Reply to So is it private school or wealthy families?

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "So is it private school or wealthy families?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There is another factor.  For a while I was very involved with new college graduates recruited at my work for an executive training program, and I went through this program myself.  I guess our screening was pretty good - all the young adults were very bright, hard working, conscientious, etc.; we barely had any bad apples.   And in the first few years they all performed equally well regardless of where they went to school.   The differences started showing up about 3 years out.  [b]The ones who grew up privileged had an easier time talking to higher ups, making their points, shmoozing at happy hours and so on, and they ended up being promoted faster. [/b]  I know that some people are able to absorb it simply by being around those who grew up privileged, but many can't.   [/quote]

That could be private school, it could also be having the ability to take risks because losing a job wouldn't be catastrophic. Someone who needs a job is much more likely to keep their heads down and work hard than someone who don't actually need the job. [/quote]

+1
I am in academic medicine in a top 10 medical school, and come from a middle class background.
Most of the doctors who rocket through the ranks are independently wealthy. They are, of course, smart and hard-working, but truly no better than others.
I remarked on this to my boss (who is also from a wealthy family), and he said that the higher-ups definitely prefer to promote people from money - or at least people with parents who are eminent scientists or doctors. He says that people from these backgrounds are often very polished from time spent in private schools and interacting with high-powered people from birth, are well connected, and are more likely to take big risks that have big pay-offs because they have what he called “eff you money”. He also said that he thought they made for a better impression on the med students and residents - for instance, we would invite the trainees to our houses for end of the year parties, but we couldn’t use my small townhouse (which is what you can buy on a doctor’s salary if your parents don’t kick in the down payment) because it was - according to my boss -  “embarrassing.”

At least my boss is a thoughtful guy and just said the quiet part out loud. I appreciated that. But it also means that I will likely be a foot-soldier not a star - unless I get a break due to timing, which is also critically important.[/quote]

It's the ability to take risks but more than that--the personality that takes risks and also having the "it factor."   People rise really far and fast in medicine, business, etc because they have confidence, magnetism, the ability to manage others, the ability to function on very little sleep, etc.  I'm also in medicine and attended a top 3 residency program where almost all my former colleagues are now leaders in industry, hospital CEOs, deans of medical schools, etc.  They all have a combination of these qualities besides being baseline very smart. 
Any of these intangibles are often hereditary.    [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics