Why do med schools expect professionalism from premeds when they do things like this...

[HopeP]

You have to make on the spot decisions regarding how to respond in an interview!!!

Also, consultants don't call the school to get a grade changed, or accompany a candidate to an interview, or torture some administrator until a kid is allowed to enroll in a CS class.

You are flat out wrong in characterization of torture some administrator as neither you nor I were present, but I know my family friend very well that you don't have access to.

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[KnightDoc]

Looks like I don't fully qualify as Helicopter parent according to this article I never called teachers or administrators.

From tiger to free-range parents – what research says about pros and cons of popular parenting styles

Is being a pushy parent good? It is helpful to protect your child in ways that mean they don’t fail? Here’s what the research says.

theconversation.com

I still have confidence in you -- you'll get there!!

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Yeah, but for most educators, it doesn't matter because it really is interfering with the growth and maturation of the student. ALL parents, regardless of whether you want to call them tiger, helicopter, or whatever, justify whatever it is they feel they have to do as being necessary in the moment to achieve whatever result they believe is so freaking important. For some it's a grade, for others it's getting into a class, and for others it's doing well in a med school application, interview whatever.

To the educators, it's all different flavors of the same inappropriate parental interference, and not allowing young adults to make mistakes and learn from them, because every stupid thing, from a CS class to a grade, is literally the end of the world.

Does every educator has time and resources to help their students grow and mature? Again, what percentage of parents interact with their college students educators? It's very easy to bash involved parents based on few incidents, but we also blame societal issues on lack of parents involvement.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I still have confidence in you -- you'll get there!!

you will be disappointed

 

[KnightDoc]

Does every educator has time and resources to help their students grow and mature? Again, what percentage of parents interact with their college students educators? It's very easy to bash involved parents based on few incidents, but we also blame societal issues on lack of parents involvement.

You are conflating being involved when a child is 8 from doing the same for a young adult at age 18. Once is expected and perfectly acceptable. The other is why some kids struggle to find an overcoming a challenge essay topic.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

You are conflating being involved when a child is 8 from doing the same for a young adult at age 18. Once is expected and perfectly acceptable. The other is why some kids struggle to find an overcoming a challenge essay topic.

In olden days most young adults entered work force at age 18 (and start producing their own offsprings ) but not so now and may be they need help beyond 18?. There are so many flavors of challenge essays that's why some struggle my friend (I know you are referring to my post). Do we really need all those or it's admissions committees trying to show that they are smarter than others , just like having Casper, JST, VITA on top of MCAT?

 

[KnightDoc]

In olden days most young adults entered work force at age 18 (and start producing their own offsprings ) but not so now and may be they need help beyond 18?. There are so many flavors of challenge essays that's why some struggle my friend (I know you are referring to my post). Do we really need all those or it's admissions committees trying to show that they are smarter than others , just like having Casper, JST, VITA on top of MCAT?

No -- my point was simply that the easier parents like you and your friend make it for your kids, the more sheltered they become, and then you end up posting here sweating how to answer a challenge question when you never allowed your child to be challenged because the risk of failure was too great for YOU to bear.

The reason they can't handle themselves at 18 is because you didn't let them fail at 16, or 14, or whenever. It's the story adcoms like telling about parents trying to follow their kids into the interview room. But, but, but, she's only 22, and it's not the olden days. The stakes are so high. I can't risk her saying the wrong thing. You know what I'm talking about. Adcoms repeat these stories here all the time.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

No -- my point was simply that the easier parents like you and your friend make it for your kids, the more sheltered they become, and then you end up posting here sweating how to answer a challenge question when you never allowed your child to be challenged because the risk of failure was too great for YOU to bear.

The reason they can't handle themselves at 18 is because you didn't let them fail at 16, or 14, or whenever. It's the story adcoms like telling about parents trying to follow their kids into the interview room. But, but, but, she's only 22, and it's not the olden days. The stakes are so high. I can't risk her saying the wrong thing. You know what I'm talking about. Adcoms repeat these stories here all the time.

