How do you get someone to "make a call" on your behalf from your program... especially if you are also interested in staying at your home program but are interested in another program more??

If you're "hot"... then they'll call without you even asking. ;)

I don't really understand what you mean by that. At my school there are like 15 people applying to Ophthalmology, so I doubt that faculty can be making calls without us asking because there is just not enough time - and how do they know which programs we like and that we want them to make a call to?

I don't really understand what you mean by that. At my school there are like 15 people applying to Ophthalmology, so I doubt that faculty can be making calls without us asking because there is just not enough time - and how do they know which programs we like and that we want them to make a call to?

When students are good, faculty will seek out the superstars, ask them where they are applying, and if the students are top candidates, then phone calls are made. Basically, if you're a keeper, then faculty will make the time to call.

but if you're a "keeper" wouldn't they want to keep you at the home program??

but if you're a "keeper" wouldn't they want to keep you at the home program??

And they try to help you too, so people make phone calls within the dept. and out.

a couple people have PM'd me re: phone calls. to tell you the truth, i'm not really sure how i feel on this subject. i did not have someone make a phone call on my behalf for ophtho...i did for my prelim spot. i guess my feelings on the subject go something like this: january is a busy time of year. if evey one had people call on their behalf, program directors and dept chairs would have their phones ring off the hook. i think the best thing to do is go back to the person who wrote your letter of rec for ophtho, tell them where you want to go and then ask if you think a phone call will help. one last thing to consider is that the AUPO (american university professors of ophthalmology-a meeting of ophtho program directors and dept chairs) have their annual meeting a week or two before the match (1/10/2006 this year). what a great opportunity for all of these people forming rank lists to meet one last time before everything is set in stone ;) .

this is what i think about phone calls.

ophtho is a small world and all of the top guys
(i.e. top attendings, program directors and chairmen)
either know each other or have heard of each other.
if a well known and respected ophthalmologist wrote a letter
for you, she/he must have liked you and will possibly make
a phone call on your behalf, if they are asked.

what im getting at is that a phone call from someone
that is well known and respected goes a long way, and
can only help a candidates application...
presuming that it is a positive phone call. :)

A phone call could help but it should be fairly soon after the interviews b/c the committee often meets fairly soon after the conclusion of their institution's interview process and rank lists are set so it would be hard to change the order too much after all of these attendings (and residents if applicable) have gathered and formed their list.

a couple people have PM'd me re: phone calls. to tell you the truth, i'm not really sure how i feel on this subject. i did not have someone make a phone call on my behalf for ophtho...i did for my prelim spot. i guess my feelings on the subject go something like this: january is a busy time of year. if evey one had people call on their behalf, program directors and dept chairs would have their phones ring off the hook. i think the best thing to do is go back to the person who wrote your letter of rec for ophtho, tell them where you want to go and then ask if you think a phone call will help. one last thing to consider is that the AUPO (american university professors of ophthalmology-a meeting of ophtho program directors and dept chairs) have their annual meeting a week or two before the match (1/10/2006 this year). what a great opportunity for all of these people forming rank lists to meet one last time before everything is set in stone ;) .
If a program has finished interviews 1-2 weeks ago, would you say that their selection committee has met already? Or do you think they would wait until after break? Also, if we were to give the contact info to our advisors, would we give more than a telephone number (e.g. email, snail mail address)?

TIA for any help in this increasingly foreign process...

Some places, like Iowa, meet at the end of each interview day. Others, like Jules Stein, meet one final time near the time rank lists are due. Calls should be made ASAP.

Good luck!

one last thing to consider is that the AUPO (american university professors of ophthalmology-a meeting of ophtho program directors and dept chairs) have their annual meeting a week or two before the match (1/10/2006 this year).

Where did you hear that? I thought that they were meeting January 26-28.

A phone call could help but it should be fairly soon after the interviews b/c the committee often meets fairly soon after the conclusion of their institution's interview process and rank lists are set so it would be hard to change the order too much after all of these attendings (and residents if applicable) have gathered and formed their list.

I've heard that too. At Duke, the selection committee met for an hour immediately after everyone interviewed and gave scores and ranked right then. Also, at UFlorida, they told me that I needed to get my eye exam to them before the middle of December because that is when they make their rank list.