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Obese, Unattractive Students Are Less Likely to Land Med School Residencies
Study shows distinct appearance bias among reviewers for radiology residencies
Published June 4, 2019

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DURHAM, N.C. -- Reviewers selecting candidates for residencies in medical school radiology programs discriminated against applicants who were obese or facially unattractive, according to a study from Duke Health researchers.

The results showed that the physical appearances of applicants in their photographs was more important in admission decisions than were traditional medical school performance measures such as the candidates’ grades, class rank, and honor society memberships.

“Appearance-based discrimination has been documented in the business world, where there is data to suggest that attractive people may be more successful, but in medicine, and in higher education more broadly, there is really no justification for it,” said Charles M. Maxfield, M.D., Duke Radiology’s Vice Chairman of Education and lead author of a study in the journal Academic Medicine. “It’s unfortunate and disturbing, but perhaps not totally unexpected.”

Maxfield and colleagues designed their study to explore the impact of physical appearance on resident selection. They created mock applications that were reviewed at five academic radiology departments by 74 faculty members. The reviewers believed they were assessing actual applications as part of their department’s residency selection process.

They chose 76 photographs to present the pre-specified distribution of facial attractiveness and obesity, as well as race/ethnicity and gender. Each photograph was then assigned a randomly generated name and other demographic information to create 76 baseline applicant identities.

Academic variables -- including class rank, clinical clerkship grades, and standardized test scores -- were then randomized for each application and reviewer, such that each reviewer saw a different combination of academic variables associated with any given photograph.

Analyzing the scores associated with each photograph and its randomized academic variables, the researchers were able to document a clear disadvantage for people who looked unattractive or obese in their application photographs compared to those appearing attractive and non-obese, regardless of academic records.

In real terms, an applicant who appeared obese and facially unattractive was only half as likely to receive an interview compared to an applicant who appeared non-obese and facially attractive.

“We find no reason to believe our findings are limited to radiology resident selection,” Maxfield said. “Admissions decisions-makers throughout higher education should consider any potential appearance-based bias they may hold, and invoke strategies to manage that bias.”

Maxfield said the admissions photograph was ideal to study, because the physical appearance of the applicant could be isolated and eliminated from other factors such as the person’s confidence or charisma. He argued that similar biases could also manifest during in-person interviews, the next stage of the admissions process.

Maxfield said the study should serve as an alert as well as a learning opportunity. He said when biases are known, they can be guarded against. As evidence, he noted that reviewers in his study favored black and Hispanic applicants over white and Asian applicants.

“To explain the preference for underrepresented minorities, we suspect our reviewers were prioritizing applicants they believed best met institutional goals and values,” Maxfield said. “What this might show is that bias can be managed if you are aware of it and compensate.”

In addition to Maxfield, study authors include Matthew P. Thorpe, Lars Grimm and Karen Johnson of Duke University, Terry Desser of Stanford University, Darel Heitkamp and Nicholas A Koontz of Indiana University, Nathan C. Hull and Timothy J Welch of the Mayo Clinic, and Gary W. Mlady of the University of New Mexico.

Duke Health

Since I'm one of the beautiful people, it's difficult for me to comment on this story, other than to say thank you Mom and Dad and of course my daily V8.

I've been stricken with the good looks curse myself, so I can't put myself in their shoes either.

I've knicknamed one of my doctors Igor, because the guy is a special sort of ugly. He's a damn good doctor, though.

With my new head scar, I think I'm one of the ugly people. Although, kids think it's cool.

I guess I'll never be a doctor. Just another example of the man keeping me down.

My wife wants me to have a Renommierschmiss, German dueling scar. Lucky for me, she doesn't like pretty boys.

Cool.



Does she call you "Fearless Leader"?

It might be hard to accept the advice about the importance of a healthy diet and personal hygiene from an obese doctor w/oily hair and dirty fingernails.

Had to laugh at that. Years ago, took my Lab to the vet (well, took her every year), and he said "She's about 30 lbs. overweight. You need to limit her food intake, and exercise her."

I knew the guy. I responded "We usually run about 1 1/2 miles a night. You're way overweight too. What are you doing about it?"

No, but it sounds like fun.

You bet.



(Rocky Hill, get it?)

If you look back to even movies of, well what appear to be movies of the 1960's and 50's, many of the monster characters are just people with ugly appearance.

Damn it I could have been an actor

What I find kind of funny here is that this was happening with Radiology students....Radiologists have zero patient interaction...LOL...they are usually holed up in a dark room staring at 5 or 6 massive screens and reading x-ray, CT, MRI, Nuc Med, pics for 8-12 hours a day. If anyone has a right to be ugly it is a Radiologist!!! LOL

You are correct.. but they weren't passing on them because they were worried about what the patients would think, they were passing on them because there is a natural desire to work with and surround yourself with, attractive people...

