So your dad is a doctor... big deal

[Dr_Dan_the_man]

ok so I've noticed that many schools are very interested in your family, and more specifically if any parents or grandparents are doctors...

I just want to know what you all think they need this information for? If my dad was a doctor, what difference does that make for me? Is it a plus when applying to med school?

Or is it the other way around... like if my dad is a doc then I am probably being pressured to go into med and now I have to justify my choice even more....

I was in an interview recently (my parents are not doctors by the way) and he asked all about my family, kept prying until I said "nope, no doctors at all in my family".... he looked and me and said "well then, I guess you made this choice all on your own".... Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing...

but anyway the real question is this: Why are we judged by our family?

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[GoldShadow]

I believe it's because a family member in medicine can give you an insider's perspective on medicine, allowing you to make a more informed decision.

On the flip side, there's the possibility of being pressured into it by a family member. Or there's the flip side of that; being pressured to stay out of medicine.

 

[scowdeva]

Yeah I don't understand the 'what do your parents do' question either. They may as well just put it on the primary if they are so interested in it. Because I have NO health professionals at all in my family, not even a physical therapist or nurse or ANYTHING, I of course assume that answering that hurts me. Eh, who knows, maybe it helps. They have to ask for some reason, though. I would be curious as to what LizzyM would have to add to this conversation.

LizzyM, are you out there??

 

[87138]

Yeah I don't understand the 'what do your parents do' question either. They may as well just put it on the primary if they are so interested in it. Because I have NO health professionals at all in my family, not even a physical therapist or nurse or ANYTHING, I of course assume that answering that hurts me. Eh, who knows, maybe it helps. They have to ask for some reason, though. I would be curious as to what LizzyM would have to add to this conversation.

LizzyM, are you out there??

I don't have any health-related people in my family at all, and I have no problem whatsoever with that. In fact, I enjoy being able to tell interviewers that no one in my family is in healthcare. Usually the reaction is something like "wow, this whole process must be exciting for you/them."

I'm very proud of my modest upbringing, but I guess I'm one of those weird blue-collar types that don't frequent this board all too often.

 

[paradocs we are]

Yeah I don't understand the 'what do your parents do' question either. They may as well just put it on the primary if they are so interested in it. Because I have NO health professionals at all in my family, not even a physical therapist or nurse or ANYTHING, I of course assume that answering that hurts me. Eh, who knows, maybe it helps. They have to ask for some reason, though. I would be curious as to what LizzyM would have to add to this conversation.

LizzyM, are you out there??

I remember that AMCAS asked me for the highest degree my parents attained, and they have "M.D." as one of their options. So technically, all schools should have that information already, right?

 

[Animus]

I believe it's because a family member in medicine can give you an insider's perspective on medicine, allowing you to make a more informed decision.

On the flip side, there's the possibility of being pressured into it by a family member. Or there's the flip side of that; being pressured to stay out of medicine.

I too believe this is the reason. Choosing to become a Physician is a long and difficult path that requires more work and dedication than maybe any other career choice. If you have parents that are docs you will understand the lifestyle and work ethic necessary to succeed in this field.

As for the flip side Gold mentioned, I think it is less common than public perception. If anything I often hear physician parents saying do not go into medicine as it is hell and is only getting worse with paperwork and litigation.

 

[scowdeva]

I remember that AMCAS asked me for the highest degree my parents attained, and they have "M.D." as one of their options. So technically, all schools should have that information already, right?

Oh, yeah I forgot about that! Hmm, yeah so I guess they already do have that info....

Also, I'm in no way ashamed of my VERY blue collar upbringing. It is just kind of hard to make an MD/PhD, who admits that their background is all very educated, understand my upbringing and where I'm from. Sometimes I feel like it falls on deaf ears.

 

[scowdeva]

I too believe this is the reason. Choosing to become a Physician is a long and difficult path that requires more work and dedication than maybe any other career choice. If you have parents that are docs you will understand the lifestyle and work ethic necessary to succeed in this field.

