pictures and profiling...

[noonday]

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all these schools want pictures...does anyone know if there's weight discrimination in the system at all?

i'm not huge, but i'm not thin, and i'm worried it'll be consciously or unconsciously a negative factor.

 

[p00psicleSTICK]

I guess fat people are pretty self-conscious... ^^;

Come on dude they don't look at it to see if you're fat. Don't worry about it. I sent the most ridiculous looking picture of myself over EMAIL to this guy in Case Western because I was too lazy to go take a passport pic and he said it was fine.

It's more to check your race/ethnicity so that some white kid won't mark native american and get invited over for an interview but turn out to be... WHITE.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

they generally say they want pics so they'll recognize you when you show up at the interview. if pictures cause some subconscioius descrimination, i don't know. as a rule, i didn't sent pictures unless it was absolutely required because getting a decent passport photo is such a pain.

 

[BaylorGuy]

they generally say they want pics so they'll recognize you when you show up at the interview. if pictures cause some subconscioius descrimination, i don't know. as a rule, i didn't sent pictures unless it was absolutely required because getting a decent passport photo is such a pain.

I think decent passport photo is an oxymoron. I had to get one for one of my schools (they didn't want anything else)....i look like a serial killer.

Besides...unless someone has really big cheeks, i dont know how you can be discriminated against if you are only showing them a picture of your shoulders and up. Unless they want a full body (then its just creepy)

 

[deuist]

I sent the most ridiculous looking picture of myself over EMAIL to this guy in Case Western because I was too lazy to go take a passport pic and he said it was fine.

Be careful. The director of admissions at the University of Miami spends some time during orientation showing goofy pictures from past applicants. Some of the pictures were hilarious.

 

[p00psicleSTICK]

Be careful. The director of admissions at the University of Miami spends some time during orientation showing goofy pictures from past applicants. Some of the pictures were hilarious.

It was my school ID picture. Nothing CRAZY per say... was just exaggerating. Thanks for the heads up tho. ^^;

 

[DropkickMurphy]

I guess fat people are pretty self-conscious... ^^;

Come on dude they don't look at it to see if you're fat. Don't worry about it. I sent the most ridiculous looking picture of myself over EMAIL to this guy in Case Western because I was too lazy to go take a passport pic and he said it was fine.

It's more to check your race/ethnicity so that some white kid won't mark native american and get invited over for an interview but turn out to be... WHITE.

I'm as pale as an anemic corpse, but I have Cherokee in me (and maintain tribal affiliations). Uh-oh 😉

 

[p00psicleSTICK]

I'm as pale as an anemic corpse, but I have Cherokee in me (and maintain tribal affiliations).

I heard that if you maintain tribal affiliations you can be considered as native american... is that right? I live in the south and quite a few # of peeps have cherokee blood including my buddy. But I think he said he didn't mark native american in his AMCAS application because he doesn't have a tribal affiliation.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Yes, technically you have to maintain affiliations to the particular nation to be considered a member and therefore a minority (especially if you have to be of the blue-eyed, blond-haired, white honky devil appearance as I am), and it takes a certain level of closeness to the nation in question (in my case I'm 1/8 Cherokee or something like that) to be granted affiliation.

The specifics vary from nation to nation, and I am not even certain what the mandates for the Cherokee Nation are as my father handled all of the interactions regarding our status.

 

[deuist]

Getting tribal affiliation can be a real headache, especially if your family left the reservation before the nation began keeping records. The good news is the AMCAS is a racial self-description. You do not need to prove that you are a member of a particular tribe. I.e., you won't have to produce a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, although you might get asked about your ethnicity during an interview. By the way 1/16 is the federal standard for being a Native American.

 

[BSEMD]

PM me for specifics, but I can personally attest to at least one school that did not care one bit about excess weight. The interviews went well, and I made sure to buy a suit that fit, instead of just wearing the one I've always had that "almost" fits (tip: if the interviewer thinks that your jacket button might fly off and lodge in their forehead, it will probably reflect negatively on you). Other aspects of my applicant file were also above average, in retrospect.

The converse could also apply to what I said...a bright, athletic young person who interviews like a ****** in a washing machine on spin cycle probably won't get in.

SO, to wrap up, don't be either:
1. fat and stupid
2. thin and stupid

 

[RubberDuckie7]

Well I know one school said that they need a photograph because when you are accepted, they will compare your present photograph with the one from you MCAT, to make sure it's the same person. Makes sense.

Well, I think as long as you are not grossly obese.... Schools have these "technical standards", if you can pass those you should be fine.

 

[diosa428]

I think most schools want a picture so that when they review your file in the committee, your interviewer can remember who you were.

 

[dr.z]

getting a decent passport photo is such a pain.

I could never get one. I tried so hard, but I sent it in if they required it.

