Overweight applicants

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SOUNDMAN

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Just trying to provoke a little conversation. Do you think overweight applicants, not morbidly obese, but definitely overweight applicants are at a disadvantage when they interview? Do you think adcoms look down on them? Just some food for thought.

I think personally it could be a hinderance, and some people might imediately have a beginning of a negative impression of those that are overweight. I think i t could hurt you but, I guess the importance is to have your personality shine through right? Not your gut.
 
Yes, all fat people are lazy and unmotivated.
GROW UP

My profile: fat and 100% acceptance rate after interview from all replying schools to date.
 
I'm 6ft tall and i used to weigh 265lbs. I lost 70 lbs so that's not a concern of mine anymore (it was at the time). But in all honesty, I don't think it is a big deal at all.
 
I realize that the OP is joking but I think he/she brings up an interesting aspect of medicine. As future physicians how are we supposed to encourage healthy behaviors and lifestyle changes for our patients (think obese diabetic) if we ourselves are overweight. Here is a story about the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/relatedarticles/13928.php

Doc leads weight-loss challenge
Family physicians academy leader is urging members to get in shape
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON - At 6 feet and about 265 pounds, Dr. Michael Fleming is obese, a fact that becomes awkward when he has to tell a patient to lose weight.

"It's a little disingenuous to say, 'I want you to do something I don't do myself,' " said Fleming, a family physician in Shreveport, La.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, including doctors, the very people they turn to for guidance on healthy living.

Fleming, who has been overweight since childhood, leads a busy professional life that makes weight control a struggle. He grabbed burgers on the run, slid up to banquet tables at medical organization meetings where high-calorie meals were on the menu, and missed chances to exercise.

But being overweight is not only unhealthy for him, it makes the profession look bad, Fleming said.

As president of the 94,000-member American Academy of Family Physicians, he's doing something about it.

Since October, when Fleming began his one-year term, he has lost about 25 pounds by managing his diet and staying more active. He's challenging academy members to get in shape themselves, and attending regional meetings to enlist them.

To gauge what shape the membership is in, the academy is taking a survey of members' exercise patterns as well as their heights and weights.

Obesity is measured with a height-to-weight ratio called the body mass index. A BMI of 30 is obese - for someone 6 feet tall like Fleming, a healthy weight would be below 184 pounds, which would reduce his risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.

The academy is not recommending a specific diet and exercise program, figuring the members know enough to be able to choose their own. But Fleming does want his colleagues to enroll in the active lifestyle program of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which asks participants to commit to some type of physical activity at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for six straight weeks.

To start on the right path, participants get pedometers. Fleming uses one to make sure he takes at least 10,000 steps a day, typically by going for walks or using an elliptical machine at a gym. He cut back on carbohydrates like potatoes and bread, although he doesn't follow a specific diet, such as the low-carb Atkins or South Beach plans.

He intends to keep up the diet and exercise regimen for at least another year, until he loses the 80 pounds that would put him in a healthy weight range.

The academy's "physician-heal-thyself" drive kicks off what the AAFP hopes will be a 10-year campaign it calls Americans in Motion, to spread the message of healthy eating and exercise to patients, who make more than 210 million office visits each year.

"As we developed this, we felt that, unless we look at ourselves and how we deal with our own fitness, it's not going to be easy to get it across to patients," said Dr. Tim Tobolic of Byron Center, Mich., a member of the advisory committee that is planning the campaign.

What doctors learn by trying exercise themselves should help them understand patients' problems, Tobolic said.

Not having enough time, for instance, is among the most common reasons people give for not working out. Tobolic does not accept that as an excuse.

"You have to find the time," he said. "I have to do it at 5 o'clock in the morning. Even if it's only a half-hour a day, people can find the half-hour."

Other doctors are watching the family physicians and considering their own initiatives.

"We have not picked up the mantle the way they have, but it is something that has been discussed internally and makes a lot of sense," said Dr. Ed Langston of Lafayette, Ind., a member of the American Medical Association's board of trustees and past president of the AAFP.

Langston, who exercises at 5 a.m., applauded Fleming's lead-by-example approach. Doctors give themselves more motivation if they go public with their lifestyle changes, as Fleming has, he said.
 
I agree that practicing what you preach is important, and am actively improving my lifestyle. OP's approach was from an admissions point-of-view, in which situation I believe there are more important factors than the size of your jacket. With the exception of morbid obesity, like the OP stated.
 
