QUOTED: Is Egg Donation a problem?

[NotAProgDirector]

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Hello, I am registered as an egg donor with Columbia and Cornell. I also plan to apply to medical school. In the egg donation process one encounters lots of doctors. Do you think I would cross paths with any of these individuals in a professional capacity if I attend medical school in the NYC area?

I ask because the woman who interviewed me today at Columbia's egg donor program was surprised I wanted to go to medical school. Thanks for your advice and I apologize if this question is excessive.

I see absolutely no connection between being an egg donor and being a physician. Some may see it as a very altruistic way to help others. Others may see it as "Eggs for cash". Regardless, I don't see it being a strong positive nor negative in an application -- in fact it never needs to come up, unless you decide to write a personal statement about your experiences.

Perhaps I am wrong, we will see what others say.

 

[Apollyon]

I interpreted that much more as physically encountering whomever does the harvesting while on rotations.

They should be professional (at risk of losing their jobs and being sanctioned), so it shouldn't be an issue. If you only do 6 or 8 weeks as a med student, it's done and done. If you decide to do women's health, and spend 4 years at that very same facility, that could be "intriguing", in a not exactly positive way. I believe that that could easily be avoided, as there are many choices for Ob/Gyn, even in the NYC area. In other words, you'd have to actually try to encounter these people to see them more than once while you're a student.

If you're at Mt. Sinai/NYU or SUNY-Brooklyn or Einstein, it is much less likely you'll see anyone you know. There is very little cross-talk between them, especially where a med student would be, where reproductive medicine attendings are meeting.

 

[Doodledog]

There is ALWAYS the possibility in medicine of crossing paths with a physician who treated you and is now your professor, colleague, student (!), etc. Certainly more common if you work professionally close to where you were raised, but it can always be a possibility.

Mostly this is not an issue. Only an issue if the medical care was of a "sensitive nature", especially related to reproductive or psychological issues.

The person who was your physician or otherwise involved in your medical care is obligated to handle this "professionally" and preserve your privacy, etc. I have never heard of this becoming an issue for a medical student, but it could happen, although I think this is extremely unlikely. In that circumstance you would handle it like you would any situation in which someone behaved inappropriately towards you in your training.

On the whole, it should not be a major concern.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Question for the OP:

Don't ask me how but for some reason I came across your posting re: egg donor. My husband is actually a Physician, recently finished his residency in PM&R and I often read these boards as I am a big helper to him in his career. Anyway, we actually have contemplated doing the egg donor process. I have one miracle daughter (6 yr old) and none since. I have Premature Ovarian Failure, unfortunately.

Its nice you are willing to donate your eggs. Are you doing this primarily for financial reasons? Did you sign up with an egg donor bank? You mentioned that someone already interviewed you for egg donation. How'd that go?