Who are these adcom gods?

[BLACKMD]

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I'm curious to know what qualifies someone to become an adcom? What does it take to hold so many lives in your hands? Are they physicians? Or possibly educators? Are they around these forums lurking in the shadows silently chuckling to themselves at every panic and GPA thread?

Seriously I want to know. And we should all make a pact that if we ever reach this unattainable and enviable position we will have mercy on those who came after us 😀

 

[Guero]

I'm curious to know what qualifies someone to become an adcom? What does it take to hold so many lives in your hands? Are they physicians? Or possibly educators? Are they around these forums lurking in the shadows silently chuckling to themselves at every panic and GPA thread?

Seriously I want to know. And we should all make a pact that if we ever reach this unattainable and enviable position we will have mercy on those who came after us 😀

They come from all walks of life depending on the school, from physicians and medical students to educators and general citizens. I was once interviewed by a veterinarian without any association with the university other than conducting medical school interviews for the admissions committee. He was randomly asked to participate and obliged. We do have some adcom members here on SDN (e.g., Lizzy M) that provide us with immense help and knowledge.

 

[BLACKMD]

Good to know! Thanks. I think it's nice knowing some "normal" people will also be judging us.

 

[Aerus]

I'm curious to know what qualifies someone to become an adcom? What does it take to hold so many lives in your hands? Are they physicians? Or possibly educators? Are they around these forums lurking in the shadows silently chuckling to themselves at every panic and GPA thread?

Seriously I want to know. And we should all make a pact that if we ever reach this unattainable and enviable position we will have mercy on those who came after us 😀

I'd rather they be harsh and I can sleep safe at night knowing that people around the country are being treated by decent and qualified physicians.

 

[BABSstudent]

I'd rather they be harsh and I can sleep safe at night knowing that people around the country are being treated by decent and qualified physicians.

That's how I feel too. In a way, these people are responsible for the patients' safety.

 

[Dingo Mango]

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110205114224/harrypotter/images/d/dd/HP7-FP-IDS4.jpg

Typical adcom meeting? 🙂

 

[LizzyM]

At my school, we are either faculty or students. The final decisions are in the hands of faculty and this is required by the accrediting body for medical school.

We are black, white, Asian, Hispanic. Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist. Gay, straight. Parents, non-parents. Physicians, educators, administrators. Experts in a variety of medical specialties, professional education, public health, medical humanities, social sciences, biological sciences.

We are volunteers. As far as a I know, my school has only one faculty member on the payroll of the admissions office, with a number of support staff who answer the phone, organize the interview day, manage our IT needs (previously managed the file room of paper records), and so forth.

We do this because we enjoy learning about people and chosing those who are the best fit for our school. Every year I am proud of the class we have chosen and even more proud of the students that are graduating having used wisely the opportunity they were given. It is very gratifying although it can be frustrating too, in that we have far more great applicants than we have interview invitations and admission offers.

 

[BLACKMD]

At my school, we are either faculty or students. The final decisions are in the hands of faculty and this is required by the accrediting body for medical school.

We are black, white, Asian, Hispanic. Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist. Gay, straight. Parents, non-parents. Physicians, educators, administrators. Experts in a variety of medical specialties, professional education, public health, medical humanities, social sciences, biological sciences.

We are volunteers. As far as a I know, my school has only one faculty member on the payroll of the admissions office, with a number of support staff who answer the phone, organize the interview day, manage our IT needs (previously managed the file room of paper records), and so forth.

We do this because we enjoy learning about people and chosing those who are the best fit for our school. Every year I am proud of the class we have chosen and even more proud of the students that are graduating having used wisely the opportunity they were given. It is very gratifying although it can be frustrating too, in that we have far more great applicants than we have interview invitations and admission offers.

This is very exciting to hear! I was oblivious and figured they were all faculty with a graduate degree. Can I pick your brain? I understand the general consensus of what is required for medical school. But on the adcom side how do you decide? Do you assign points for each area of consideration? Does each adcom have a few favorites they suggest? In my head I imagine American Idol sitting at a long white table where you need 3/4 to say yes. We all want to make it to Hollywood. 🙂

 

[LizzyM]

This is very exciting to hear! I was oblivious and figured they were all faculty with a graduate degree. Can I pick your brain? I understand the general consensus of what is required for medical school. But on the adcom side how do you decide? Do you assign points for each area of consideration? Does each adcom have a few favorites they suggest? In my head I imagine American Idol sitting at a long white table where you need 3/4 to say yes. We all want to make it to Hollywood. 🙂

To say: do x, y and z and you will get admitted is to create a flock of cookie cutter appicants. Standing out from the crowd by putting your own flourish on the characterisitics that the adcom looks for will give you your best shot.

Adcoms look for a heart for service. Volunteerism, particularly non-medically related community service, is highly valued.

Adcoms are interested in people who are naturally curious and who are interested in learning more about what is currently unknown. That tends to lead to investigation and discovery. Research, particularly testing of hypotheses, is one way of demonstrating this hunger for new knowledge.

Adcoms want to be sure you have realistic expectations of the profession of medicine and know what you are getting into so they look for some evidence that you have been in clinical environments and had some interactions with patients. You don't have to have touched the patients, hence my aphorism that you have to have been close enough to "smell patients".

Adcoms are looking for applicants are friendly, cheerful, humble, hardworking, ethical,collaborative team players who can communicate well with peers and the public. They look for people who have resiliance and who are able to bounce back from failure and disappointment. It goes without saying that they are also looking for applicants that are academically strong and capable of handling the very challenging academic material that is delivered in a high powered stream.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

In all honesty, to what extent do individual adcoms focus on admitting people like them? An admissions dean told me once "we have to remind these people [adcoms] we are not just looking for their clones". That concerned me even though it is human nature and rampant in all human resource processes.

