qualities that make successful applicants...

[realfriend]

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The admissions process is very tough in that it will screen out nearly all applicants who are not "suited" to be doctors and lets on the best candidates in--those that will succeed in med school and those that will be great doctors. So far in my life, I have not had one good experience with doctors. I have had multiple doctors, switched insurance companies on various occassions and what not. Why are these doctors not "good doctors"? They rush patients, they are sometimes rude, they don't seem to be able to emphasize with their patients. These doctors are not just the older ones--implying that maybe things in the past are different from what they are now, but some of them were fairly young. Why such a rigorous process not be able to screen these people out? Better yet, were they able to fool the admissions committee?

 

[lazgirl24]

i am wondering why, too....

 

[soonerpillow]

People change. They start out "good" doctors, then they get too busy, tired, jaded, calloused, distant, cold, etc.

So whenever they were admitted to med school, they might have been great applicants, but they were changed my med school and residency.

Or I bet it's possible, if you're good, to fool the adcoms.

 

[lisa13579]

I agree with soonerpillow even though it's depressing. I have a friend who's in their first year of residency and they can already feel themselves changing. It's seems necessary to survive residency (although they are in surgery).

 

[....]

I have done a lot of meaningful volunteering with kids and its so freaking cool. The relationships are great. But would i trade that for competency?
Im not saying you cant be competent and be a great guy and have great bedside manner. But I think that its important to face the reality that professional competency comes first and bedside manner second. Cut the right nerve NOW, worry about talking to the patients family later.

If adcoms had an abundance of briliant people with grea attidudes they would pick them. But they dont. And given the choice between a guy whos social skills are somwhat lacking but has a 3.6 33 and a guy with a 3.1 24 who is a helluva nice guy. They will chose the 3.6 everytime, and they should.

Again, its always neccesary to gaurd my claims with statments that deny that i belive intelegnce and good charachter are mutaly exclusive yadda yadda yadda.

 

[umass rower]

Also keep in mind that the interview is only one part of the application process, and the only one that can test personality and social skills to any extent. For the most qualified applicants, the interview may be just a formality; unless the applicant shows a complete inability to function socially, they're in.

I do know that the problem you bring up is pervasive in the medical profession. A lot of schools are now beginning to instruct med students on proper bedside manner, but it's hard to exercise this when health plans make doctors spend as little time with the patients as possible. One of the many complications in the medical profession....