Post interview season communication

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QuackaDO

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So just wondering what programs are or are not making post interview communication with everyone. For me, and I'm sure for everyone else this cycle, the time between the end of interviews and rank list submit date is definitely a trying time so I figured it might put some of my (and hopefully others) stresses to rest if everyone were to comment on who has (or has not) made contact. My rationale is simple... if your #1 (or 2 or 3 or...) is freaking you out cuz they haven't made contact but you find out that nobody else has gotten contact either then it's a little more settling. This has nothing to do with what they say/said or if they loved you or whatever... just if they make contact at all. Feel free to list who has/ has not reached out and maybe with enough responses we will get a fair feel for who does and does not do post interview season contacts. GL to everyone! :)

For me contact has been sparse (including type for clarification)...
Buffalo- Thank you
UIC- Thank you/survey
C. Michigan- Resident email
W. Mich- Thank you/more program info
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Do not take any post interview communication seriously at all. It is a game and you absolutely cannot trust what programs say or do not say to you. Making a list is pointless and will make people freak out if a program listed normally contacts people and they are not contacted. None of the gathered information will make a difference. People should rank in the order they want to go and not even consider any post interview communication. I understand you are trying to calm peoples fears. but the best thing to do is ignore communication by programs, maybe send a "you are number 1" only to your number 1 and rank in the order you want to go. That is it, any further thought is wasted time/energy and needless worry.

Just my thoughts.
 
sylvanthus said:
Do not take any post interview communication seriously at all. It is a game and you absolutely cannot trust what programs say or do not say to you. Making a list is pointless and will make people freak out if a program listed normally contacts people and they are not contacted. None of the gathered information will make a difference. People should rank in the order they want to go and not even consider any post interview communication. I understand you are trying to calm peoples fears. but the best thing to do is ignore communication by programs, maybe send a "you are number 1" only to your number 1 and rank in the order you want to go. That is it, any further thought is wasted time/energy and needless worry.

Just my thoughts.
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It's funny because I kinda thought my post was clear in that I was saying "what is said doesn't matter" (ie, don't believe what they say or change your rank list based on communications). I don't understand this mentality... I don't think ANYWHERE I said, hinted, or implied that the contact should or should not be taken seriously. I totally agree with you that people should make their list based on where they want to go and communications shouldn't change anything... but knowing who does or does not communicate can help, even if it is just the nerves or even perhaps expectations. Yes, I know that's the general mantra of posts like these is to say "what do you think this means" but what I am simply asking others in the cycle if they have heard anything from anyone... thats it. I can guarantee there are lots of people out there wondering if their #1, 2, 3 etc send anything out or not... not because they want to hear how special they are but because they just want to know if the program does email or not. I've been specifically told by a few that they do not and it DAMN SURE eases my mind when I think about it cuz I know there is nothing coming. That's the peace of mind I'm talking about cuz there are plenty of places that don't do communication but also don't tell you that so the list would help to clarify. I don't know... maybe you're different from me but I've always valued more information over less. Just the way I think about it all but if nobody want to post then the thread will die and if they do then all the better. Best of luck to everyone.
 
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If you consider more useless information as beneficial by all means, gather it. Im telling you from experience that post interview information is useless, but do as you will.
 
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sylvanthus said:
If you consider more useless information as beneficial by all means, gather it. Im telling you from experience that post interview information is useless, but do as you will.
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Yah, this is what are dean and PD here tell us constantly.
 
I have only heard from 2/11 programs I interviewed at and one of them was in response to me emailing them.

It makes me feel better to hear that it doesn't matter.

On the other hand, a buddy of mine who goes to a school that I interviewed at told me that the PD told them that their rank list was still fluid, despite the fact that all of their interviews were over. What on earth could be changing the list at this point besides people emailing and communicating with the program expressing their interest?
 
Ok, feel like I'm beating my head against a wall trying to get you few to understand that this is NOT about the importance of communication, what was said, or what they tell you effecting your list. I don't see why it's so hard for you to grasp. I simply think that if people know who is and who is not sending out emails or making phone calls it can help calm some nerves from people that are wondering "why the silence". It's not about "oh, XYZ sent an email so they must be interested". It's about "well, I didn't hear from XYZ but apparently from this list neither did anyone else so it's not a big deal and I shouldn't stress about it". There, is that simple enough for you?? For the ones that DO email and you didn't get an email then they can take it as they want to but I personally would take it as if 5 people I know got an email saying whatever and I didn't get one then that probably means I'm lower on THEIR list. Doesn't mean I change mine out of spite or that I don't rank them because of it, that just means you have the ASSUMPTION that you will be lower down their list than others but does NOT change where I put them. Just my belief of where I think I stand in their eyes and if any of you who are saying "it doesn't matter" claim you did NOT let thoughts of "Ok, I know where I rank them but I wonder where they have me" run through your mind during this dead period I'll slap you in the face and call you a liar. It's human nature. The difference is letting that paranoia or belief change where you rank them which I would hope most of us are smart enough not to do (I hope). Again, if it hasn't been made clear enough... it's not about what they say, how they say it, or any "content" in the email... simply about if places email at all and being able to compare that to others. The only way that "doesn't matter" is if programs randomly choose 30-40ish people to email and then they don't email the rest and the way they choose who to email IS totally random and not tied to rank, like, desire for the candidate or whatever. It's it's truly random and the bottom of the list (or unranked) are just as likely to get an email as #1 then yeah... it doesn't matter but I seriously doubt ANYONE does that. They either send emails to everyone, send them to no one, or send only to the top 20-30-40 (or whatever number) on their list. By knowing you and everyone else got an email then you know it meant nothing. By knowing nobody got anything you know it means nothing. By knowing you got an email and others didn't it means you're likely competitive for that program, but doesn't change your list. By knowing others got emails and you didn't then you know your chances might not be as high there and this program could be considered a "reach"... but it doesn't change your match list. Sorry if you all knowing people that went through the match once and got burned by communication and you chose to believe anything they said or changed your list because of it. Your concerns have been noted and realized so if anyone else wants to actually contribute to the original intent of the thread now please go ahead...
 
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Fine....
I heard from:
Dartmouth
MUSC
USF
Maine (survey)
Maryland (survey)
 
QuackaDO said:
Ok, feel like I'm beating my head against a wall trying to get you few to understand that this is NOT about the importance of communication, what was said, or what they tell you effecting your list. I don't see why it's so hard for you to grasp. I simply think that if people know who is and who is not sending out emails or making phone calls it can help calm some nerves from people that are wondering "why the silence". It's not about "oh, XYZ sent an email so they must be interested". It's about "well, I didn't hear from XYZ but apparently from this list neither did anyone else so it's not a big deal and I shouldn't stress about it". There, is that simple enough for you?? For the ones that DO email and you didn't get an email then they can take it as they want to but I personally would take it as if 5 people I know got an email saying whatever and I didn't get one then that probably means I'm lower on THEIR list. Doesn't mean I change mine out of spite or that I don't rank them because of it, that just means you have the ASSUMPTION that you will be lower down their list than others but does NOT change where I put them. Just my belief of where I think I stand in their eyes and if any of you who are saying "it doesn't matter" claim you did NOT let thoughts of "Ok, I know where I rank them but I wonder where they have me" run through your mind during this dead period I'll slap you in the face and call you a liar. It's human nature. The difference is letting that paranoia or belief change where you rank them which I would hope most of us are smart enough not to do (I hope). Again, if it hasn't been made clear enough... it's not about what they say, how they say it, or any "content" in the email... simply about if places email at all and being able to compare that to others. The only way that "doesn't matter" is if programs randomly choose 30-40ish people to email and then they don't email the rest and the way they choose who to email IS totally random and not tied to rank, like, desire for the candidate or whatever. It's it's truly random and the bottom of the list (or unranked) are just as likely to get an email as #1 then yeah... it doesn't matter but I seriously doubt ANYONE does that. They either send emails to everyone, send them to no one, or send only to the top 20-30-40 (or whatever number) on their list. By knowing you and everyone else got an email then you know it meant nothing. By knowing nobody got anything you know it means nothing. By knowing you got an email and others didn't it means you're likely competitive for that program, but doesn't change your list. By knowing others got emails and you didn't then you know your chances might not be as high there and this program could be considered a "reach"... but it doesn't change your match list. Sorry if you all knowing people that went through the match once and got burned by communication and you chose to believe anything they said or changed your list because of it. Your concerns have been noted and realized so if anyone else wants to actually contribute to the original intent of the thread now
please go ahead...
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Smh. You are very condescending toward your colleagues. I would calm down because you are not helping your case.
 
I've heard from (Didn't include any that did not seem to be personalized in any way):

Indy - Invited to wine/cheese party; Phone call
ORMC - Email, Handwritten letter
Palmetto Health - Invited to a USC basketball game
Wake - Email
UVA - Email

I think that's it. Heard from 5 out of 11.
 
For the purposes of this topic, does it count if the communication is in response to a thank you note or love letter, or is this just about spontaneous communication from programs?

And has anybody heard from any California programs aside from USC?
 
MDingo said:
For the purposes of this topic, does it count if the communication is in response to a thank you note or love letter, or is this just about spontaneous communication from programs?

And has anybody heard from any California programs aside from USC?
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I think people are just talking about spontaneous communication...?

In answer to your question about California programs, I know that UCLA-Harbor sent out multiple letters in the last few weeks. The first seemed to be a general "thank you for interviewing, we liked you and hope you choose us" letter from the PD (not sent to all applicants since a friend - who is a great candidate in my mind - didn't receive one, but I obviously have no clue how many were sent), and the second was a personalized one from my interviewer.

I'm not planning to post my list here, but if someone has a specific question about one I've heard from, or if one of my classmates heard from a program that comes up, I'll chime in.
 
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WannabeEM said:
I think people are just talking about spontaneous communication...?

