Will my political views affect my career

[Adaggiote]

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I am independent, leaning to the left. However, I feel that most doctors are much too conservative. In fact, one might bring it up during an interview. What do I need to know about geing "far right".

 

[tartrate]

That's kind of the point of the interview, to see if you are socially competent enough to know how to respond properly in these kinds of situations.

 

[MilkmanAl]

That's kind of the point of the interview, to see if you are socially competent enough to know how to respond properly in these kinds of situations.

Totally agreed. Keep the controversial thoughts to yourself when you need to, and you'll be fine. If you get asked directly about a hot issue, respond thoughtfully, and avoid pointing fingers. In other words, rock that common sense out. Interacting with people isn't rocket science.

 

[Overmjnd]

what, you think your special? the first doctor to lean to the left? I take it you haven't read the thread below about the former surgeon general.

 

[RynoTheGuy]

I am independent, leaning to the left. However, I feel that most doctors are much too conservative. In fact, one might bring it up during an interview. What do I need to know about geing "far right".

I am a right leaning Independent/conservative (yeah I gladly proclaim I cling to my guns and religion baby). I was asked about healthcare reform in my interview and just explained my views and left out controversial statements. I came across far more neutral on the issue. Just shy away from making strong statements if you get asked about political viewpoints and you'll be fine.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I am a right leaning Independent/conservative (yeah I gladly proclaim I cling to my guns and religion baby).

It's kind of sad that being conservative and religious are associated so strongly. Oh well.

 

[ronaldo23]

I suspect that outside the AMA, and academia/teaching hospitals, doctors do tend to be slightly more conservative, though I certainly don't have any data to back that up. I read an article on politico the other day that there are 45 physicians running in the midterm Congressional elections this year, and that 41 of them are republican, if this is at all indicative of the general physician population.

That's not to say you should modify your views in any way thinking that's what your interviewer wants to hear. People have different views, and interviewers don't really care what those are, but I would agree with the above poster that it's best to not say controversial things (from either the left or right) on an interview.

For example, it's probably unwise in an interview to talk about how awesome Cuba's single-payer healthcare system is and citing Michael Moore as evidence. On the far right, it's probably unwise to talk about how you support Milton Freidman's argument that the AMA creates an unfair monopoly, and that we should end the requirement for medical licensure in this country.

 

[searun]

I am independent, leaning to the left. However, I feel that most doctors are much too conservative. In fact, one might bring it up during an interview. What do I need to know about geing "far right".

I am pretty left wing politically. Nobody cares about your political viewpoints. You will be a member of a health care team whose objective is to provide competent health care to the patient at any given point in time. Your political beliefs do not matter. Just do your job. You will not have much time to go out for coffee and argue the fine points of politics and political philosophy. If you meet a girl who agrees with you politically, jump her if she is amenable.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i would think that doctors are conservative in personality/actions, not necessarily in politics..

 

[Astarael]

OP, I don't think you have too much to worry about. As others have said, you can leave your political leanings mostly out of the conversation if you want to. If you do happen to slip in a politically charged comment, I think you'll find that while many doctors are conservative, those that go into academia are probably more likely to be liberal than their community counterparts. Not to say you should bank on that and proclaim your personal stance on every subject, but nobody will fault you for having a well-thought out argument for one side of whatever hypothetical issue they may ask you about.

 

[rhesuspieces]

The only politically charged issue I or anyone I know has ever had come up in an interview is health care reform. As far as that goes, if you have a strong opinion feel free to state it. Just remember that the more extreme your opinion, the more evidence you'll need to back it up.

If you don't feel like straying into political territory, stick to a basic discussion of pros and cons of the American health care system. If you are familiar enough with the health care system you shouldn't have a problem coming up with arguments for both sides.

 

[StephBee]

This whole thread is a bit weird to me. Everyone's saying how conservative doctors are but I've experience the exact opposite with virtually every doctor I've shadowed, worked with, talked to. All come off very left wing on most issues and very antireligion (for example, the oncologist I shadowed had a patient with me that was soooo religious she never sought treatment for her stage 3 breast cancer for 2 years! and when the drug he put her on started working, she attributed to faith. To her face, he was wonderful, supporting and kept telling her to keep her faith. Behind closed office doors though, we got into a discussion about how stupid this was. **no offfense meant to any religious people out there** but those who don't seek treatment because they think god is going to cure them are silly. The sad reality is that since she didn't get her breast cancer treated, it spread to her chest wall and she'll be lucky if she lives another 3 years.

Anyway, I digress. The key is to try not to let them know. If discussing a moral dilemma, discuss pros and cons. Think about it this way: we know like 80% of professors are very liberal, but when you took any class that involved politics, did they only teach you their views? (if so you had a bad prof).

