Ask PI to vouch for me

[bigboss18]

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So the PI I work for knows the dean at a school I'm applying to (that I haven't gotten an II for). I kind of asked him about this a while back, and he told me something like "oh yeah I know that guy. Not too well though, but I've talked to him a couple times".
The school I'm applying to has given out almost all of its interviews, so I was wondering if I should ask my PI to talk to/email the dean and vouch for me. Should I ask him to do this? I do already have a letter of rec from him, so not sure how much this will help. Also not sure how the dean will perceive this, since he only knows my PI a bit.

 

[Goro]

It won't do anything.

 

[deleted480308]

Nope

 

[CloverBale]

Doesn't work :'( My S/O knows the former dean of admissions of a UC school here, called him up, and he couldn't do zilch. Got a big fat R instead.

 

[DrLightning]

I say go for it! What do you have to lose? It'll do nothing at worst and possibly get you an II. Every dean is different. Use your connections!

 

[HomeSkool]

If he's already written you a letter, then he's done what he can do. What more could he say? "Pretty pretty please"?

 

[Carmiche]

Probably will not be effective given that their relationship does not seem strong, and your PI already wrote you a letter.

Doesn't work :'( My S/O knows the former dean of admissions of a UC school here, called him up, and he couldn't do zilch. Got a big fat R instead.

Considering it was the former dean.. of course he couldn't.

 

[CloverBale]

Probably will not be effective given that their relationship does not seem strong, and your PI already wrote you a letter.



Considering it was the former dean.. of course he couldn't.

He was like, last year's dean..so it's not like he didn't know the people there.

 

[HomeSkool]

Considering it was the former dean.. of course he couldn't.

You might be surprised how much pull an emeritus dean or renowned alumnus can have. I wouldn't be surprised if the former dean could have done something but declined for fear of opening the floodgates.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Call me crazy, but using connections isn't very fair to applicants who don't have any

 

[Goro]

I say go for it! What do you have to lose? It'll do nothing at worst and possibly get you an II. Every dean is different. Use your connections!

Or it might piss off the Dean enough to tell the Dean of Admissions to deep six the file on that applicant.

At best, the II would lead to a very polite interview, followed by an even more polite spot on the wait list, to be followed at the end of a cycle by an exceedingly polite rejection.

 

[HomeSkool]

Or it might piss off the Dean enough to tell the Dean of Admissions to deep six the file on that applicant.

Do not pass "Go", do not collect $200.

 

[MonkeyArrow]

Call me crazy, but using connections isn't very fair to applicants who don't have any

Life isn't fair. Connections matter more and more the higher you get up. If you don't have your school's program chair vouch for you (especially in competitive residencies), you're at a disadvantage. And what if you don't have a home program? Tough luck.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Call me crazy, but using connections isn't very fair to applicants who don't have any

Hey Crazy-->Life is not always fair. Gonna have to get use to it...

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Hey Crazy-->Life is not always fair. Gonna have to get use to it...

Just because I recognize the unfairness of it doesn't mean I don't have the strength to navigate around it.

I'm merely stating it because some deans may recognize that it's not fair.

 

[DrLightning]

Those were great points made by @gonnif and @Goro. I was merely speaking from my personal experiences with the use of connections.

I work for a clinically oriented lab headed by an MD. Since the interview season took off, my PI has made an effort to introduce me to the colleagues she knows at schools so that I can set up informational interviews, have me go on her behalf to conferences etc... She also bumped into a colleague who is a dean at one of the schools I applied to at a dinner and informed him that I am in the running as a candidate for said school. I was fortunate to have received an interview shortly after that encounter. Of course, I can't definitively say if my PI helped or not.

As a first gen. college student, I've always used to feel as though I have no business in a field like medicine... so I'm really fortunate to have a mentor/advocate in my PI who has unconditionally supported me throughout the process. Is this completely fair? Absolutely not. And I have to say that I feel a slight amount of guilt with the privileges I have been given. However, I also know several of my peers who come from a family of physicians and had no shortage of opportunities when it comes to shadowing different physicians during their educational career. I also know of some who had their letters of recommendations written by a physician who is a close family friend. Unfortunately, I don't see how this aspect of the admissions process could be changed.

TLDR: I have no intention of disagreeing with the wisdom of gonnif and Goro. Use your judgement and best of luck!