Working at Medical College = Acceptance?

[Green Grass]

What do you guys/gals think? Have you ever heard of people working in a lab or as a medical assistant at a medical college and then having an advantage to getting an acceptance to that same college? or do you think it doesn't matter. I've seen a couple of people get interviews and subsequent acceptances to schools they worked at so I'm led to believe it is taken into consideration. any opinions?

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[xanthomondo]

What do you guys/gals think? Have you ever heard of people working in a lab or as a medical assistant at a medical college and then having an advantage to getting an acceptance to that same college? or do you think it doesn't matter. I've seen a couple of people get interviews and subsequent acceptances to schools they worked at so I'm led to believe it is taken into consideration. any opinions?

Probably is useful if you get an LOR from someone high up at the school (or can even get them to contact the adcom on your behalf)

I volunteered at the hospital (for quite a while, too) that was one of a medical school's main hospitals and it had no impact on my admission

 

[CubaLibre]

i'm sure it could help. I've been working/volunteering/slaving in a lab at a medical school where I was ultimately accepted. I didn't get any letter of recommendation, but I'm sure it helped. It shows that you've invested your time in them and you're more likely to accept their offer if you are granted admission.

 

[Green Grass]

.

 

[fuzzywuz]

The answer in short is...NO.

It will help you in general because you have the experience, not because you are working at THEIR medical college.

There may be special circumstances of course. If the person you work for in on the Adcom and can pull for you. But then again, anything is possible right?

 

[Depakote]

The answer in short is...NO.

It will help you in general because you have the experience, not because you are working at THEIR medical college.

There may be special circumstances of course. If the person you work for in on the Adcom and can pull for you. But then again, anything is possible right?

I did oncology research and had an awesome rec from the chief of the division of oncology and I'm pretty sure my app got tossed without a second glance at that school.

 

[aubg23y78]

To answer your question...NO

In high school I worked in the admissions office of a medical school. Mostly organizing candidates' profiles and initial weeding out before everything was computerized. Anyway, maybe it helped me to get an interview, but ultimately I am now on the waitlist.

 

[SageFrancis]

Most schools will look at your numbers and maybe skim your PS before interviewing. Then they'll look at LORs and activities. So if you're good enough to get an interview anyway, then it could help.

 

[SketchLazy]

In my case, it didn't even equal an interview, but I didn't get letters of rec. from my bosses at the couple jobs (lab assistant and phlebotomist) I held with the school...My mistake.

 

[TheRealMD]

If there is an easy way to get into med school, pre-meds have already exploited and made it hard again long before you were born.

 

[kedrin]

If there is an easy way to get into med school, pre-meds have already exploited and made it hard again long before you were born.

lol that is sad but more than likely true

 

[ADeadLois]

The backdoor into med school is padlocked with a thumbprint and retinal scan.

 

[thebeatblitz]

If you're competitive it could give you an edge, especially at schools that like to promote from within. It certainly isn't a meal ticket though.

 

[[pj]]

I will also lean towards no.

 

[EpiPEN]

I don't know why all these people say no...

Yes it can help, but the chances are low. Imagine if the person who interviews you at the med school turns out to work at the same lab that you've been working at and knows you (provided you are a likable person). Think it'll help? I would say so!

 

[[pj]]

I don't know why all these people say no...

Yes it can help, but the chances are low.

Well, that's what people mean. It can help, but Working does not necessarily equal Acceptance.

 

[EpiPEN]

Well, that's what people mean. It can help, but Working does not necessarily equal Acceptance.

Aye. But you do increase your chances, which could be a plus. Afterall, people generally more open to recommendations made by people they know.

 

[MossPoh]

I've known some people on adcoms and it can go either way. IF the member on the adcom knows you personally, many times they will stay out of the decision. I think getting to know the people can help to some degree...if you are not a tool. I try to make my face recognized around the medical school, so if anything, I have a little bit of recognition going on. They have a starbucks in there, so I usually sit around with a coffee and review notes.

 

[167649]

I think it depends on how else your application shores up.

There is no way that employment at a medical school is going to overcome poor grades/test. They will just throw your app out with the rest of them. But, if you do make it pass the initial screenings and are being seriously considered, an LOR from a prominent faculty member, or a connection with someone on the committee etc, may help you pull an interview (I emphasize may help). Post-interview, I would imagine it would go back to not making much of a difference.