Chankovsky said:
your full of it

I think it's funny that people automatically perceive this as an attack on overweight people. Listen I'm 6 foot and 270 lbs. I think it's an interesting thing to talk about. I obviously don't have any problems with it. My weight is something I've always battled. I was curious if others have had issues with it during interviews. I have an interview in one week and am wearing a very nicely tailored jacket. A little nervous but overall very confident.
 
Obviously the better looking you are, the more advantages you have in life. People like pretty people, and study after study have shown that attractive people get better treatment almost everywhere (including at job interviews). Obviously it is not going to keep you out of school, but it could provide a negative first impression to the interviewer (he could have some preconcieved notions), and could be a hindrance.
 
i don't think this is a joke issue at all. i am noticably overweight, though not morbidly obese, and i have definitely wondered if this will have an impact on the application process. i've wondered if adcoms will think either a) that i don't have the discipline it takes to get through school, or b) that i don't have a sufficient commitment to my health specifically and health in general. i struggle a lot with my weight. i am very good and disciplined about exercise, but i have never been able to stick with a weight loss diet for long without starting to feel a little crazy. i am quite knowledgeable about weight loss, but it's hard to translate that into a change in my own life. in any case, there's not much i can do about it before interviews come up, so i'm trying to let go of this concern vis a vis med school (although not my efforts to stay fit and eat more moderately).

anyway, it's "food" for thought. tee hee.
 
bottom line - being bloated might not hurt your chances, but there is no way in hell it is going to help you out in any way.
 
What about being ripped? Think that might help my chances? 😀 Maybe all this working out will pay off.
 
I didn't think the OP was joking either. Overweight people probably do face discrimination in their lives, as do ugly people. I don't think it's enough to keep them out of med school, but it's certainly not helpful to them. Looks matter considerably, unfortunately. But it's not going to keep you out of med school.
 
blz said:
What about being ripped? Think that might help my chances? 😀 Maybe all this working out will pay off.

oh please...you need to get over yourself.
 
i think its an interesting issue. last year i met woman on the train who was taking up two seats. i noticed she was studying her kaplan MCAT biology notes so i started talking to her. turns out she's a lawyer, graduated from an elite ivy, was doing really well on her practice MCATs and kicking ass in her post-bacc science courses and doing some serious EMT work. I thought to myself how her weight could effect her application. i don't know. would her stamina be compromised, running around the hospital, working long hours? could her body handle it? would adcoms take that into consideration?

by the same token, how about candidates who smoke? I was floored by the number of smokers when I took the MCAT. what if an interviewer smelled smoke on you? would that effect his/her impression?
 
Ahhhh smokers. Excellent other point. I think smokers can hide that fact somewhat easier. Being overweight you can't hide. However tons of nurses smoke as well as physicians, however I believe the physician rate of smoking is dramatically decreased.
 
blz said:
What about being ripped? Think that might help my chances? 😀 Maybe all this working out will pay off.


i laughed
 
blz said:
What about being ripped? Think that might help my chances? 😀 Maybe all this working out will pay off.

Only if you plan on showing up to your interview in a tank top and shorts.
 
I think it is sad that most people cannot make legitimate responses to the OP on this thread.

God bless,

CM
 
SOUNDMAN said:
I think it's funny that people automatically perceive this as an attack on overweight people. Listen I'm 6 foot and 270 lbs. I think it's an interesting thing to talk about. I obviously don't have any problems with it. My weight is something I've always battled. I was curious if others have had issues with it during interviews. I have an interview in one week and am wearing a very nicely tailored jacket. A little nervous but overall very confident.

i've got you beat. i was 268 after my morning run [about six foot as well] 😛 . i think this is a legitmate concern. in the all things being equal scenario the skinny kid will get in ten times out of ten over the fat kid. i've always felt like i've done much better in any sort of interview where one of interviewers was overweight as it makes me that much less self conscious.
 
beaten again i was 187 n 5'5''
and now i am 126 n 5'5''
 
Hi Folks,

I strongly believe it's important for a doctor to be healthy. What patient is going to believe their doctor about health issues when he's tanking around a fat ass. I can say this, because I have one.

For the past 3 months, I've been working to lose weight. I am 6'3", was 260 pounds, and after 3 months of running 5 miles a day 3 days a week, I'm down to 255. I don't get it. While I haven't lost a lot of weight, I feel better, and my pant size has gone down.

