion was on how appearance can effect your chances of getting into medical school. I know it looks terrible to post my photo on the same day! Lol. I was actually spurred to write this post when I posted my photo because I was thinking about all the photos of gorgeous people on this site and f*cking Gray's Anatomy. 😛
Oh well. I didn't mean to bother anyone, and I really sincerely appreciate the comments made, especially the people who said I was attractive- that was so nice of you. I should mention, I guess, that I've was diagnosed with a mental disorder called BDD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder as well as Bulimia when I was young, a freshman in HS. So I have had a lot of pervasive problems with my body for a long time. I probably shouldn't have posted this.
My apologies,
Lindsay
Click to expand...

My apologies ...
 
how bout the whole glasses vs. contacts thing? do glasses really make you look smarter? i know it's mostly how you carry yourself and how confident you are...any suggestions?
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...

I have seen the accepted classes at JHU and Stonybrook. There are alot of exceptionally ugly people. If it is similar at other medical schools, then I'm willing to bet looks really don't matter to adcoms. If you have a 2.9 GPA and 22 MCAT, having a face that would drive a hormone deprived 80 year old nuts and having sleek and long legs that lead up to a perfectly round ass and a bust that would sink a battleship (but not the titanic, that's just gross) won't make you a better student.
 
I dont think its going to affect much of anything but haven't there been studying suggesting good looking people get different treatment than less good looking people? So i think even subconsciously there is SOME effect but not significant enough to reject a solid applicant.
 
I'm not going to enjoy cleaning myself up and wearing a suit. I'm one of those au naturale hippy type folks who think outward appearance means nothing.

Plus I have to exercise so I can fit in my suit again. 🙁
 
Vet programs are quite a bit more strict then med programs in their prereqs. The one by me requires like 80 hours of working with/shadowing a vet plus several extra classes plus the ones required for med school. Just giving you a heads up if that is a path you really do end up wanting to take.
 
Chuckwalla said:
Vet programs are quite a bit more strict then med programs in their prereqs. The one by me requires like 80 hours of working with/shadowing a vet plus several extra classes plus the ones required for med school. Just giving you a heads up if that is a path you really do end up wanting to take.
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Going to Texas A&M I had tons of friends trying to get into Vet school. Without fail when I'd ask them what they would do if they didn't get in they would say, "I dunno; probably go to med school." 😱
 
Schaden Freud said:
I think that unless you're head-turningly beautiful or pitiably ugly, looks will probably play little part in the interview. The way you carry yourself- posture and facial expressions- will send much more important signals and carry much more weight.
Click to expand...
Amen to that. An average or less than average looking person who carrries him or herself well will always make a better impression than an uncomfortable looking attractive person.

If being good looking were any kind of factor in medical school admissions, you'd see the average MCAT drop faster than a bad stock.
 
ReDox said:
I'm not going to enjoy cleaning myself up and wearing a suit. I'm one of those au naturale hippy type folks who think outward appearance means nothing.

Plus I have to exercise so I can fit in my suit again. 🙁
Click to expand...

Hmmmm. Good luck with that. I havn't seen one before, but i'm sure there is a niche out there for hippie doctors.
 
Haemulon said:
Hmmmm. Good luck with that. I havn't seen one before, but i'm sure there is a niche out there for hippie doctors.
Click to expand...

Oh, there are hippies in disguise..... 😉
 
I hope they accept people based on appearance... because I look dang good.
 
brightness said:
Do you believe that the interviewers who evaluate us are biased based on your appearance? I don't think I'm very good looking...I have an unattractive face and I'm overweight as well. I've been wondering if this will negatively effect my chances for getting into med school or how my appearance might effect my success with patients. I don't want to be discouraged about med school, but I am interested in your opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...

NONSENSE! You are BEAUTIFUL. 😍

For AGGIEJOHN, I have been unfortunate enough to see him in person and DAMN is he UGLY! 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
 
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