As for the flip side Gold mentioned, I think it is less common than public perception. If anything I often hear physician parents saying do not go into medicine as it is hell and is only getting worse with paperwork and litigation.

So, are you guys thinking that adcoms believe that because a parent is a doctor that it makes you more informed than someone who doesnt intimately know any doctors??

 

[87138]

Oh, yeah I forgot about that! Hmm, yeah so I guess they already do have that info....

Also, I'm in no way ashamed of my VERY blue collar upbringing. It is just kind of hard to make an MD/PhD, who admits that their background is all very educated, understand my upbringing and where I'm from. Sometimes I feel like it falls on deaf ears.

Fair enough. I guess it really depends on your experiences and interactions with others regarding this issue. I admit, I've always viewed myself as the "underdog", the guy competing against a bunch of upper-class kids with a silver spoon in their mouth. I've grown more mature and try not to have this "me against the world" view of things, but there's still something to be said of being proud of a very modest upbringing.

At several of my interviews, the issue of my humble background has surfaced in one way or another, and has not seemed to be a negative thing at all. I've had PhDs and MDs appear genuinely interested in what I have to say about it, and one even told me "I like to meet people like you, you seem very grounded in reality. I come from what you would consider an 'upper class' family, and it's very interesting to see people from all different types of backgrounds arrive at the same destination."

 

[Auron]

So, are you guys thinking that adcoms believe that because a parent is a doctor that it makes you more informed than someone who doesnt intimately know any doctors??

Yes. I'm also preety sure that if any adcom knows your parents are doctors, they automatically assume thats the reason you want to be one too. It's a disadvantage as you now have to fight and convince the adcom that parents are not the reason you're pursuing medicine. And no matter what you say, they probably won't REALLY believe you. Just play off the fact that you have somewhat of an "insiders" view on the profession, and despite what you've seen, heard - you know its for you.

 

[Animus]

So, are you guys thinking that adcoms believe that because a parent is a doctor that it makes you more informed than someone who doesnt intimately know any doctors??

Basically an adcoms responsibility, apart from picking the best fit for their school, is to make sure that the person is not going to drop out. There is probably no better predictor of that than if you have family that have been through it, and can support you during the struggle.

 

[87138]

So, are you guys thinking that adcoms believe that because a parent is a doctor that it makes you more informed than someone who doesnt intimately know any doctors??

I'd say it probably varies from interviewer to interviewer. Some may ask with the preconceived notion that children of doctors are usually more well-informed as to their choice to pursue medicine, while others may operate primarily on the idea that children of doctors march mindlessly to the profession without testing their interest/dedication to the field.

The best advice is to try and decipher where on this continuum your interviewer resides. It might be tough, but you can sometimes get an idea just from the way they ask the question, or the conversation preceding it.

 

[Vihsadas]

ok so I've noticed that many schools are very interested in your family, and more specifically if any parents or grandparents are doctors...

I just want to know what you all think they need this information for? If my dad was a doctor, what difference does that make for me? Is it a plus when applying to med school?

Or is it the other way around... like if my dad is a doc then I am probably being pressured to go into med and now I have to justify my choice even more....

I was in an interview recently (my parents are not doctors by the way) and he asked all about my family, kept prying until I said "nope, no doctors at all in my family".... he looked and me and said "well then, I guess you made this choice all on your own".... Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing...

but anyway the real question is this: Why are we judged by our family?

Man...you gotta own those questions! If he said that to me, I would have been like, 'Absolutely I did! This was completely my own choice. I was pressured by noone else. And because of that fact, you can be sure that this is what I want to do with my life.'

 

[Crixivan]

Having doctors in one's family could not have been a disadvantage at my school since it would be pretty difficult for me to sit down at a lunch table with six or seven random classmates and not see a first-degree relative of a physician.

AMCAS collects the data to track trends in new physician training.

Some medical schools want to know if applicants come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

I really just think that adcoms are trying to get to know you when they ask that stuff. I'd find it hard to believe that they would question somebody's commitment based on pedigree.

 

[cystapharm]

no one in my family are doctors.