 

[LizzyM]

In all honesty, to what extent do individual adcoms focus on admitting people like them? An admissions dean told me once "we have to remind these people [adcoms] we are not just looking for their clones". That concerned me even though it is human nature and rampant in all human resource processes.

It's funny. Some adcom members are partial to jocks, whether or not they were jocks themselves. Others favor applicants who have a clinical interest similar to their own whether it is treatment of children, or women, or the aged, or some other group. Some seem to favor small town kids and those with blue collar backgrounds. Some favor specific schools. With some push-pull and horse trading, we seem to end up with an intersting mix of students.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

It's funny. Some adcom members are partial to jocks, whether or not they were jocks themselves. Others favor applicants who have a clinical interest similar to their own whether it is treatment of children, or women, or the aged, or some other group. Some seem to favor small town kids and those with blue collar backgrounds. Some favor specific schools. With some push-pull and horse trading, we seem to end up with an intersting mix of students.

So which school is this again? What's your favorite type of horse?

 

[Guero]

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110205114224/harrypotter/images/d/dd/HP7-FP-IDS4.jpg

Typical adcom meeting? 🙂

I was thinking more along the lines of the above, actually.

So which school is this again? What's your favorite type of horse?

University of Central America, School of Medicine in Belize 😉

Btw, Lizzy M, it's uncanny that every time I mention your name, you pop in. It feels like you're batwoman. LoL

 

[dsoz]

I was thinking more along the lines of the above, actually.

University of Central America, School of Medicine in Belize 😉

Btw, Lizzy M, it's uncanny that every time I mention your name, you pop in. It feels like you're batwoman. LoL

Correlation does not imply causation my friend. Do not force the "adcom god" into your own little "box of understanding." She is bigger than that.


*besides, she has the whole British Secret Service working for her. She knows EVERYTHING!

 

[Guero]

Correlation does not imply causation my friend. Do not force the "adcom god" into your own little "box of understanding." She is bigger than that.


*besides, she has the whole British Secret Service working for her. She knows EVERYTHING!

Truth!

Have I mentioned how much fun it's going to be being classmates? I might run for class office. Vote for Guero! LoL

 

[dudeliness]

Truth!

Have I mentioned how much fun it's going to be being classmates? I might run for class office. Vote for Guero! LoL

I've seen it before, gets a little famous on SDN then imagines he can become class president...
I kid I kid! 😉

 

[Guero]

I've seen it before, gets a little famous on SDN then imagines he can become class president...
I kid I kid! 😉

IKR, I'm clearly delusional. LoL It's probably something I'd end up regretting around exam time, for sure.

 

[dudeliness]

IKR, I'm clearly delusional. LoL It's probably something I'd end up regretting around exam time, for sure.

Well I just poke fun because I've gone through that exact thought process myself. "Pinky, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" "I think so Brain, but how are we going to get the seven dwarves to shave their legs?" "No Pinky! We will rally support on SDN in order to get voted class president and then we will try to take over the WORLD!"

 

[Guero]

Well I just poke fun because I've gone through that exact thought process myself. "Pinky, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" "I think so Brain, but how are we going to get the seven dwarves to shave their legs?" "No Pinky! We will rally support on SDN in order to get voted class president and then we will try to take over the WORLD!"

LoL!!! Nice exemplification! Love it! Glad you'll be somewhat nearby while we're in school. We should go on camping/hunting trips.

Speaking of which, will you attend Air Force OTS during your first summer or before school?

Crap, that's a bit derailing. PM me. 🙂

Carry on folks...

 

[Pons Asinorum]

In other words, they look for people who are absolutly perfect, even though nobody is. And most of the people they admit with 1000 volunterr hrs, most likely only did so because they know it was necessary to get into med school.

That's one incredibly bitter way to interpret what Lizzy wrote. Luckily, there are others.

 

[dudeliness]

LoL!!! Nice exemplification! Love it! Glad you'll be somewhat nearby while we're in school. We should go on camping/hunting trips.

Speaking of which, will you attend Air Force OTS during your first summer or before school?

Crap, that's a bit derailing. PM me. 🙂

Carry on folks...

PM sent sucka!

Also, in an effort to contribute meaningfully to this thread, I will second what Lizzy M has said, adcoms are people too. The ones I met were just about as diverse as the other applicants I met. Some had similar interests to me, and others did not, but it was really fun to learn about and from all of them. Just be yourself in your apps and your interviews because you'll shine best that way! 😉

 

[Doodledog]

In other words, they look for people who are absolutly perfect, even though nobody is.

Of course we want people who are perfect. However, there are none so we do the best we can with the applicant pool we get to choose from.

BTW, in almost 2 decades as an adcom I've never counted the number of volunteer hours someone has when applying to med school from college. But, perhaps you have more knowledge of what I am looking for than I do?🙄

as always, YMMV. Characterizing all adcoms based on a small handful who post on SDN isn't really a good way to understand adcom approach to applications.

 

[Guero]

Of course we want people who are perfect. However, there are none so we do the best we can with the applicant pool we get to choose from.

BTW, in almost 2 decades as an adcom I've never counted the number of volunteer hours someone has when applying to med school from college. But, perhaps you have more knowledge of what I am looking for than I do?🙄

as always, YMMV. Characterizing all adcoms based on a small handful who post on SDN isn't really a good way to understand adcom approach to applications.

👍 That sage statement is applicable to nearly everything else in life and especially online. But regarding adcoms, that's yet another reason they seek such diversity among whom they invite to participate in the admission evaluation process.