Ask PD, PC or both?

[medhead1990]

I am in a three year accelerated medical program, and would like to contact a few PD's to ask if they would consider a student under those circumstances. Is this a question I should shoot straight to the PD's or should I float that question by the PC's. I will also ask a few questions about what (if any) specific things these individual programs look for in an applicant, that I may be able to keep in mind for the next year or so, to bolster my application.

Punchline: specifics about application considerations. Do I ask PD's or PC's or both?

Thanks in advance!

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[gutonc]

Will you graduate with a medical degree? If so, then it really doesn't matter.

 

[medhead1990]

OK great to know! I know we have had a student in the past who was told they would not be considered by a PD or two because he was coming from our program.

As a side note, i am also considering using the concern of the as a segway into asking what they would prefer to see in an applicant, as I still have a little while to beef up my application.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Assuming you are graduating from a school in the US I am not sure what you are asking - you would be an applicant just like anyone else, with the same medical degree as a 4 year graduate (please correct me if I am wrong). Good grades, good interest in the field, good letters, good interviewer.

If you are outside of the US, in particular if you are at a non-accredited Caribbean (or elsewhere) school then it definitely raises concerns. And looking at your above post I wonder if that's the case.

 

[gutonc]

Yeah...I kind of assumed the OP was coming from a US MD school. If that's not the case, then my advice may be bad.

Not as bad as using one of these to get more information from a PD though.

You might want to use it as a segue instead.

 

[medhead1990]

Nope US grad, just a little neurotic i guess.

Thanks for the heads up, I was thinking going into an interview on one of those would really help set me apart but on second thought maybe not. =)

 

[gutonc]

Nope US grad, just a little neurotic i guess.

Very neurotic.

You should be talking to the advisers at your school at this point.

 

[IMPD]

OK great to know! I know we have had a student in the past who was told they would not be considered by a PD or two because he was coming from our program.

As a side note, i am also considering using the concern of the as a segway into asking what they would prefer to see in an applicant, as I still have a little while to beef up my application.

Good luck to the OP. You will likely be just fine.

I just wanted to take a moment to say how much I hate the "what do you want in an applicant" email. Just apply to my GD program. The question is not answerable, or, conversely, if it is answerable, it's too late for you to do anything about it.

Look at it this way. Remember when you thought about asking a girl out in middle/high school and thought - what if I could ask her what she would say if I asked her out, without actually asking her out. Yeah. That didn't work out. Either you asked her out or lived with your regret the rest of your life.

 

[Raryn]

Another point is that, on the scale of things, ERAS applications are really, really cheap. Even at their most expensive pricepoint, when you're applying to 31+ programs, the marginal cost of adding a program is $25. If there's 5 or even 10 programs that you're not sure about whether you can get an interview for but you think you might be a good fit with... spend the $125-250 and apply to them. Worst case scenario you don't get the interview. Compared to med school applications (or med school tuition, or board exams, or interviews, or anything else really), adding a handful of programs is chump change.

 

[medhead1990]

great perspectives thanks everyone!

 

[Suit]

Interested in primary care? You're fine! If you were applying for anything more competitive I'd be a little more worried because i think the way some 3 year programs are structured, you don't have electives (gotta cut something from curriculum to graduate in 3 years). Also accelerated path makes it harder to work on cv and get summer research.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

As a side note, i am also considering using the concern of the as a segway into asking what they would prefer to see in an applicant, as I still have a little while to beef up my application.

+1 to IMPD. You aren't being clever here. You're being annoying.

 

[medhead1990]

Interested in primary care? You're fine! If you were applying for anything more competitive I'd be a little more worried because i think the way some 3 year programs are structured, you don't have electives (gotta cut something from curriculum to graduate in 3 years). Also accelerated path makes it harder to work on cv and get summer research.

Well im actually looking to do a

+1 to IMPD. You aren't being clever here. You're being annoying.

Thanks for the feedback. Good to know, i'm glad there is sdn to ask things like before being a nuisance.

 

[Saharsima]

I have a question.
I have a chronic rheumatologic disease. It is not debilitating and it is under control. I am thinking about mentioning this issue it in my personal statement for radiology to highlight the challenges I've had and how I have managed this. Although, I am not sure if this issue would hurt me or not? Do the PDs consider my illness as a risk or disadvantage?

Thank you

 

[medhead1990]

I have a question.
I have a chronic rheumatologic disease. It is not debilitating and it is under control. I am thinking about mentioning this issue it in my personal statement for radiology to highlight the challenges I've had and how I have managed this. Although, I am not sure if this issue would hurt me or not? Do the PDs consider my illness as a risk or disadvantage?

Thank you

you may want to make this its own thread this one does not get very much traffic and should probably be closed... good luck, i say its a strength but what do i know.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

It's a mixed bag. Most people will not care, and if it makes an interesting story would be good for your PS. Some number of PD's will read your story and be concerned that you might end up needing an LOA, or some sort of chronic accommodation because of your disability. The likelihood of them worrying is directly proportional to the number of times they have experienced this in the past. They might decide to skip over you for someone without the (potential) issue. Seems bad, and it's illegal, but there's little you can do about it. Ultimately though, perhaps you're better off at a program that knows about your issue such that, if it does become an active problem, they are more likely to help support you through it.