 

[dbhvt]

Unfortunately, how you look will always have some sort of positive or negative impact on people, but I think this plays out more in an interviewers initial reaction than in the photos.

 

[MoosePilot]

Yes, technically you have to maintain affiliations to the particular nation to be considered a member and therefore a minority (especially if you have to be of the blue-eyed, blond-haired, white honky devil appearance as I am), and it takes a certain level of closeness to the nation in question (in my case I'm 1/8 Cherokee or something like that) to be granted affiliation.

The specifics vary from nation to nation, and I am not even certain what the mandates for the Cherokee Nation are as my father handled all of the interactions regarding our status.

Nope. AMCAS is totally self reporting. I have a significant amount of Native American descent based on birth certificate evidence, but not based on tribal rolls.

 

[UCLA2000]

It's more to check your race/ethnicity so that some white kid won't mark native american and get invited over for an interview but turn out to be... WHITE.

That's not true. Some latinos are white as snow. It really helps out the interviewer especially if they are conducting multiple interviews per day prior to filling out the eval forms. It's easier to connect a face with a memory of an interview than to do it on name alone.

 

[njbmd]

all these schools want pictures...does anyone know if there's weight discrimination in the system at all?

i'm not huge, but i'm not thin, and i'm worried it'll be consciously or unconsciously a negative factor.

Hi there,
One of the biggest mistakes that many applicants make is sending in a less than ideal photo. Spend a bit of money and go have some portraits professionally done. Then make these passport-sized and use them for your applications. Once you get a good one, make 30 or 40 copies and use them for everything from your secondary applications to residency application.

Dress very professionally and allow the photographer to shoot you with multiple lenses. Look at the proofs and pick the photo that makes you look the best. A good photographer with a good airbrush can get rid of loads of defects and good lighting can hide many blemishes.

Even if you look like "the Incredible Hulk", if your photo is professionally done, you make some points since many people try to take the cheap way out on this. I have yet to understand why anyone would invest thousands in tuition, test-taking fees and application fees only to send in a cheap-looking amateur photo with their applications.

Even Pamela Anderson has been airbrushed. 😉

njbmd 🙂

 

[Pewl]

Hey, I know some med students who are ugly as sin. So, I'm sure the profile picture isn't a big deal on the application. =P

 

[robotsonic]

I partly second what njbmd said. Although I don't think you need to go as far as airbrushed photos done from a professional photo shoot, I do think it is important to act professional - which includes everything from checking your application for spelling mistakes to sending in a decent photo of yourself in professional attire.

They aren't using the photo to discriminate (although sub-conscious discrimination can always occur). They are mostly using them so that they can remember you when it is time to decide on acceptances. Having a quality photo of the professional-looking applicant is a bonus.

This is what I did for my residency application photos: I put on a nice (business attire) shirt, fixed my hair and makeup, and went to a photo-printing store that had a nice professional set-up for passport photos. They looked great and took about five minutes to get. Don't go to your local drugstore that does passport photos from a crappy camera - the photos always look like ****. Find a place like the one I went to - all they do is print photos for people, and their set-up for passport photos looked professional. If you don't like the photo then have them retake it - it's all done with digital cameras so it is easy for them to just take another photo.

If you have the time and money, then go for the professional photo shoot and airbrushing. If not, just go get (professional, quality) passport photos.

 

[odrade1]

I think most schools want a picture so that when they review your file in the committee, your interviewer can remember who you were.

Yes, it is much easier to remember which applicant is which when reading dozens of applications if you have a picture attached.
My school had us send in a picture, then when we were interviewed, the school took pictures of us in our suits. This was to help everyone remember who was who, as they discussed the applicants in committee.

They don't need a picture of you to discriminate; they will see you during the interview. Anyone who hates whatever you are or has tendencies toward subconscious discrimination will be able to discriminate once they see you on interview day.

Even without pictures, people intent on discriminating can find out enough information to bias their decisions about you (or whoever). In 2002 there was this great study showing that American companies discriminate against people with "African-american sounding" names. They sent out 1000s of resumes that were otherwise identical, except that the names had been changed. One set of names was chosen from the top 30 names selected by Black mothers for their babies, the other set was chosen from the top 30 names selected by White mothers for their babies. Guess which group (of identical resumes) got more and better interview offers?

 

[riceman04]

I think decent passport photo is an oxymoron. I had to get one for one of my schools (they didn't want anything else)....i look like a serial killer.

Besides...unless someone has really big cheeks, i dont know how you can be discriminated against if you are only showing them a picture of your shoulders and up. Unless they want a full body (then its just creepy)

Tru dat!!

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

wow! real passport photos? fancy! hehe.I went into one of those photo booth kiosks at the mall..... four color pic's for 3 bucks. works really nicely. of course you may look like a crazy person in a few of them, especially if the light snaps while you're looking around for where to smile and the picture looks up your nose... then again, my earrings looked good in that pic.