parents at interview??

[CTtarheel]

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There was a girl who brought her mom with her to one of the interviews i went to. The admissions people were really nice, even getting a meal ticket for her mother, but I still think it looks REALLY bad, and makes you look really imature.

 

[musiclink213]

For heaven's sake do not let your parent's near that campus for interview day. Assuming that you get accepted, you will very soon be dealing with the very adult and serious responsibilities of medicine. If you can't handle traveling to a simple interview by yourself, just think about the leap you will be making in a few years when you are taking peoples lives into your hands. While there is nothing wrong with traveling with family per se, you may feel better about yourself for doing it alone. You need to focus. Take them for a visit at a later time.

I don't think the problem is if they travel with you for the interview. My parents drove up with me to Tufts, and my dad will be flying down with me to Florida in a couple weeks. And it's not because I'm not mature enough. I've studied abroad on my own, went to Israel without my parents, traveled throughout Europe on my own, so I can handle getting myself to an interview on my own.

I see no problem if your parents with you, as long as they don't actually enter the campus. My dad dropped me off the morning of my interview, so I didn't have to worry about train delays or anything like htat. Him and my mom took a walk around the city, did some shopping, and looked through one of those realtor books to see how much rent was Then, end of the day, they picked me up.

For Florida, since Im under 25, I can't rent a car without essentially paying the same amount as an extra plane ticket, so my dad said he would fly down with me, and then we're staying on the beach for a few extra days, make a mini vacation. Fly down on a Wednesday, stay with my great aunt for a night, go to hte interview on Thursday, and then go to a hotel on the beach until Saturday. My job lets me make my own schedule, and my dad is self employed, and really, there is no point in flying back Thursday night after the interview anyway, because he would still be too tired for work on Friday, and if we stay Friday, might as well stay Saturday too because the plane ticket costs the same. There are some perks when it comes to going to interviews with your parents. I just wouldn't actually bring them on the campus.

 

[ClockworkDoc]

Grow up! this would show a lack of maturity and independence.

 

[BucsFan813]

If the medical school requires your parents financial information to receive institutional aid, would you mom/dad have a legal right to attend the interview etc...

 

[evade]

It's time to be a big kid; leave mommy and daddy and your teddy bear at home. Seriously, interviewing is a time to be an adult. It's a time to figure things out for yourself in the big, wide world. This applies not only to the actual interviews, but also to scheduling them and getting there. I was scared when I started traveling for interviews. It was expensive, it was complicated, and it was daunting. But I did it all on my own, and I'm proud of that. It helped me prove to myself that I'm a capable, confident adult.

Seriously, don't even think about bringing your parents. It's like standing up and announcing that you can't function on your own, and if you can't function on your own when you're applying to medical school, when will you be able to?

 

[Erina]

i would never bring my parents on the actual interview or tour, but (i posted this earlier in this thread i think) they've made the trips with me. it's worked out really well so far with my mom going with me on one, my dad going on two, and both going on another one. with them driving, it gives me a chance to get a lot of work done (ok, some work and some sleeping) in the car--which has been absolutely necessary. also, i really value their opinions and they go and check out the town while im interviewing. i feel really lucky that my parents are able to travel with me.

 

[booswim542]

It's time to be a big kid; leave mommy and daddy and your teddy bear at home.

I brought my teddy bear....but I left my parents at home....

 

[Law2Doc]

If the medical school requires your parents financial information to receive institutional aid, would you mom/dad have a legal right to attend the interview etc...

It's not about legal rights. No school would bar them from coming in. It just looks really really bad. Maturity is one of the factors routinely considered in the interview, and mature people don't show up to the interview with family support in tow.

 

[thedelicatessen]

I agree that having your parents at the actual interview makes you look like you can't handle issues by yourself. On a side note, at a recent interview, I saw a guy at the interview with his girlfriend. I don't think that's cool either.

 

[leahmaria]

my mom traveled with me to a recent interview, and though she didn't come to the medical school with me, my interviewer asked who i traveled with and then isuggested that my mom come for the tour and the lunch. she didn't end up coming, but the interviewer didn't seem to think it was a big deal

 

[aharris30]

I don't see a problem with a parent traveling to the interview with you. Like stated before some states you have to be a certain age to rent a car if you plan to stay down there awhile. But, as far as taking a tour of the school on the interview day and etc. i think the parents should not be with you. Basically they are still needed for financial reasons. No matter how grown up you are even when you are in med school with no job and in so much debt you can't swim out of it you will still need help. So whats the big deal if they want to travel to Florida or where ever to spend THEIR money on a nice hotel and sightseeing? As long as you stand on your own at interview time you should be fine.

 

[Rafa]

I agree that having your parents at the actual interview makes you look like you can't handle issues by yourself. On a side note, at a recent interview, I saw a guy at the interview with his girlfriend. I don't think that's cool either.

Hey...she could have been his wife.