 

[LizUMD]

I think that one major advantage to being the child of a physician is that you grow up with firsthand knowledge regarding the time commitment, stress, etc. that is involved.

I emphasized in an interview that not only was my mother a physician, but when I younger she was a nurse and went back to school herself when I entered school. She was in med school during my 5th-8th grade years and residency while I was in high school, so I had an even more firsthand experience with not just the profession but the process of med school and residency than, say, someone who's parents were established in their careers before they were born.

I think you can swing it either way, as a positive or negative. I chose to highlight that I know very well what it is I am getting into.

And for what its worth, my mom did not support me changing careers to medicine. I think deep down if she could take it back, she would, but that was because she was a little older and had children that she missed out on time with. I don't plan to start a family until I am done with all my education and training. She also says the pay is going down and the administrative headaches are taking the joy out of it.

 

[LizzyM]

I'd find it hard to believe that they would question somebody's commitment based on pedigree.

Sometimes that question comes up, particularly in families where multiple generations have served as physicians or where a parent and several siblings are physicians.

I can recall talking with an applicant who sat looking at his lap during most of the conversation. His dad & 2 brothers were physicians; he was a marine biology major. It was easy to tell that he wanted nothing better than to be denied admission so that he could pursue his interest in marine biology.

Maybe this wasn't judging based on pedigree but body language and family history seemed to point to someone who was being railroaded into medicine.

 

[etf]

Choosing to become a Physician is a long and difficult path that requires more work and dedication than maybe any other career choice.

not really. it is if you're one of those people that consider medicine a "calling" instead of a "job."

 

[ChubbyChaser]

So LizzyM how do you view someone whos parent is a DR. is it a plus or minus, or does it depend?

 

[njbmd]

ok so I've noticed that many schools are very interested in your family, and more specifically if any parents or grandparents are doctors...

I just want to know what you all think they need this information for? If my dad was a doctor, what difference does that make for me? Is it a plus when applying to med school?

Or is it the other way around... like if my dad is a doc then I am probably being pressured to go into med and now I have to justify my choice even more....

I was in an interview recently (my parents are not doctors by the way) and he asked all about my family, kept prying until I said "nope, no doctors at all in my family".... he looked and me and said "well then, I guess you made this choice all on your own".... Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing...

but anyway the real question is this: Why are we judged by our family?

When you are sitting there in the interview, the interviewer is looking for anything that sets you apart from the rest of the folks that have applied to that institution. This "anything" may be your family or your extracurricular activities or your communication abilities. Rather than "prying", I believe that your interviewer was trying to get a handle on you and what type of background you were from. Your interviewer is the one who "sells" you to the rest of the committee that didn't meet you that day.

I seriously doubt if being the son or daughter of a physician is going to sway the committee one way or the other but being able to relate something interesting about your background (with younger people family is background), might work to your advantage. If anything, more is expected of the offspring of physicians than of non-physicians in terms of quality of application.

 

[jad2121]

ok so I've noticed that many schools are very interested in your family, and more specifically if any parents or grandparents are doctors...

I just want to know what you all think they need this information for? If my dad was a doctor, what difference does that make for me? Is it a plus when applying to med school?

Or is it the other way around... like if my dad is a doc then I am probably being pressured to go into med and now I have to justify my choice even more....

I was in an interview recently (my parents are not doctors by the way) and he asked all about my family, kept prying until I said "nope, no doctors at all in my family".... he looked and me and said "well then, I guess you made this choice all on your own".... Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing...

but anyway the real question is this: Why are we judged by our family?

Honestly, I think doctors feel as though they are in a fraternity of medicine. If your father is a doctor, you are by proxy in that fraternity. They like it.

 

[LizzyM]

So LizzyM how do you view someone whos parent is a DR. is it a plus or minus, or does it depend?

I view that applicant like every other applicant. I'm looking for motivation for pursuing a career in medicine and the manner in which that initial interest has been tested and confirmed. If I get a sense that the applicant is not internally motivated and that the interest just was strong enough to make the applicant take the time to obtain some clinical experiences. I don't buy the notion that you know what you are getting into in pursuing this career because you see it at home or that you learned all you needed to know by rounding with Dad on Saturday morning.

 

[175961]

Yes. I'm also preety sure that if any adcom knows your parents are doctors, they automatically assume thats the reason you want to be one too. It's a disadvantage as you now have to fight and convince the adcom that parents are not the reason you're pursuing medicine. And no matter what you say, they probably won't REALLY believe you. Just play off the fact that you have somewhat of an "insiders" view on the profession, and despite what you've seen, heard - you know its for you.

i wouldnt assume that its automatically a disadvantage for you. some people go into the same career as their parents because they saw how much they enjoyed what they did for a living. if i'm interested in medicine and my dad is a doctor and hes part of the reason of why i'm becoming a doctor then who cares. as long as you show youre really interested in medicine and can handle that type of career i dont think it matters what influenced you or what your reasons are for becoming a doctor.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

I wish someone in my family was a doc so I had someone to shadow. I have no idea how I'm gonna do that.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

I wish someone in my family was a doc so I had someone to shadow. I have no idea how I'm gonna do that.

It's not a good idea to shadow a parent or a relative. It looks suspicious (and limits their ability to write your a letter of recommendation.) I'd cold call your local hospitals and ask about opportunities for pre-medical exposure to start off with.

 

[katarina90]

Honestly, I think doctors feel as though they are in a fraternity of medicine. If your father is a doctor, you are by proxy in that fraternity. They like it.

A lot of varied answers here.

My dad was a doctor (passed away when I was younger) and my mom is a nurse. I do think that in some ways, there are advantages to being the child of parents in the medical field. Now that I'm looking into physician shadowing, some of my parents' physician friends are offering to let me shadow them. Besides that, growing up with a library full of medical books at my disposal and having somewhat of a glimpse of the profession.

But then, I've had classmates with no familial ties to the medical profession, who have developed good professional relationships with professors and graduate science students, physicians from volunteering at hospitals, etc. They just have the type of personality that enables them to easily socially network with people who are willing to assist them (as in let them shadow, give letters of recommendation, give advice).

At least in my experience, it seems like many doctors are eager and willing to help, if people are serious and seek it out.

 

[AllAboutUCSF]

It's so the elites can perpetuate and concentrate power in the hands of a few lucky individuals each generation, obviously

 

[CigarTragic]

but anyway the real question is this: Why are we judged by our family?

Sometimes, they are just curious and want to make conversation. You'll probably find nowadays that anyone with the willingness to be a doctor and the stats / personality / life balanace has a fair shot at becoming a doctor, no matter what race / gender / socioeconomic status / age / family ties, and where "connections" matter a little, but not as much.

Medicine is probably one of the few fields where this is the case today.

 

[thegold91]

contrary to what a lot of people have said so far on this thread, I have found it a disadvantage that my father is a doctor when applying to medical school. It seems to make every adcom wonder if my motivation came from my parents making me do it or my own decision. Every interview I go to i feel like i have to go out of my way to demonstrate that it was my decision.

 

[TRAMD]

I found it an advantage that my father was in medicine because I was able to better explain the total life of being a doctor. I also had over 100 hours of experience and shadowing.

 

[Jwax]

The insight I'm obtaining from the variety of answers is that a physician parent is an advantage, disadvantage, or neutral tidbit on your app based on how the applicant treats it. If you use a physician parent to say that you've got the "insider's view", you know how hard it is vs. rewards of the job then it's good. If you in any way let it look like you're going into med b/c of family pressures/expectations, then it is bad. I imagine if you have some slightly subconscious thoughts that maybe you are going into it b/c your family wants you to, then you will present that way. It could be neutral if it is just brushed aside "yes, my mom's a doc... the end".

I don't think in any way is a person who doesn't have a parent in medicine held at a disadvantage. I think it is common enough to be noticed that med students have doctor parents (or some other medically related job), but I don't think that it is in any way considered necessary for one's acceptance.

