Secondaries that ask about Alumni....

[jsr52]

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How much does it help if you have alumni, or family members that are on the faculty at a medical school when the secondaries ask for this?


Its kind of disheartening filling out these secondaries and you almost with you were related to an alum.

 

[gopher22]

I second that. I'm hoping medical schools place less value on legacy than, say, business or law schools do.

 

[LizzyM]

In some cases it will tip the balance and get the applicant an interview that s/he wouldn't otherwise get. But those interviews are often a courtesy and getting an offer of admission is another story.

Having ties to the area and knowing something about the school are often a big plus (we want to interview applicants who are likely to choose us if we choose them), and legacies and faculty-kids often have thoes ties and knowledge.

 

[cavalier329]

if you had a cousin who was a former chair/alumni, will it help get you an interview?

or does it need to be a parent/sibling?

This is directed for any school that does place some legacy weight.

 

[JackInTheBox]

It can't be that important because I have a friend whose dad is faculty at an Ivy League med school with friends on the admissions committee, and he didn't get accepted there.

 

[jsr52]

Ivy League is a different story though. If he was similar to their avg. applicants then it would probably have helped somewhat.

 

[physic]

Children of Alumni or faculty - it depends where you apply. At some places you are more likely to be granted an interview (SUNY Downstate) because your grandfather graduated from that school in 1943.

That being said, in general is does not help regarding the acceptance. It is sometimes more difficult to get accepted as an Alumni or Faculty offspring. Compared to the student whose parents did not attend college, an alum or faculty offspring has likely had all of the advantages throughout ones life.

There is no advantage to sisters or brothers of current or former medical students. Law school, Business School, Culinary School relatives etc don't factor in...

Medical School admission committees are in general wary of nepotism.