In answer to your question about California programs, I know that UCLA-Harbor sent out multiple letters in the last few weeks. The first seemed to be a general "thank you for interviewing, we liked you and hope you choose us" letter from the PD (not sent to all applicants since a friend - who is a great candidate in my mind - didn't receive one, but I obviously have no clue how many were sent), and the second was a personalized one from my interviewer.

I'm not planning to post my list here, but if someone has a specific question about one I've heard from, or if one of my classmates heard from a program that comes up, I'll chime in.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info! To contribute to the thread, I've heard from Harbor, USC, Jacobi, Presby, and Buffalo.

Anybody hear from UCSD or Fresno?
 
MDingo said:
Thanks for the info! To contribute to the thread, I've heard from Harbor, USC, Jacobi, Presby, and Buffalo.

Anybody hear from UCSD or Fresno?
Click to expand...

What was the communication from USC/LAC?
 
link2swim06 said:
What did USF say? I am wondering if we all got the same email.
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If you guys got an email from USF it's probably a fairly good sign... I interviewed there late and don't think I've received anything that I recall.
 
USF: .......... Your application was extremely well received by the entire interviewing faculty.......
 
I got one from Detroit Receiving stating I was at the top of the list. I was wondering how many people received one like that.
 
gutonc said:
Hmm...it's almost as if such communication is meaningless. Who would have guessed that?
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Hmm... it's almost as if comments like these are meaningless. Who would have guessed that?
 
I always find it interesting how post-interview communication is viewed. I've been doing this a long time and it's definitely a game/crap shoot at best. Different specialties have different views despite what you might or might not think. For my current program, we did make contact with applicants post-interview but mainly to find out if they had any questions that they didn't feel we answered sufficiently during their interview day. We wanted to give them every opportunity to have all they needed to make a decision, whether it was good or bad. My personal opinion about post-interview communication is that you have to take it at face value and not over think it. Pay close attention to make sure that whatever is communicated to you is not in violation of the match rules. They can't tell you where you're going to be ranked or even if you are being ranked. I hope you all made your rank list based on your own feelings about the program and whether you think you'd fit in and be happy there for the next 3 or 4 years. The rest will play out the way it's supposed to play out.

Again, don't over think things.
 
GreenEydGem said:
I always find it interesting how post-interview communication is viewed. I've been doing this a long time and it's definitely a game/crap shoot at best. Different specialties have different views despite what you might or might not think. For my current program, we did make contact with applicants post-interview but mainly to find out if they had any questions that they didn't feel we answered sufficiently during their interview day. We wanted to give them every opportunity to have all they needed to make a decision, whether it was good or bad. My personal opinion about post-interview communication is that you have to take it at face value and not over think it. Pay close attention to make sure that whatever is communicated to you is not in violation of the match rules. They can't tell you where you're going to be ranked or even if you are being ranked. I hope you all made your rank list based on your own feelings about the program and whether you think you'd fit in and be happy there for the next 3 or 4 years. The rest will play out the way it's supposed to play out.

Again, don't over think things.
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Definitely agree with this. I think we all wonder (applicants and programs alike) what it means when we receive an email, especially with the rules forbidding programs from explicitly saying what you really think/feel about an applicant. I do think a lot of programs do what you mentioned... offer to answer any further questions... but obviously others take it a little closer to the edge. It's hard to figure but in the end I never have let the contacts influence my choices. It's nice to know if there is anything to them or not but in the end it's really just more info gathering at this point.
 
QuackaDO said:
Definitely agree with this. I think we all wonder (applicants and programs alike) what it means when we receive an email, especially with the rules forbidding programs from explicitly saying what you really think/feel about an applicant. I do think a lot of programs do what you mentioned... offer to answer any further questions... but obviously others take it a little closer to the edge. It's hard to figure but in the end I never have let the contacts influence my choices. It's nice to know if there is anything to them or not but in the end it's really just more info gathering at this point.
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I didn't realize that programs aren't allowed to say "you're ranked to match..." Did some quick looking around on the NRMP site and can't see a reference to this particular infraction. So is that in fact the case?
 
golghiapparatus said:
I didn't realize that programs aren't allowed to say "you're ranked to match..." Did some quick looking around on the NRMP site and can't see a reference to this particular infraction. So is that in fact the case?
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I think that's kind of a gray area as I understand it (or maybe it's not and I just don't know). I don't think they can tell you that you're #1 or that you're #15 or whatever but I think they can say "ranked to match" cuz it's not specific but not sure. I guess it's kinda circumventing the rules cuz they aren't out and out telling you a number really. I don't know if all this is the case but I've heard stories of programs saying that many times (although I didn't hear anything like that myself, lol) so I guess it's not completely against the rules or there would be a LOT of places in trouble.
 
Yeah, that grey area seems to be pretty wide. One of my friends going into surgery says he was asked "If you were to put down on a map all the places you applied, would you be able to see an outline of the US?"
 
Sigh, they're allowed to tell you whatever they want. They just aren't allowed to ask you about your ranking.

That being said, it is all meaningless except for an exceedingly small number of people.
 
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