Do Professional Schools Discriminate against Introverts?

[Kurk]

I have to ask being a flaming ISTJ...

Do Dental/Medical schools—specifically the interviewers—prefer extroverted types with the same qualifications over introverts?

I think it would make sense considering the increasingly social nature of today's medicine.

Knowing me, I could hold out an interview with a committee concerning my undergrad studies, research, experience, etc but would likely have lots of awkward difficulty discussing small talk and such.

Does anyone know anything about this?

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[gyngyn]

Introverts are well represented in medical school.
There is no effort to favor extroverts.

Introverts are no less likely to communicate effectively, so this is not surprising.

 

[aformerstudent]

Just don't bomb your interview kid.

 

[Levo]

I would say professional schools want people who are socially appropriate. That's not the same as being extroverted or introverted. Someone can prefer to always be around other people, but have a tendency to not watch what they say and stick their foot in their mouth, misread cues etc. Likewise, there are people who prefer solitude but when they have to be around people, are always appropriate and can interact smoothly with others. A lot of social mistakes happen when someone feels that they need to fill every moment of silence when they're with someone, and so say too much. On the other hand, people who are have no problem sitting in silence after they've said everything they wanted to say come across as confident.

 

[FlameBroiledDoc]

Those Myers-Briggs categories don't doom you, and it's only the MBA culture that puts much stock in them. You're also way too young to pigeonhole your personality and your communication style.