Ask the Program Coordinator!

[Raryn]

How much does not attending the pre-interview dinner hurt your chances of matching at a program? There are situations in which my only option for scheduling one program for interview results in having to miss a second program's dinner in order to do so - should I just do this or does it significantly hurt my chances at the second program?

Doubt it matters all that much. Acting like a douchenozzle at the pre-interview dinner can hurt you, but attending it is more for your information to meet some residents in an informal setting than anything else.

Note: I can generalize a little bit for IM programs and probably most other large specialties. I can't generalize for the tiny ones where there's 2 spots in a program.

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[Law2Doc]

How much does not attending the pre-interview dinner hurt your chances of matching at a program? There are situations in which my only option for scheduling one program for interview results in having to miss a second program's dinner in order to do so - should I just do this or does it significantly hurt my chances at the second program?

The answer is it depends. At a lot of programs the votes of residents matter quite a bit. If you come across well at the preinterview dinner, you'll probably get a positive endorsement from the residents. If you are awful in person it actually might hurt you. If you are so gregarious that you can schmooze every resident you meet well at lunch on interview day and have a good reason for missing the dinner you are probably fine. But let's not pretend this is just a formality. It's a good way for your future coworkers to get a sense of you, and if you miss it you lose that endorsement, which could be worth a few spots on the rank list. But if you are annoying or obnoxious you actually might improve your lot by not showing.

 

[sirRad]

hello!
I was notified today that my 4th LOR was uploaded. This is my only M4 and probably my strongest LOR, I have 2 from 3rd year and one from department chair. It's almost a month after I submitted ERAS and programs may have downloaded my app already. How could I get programs to know that I have this new LOR? or would it just be brought up during my interview at this point?

Bump

 

[Frederica]

hello!
I was notified today that my 4th LOR was uploaded. This is my only M4 and probably my strongest LOR, I have 2 from 3rd year and one from department chair. It's almost a month after I submitted ERAS and programs may have downloaded my app already. How could I get programs to know that I have this new LOR? or would it just be brought up during my interview at this point?

I can't speak for other programs, but I download applications (some of our faculty are having a hard time going paperless) a week or so before interviews to ensure all information is available and to info that was pulled a few months ago.

 

[Frederica]

How much does not attending the pre-interview dinner hurt your chances of matching at a program? There are situations in which my only option for scheduling one program for interview results in having to miss a second program's dinner in order to do so - should I just do this or does it significantly hurt my chances at the second program?

Programs understand that scheduling is difficult and this won't hurt you. As @Raryn noted, being an arse will hurt you more than not being at the dinner.

Also, not every program has pre-interview dinners. If the invitation to interview does not mention a pre-interview dinner, there isn't one.

 

[Frederica]

3 interviews so far out of 49 apps, ~1/3 of which are West Coast. DO student applying ACGME Rads, USMLE 260+ both Steps. Two questions:

1. When should I start freaking out? I've heard I should have ~7 interviews by mid-October.
2. Is there a "soft deadline" where I can add more applications without programs dismissing me for obviously using them as a backup?

Huge thanks to all the faculty and resident contributors. Even if it's just speculation, it helps ease our neuroses.

I am probably overreacting, but if there is one thing that sticks in my craw, it is the lack of appreciation for coordinators; who are THE glue to every program. I would like to point out that several coordinators have contributed (and started) this thread. I am not discounting the great advice and responses on this thread.

In my opinion, it is too early to freak out about the number of interviews you have received. Applying to residency is like applying to college, pick programs that you believe you may not have a shot, programs you really want to get into and believe you can, and programs you have no doubt you can get in to (safety schools). If you only apply to top tier programs (based on the number of applications you submitted I doubt that is what you did) then the number of programs who will interview you will be low.

No deadline for applying to safety schools. Even though we have already sent invitations and "thanks, but we're not interviewing you" notices, we will review additional applications as they come in.

 

[Apoplexy__]

I am probably overreacting, but if there is one thing that sticks in my craw, it is the lack of appreciation for coordinators; who are THE glue to every program. I would like to point out that several coordinators have contributed (and started) this thread. I am not discounting the great advice and responses on this thread.

In my opinion, it is too early to freak out about the number of interviews you have received. Applying to residency is like applying to college, pick programs that you believe you may not have a shot, programs you really want to get into and believe you can, and programs you have no doubt you can get in to (safety schools). If you only apply to top tier programs (based on the number of applications you submitted I doubt that is what you did) then the number of programs who will interview you will be low.

No deadline for applying to safety schools. Even though we have already sent invitations and "thanks, but we're not interviewing you" notices, we will review additional applications as they come in.

Sorry! "Faculty" was intended to include all program-related staff. Thanks a lot for your reply and assurance.

 

[Optoed]

I can't speak for other programs, but I download applications (some of our faculty are having a hard time going paperless) a week or so before interviews to ensure all information is available and to info that was pulled a few months ago.

Awesome. I hope most programs do this!. Thank you!

 

[DIMC]

Thank you gutonc for the answer.

I accepted the invite and scheduled the interview. I've decided to email two of the four programs that I've applied too in the same city because I am really interested in them. One has sent out invites and the other hasn't.

Should I mention I'm just going to be in the area or should I specifically mention that I'm interviewing in the area and I would love to interview at your program etc etc?

Advice from any PC or PD would be immensely helpful.

 

[Frederica]

Thank you gutonc for the answer.

I accepted the invite and scheduled the interview. I've decided to email two of the four programs that I've applied too in the same city because I am really interested in them. One has sent out invites and the other hasn't.

Should I mention I'm just going to be in the area or should I specifically mention that I'm interviewing in the area and I would love to interview at your program etc etc?

Advice from any PC or PD would be immensely helpful.

If you know the interview dates for the other programs happen to be around the same date for the interview you currently have scheduled you can send an email. If you don't know that, I would hesitate to contact the programs you are interested in. Programs rarely interview a candidate outside the scheduled dates because not all faculty will be available to interview.

 

[bqhealer]

Would love some advice..I just got my Step 2 score back its 1 point below the mean for the speciality I'm applying to. My Step 1 score is above the mean by 20 points...trying to decided whether or not to submit my score to programs in hopes of getting interviews from programs that require both Steps...is it worth it?

 

[LATigers]

You should definitely apply, and apply quickly. You are about month behind when most people applied, so the quicker the better!

 

[irmajean]

You should definitely apply, and apply quickly. You are about month behind when most people applied, so the quicker the better!

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but I think bqhealer has already applied and was wondering whether or not he/she should send the newly-received step 2 score to programs at this point in the cycle given that it is comparatively lower than the step 1 score.

 

[LATigers]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but I think bqhealer has already applied and was wondering whether or not he/she should send the newly-received step 2 score to programs at this point in the cycle given that it is comparatively lower than the step 1 score.

Hmmm. I doesn't seem clear to me. However, I would still post scores ASAP.

 

[bqhealer]

Exactly, I already applied with my Step 1 score alone and have received a fair amount of interviews but am wondering if I should send my Step 2 results or just wait to disclose till programs ask me directly about it??

 

[chronicidal]

Hmmm. I doesn't seem clear to me. However, I would still post scores ASAP.

Why?

 

[nossan]

Help. What do I need to do now?

I have applied to 30+ IM programs and have received only 5 invites.

I am an AMG, top 25 school, 4th quintile, very low Step 1 & 2, passed both 1st time, all honors and HPs. I have applied to respectable academic programs and plenty of community-based programs that were most attractive to me. I was operating on the belief that an AMG with passing scores would match somewhere. I'm less sure now.

I am meeting with my advisor soon, but would like to go equipped with a few strategies. Is it time to cast the community-net wider? Will my home school save me.... and how can I diplomatically ask that question? FM?

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[nossan]

Almost Immediate update!

