I finally got the opportunity to shadow a hospitalist yesterday - very exciting! While I won’t bore you with all the details, I seem to encounter a recurring theme in my interactions and would like some advice. The application process has forced me to look more closely at who I am and how people perceive me. I think it started when that professor told me I “couldn’t cut it in medical school” because of the competitive personalities, and I’m an introvert. Then when I shadowed (with probably the most extroverted female physician there is!), she repeatedly made comments to me about “being able to defend yourself” and “stand up for your patients.” I think people assume because I’m nice that I am also a pushover. I normally wouldn’t care, but I’m concerned that adcoms will have this same impression during interviews. I’ve been an auditor for many years - I have to defend my decisions on an almost daily basis. I see no need in my everyday normal interactions to be bossy and insistent on issues that ultimately make no difference to anyone. But when it comes to things that matter - work quality, personal attacks, etc - I have no problem taking care of the situation. Just because you don’t see ruffled feathers all the time doesn’t mean we’re not capable - we’re strategizing and planning our defense/attack on the inside so the conflict can be over and done with without a bunch of hooplah.
So I am beginning to wonder if this is something I should address in my PS? Or should I just wait and see if it comes up in an interview? The risk there is that it won’t come up and they’ll count me out for seeming “not aggressive enough” or whatever. Thoughts?
- marianne Said:
So I am beginning to wonder if this is something I should address in my PS? Or should I just wait and see if it comes up in an interview? The risk there is that it won't come up and they'll count me out for seeming "not aggressive enough" or whatever. Thoughts?
You have some-well analyzed concerns above. Underlying a little of of these rational thoughts is FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (word of caution is be careful; FUD can be grow). There are several ways to look at these and act upon
1) Strategic: should you plan to "defend" yourself in PS on something that you don't believe is an issue? Will your perceived lack of aggressiveness somehow be reflected in your application? Unless you have LORs that somehow raise this "issue" (and you should feel confident in anyone you ask for an LOR would not perceive you as being "weak") I think in is a non-issue. Don't be defensive in a PS unless you have something to defend, such as an academic weakness. I think raising in in the PS is not needed.
2) Tactical: should I raise this at an interview proactively. My feeling is perhaps, if you raise it as the positive it is (ie confident in your skills and ability to defend your ground without resorting to aggressive).
3) Practical: should I be prepared to talk about this? will I come off this way in an interview? Students prep long and hard for MCAT and the same should be done for interviews. Having several mock interviews, researching questions that are commonly asked, thinking what answers can be, etc, is needed no matter what. This issue is no different
4) Ethical/Personal: should I represent myself in a way that is more aggressive than I am? If nothing else, experienced doctors are trained interviewers so presenting yourself in a way that isn't your true self may be picked up. And you really want to some other than yourself at an interview? Does it make any sense to present your application in a way that is not the real you?
Those my are my 2 cents
- marianne Said:
Just because you don't see ruffled feathers all the time doesn't mean we're not capable - we're strategizing and planning our defense/attack on the inside so the conflict can be over and done with without a bunch of hooplah.
I LOVE this line, LOL!!!
Hi, Marianne. First off, LOTS of introverts make into medical school and are practicing physicians today! 
Second, have you thought about asking the physician you shadowed what her thoughts are about how you present yourself? Often we have a completely different interpretation from this than do those whom we encounter. You could ask friends, but of course they know “the real you” and it will be difficult for them to tell you how you present yourself on initially meeting people.
Third, don’t look at these comments so much as a negative statement about who you are, but rather things which will help you understand who you are and make any needed adjustments for the different situations we encounter in the world.
Congrats in advance!! 