 

[dd128]

A lot of people have said that being a child of a physician may not be so great in an interview, but looking at the big picture doesn't it help? I mean I honestly have no idea what it would be like to be in that position as neither of my parents even graduated from college. It just seems like you have not only the monetary support (I know doctors aren't rich, but most are well off enough to support children through college) but the children get a great deal of networking through the parents in all the physicians they may know.

Like I am friends with a girl, who shadowed the parent of one of her friends. Those few hours were her only clinical experience and she had a mediocore mcat, but that physician pulled a lot of weight in the admissions office and got her in. I know this isn't the exact same thing, but it goes along with the weight a parent may pull at schools for their child. So I may be completely wrong, but can a parent "pull some strings" to get their child in, or do committees recognize this and try to discourage it?

 

[dth92]

Like I am friends with a girl, who shadowed the parent of one of her friends. Those few hours were her only clinical experience and she had a mediocore mcat, but that physician pulled a lot of weight in the admissions office and got her in. I know this isn't the exact same thing, but it goes along with the weight a parent may pull at schools for their child. So I may be completely wrong, but can a parent "pull some strings" to get their child in, or do committees recognize this and try to discourage it?

I'm sure that a physician parent can have some pull getting their child into a med school that they're associated with, within reason. Assuming the rest of their kid's application is in order, and it comes down to the child of that doctor or another person with a similar app, I can see it going to the doctor's kid. As far as really subpar applicants getting in because of their parents, I don't know, but it's certainly within the realm of possibility.

 

[PMEDStudent]

I hope this kind of thing doesnt hurt me

 

[antihero94]

Oh well.

 

[academician2008]

I was in an interview recently (my parents are not doctors by the way) and he asked all about my family, kept prying until I said "nope, no doctors at all in my family".... he looked and me and said "well then, I guess you made this choice all on your own".... Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing...

I believe that was a good thing. You showed maturity in thinking and after some independent research you found your vocation.
It would help if you had some exposure to medical field (volunteering, shadowing, EMS...) that you found yourself.
Being a child of a physician helps in a sense that you're aware of what it means to live as a doc, but many AdComs do not like the potential pressure from parents to go to medicine.

Definitely, doc-parent may help if he is an alumny of the school you are applying to or even better a sponsor of the school.

 

[searun]

It's so the elites can perpetuate and concentrate power in the hands of a few lucky individuals each generation, obviously

Don't worry. I think that the proletariat is supposed to rise up soon and throw off its shackles. Lenin still looks pretty good in his glass coffin. But, unfortunately, Karl Marx is not looking so good. At least you would not want to invite him to dinner.

 

[tf2medic]

OF COURSE being a child of a physician is going to make you more informed on the lifestyle and demands of being doctor. the way a child without a physican parent learns of the field is through shadowing and maybe family friends who are doctors. but still, you are only exposed to them for so long...during the shadowing and family get togethers or something. a child of a doctor is around it 24/7 since they are born! hell, my dad would take me to work with him to watch him do angioplasties when i was 5 years old! no joke! i'd sit in the lab room with the nurses and lab techs and watch through the glass. sometimes he'd drag me with him at 2 am! he's like "don't you want to see what i have to do...if you want to become a doctor then you better know all aspects of it, including being on call at 3 am." those were the worst trips ever. then of course when i'd have days off school he'd take me with him to work haha. then several times a month the home phone is ringing at 3am and you know it's the hospital. i mean, it's ridiculous...my uncle/his brother is a cardiologist too so i've gotten double the exposure! haha and my mom was a nurse, while altho she stopped practicing when i was born, she still has that nurse perspective on things. not to mention all the family friends who are doctors since all the doctors families seem to be friends haha. so i'd have a decent amount of exposure to other specialities as well. so, being an actual example of what was discussed above (altho debated a few months ago haha), it definitely makes you more informed. especially when i'm in class and i hear the older premeds who are applying/beign accepted into med schools talk about all the stuff they will have to do as a doctor...they don't know wtf they are talking about.