My step 2 has just recently been released and it may have saved me. Step 1 was barely passing. Step 2 is slightly below average. I think this reasonable bump (30pts) may have gotten my app viewed more favorably. I just got 2 invites from schools that began sending out IVs almost a month ago! I am hopeful and will keep you posted for others in the 'non-superstar' world.

 

[broccoly]

Hello all, thank you very much for creating this thread. It has definitely been very helpful to me.

I have a few questions, and would appreciate if the coordinators could chip in on this. I am an IMG, and am unfortunately having a lot of trouble getting invites for IM and FM. My Step 1 is above avg, but my CK is quite low, and I needed a 2nd attempt to pass my CS.

1.) Do you think it is the right time to e-mail/call coordinators about my application status? If not, around when should I start doing so?
2.) Is there any general format that I should include in that e-mail (Would appreciate a quick example if possible)? Or anything I should include about myself and the program?
3.) I have been very troubled by my CS attempts, especially since I only missed it by 1 star. Any advice about invites for students with multiple attempts, especially relating to IM and FM?

Thank you!

 

[prticularlyhighyield]

Are programs allowed to ask where else I'm rotating/doing Sub-Is during an interview?

I was asked this last week and thought it was odd. I'm doing EM so they have SLOEs from everywhere I've rotated...they already know where I've been.

 

[chronicidal]

Are programs allowed to ask where else I'm rotating/doing Sub-Is during an interview?

I was asked this last week and thought it was odd. I'm doing EM so they have SLOEs from everywhere I've rotated...they already know where I've been.

Programs are allowed to ask you where else you are applying but they may not pressure or coerce you to answer. Programs are not allowed to ask you how you are ranking programs.

 

[DrKabi]

Does getting a rejection from the categorical track in a program mean that you will get rejections from other tracks within the same program? I would like to know whether the applications for individual tracks within the same program are independently reviewed . Thanks

 

[gutonc]

Does getting a rejection from the categorical track in a program mean that you will get rejections from other tracks within the same program? I would like to know whether the applications for individual tracks within the same program are independently reviewed . Thanks

It depends. Typically they are reviewed separately. Sometimes by different PDs/aPDs. You'll find out soon enough.

 

[twistyturny]

Question for any PD:

I've been following forums and notice many people getting rejections to programs I applied to. Is there a reason some get a rejection email and others do not? I have not been invited to interview at any of those programs so I am not sure why I am not getting rejection emails.

 

[mcl]

Question for any PD:

I've been following forums and notice many people getting rejections to programs I applied to. Is there a reason some get a rejection email and others do not? I have not been invited to interview at any of those programs so I am not sure why I am not getting rejection emails.

Not a PD, but this is how I handle the rejection emails for my program: A rejection means you don't meet our criteria in some way and you aren't in contention for an interview spot. It's REALLY hard to walk back a rejection and offer an interview if a lot of people cancel and the people on the wait list have already made other plans. So every year I end up with a subset of applicants that I don't want to reject just in case I ultimately need them, but I can't send an interview invitation, either. As long as you haven't received a rejection, you are technically still in the running. But I can't say that the chances are overwhelmingly good. Unless you're going into a specialty that offers interviews late--in which case the silence is perfectly normal for this point in the season and the people receiving rejections are being given a courtesy while they can still apply to some more programs.

 

[p1ggy]

I cancelled several interviews last Friday via email. For 2 of the interviews I cancelled, the PCs replied back to me confirming that my interview has been cancelled. I haven't gotten a confirmation email from one of the programs I sent a cancellation email to. Should I re-email the PC again?

 

[twistyturny]

@mcl I'm an IMG applying to FM. I currently have 2 IVs and I'm on the waiting list on another. So I'm genuinely hoping that it's early in the season for IMGs in FM and that this isn't it for me.

 

[gutonc]

I cancelled several interviews last Friday via email. For 2 of the interviews I cancelled, the PCs replied back to me confirming that my interview has been cancelled. I haven't gotten a confirmation email from one of the programs I sent a cancellation email to. Should I re-email the PC again?

Nope. You've done your part. Move on.

Keep in mind that these folks are seriously busy this time of year. I don't know about the average PC, but I'm a nobody faculty member with an academ-ish appointment who also happens to interview fellowship candidates. I get somewhere between 70 and 100 emails a day to my work email. Half are junk or professional stuff that I don't care about. half of the rest are things that I can read and delete (or save). The rest need some action...which inevitably brings more action. Bottom line, the average PC this time of year is probably getting 100+ emails a day. Not responding to your cancellation email is likely a survival tactic.

 

[KeepCalm&DownDog]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I searched the forums to no avail.

I recently learned that none of my fourth year grades will be sent to the IM programs that I applied to. I scored "High Satisfactory" (equivalent to a B on a 4 point scale) on all of my third year clerkships, but scored a "Superior" (equivalent to an A on a 4 point scale) on my IM sub-internship, which I completed at the very beginning of this academic year.

The rest of my application is ~below average (Step 1 216/Step 2 223/CS passed), 3.1 GPA, bottom half of the class, strong LoR's (including one from the Dean of the School of Medicine who is also my preceptor) and strong third year clerkship evaluations.

Is it appropriate for me to contact programs to inform them of my high grade on my IM sub-I? I really think it could help my application but am unsure as to how to go about this.

Thanks

 

[gutonc]

If it's in your MSPE, don't bother.

 

[KeepCalm&DownDog]

@gutonc Unfortunately, MPSE's only contained evals from third year clerkships. Thanks for the reply

 

[gutonc]

@gutonc Unfortunately, MPSE's only contained evals from third year clerkships. Thanks for the reply

Then start by naming/shaming your school here because that's some bulls*** right there.

Then sure, send an email update. Of course, they have no reason to believe you, but it can't hurt.

 

[prticularlyhighyield]

Then start by naming/shaming your school here because that's some bulls*** right there.

Then sure, send an email update. Of course, they have no reason to believe you, but it can't hurt.

Our school does this too. Only years 1-3, won't update transcript for anything.

 

[KeepCalm&DownDog]

@gutonc Hahahaha seriously it sucks! As much as I love my school, I was really disappointed when I found out.

I think I'll take your advice, it couldn't hurt. I guess at the end of the day, things will end up how they were meant to be (I'm painfully fatalistic, I know).

 

[gutonc]

@gutonc (I'm painfully fatalistic, I know).

The only bad eval that I got during residency was for this kind of attitude. It came from a complete douchebagel attending who started every sentence with "when I was at Hopkins" though, so I wore it as a badge of honor. You're going to wind up there anyway, might as well embrace it now.

 

[mvenus929]

Then start by naming/shaming your school here because that's some bulls*** right there..

My school also did that. Despite the fact that we started fourth year in March/April and MSPEs weren't written until July.

Of course, I think on my transcript, it doesn't list the individual courses I took, but rather just 'M4 year' with a Pass. So, that might have something to do with it.

 

[prticularlyhighyield]

If we get a rejection, should we withdraw on ERAS?

 

[Raryn]

If we get a rejection, should we withdraw on ERAS?

Doesn't matter.

 

[iluvsteak]

Is there any point in emailing PC/PD trying to get your partner an interview in the same city if the two programs aren't affiliated?

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Not a PD, but this is how I handle the rejection emails for my program: A rejection means you don't meet our criteria in some way and you aren't in contention for an interview spot. It's REALLY hard to walk back a rejection and offer an interview if a lot of people cancel and the people on the wait list have already made other plans. So every year I end up with a subset of applicants that I don't want to reject just in case I ultimately need them, but I can't send an interview invitation, either. As long as you haven't received a rejection, you are technically still in the running. But I can't say that the chances are overwhelmingly good. Unless you're going into a specialty that offers interviews late--in which case the silence is perfectly normal for this point in the season and the people receiving rejections are being given a courtesy while they can still apply to some more programs.