So the chances that it helps you are probably pretty low, and even if it does it isn't going to make or break you. It is pointless working for a medical school only to get connections thinking it will give you a significant boost.

 

[tdsbird2]

i work at one now...and got a great letter from the head of the division and had an interview that knew the people I was doing research with....but I still haven't heard anything...but hopefully I will soon be let in the door

 

[Monarch Kong]

What do you guys/gals think? Have you ever heard of people working in a lab or as a medical assistant at a medical college and then having an advantage to getting an acceptance to that same college? or do you think it doesn't matter. I've seen a couple of people get interviews and subsequent acceptances to schools they worked at so I'm led to believe it is taken into consideration. any opinions?

Advantage maybe, but not huge nor overwhelming.

 

[SStorm]

Not for me. I worked at the Medical College of Wisconsin over this last year, got a LOR from my PI there, and I still got rejected.

 

[crazy4clana]

Nope, unless you become best buds with someone on the adcomms and have connections.

 

[drcoxer]

it definitely helps.

my friend got into Harvard med last year and he worked at the med school. he only had a 3.3 and 28, too. and no he wasn't black or hispanic, he was white. he whiped the floors of the adcom offices so they all knew him.

 

[crazy4clana]

it definitely helps.

my friend got into Harvard med last year and he worked at the med school. he only had a 3.3 and 28, too. and no he wasn't black or hispanic, he was white. he whiped the floors of the adcom offices so they all knew him.

Yeah, you have to KNOW the adcomms. Just working there won't do you any favors.

 

[aubg23y78]

I don't know why all these people say no...

Yes it can help, but the chances are low. Imagine if the person who interviews you at the med school turns out to work at the same lab that you've been working at and knows you (provided you are a likable person). Think it'll help? I would say so!

Thats bull**** most schools will not let you interview with someone you know. The med school I worked at wouldn't let me interview with anyone that had been working there longer than 3 years (thats when I was there).

So, maybe that hurt me because my interviewer had no seniority on the committee.

 

[SugPlum]

Working in a lab at a small institution could help because the PI is more likely to know people on the admissions committee. But this could also backfire if the PI doesn't get along with people on the committee.

 

[EpiPEN]

Thats bull**** most schools will not let you interview with someone you know. The med school I worked at wouldn't let me interview with anyone that had been working there longer than 3 years (thats when I was there).

So, maybe that hurt me because my interviewer had no seniority on the committee.

Bull ****? I think not. I interviewed with a researcher MD under the PI who wrote my letters of rec. Did that help my chances? I would think so!

But then again, I don't know how your school handles it. So I guess we have to go from a case to case basis.

 

[nogolfinsnow]

If you're already competitive for the school then it might help. I worked for 2 years (lab tech) and had an LOR from the head of the MSTP program ( I wasn't applying MSTP, but I'm sure other people knew who he was) and was rejected pre-secondary, probably b/c my GPA was low for this particular very competitive school. Had I had a higher GPA, I like to think it might have helped.

 

[[pj]]

Aye. But you do increase your chances, which could be a plus. Afterall, people generally more open to recommendations made by people they know.

I agree that it helps your changes and I think we have the same general argument. I'm just directly answering the question that it won't always lead to an acceptance.

 

[drcoxer]

Yeah, you have to KNOW the adcomms. Just working there won't do you any favors.

i made that up.

 

[CubaLibre]

i made that up.

you would

 

[Maxprime]

Of course it helps. You can drop by the admissions office every day and say hi - they put a face with the name. As long as you're not ugly or socially awkward, there are bonus points right there. Your letters of rec come from people that ADCOMs actually know - so unless you're getting one from someone nationally famous then they tend to pull more weight. Something along the lines of, "If Bob says this kid is smart, this kid must be really smart." Obviously could also backfire, "I didn't know Bob could spell smart, anyone who would hang out with him on purpose must be an idiot too."

That being said, nowhere close to a given. I know someone who is a grad student that the admissions people know well, has okay numbers, and didn't get in at the medical school where he's a graduate student. It helps, but not a ton - it's still basically numbers that get you the interview.

 

[Bond8204]

 

[EpiPEN]

I'm sorry but I keep thinking that smiley face is using what seems to be a very tough piece of poo....

don't ask me why...