I had to face this dilemma in one of my secondaries. The " discuss a situation when you were a minority" question. The easiest and most substantial example is the high school I went to was very right wing, upper middle class white evangelical christian. As an athiest, I was the outcast. But I don't want to bring up my religious views so I chose to talk instead about the time I was in a wheelchair for 4 months (post reconstructive knee surgery).

 

[Musclemass]

It's kind of sad that being conservative and religious are associated so strongly. Oh well.

It is sad, but to balance that, isn't it funny how so many of the prominent "representatives" of the extreme religious right have trouble stringing together two consecutive sentences that make any sense?.

Religious/political extremism (of all kinds) does not provide a positive influence on people or politics. Many are starting to tire of it.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Extreme far left wing liberal here.

I would suggest you keep your views as neutral as possible and discuss the merits of each possibility and leave things as open ended. For example, they ask what you think about the health care reform. You say "Well, I like the idea of having more citizens having access to health care, so when it comes to the spirit of the legislation, I favor that. However, no legislation is perfect. There people on both sides of the issue that have identified many problems. One problem being reimbursement to doctors. If doctors are unable to make ends meet, it doesn't take a political position to realize that cannot be maintained in the long term." If they ask "how about if the cut was just a little bit and not a lot?" or something similar. You say "The cut wouldn't affect all doctors equally since not all doctors earn the same amount of money. I would like to think most physicians are not out there for the money, so I think if it were a reasonable cut, many doctors may agree. Personally, I don't know the exact figures and cannot make a sound conclusion given the amount of information I know."

At the end of the day, it's just politics. In other words, say a lot but don't say anything meaningful on either side.

 

[ArthurIhde]

no it wont affect

 

[Remuneration]

If your idea of leaning left is agreeing in general with the Democratic position over the Republican, you're probably center-right in reality anyway.

 

[brianmed]

good idea to be neutral in interviews. However one of my interviewers was like 80 years old and I said one kind of good not extreme thing about obamas healthcare and he basicaly argued with mer and got upset. So if u get a senile old man at a southern school- say Obama is the devil to get in lol!

 

[ElChamaco]

If your idea of leaning left is agreeing in general with the Democratic position over the Republican, you're probably center-right in reality anyway.

👍

This is America after all...

Forgive the clown image of GW, the image is not mine. Doesn't add much in my opinion.

 

[Adaggiote]

Thanks guys!!

 

[John Lennon]

To be perfectly honest if you are unable to have a conversation without exposing your political views, you need to practice your very basic communication skills. Obviously political issues come up in interviews, but the best way to answer them is pretend you are a politician and give very middle-of-the-road answers that don't step on anyone's toes. After you get into a school you'll have plenty of opportunity to say whatever you want. Don't blow it by pissing off the interviewer.

 

[NickNaylor]

To be perfectly honest if you are unable to have a conversation without exposing your political views, you need to practice your very basic communication skills. Obviously political issues come up in interviews, but the best way to answer them is pretend you are a politician and give very middle-of-the-road answers that don't step on anyone's toes. After you get into a school you'll have plenty of opportunity to say whatever you want. Don't blow it by pissing off the interviewer.

No joke.

 

[OtoHNS]

In my experience, younger doctors/residents/med students tend to be more liberal and older doctors (>40) tend to be more conservative. Younger medical people especially tend to be very liberal on social issues. There's more mixed views on fiscal/economic issues. I've also found a noticeable difference between academic physicians (more liberal on average) and private physicians (more conservative).

Your political views shouldn't make any difference in med school admissions, there are plenty of people from all ends of the political spectrum in pretty much every medical school.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Yeah I'm not sure if the conservative thing is East Coast related or what, but I certainly had the conservative-impression going into the application process....from my observations though, the UC system at least, is flooded with liberals. It is overwhelmingly and almost annoyingly left-leaning, even to a social liberal like myself. I think this probably holds true for most of academia on the west coast. The practicing MD's are probably a little more conservative, though, from what I've observed. But in general, the less money you intend to make and the more under-served, minority patients you want to save, the better off you are in Cali But seriously, it is politically incorrect at my school to advocate capitalist principles like protection of the medical profession via high competition for jobs and high potential reimbursement. MOst of my classmates seem to openly advocate the slashing of their future salaries for the sake of what they perceive to be better patient care, and you hear the "if you don't love medicine for medicine then you shouldn't have gone into it" kind of argument a lot. There are a couple outspoken conservatives in my class who seem to be universally misunderstood and despised. It's all well intentioned but it's definitely a little annoying for those who see the grey areas.