 

[jult24er]

contrary to what a lot of people have said so far on this thread, I have found it a disadvantage that my father is a doctor when applying to medical school. It seems to make every adcom wonder if my motivation came from my parents making me do it or my own decision. Every interview I go to i feel like i have to go out of my way to demonstrate that it was my decision.

ditto

 

[tf2medic]

ditto

except it prolly also helps you get those interviews/acceptances. it's definitely worth the tradeoff. and if you really want to be a doctor, explaining them it is your own interest should not be a problem. you should use this opportunity to show them why it is so important to you.

my premed advisor who's been doing this stuff for 30+ years says med schools in the past were known to look favorably if your parent is a doctor because the whole "keep it in the family" was relevant. nowadays he said it is different and while the adcoms will today never say they factor this into admissions, he still thinks it has an impact...some old thought left over even tho adcoms aren't open about this.

idk, my dad has already stressed multiple times that i should make sure every school knows he's a doctor b/c he says they look favorably on it. but to be honest, he isn't on an adcom or anything so that should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[littlealex]

I think kids that come from physician families know the cost of a medical career has on their personal life better than other people.

 

[honker]

Imagine having both parents as subspecialists in medicine. My daughter is interested in the health professions. Fortunately, her interest seems to being heading towards dentistry!

 

[BrainBuff]

In general, most of the physicians I know have several family members whom are also physicians or are in some health related fields. It is not unusual, so I do not think this would hurt.

 

[LostLost]

frigging damn too many doctors in my family.... counting my granduncle... total about 17 figging living doctors .... but they got nothing to do with why i wanna be a doctor. This is totally my decision...

 

[pride4jc727]

This thread seems to be what germane to me but not really. My father is an RNFA in that he is an RN and also a surgical first assistant to a well known cardiac surgeon within the state of New Jersey. I never really made this a big deal other than to say that I shadowed my dad's boss and another pulmonologist for the summer. At one of the schools I interviewed at, I simply stated I shadowed them and that I did not know until the end of my shadowing experience that they were members of the graduate medical education committee. The reason for their membership is they were either appointed or elected to be representatives for their hospital as a clinical affiliate to the medical school I was interviewing. Do you guys think that was making a big deal of my father's connections (co-workers) or did I "politick to far"?

 

[Ella Shepherd]

I hope they don't pay too much attention with family especially when it comes to thinking that you are pressured to go to med school and all that. My dad is a neurosurgeon but he works in another country and has been since I was little. I don't really learn any doctor stuff from him (although I was able to tinker with his stethoscope and stuff when I was 10 or 11 - the one and only year we were actually together) and he's not exactly the reason why I want to get into med school.

He does want me to be a doctor but his wanting me to be a doctor is not the reason why I want to be a doctor. It just so happens that, luckily and happily, I want to be a doctor, too.

 

[daaarn]

idk, my dad has already stressed multiple times that i should make sure every school knows he's a doctor b/c he says they look favorably on it. but to be honest, he isn't on an adcom or anything so that should be taken with a grain of salt.

All my friends who have a parent that's a doctor keep saying that and I'm starting to wonder if it actually will give them a little bit of extra consideration. I have an uncle who's a doctor but I don't think that would help me at all.

 

[LizzyM]

We could fill the class five times over with the offspring of physicians. Every school wants a little more diversity in their class -- not just racial and ethnic diversity but diversity of life experiences and social class.

It tends to get factored in but it doesn't help or hurt.

 

[CubaLibre]

it could go either way. my pops is a physician and at certain interviews i felt my interviewer scrutinized my reasons for medicine a bit more. while at others, they said oh that's cool, so you know what this whole deal is about. at some places it really helped. when asked what schools i applied to, I let them know that i send the primary to a long list of places, but money got tight so i ended up sending out the secondary to only about half of those. Most seemed to like that i was aware of the simple fact that doctors for the most part aren't loaded.

 

[gplex86]

I grew up during my dad's residency and fellowship - so I know what I'm getting into. In college, I was amazed how little my peers knew about the profession.

But you have to spin it the right way on your application. Mention briefly it as a source of perspective/experience and then never again. Keep it subtle or else they'll suspect the family pressure thing.

So for me it was helpful.