Politics in student groups?

[gocelts]

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OK I am kinda pissed. I submitted a really awesome application to lead an interest group at my school. I had done research in the field of the interest group before medical school, I was active at events related to this interest group all year, and I submitted a kickass application about my ideas to improve the group next year. A few days later I got a three sentence email from the current chair of the group that they chose some other people to lead the group next year. Whatever. I found who the people selected were earlier this week, and they are all undergrad friends of the current chair... there are pictures on their facebooks of them hanging out at restaurants, etc going back 2-3 years ago. What really pisses me off is that the people who were selected were not at ANY of the interest group events during the course of the year. I have no proof of this, but I generally noticed the few people who were at multiple events.

This was obviously collusion by the current chairs. I am really pissed. I took a few days to chill and forget it, but I'm still pissed. Is there anything I should do about this? Should I anonymously email a dean or someone else in my school calling out the current chair-person for selecting her buddies instead of people actually interested in the group?

 

[Jabbed]

This is real life.

Decades in school shelters you from this reality to some degree, but unfortunately there's not a whole lot that you can do. If you're super motivated to do something consider contacting your ombudsman.

 

[TwinsFan]

+1
This same way is how some of your classmates probably got a seat in med school, they knew somebody. Sorry, its not comforting, but this is how the real world works. Use this to grow a thicker skin and it may help come the clinical years. Brush it off and move on to something else.

 

[Pacna]

First of all, it's a student group, not POTUS. I agree it's ****ty.

Also, consider that they didn't like you, and consider the reasons that they didn't like you were legitimate ones. I'm not suggesting that I get the impression this is likely, but it's always good to have some introspection/self-reflection.

 

[Psai]

This is how it is. A lot is about who you know

 

[Serous Demilune]

This is how it is. A lot is about who you know

The nurse's boobs in your avatar are mesmerizing.

 

[Psai]

I have developed maturity and am searching for a woman with personality rather than focusing on transient outer beauty. I have spent a significant portion of time with the geriatric population and am acutely aware of the issues that may arise from being endowed during youth

 

[beachside]

Politics is life, man. Unfortunately you'll have to get used to it; you'll see the same thing throughout your career. There's a reason why so many businessmen learn to play golf, and it isn't because they enjoy it.

 

[operaman]

After doing umpteen residency interviews in the past couple of months, do you want to hazard a guess as to how many times my IG leadership came up?

Hm?
....
Bueller?
...
Bueller?

Exactly. It's pretty hard to overstate how completely unimportant this is. Use your additional free time to get a solid publication and you'll be light-years ahead of the others.

 

[beachside]

After doing umpteen residency interviews in the past couple of months, do you want to hazard a guess as to how many times my IG leadership came up?

Hm?
....
Bueller?
...
Bueller?

Exactly. It's pretty hard to overstate how completely unimportant this is. Use your additional free time to get a solid publication and you'll be light-years ahead of the others.

Hey, on that note, do you think being class president is helpful? I've been considering it.

 

[BurghStudent]

That's life. But you know what, because of who you are, and your actual passion for this specialty, you will shine brighter than them anyhow. People have a way of making their true selves apparent. With or without this title, you are more likely the applicant that will stand out because of your sincerity.

 

[Frazier]

OK I am kinda pissed. I submitted a really awesome application to lead an interest group at my school. I had done research in the field of the interest group before medical school, I was active at events related to this interest group all year, and I submitted a kickass application about my ideas to improve the group next year. A few days later I got a three sentence email from the current chair of the group that they chose some other people to lead the group next year. Whatever. I found who the people selected were earlier this week, and they are all undergrad friends of the current chair... there are pictures on their facebooks of them hanging out at restaurants, etc going back 2-3 years ago. What really pisses me off is that the people who were selected were not at ANY of the interest group events during the course of the year. I have no proof of this, but I generally noticed the few people who were at multiple events.

This was obviously collusion by the current chairs. I am really pissed. I took a few days to chill and forget it, but I'm still pissed. Is there anything I should do about this? Should I anonymously email a dean or someone else in my school calling out the current chair-person for selecting her buddies instead of people actually interested in the group?

This is a great and intimate introduction for you to nepotism. While it sucks at the moment [since you were really aiming for the interest group position], it did you a great benefit of allowing you to experience these politics, the frustrations, the let-down -- all firsthand.

They will continue throughout life.

