Applicant vetting

[dermal]

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Do programs contact your home program check out applicants or do they rely on the application and interview only?

 

[MadHopsMD]

They use everything. Including facebook, twitter, instagram, whats app. lol

 

[secants]

Interesting, half my interviewers didn't even read my application/PS so hard to believe they would go the extra mile unless you're highly desired.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Interesting, half my interviewers didn't even read my application/PS so hard to believe they would go the extra mile unless you're highly desired.

I wouldn't conflate the preparation an interviewer puts into reading your PS with the level of care the PD puts in.

As to the OPs question - varies a lot by specialty and by program. But in my field I would say it happens more than you might think, although usually it's in a very casual fashion (two PDs running into each other at a conference and one says - hey I interviewed that kid jimmy last week, is he the real deal?)

 

[Winged Scapula]

IMHO contacting former faculty generally happens if there is a problem sensed. When I was a fellow, we received an app from someone who had done a Prelim year at my residency program. Something in the LOR from her current PD was "off" (it was sort of a read between the lines phrase) and my PD came to me and asked if he should contact this other PD about this applicant.

 

[Phosphorus Ylide]

I wrote about blogging in my hobbies/interests section and it came up multiple times during my interviews. Google analytics also told me people were searching for me online. It was kind of amusing to be interviewing somewhere and see that someone from that city searched for me the night before and also what search terms they used.

 

[lockjaw]

Faculty on our selection committee frequently talked with contacts they had at other programs in our region to get an honest assessment of applicants and who might fit in well in our program. Also, our selection committee probably contacted letter writers of about 10% of our applicants to get more information; this was typically done if it was someone who had some subtle red flags in their application that we were hoping to get some elaboration on. I'm not aware of any Twitter/Facebook searching at my program.