This is true... Back when I applied for General Surgery residency, I had a rejection letter from one program... Then a couple months later I had them send me a notification offering an interview. I didn't take them up on it as I already had accepted 21 of 25 interviews from 30 applications. I figured that the program that originally rejected me didn't have me high on the list, so what was the point of spending the money to get there. There were no flights into the town, so I'd have to fly somewhere then rent a car and drive about a half hour to get there. I probably would have accepted it if they had sent it the first time around...

 

[bonedrone14]

This is a great thread. Thanks to everyone who has given advice!

I've got a unique situation that's my own fault. I'm applying to psych and am a pretty competitive app stats wise, basically all the boxes are checked etc. However, I forgot to assign my personal statement to my application until like 10/9 or something like that. So i emailed the coordinators of the programs I applied with my PS and my CV attached apologizing and kind of giving a run down of my app so they wouldn't have to look it up again. I heard back from maybe 3 places after that email, just saying thanks. I got 1 extra interview.

That said, the places I've most wanted interviews at still haven't been in touch. It's been 2 weeks since i sent out my PS. I was hoping to have heard something by now...would it be verging on annoying if I sent out an email telling them about my sincere interest in their program? My school also doesn't put 4th year grades on MSPE, so I could update that with my psych AI honors as well. I just don't want to be annoying and shoot myself in the foot. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

[Frederica]

Is there any point in emailing PC/PD trying to get your partner an interview in the same city if the two programs aren't affiliated?

Yes! Last year I found out on at the last interview that the SO of one of our applicants had applied to another program in our institution. If either the PD or I had known about, we would have contacted the other program to at least find out what the chances were they would interview the SO.

This year, we ran a search of our selected applicants to see who was in a couples match. We contacted those programs and asked about status. I do believe knowing we were interviewing half a couple helped the other half get an interview. In these scenarios, I don't think it ever hurts to ask the PD/PC about an interview for an SO who applied to another program.

 

[WinslowPringle]

If we get a rejection, should we withdraw on ERAS?

"When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world." ~Timon

No, it doesn't matter. But I withdrew from any program that rejected me.

Because I didn't want to go there, anyways. So there.

 

[guydudcl371]

If we get a rejection, should we withdraw on ERAS?

Honestly, I wouldn't for two reasons.

1) Rejections have been sent mistakenly in the past.
2) People have been offered interviews late in the past from programs that previously rejected them.

Both are rare, but both have happened. Why remove yourself when removing yourself serves no real purpose?

 

[littlereddot]

One question: If you want to send letters of interest to programs from which you have not received an invite, should the email be sent to PC or to PD and also cc PC?

 

[Frederica]

One question: If you want to send letters of interest to programs from which you have not received an invite, should the email be sent to PC or to PD and also cc PC?

Doesn't matter. Just don't send separate emails, i.e. one to PD, one to PC, and/or one to APD.

 

[nossan]

One question: If you want to send letters of interest to programs from which you have not received an invite, should the email be sent to PC or to PD and also cc PC?

.....and if one was going to do this, when would be the optimal time? Early November? A little later? Being a less-than-top-tier candidate, should I let the dust settle from all the initial invites before I try to promote myself?

 

[littlereddot]

So you are saying that it's okay to send it to PD and also cc it to PC?
Also, do PDs usually take a look at your file if you send them an email expressing interest? Do you think I should also include my USMLE scores in the email?

 

[Frederica]

So you are saying that it's okay to send it to PD and also cc it to PC?

Yes.

 

[itisme123]

I just posted a thread with my question before seeing your thread here, but the gist of it is: in the last couple years, I completed my residency in the US (it was a challenging, intense, and high-acuity program), passed my boards, and have been in private practice. Now, I am looking to retrain in a slightly different field. There is a legitimate and valid motivation for the switch, but I would prefer to refrain from posting it publicly because it is rather unusual.

How would you recommend I approach this? Even aside from already being board certified in the US, I have a very broad and unique portfolio. Another question I have is if you think there is any possibility of getting even partial credit for my initial residency rotations.

Thanks!