You might know someone that gets into their choice residency -- from nepotism.
You might know someone that gets that sweet attending job you wanted -- from nepotism.
You might end up losing the Sunday Bingo organizer position when you're old and gray, to some other gray -- from nepotism.

I would not recommend "anonymously email a dean or someone else in my school calling out the current chair-person for selecting her buddies". You would likely get some more experiences from doing this, but the costs would outweigh the benefits.

You'll grow from the experience, overall, as-is.

 

[operaman]

Hey, on that note, do you think being class president is helpful? I've been considering it.

Probably wouldn't hurt. Truthfully, anything CV-worthy is good, but most of it sort of fades into the milieu of the application.

While I have no inside knowledge, I would suspect that higher level leadership positions would garner more notice than things like interest groups. Class president/Student body president, national level leadership, journal editorial board, etc. would probably get brought up in interviews, but not as often as pubs. I probably got asked about my pubs in close to 90% of my interviews. LORs are probably next in line of what gets brought up. No mention of grades/boards, but obviously these were massively important in the pre-interview process.

Letters, grades, boards, pubs. The rest is window dressing.

 

[operaman]

OP - for the love of all things holy, don't email a dean or anyone else in administration about this. You will be the only one who looks bad. Yes, it sucks. No, it's not fair.

The best thing you can do is let it go, work on something important, and move on.

The second best thing would be to start a group of your own. I've done this and had friends do it too, though we did it because what we wanted didn't exist.

 

[WingedOx]

Hey, on that note, do you think being class president is helpful? I've been considering it.

I interviewed a class president this year. Guy came across as a slick politician type, and I could see how he could schmooze for votes quite effectively... it was honestly pretty off-putting and didn't really make up for the other issues in his app.

 

[touchpause13]

I ran for class president, really glad I didn't get it, too much work and I didn't care that much about it.

OP welcome to how people work. A lot of life is about who you know, not what you know.

 

[jdh71]

I ran for class president, really glad I didn't get it, too much work and I didn't care that much about it.

OP welcome to how people work. A lot of life is about who you know, not what you know.

Of note. I also help out people who provide me with sexual favors.

 

[GunnerBMS]

Almost everyone becomes successful through their connections. Sucks that you got shafted, but thats just the way it is. Some things will never change.

 

[cbrons]

Interest groups are of 0% importance

 

[NickNaylor]

It was interesting for me to see the same small number of people serving on the same groups that work closely with the administration on school-related stuff. You bet your butt politics matters, but as others said, that's just the way the world works.

 

[deleted480308]

learn the game, play the game

 

[seminoma]

OK I am kinda pissed. I submitted a really awesome application to lead an interest group at my school. I had done research in the field of the interest group before medical school, I was active at events related to this interest group all year, and I submitted a kickass application about my ideas to improve the group next year. A few days later I got a three sentence email from the current chair of the group that they chose some other people to lead the group next year. Whatever. I found who the people selected were earlier this week, and they are all undergrad friends of the current chair... there are pictures on their facebooks of them hanging out at restaurants, etc going back 2-3 years ago. What really pisses me off is that the people who were selected were not at ANY of the interest group events during the course of the year. I have no proof of this, but I generally noticed the few people who were at multiple events.

This was obviously collusion by the current chairs. I am really pissed. I took a few days to chill and forget it, but I'm still pissed. Is there anything I should do about this? Should I anonymously email a dean or someone else in my school calling out the current chair-person for selecting her buddies instead of people actually interested in the group?

This is real life, but fwiw you are better off not being responsible for the interest group. I'm president/chair/leader of multiple interest groups and I wish I wasn't. Even though it's a good experience and has helped me improve my leadership skills, among other things, it's a huge HUGE time sink.

One of my classmates leads a group that works very closely with one of our Deans. This student has gotten in trouble for professionalism stuff multiple times (swearing at professors, making vulgar hand gestures at classmates/faculty, moving other students' books so this student could use the study area, etc), but always gets out of it somehow. Just speculation, but it would seem that the Dean has been protecting this student.

 

[Shjanzey]

Same thing happened to me. I was disappointed, but in the end I just decided to choose other groups to work with. Since I don't agree with where that group is going I don't have to participate either. Shame, it was a good one.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Sorry to hear that, it's unfortunate politics played into it, but on the bright side working with folks like that may have brought you more frustration down the road.