Let's face the real issue here. A Doctor's specialty is health. For a doctor to not exude fitness is like a hair dresser looking like Albert Einstein.
If you don't want to fight the stereotypes, then you must work and work out. I say this as a member of the choir.
 
Being overweight is not going to be an advantage in many scenarios in modern society, med school and job interviews included. As future healthcare providers, we ought to at least try our best to look the part, and that would include making proper choices in eating and keeping up some kind of regular physical activity. My guess is that many people who have tried to lose weight unsuccessfully are not making proper dietary choices (eating too many calorie-dense, processed foods), rather than not trying hard enough. There's a ton of information out there about how to "eat healthy" and not all of it is correct.
 
I have to admit, I was almost shocked when I showed up at medical school orientation and noticed there was not even one person in my class significantly overweight at all. My mother came to my white coat ceremony a week later and that was the first thing she said to me afterwards. She said it took her a few minutes to figure out what was so strange and then it hit her that not a single person was overweight, unlike the "real world."
 
sacrament said:
Interesting question. Now that I think about it, not a single person in my class is really "obese." Considering the percentages of Americans who are obese, this is statistically quite significant.
I'm shocked you know your class mates given your history of class attendence.
 
blz said:
What about being ripped? Think that might help my chances? 😀 Maybe all this working out will pay off.

Being athletically inclined in any way makes people think you are stupid by default. It is a travesty and a bit of a sham.
 
I seriously think that if you are morbidly overweight, it doesn't bode well for you. M.D.'s, I think it's fair to say, tend to keep themselves in pretty good shape. This is because it's important they provide good examples for their patients (at least, that's what I will strive to do). I think an average overweight applicant, however, probably won't (and shouldn't) have a problem. I think it would be worse for someone to admit to smoking and drinking heavily.
 
wendywellesley said:
i think its an interesting issue. last year i met woman on the train who was taking up two seats. i noticed she was studying her kaplan MCAT biology notes so i started talking to her. turns out she's a lawyer, graduated from an elite ivy, was doing really well on her practice MCATs and kicking ass in her post-bacc science courses and doing some serious EMT work. I thought to myself how her weight could effect her application. i don't know. would her stamina be compromised, running around the hospital, working long hours? could her body handle it? would adcoms take that into consideration?

by the same token, how about candidates who smoke? I was floored by the number of smokers when I took the MCAT. what if an interviewer smelled smoke on you? would that effect his/her impression?


they should start screening for ADD? and diabetes? and bipolar
personalities? what about cancer? benign tumors?

:scared: you should be 100% healthy to be a doctor. 😱
 
ingamina said:
Hi Folks,

I strongly believe it's important for a doctor to be healthy. What patient is going to believe their doctor about health issues when he's tanking around a fat ass. I can say this, because I have one.

For the past 3 months, I've been working to lose weight. I am 6'3", was 260 pounds, and after 3 months of running 5 miles a day 3 days a week, I'm down to 255. I don't get it. While I haven't lost a lot of weight, I feel better, and my pant size has gone down.

Let's face the real issue here. A Doctor's specialty is health. For a doctor to not exude fitness is like a hair dresser looking like Albert Einstein.
If you don't want to fight the stereotypes, then you must work and work out. I say this as a member of the choir.

i thought that said my p*nis size has gone down :laugh:
 
First off Congrats to ingamina 🙂

I know I gained weight while studying for Mcat, taking physics II and cell bio this past summer. That is why I started doing the elliptical. I have since lost approx 20 lbs (147 and 5'9'' ) and am currently running 3 miles a day.(6 days a week) My goal is to do an 8k by April :luck: But I agree that obesity has become a serious issue with our society, and though I understand some people are naturally bigger than others, I Think the most important thing is TOO EAT A WELL BALANCED DIET AND EXERCISE AT LEAST 3-5 TIMES A WEEK. As future doctors I think we owe it to our patients, and ourselves to take care of our health. just my 2cents though
 
LoveDoc said:
they should start screening for ADD? and diabetes? and bipolar
personalities? what about cancer? benign tumors?

:scared: you should be 100% healthy to be a doctor. 😱


loveDoc, those things you list are not under our control (most of the time) they are diseases that aren't always preventable (cancer, ADD, diabetes, tumors, bipolar, etc). I don't think smoking or being overweight is a disease (i know this is a hotly debated issue). i believe that people can have control over what they inhale and put in their mouths and how much excersise they do. I understand genetics does play a part in weight control but even that isn't fully understood.
to say that you should be 100% healthy as a doctor is missing the point. I believe (as others here have said) that you should practice what you preach, eating sensibly, exercising , not having promiscuous sex, not smoking, etc.

as for how would adcoms view an overweight person, i would hope that wouldn't factor into their decision but it is an interesting issue.
 
i've worked in an oncology department with people who treat lung cancer and then they take a break and go out and smoke...i don't get it. same idea. and i didn't totally think the OP was joking b/c i can see how some people can be misjudged or looked at more negatively if they are obese (not just slightly overweight)
 
VPDcurt said:
i agree with wendy.

me too, and i actually thought he was joking when he listed those diseases.
 
wendywellesley said:
to say that you should be 100% healthy as a doctor is missing the point. I believe (as others here have said) that you should practice what you preach, eating sensibly, exercising , not having promiscuous sex, not smoking, etc.

I gather you don't watch Nip/Tuck
 
Megalofyia said:
I'm shocked you know your class mates given your history of class attendence.

I suppose they may have gotten fatter since I last saw them on orientation day.

Y'all should get your posting in on this thread while you still can, before it gets closed for being mean to fatties and everybody gets put on post-hold.
 
I think that this question is very legitimate. I have a close friend that attended a medical school that used a 'ropes course' (a version of the old PE obstacle course) as a 'bonding' exercise for new matriculates. I've always wondered if the adcoms have this in the back of their minds when they interviewed.
As far as my story goes - I've always been extremely active, but have gained some pounds over the past couple of years. I don't know how this would affect class work during the first two years, but I feel that it would be detrimental to clinicals and residency. I have worked in teaching hospitals for years and I can see first hand how physically demanding it is on residents. Truth be told, some of the overweight residents tire more easily in certain situations, and I don't see them in many surgical positions (not that they shouldn't be there). It makes one think!
I can see how it has affected my own job, and I am working diligently (and successfully) on losing weight, building muscle mass, and increasing my cardiovascular endurance.
With that said, losing weight is an obviously difficult task, but I now place just as much importance on it as getting good grades. Although I might personally feel that I can't handle some aspect of becoming a doctor because of my weight, I would never want to give an adcom that responsibility.
 
DrThom said:
I gather you don't watch Nip/Tuck

:laugh:
actually i have. i only got to see one episode.
hot damn, there's nothing quite like hot plastic surgens getting it on with beautiful women.
hopefully all those people on the show have had their STDs tests!
it is, after all, a TV show.
 
In his Social Psychology textbook, Dr. David Myers describes an experiment where attractive people went to a series of job interviews. These same people then dressed up in "fat suits", wore make up to make them less attractive, and then went to other interviews. The experimental set up controlled for the different interview sites, number of interviews, resume, etc.

They got the job far more often when they weren't in the fat suits and uglified.

He has a whole chapter about this in that book. Short version: attractive people have a huge advantage in a variety of social situations.
 
wendywellesley said:
loveDoc, those things you list are not under our control (most of the time) they are diseases that aren't always preventable (cancer, ADD, diabetes, tumors, bipolar, etc). I don't think smoking or being overweight is a disease (i know this is a hotly debated issue). i believe that people can have control over what they inhale and put in their mouths and how much excersise they do. I understand genetics does play a part in weight control but even that isn't fully understood.
to say that you should be 100% healthy as a doctor is missing the point. I believe (as others here have said) that you should practice what you preach, eating sensibly, exercising , not having promiscuous sex, not smoking, etc.

as for how would adcoms view an overweight person, i would hope that wouldn't factor into their decision but it is an interesting issue.

i disagree.

have a nice day. 🙄
 
UseUrHeadFred said:
In his Social Psychology textbook, Dr. David Myers describes an experiment where attractive people went to a series of job interviews. These same people then dressed up in "fat suits", wore make up to make them less attractive, and then went to other interviews. The experimental set up controlled for the different interview sites, number of interviews, resume, etc.

They got the job far more often when they weren't in the fat suits and uglified.

He has a whole chapter about this in that book. Short version: attractive people have a huge advantage in a variety of social situations.

The problem with this study is that there are two variables. Weight and attractiveness. Sexual attraction is related to weight, but facial symmetry is probably a better measure of social attractiveness than weight. There needs to be a study where skinny people with busted faces go on interviews.
 
rockit said:
The problem with this study is that there are two variables. Weight and attractiveness. Sexual attraction is related to weight, but facial symmetry is probably a better measure of social attractiveness than weight. There needs to be a study where skinny people with busted faces go on interviews.

wow good call. and get some hot bloated people too - ya know, some bloated people are actually attractive in a strange kind of way.
 
rockit said:
The problem with this study is that there are two variables. Weight and attractiveness. Sexual attraction is related to weight, but facial symmetry is probably a better measure of social attractiveness than weight. There needs to be a study where skinny people with busted faces go on interviews.

another problem with the study is that the attractive person who wore a fat suit and make up to make them appear unattractive most likely presented themselves with much less confidence when they were in costume. confidence goes a long way at a job interview whether you are fat or not. i agree that people are innately drawn to attractive people, which gives them an inherent advantage; however, confidence, personality, and intelligence can more than make up for it.
 
rockit said:
The problem with this study is that there are two variables. Weight and attractiveness. Sexual attraction is related to weight, but facial symmetry is probably a better measure of social attractiveness than weight. There needs to be a study where skinny people with busted faces go on interviews.

since its the same people, with and without fat suits and makeup, facial symmetry shouldn't be an issue. i'm sure they used the same people (rather than skinny people and matched fat people) for exactly the purpose of eliminating the attractiveness/symmetry variable.
 
I am 6'6" an weigh in @ 349 pounds I am down from Get this 469 pounds.
I honeststy I hope my weight would not be used against me but How would every be able to tell someone to lose weight for there health when I am morbidly obese according to bmi charts . So Yes People first response mentally would be "wow his or she is really over weight" in the interview process. But that where yo have to shine with your personality and confidence in yourself. As a Doctor your exspected to take care of your body as you wish your patients would take care of thiers. So People are just human and so will weight bigits and some will not. So I am trying to shed all the bodyfat before the interview process begins. Just my humble Opinion for Big Body side.
🙂
 
PreMedJason said:
I am 6'6" an weigh in @ 349 pounds I am down from Get this 469 pounds.
I honeststy I hope my weight would not be used against me but How would every be able to tell someone to lose weight for there health when I am morbidly obese according to bmi charts . So Yes People first response mentally would be "wow his or she is really over weight" in the interview process. But that where yo have to shine with your personality and confidence in yourself. As a Doctor your exspected to take care of your body as you wish your patients would take care of thiers. So People are just human and so will weight bigits and some will not. So I am trying to shed all the bodyfat before the interview process begins. Just my humble Opinion for Big Body side.
🙂

As a current third-year medical student (who interviews applicants), I can tell you that...well, most interviewers look much less favorably on the fat applicants--however nice they might be. Physicians take care of people (most of the time), and so the public expects physicians to, at least, take care of themselves.

What kind of example does a fat doctor set?

(and don't start talking to me about leptin and the genetics of obesity...I've heard it all from experts in the field...the fact remains, calories in < calories burned = storage)
 
MS3NavyFS2B said:
As a current third-year medical student (who interviews applicants), I can tell you that...well, most interviewers look much less favorably on the fat applicants--however nice they might be. Physicians take care of people (most of the time), and so the public expects physicians to, at least, take care of themselves.

What kind of example does a fat doctor set?

(and don't start talking to me about leptin and the genetics of obesity...I've heard it all from experts in the field...the fact remains, calories in < calories burned = storage)

do you think adcoms have similar views about smokers?
 
beep said:
do you think adcoms have similar views about smokers?

People still do that? It probably still has a worse stigma than obesity, but the latter is surely catching up.

FYI: "adcoms" add up the numbers and take into account legacy and other socio-political factors (generally). You make your mark with the interviewer.
 
Amywa said:
Yes, all fat people are lazy and unmotivated.
GROW UP

My profile: fat and 100% acceptance rate after interview from all replying schools to date.
Way to totally miss the boat. There are elements of laziness and poor motivation in your lifestyle if you are quite overweight, but nowhere did the OP generalize that to be everyone all the time. 🙄

Congratulations on your acceptance, but it was probably despite of, not because of your size.
 
irie said:
Being athletically inclined in any way makes people think you are stupid by default. It is a travesty and a bit of a sham.
Stupid weightlifters on roids with no lives who are narcissistic and conceited. 🙄

I hate stereotypes like that.
 
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