I wasn't sweating my friend, I was getting additional info based on what he told me. As you know he finished that essay quickly. He seeks help on his own from medical students and faculty he knows. Everyone likes to tell and hear stories

 

[HopeP]

No -- my point was simply that the easier parents like you and your friend make it for your kids, the more sheltered they become, and then you end up posting here sweating how to answer a challenge question when you never allowed your child to be challenged because the risk of failure was too great for YOU to bear.

There is a difference between academic vs management (loose word) support. I don't know how would I be able to convince my son to take Spanish minor or not. Support from parents are needed until parents believe their children are capable of managing everything of their own, which could be varying from a kid to kid, not every parent is capable of that judgement either. (Plenty of successful professionals are bad parents and plenty of unsuccessful professionals are very good parents) Think more like a PhD thesis where you still have a professor, PhD student is not sheltered. Or a research work under PI is not a sheltering. That is pure academic aspect while I refer support as peripheral academic aspects. No one promotes helicoptering/tiger parenting, but to suggest throw the kid on purpose to all failures so that can learn is equally naive. Loose e.g. a kid has a bad habit there is an opportunity to learn from that failure, but if you physically hurt someone and destroy your life is not an experiment any parent wants for their kid. So there is a delicate balance and every family dynamics are different in that sense.
Well round applicants are not just academic gunners but also represents life lessons and humanities.

 

[LunaOri]

They can be if you hire the right person.

I sure hope this is sarcasm!

 

[HopeP]

I sure hope this is sarcasm!

or a solicitation..

 

[Goro]

Looks like I don't fully qualify as Helicopter parent according to this article I never called teachers or administrators.

From tiger to free-range parents – what research says about pros and cons of popular parenting styles

Is being a pushy parent good? It is helpful to protect your child in ways that mean they don’t fail? Here’s what the research says.

theconversation.com

I think this is more in line with you:

Are You a Lawnmower Parent? You May Need to Cool It

Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman learned the hard way.

www.goodhousekeeping.com

.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I think this is more in line with you:

Are You a Lawnmower Parent? You May Need to Cool It

Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman learned the hard way.

www.goodhousekeeping.com

.

Not lawn moving, more like edge trimming.

 

[HopeP]

Not lawn moving, more like edge trimming.

Diamond is a diamond and little polishing goes long way...

 

[Osminog]

To placate whiny Reddit pre-meds, adcoms should just pretend that all of their rejected applicants were overqualified and yield-protected. Nobody would be offended by a rejection letter like this:

"Dear [name],

We at the X School of Medicine are deeply humbled by the fact that you applied to our program. The admissions committee members were astounded by the diversity of your experiences, quality of your essays, and strength of your academic credentials. There is no question that you have everything we are looking for in a prospective medical student and more. You are what we consider to be a 'complete candidate.' Several days ago, our secretary Barbara printed out and framed your AMCAS photo, and it is now hanging on my office wall, next to a colorful paw print painting made by my cat Snufflemunch shortly before she passed.

We know our limits as a medical school, and we know that we are not qualified to teach someone as gifted and well-prepared as you. For this reason, we have made the difficult decision to reject you, to save you the trouble of having to withdraw from our program when you inevitably get accepted into a stronger program (if you have not already).

Thank you for letting us read your incredible application. As you continue on your medical journey, please keep us in your thoughts. We will never forget you.

Sincerely,
[name]
Director of Admissions"

 

[Tyrese]

After reading the topic title and the subsequent letter, I failed to see the "lack of professionalism" in the letter. It seems like a rather standard rejection letter imo.

If you ask me, I would rather these letters just cut to the chase and clearly state the decision rather than drag it out with an opening paragraph(s).
Nonetheless, how these letters are as-is seems pretty sound and impartial to me...