 

[circulus vitios]

I always figured interviewers and med students were liberals while the professors, residents, and attendings were conservatives.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I always figured interviewers and med students were liberals while the professors, residents, and attendings were conservatives.

You're probably on the money. I'd throw "professors" in with the former. There's also a bit of a split between the first year prof's who tend to be basic scientist PhD's, and the pathology prof's who are generally quasi-practicing MD's, at least at my school. The difference in their attitudes is quite striking, not necessarily politically (they don't talk about that stuff), but certainly with respect to what they think is necessary to demand of us, and, well, malignancy.

 

[Remuneration]

But seriously, it is politically incorrect at my school to advocate capitalist principles like protection of the medical profession via high competition for jobs and high potential reimbursement... There are a couple outspoken conservatives in my class who seem to be universally misunderstood and despised. It's all well intentioned but it's definitely a little annoying for those who see the grey areas.

If their grasp of economics is as tenuous as yours, I could see why.

 

[BobtheDoc]

Will your views affect your career? Probably. But that is true in every career. Your views will impact how you seek to further what you view as your interests, both professionally and personally. It seems to me like you are really asking will they affect your chances at acceptance? As has been said, I think if you handle the subject with tact and not bombasity you will be fine, regardless of your views. I believe that applicants with strong views who can articulate them politely would look much better than one who comes across as intolerant or (worse) ignorant.

However, I feel that most doctors are much too conservative.

There is another possible explanation: working as doctors makes one more conservative.

Assuming your impression is correct (and I'm not sure it is, does anyone have any data on this?) could it perhaps be that paying large fractions of income in taxes, dealing with government regulations in your practice, the horrible bureaucracies of medicare/caid, the seeming blindness of certain political parties to issues doctors find important (like tort reform...) and seeing continual failure of "solutions" to "fix" the "problems" of healthcare, combined with the well-known demographic fact that in general people become more conservative as they age... Maybe you won't stay left leaning forever.

Just a thought.

 

[Playa]

I am independent, leaning to the left. However, I feel that most doctors are much too conservative. In fact, one might bring it up during an interview. What do I need to know about geing "far right".

Yea man, your future patients who are sick are going to refuse treatment for the fact that you are a "far right". Its a problem many physicians face in the modern day and age.

 

[ElChamaco]

As long as you don't go out thre like yelling out loud you're into legalizing sadomasochist pedofilia or that all latino pregnant women should be shot dead or influenza vaccines is an evil sheme of Obamacare to turn eveyone into brainless commie drones, you probably should be fine.

As a med student don't get too edgy about starting arguments with your teachers about ther backards political views (I did get annoyed with a teacher once who is epic into bullfighting whereas I think it's animal cruelty), people dn't care too much about which side you swing on. Most doctors will tend to treat to keep patients alive and finding doctors that agree to perform legal optional abortions isn't the norm but you'll find them here and there.

At most med schools we're taught to address our care to keping the patient aive tough some schools like to open to ethical debates in some issues you will encouner at least once on the job. I once encountered a woman that had an emergency c-section that urgently needed a blood transfusion but rejected it on religious grounds. The hospital had to file legal documens for her to sign stating she accepted the risk of dying. On legal grounds doctors in an emergency room if they don't have time to get a legal doument signed will rather risk getting sued than let a patient that religiously doesn't accept blood that isn't in conditions to sign anything to die.

I will however understand that many doctors might lean to the left on many issues (gay rights, drug legalization) but steer as far away as possibe to any legal reform that forces them to work extra hours with no pay to grant socialist free medicine consults to people with no jobs and don't pay taxes that abuse the system. I have an elderly patient that just because she's on welfare and ergo can get free consults whenever she feels like showing up comes on average twice a week to my clinic making me waste time that could be spent giving consult to a patient that deserves the consult time much more like a diabetic or pregnant woman to whine and complain about how her evil son took away her welfare money. 😴


The mexican government right now is thinking about doing a ridiculous legal reform to give IOU's to patients to trade to pharmacies to buy non generic meds for free. I'm surprised the pharmacy industry isn't lobbying more strongly against this. Instead of making law changes that help recently graduated doctors to force universities to speed up the process to have their medical license issued they want to become socialist and make already expensive drug prices go up even furhter to please a bag of tax evaders that are too lazy to go to a public health clinic or get a job. On grounds such as public health policy, I'm not surprsed many doctors are conservative.

WOW! So laziness IS the reason so many people are poor in Mexico...

Having this perspective in the US is one thing, and bad enough, but having it in a country where a vast minority (majority?) of people are poor is downright frightening to see!

 

[BobtheDoc]

What do I need to know about geing "far right".

Also, I forgot to mention, this question makes no sense at all.

 

[Daniel565]

.