To name-drop or not? That is the question for medical school applicants.
According to the Oxford dictionary, name-dropping is “the act of mentioning the names of famous people you know or have met in order to impress other people.” It is usually considered a negative in the evaluation of candidates for admission to med school and in many other professions.
That said, it is still quite appropriate and even advisable to give credit to the people who tangibly supported and/or mentored you. A good example: In discussing the research outlined on your application, share the names of those who supported you in your work.
[Read: What Type of Research Helps You Get Into Medical School?]
There is a balance when giving credit to those who guided you and what you actually pursued independently. An independent project that you took responsibility for is certainly laudable and should be described in some detail. However, it shows humility and gratitude when the research project’s principal investigator and others are mentioned by name as representing the lab and those who taught or mentored you.
If asked about this during your interview, don’t hesitate to again mention these research mentors by name, expressing appreciation for their assistance.
Clinical expertise and empathy at the bedside are frequently observed during periods of doctor shadowing. Commenting on this and naming on your application those individuals whom you shadowed is fine. They may have made a favorable impression on you as they assisted their patients or perhaps even a member of your family at an appointment.
On the other hand, I would not mention their names if they did not demonstrate optimal care in your opinion, or if your comments could leave the impression they were inconsiderate. If you did not agree with their decision, remember that you don’t have their experience yet and leave out their names.
[READ: How to Handle an Unsatisfactory Clinical or Research Experience.]
The when-not-to-name-drop list can be long. Naming prominent people at that medical center you someday want to work with is not necessarily a wise decision. Likewise, throwing out the name of a well-known researcher whom you have little or no experience working with is inadvisable.
If you want to do this, you would need to carefully approach the discussion. You may have read lots of papers by that person to help with the design or methods for your own project. You might say something like, “There is a team at the school that has done stellar work in the same area as my team. ”
If I were interviewing you, I’d ask more about that and you could tell me the name of the person.
[READ: 3 Interview Questions to Ask Medical Schools to Determine Fit.]
It is not wise to mention your parents, a university or hospital trustee relative, or a family member or friend who is a well-known politician unless they have played a prominent role in your development. The interviewers know from your application about your parents’ careers, and you don’t want them to believe you are trying to pull strings. I have seen that backfire when the candidate was discussed in the committee.
If your parent is a prominent doctor in that medical center or another, it is also not wise to refer to him or her by name. A common sense decision point is this: “Does mentioning this name imply I’m trying to impress people with my connections and gain an unearned advantage over other applicants?”
If it does, don’t mention the name. But if it is from a position of gratitude and sincere humility, then judicially use the person’s name who helped or inspired you along your path to medical school.
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Name-Dropping: What Medical School Applicants Should Know originally appeared on usnews.com