I go to trade shows, they suck.. but you stand in your booth and try to meet people in your industry to work with, work for, grow your business, etc... Nobody will come out and say it because it's unPC to do so, but most of the folks in the construction industry are men.... older white men to be exact... and the booths that get the majority of attention are the ones with attractive women... younger white women to be exact... standing in front of them... It ain't freaking rocket science, it's human nature.

What is more interesting than the article are the reactions to it by the people posting in the thread. I’ll leave it at that for now.....

So I was listening to the radio last night and they were talking about this study of 1000 women and what they find attractive in men.. the study revealed basically what almost all studies reveal.. that women like "the strong silent type" of man, that's what they are attracted to..

So I got to thinking, what if that study was reversed.. what if you surveyed 1000 men on what attracts them to women and the results came back that most men are attracted to women who are the "beautiful silent type"... How do you think that would fly?

In a related study, you could poll 1000 men who fit the "strong silent type" mold and ask them what is the #1 thing that bugs you in a relationship.. and it would be, answering the same question 100 times a day, "What are you mad about?"

Then there's the dreaded, "Does this dress make me look fat"?

No matter how you see it, there's only one answer for that one.

Not at all. You make the dress look fat.




Wonder why I'm single .......? lol

Is that what they call a Folds of Honor dress?

So, is that where cave fish come from? Sounds special. Like a tree falling in the woods.

If you are ugly in the dark where nobody can see you, is that still functionally ugly. This was a surprise to me that this bias was provably in place.

Since when do women like the strong silent type?

No thanks. Give me a man with a personality who can communicate better than a neanderthal.

We had a family doctor that I called Dr Guilty. My wife asked me why I called him that and I said "because if he was a character on Murder She Wrote, he would be the one who did it.".

I had a urologist that I named Dr Evil.

Because only bad things happened when I went to his office.

In New Philadelphia years ago, there was a Gynecologist named V.C. Nipple

My gyno is a battle axe. She's scary with no bedside manner. Just as blunt as can be. And will stick her fingers everywhere without warning.

But she is super smart, so I stick with her.

Hate going there.

We had a urologist whose name was, no joke - Dr.Richard Tapper. Dick Tapper.

I don’t think this relationship is fair. Since you also get stuck with the bill, she’s sticking you twice.

My doc said it's time for the "finger up the butt thing" and I said "no it isn't". He said "Seriously, we need to check your prostate." and I answered "Seriously, order a PSA blood test.". The next question was "when was your last colonoscopy?". I had to laugh ... "You need a colonoscopy to give me some amoxicillin for my bronchitis?". Doctors hate me, and I hate them back (usually).

My doctor approached me with that same thing, I asked him if he packed his lunch because if that’s where he wanted to go, it was going to be a long day for him.

I used to watch ESPN Sports Center every Sunday night just to hear Dan Patrick announce where Dick Trickle finished in that week's NASCAR race. He couldn't do it without cracking up.

There used to be an RCMP guy in Nova Scotia. That's Royal Canadian Mounted Police, btw.

I don't know if he's retired or not, but he is/was a cop and his rank/name was Sgt. Law Power.

I know that sounds like it utter horse-poo, but here's a link to a story in which his name is mentioned.

It's about halfway through the article.

https://www.ngnews.ca/news/local/having-his-say-75858/

Stop putting down neanderthals. We're actually quite intelligent.

Grunt

...and then there was the guy in my hometown while I was a teen who got prank calls every weekend for years. Why he never changed his phone book listing or went unlisted, I'll never get.

His name was...
-wait for it-

Harry Dangler

The PSA test, the manual exam, and the scrape test they have developed, that helps eliminate the earlier need for a colonoscopy in many men are all important. Maybe he only asks you when you come in for a sinus infection, because that's the only time he sees you.

Ask GM how important a colonoscopy is.

I have to have a colonoscopy every two years due to my family history. The new things are cool, but the old-style tests are way more reliable. It sucks, but the day or two of inconvenience is worth it.

There is a poo test that can replace colonoscopy in many instances.

Its called Cologuard.

Might want to ask your Dr about that.

I did, it's for low risk people. I'm in the same class as Vers on the every 2 year plan because of family history and because they have found something in me all 4 times they have gone in... fortunately early enough to snip it out and not much to worry about.. but there is no way I'm taking any low risk options or shortcuts.

UGH

Come on down to Salem ohio and visit my two favorite urologists. Dr's Stiff & Black.

https://www.healthgrades.com/group-direc...ociates-oooov92