Asking me why I didn't rank them when I did...

[buckley]

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Hi! I received a very odd mail today from my top choice (where I didn't match in). They were asking me why I did not rank them highly and how they could improve their recruitment process??!? I don't know how to say..."ummm i actually did, but you didn't rank me highly" without sounding rude.
I was thinking maybe they just send it out generic---I have no idea up to where they matched their list, I just know that if they ranked me high enough, I would have gone to them. Right? Anybody had the same experience? So weird. But I don't want to be impolite and just ignore it because they did enclose an addressed envelope. Not to mention, I'd like to keep my options open come fellowship application season. hahaha

 

[mlw03]

be honest. you worry about seeming rude, but what they've done seems rude to me. a way to make your point without being so rude is to simply say, "i was quite impressed with your program, so much that I ranked it #1 on my ROL. I was disappointed not to match at your program."

 

[yaah]

It's not rude. You reply to them and say you aren't sure what they mean since you ranked them #1. Personally, I would ask them for clarification!

 

[PediBoneDoc]

buckley,

it is very common for programs to send out a letter like the one you received. it is a generic letter and has no relation to where you ranked. they are just trying to improve their recruitment process. they are looking for an applicant's perspective of the program. (perceived strengths and weaknesses, bad interview day, location, etc) it is just data collection.

 

[HCE]

buckley,

it is very common for programs to send out a letter like the one you received. it is a generic letter and has no relation to where you ranked. they are just trying to improve their recruitment process. they are looking for an applicant's perspective of the program. (perceived strengths and weaknesses, bad interview day, location, etc) it is just data collection.

If it is as you state, and they ask generically why you didn't rank them highly, when they know some people receiving these letters did in fact rank them highly, then I agree with the previous poster...this is just plain rude and lazy. 👎

 

[debuub]

The absolute gaul of this PD.

You don't have to reply.
You are not obligated to explain to any PD why you didn't rank their program.

PDs don't inform unmatched applicants why they didn't rank them or why they didn't rank them higher, even when asked.

Frankly, I say give the arrogant bastard the bird.

 

[Top Gun]

Hi! I received a very odd mail today from my top choice (where I didn't match in). They were asking me why I did not rank them highly and how they could improve their recruitment process??!? I don't know how to say..."ummm i actually did, but you didn't rank me highly" without sounding rude.
I was thinking maybe they just send it out generic---I have no idea up to where they matched their list, I just know that if they ranked me high enough, I would have gone to them. Right? Anybody had the same experience? So weird. But I don't want to be impolite and just ignore it because they did enclose an addressed envelope. Not to mention, I'd like to keep my options open come fellowship application season. hahaha

Sounds pretty rude to me too, this letter from the program. You don't have to reply to them. Its not your fault you didn't match there. The program is the one that didn't rank you high enough. You were the one that actually ranked them #1. Its their problem. I would understand if this letter was coming from a program lower on your ROL, but not from your top choice.
Also, you should probably be glad you didn't match at your top choice. Had you matched there, you could very well have ended up working for a bunch of rude and malignant individuals who don't give a crap about their residents. Not saying that this is necessarily the case, but that is the impression I get from their letter.

 

[minstral]

Respond with
"Letters like this make me glad a did not match with you, despite initially hoping I would"

in all seriousness though. people move around, people have long memories. You may one day want to do fellowship there, or someone you clicked with is suddenly in chareg somewhere else you want to pursue.
Probably best to ignore it or simply say I had your prgram very highly ranked as well as teh program I will be joining.... no need to tell them any more

 

[buckley]

Thanks for the replies and the PM's 🙂 Glad to hear I wasn't alone. For a moment there, I think a part of me was believing maybe my top choice really wanted me...and the fates just intervened

I think it is a generic mail--maybe it is lazy of them--because there are quite a number who received the same. It's actually from quite a popular University program, and I guess I'd give them the benefit of the doubt that they interviewed a great many applicants. Too many to keep track of where they actually ranked us, I guess.

I wasn't really offended. I just found it odd, and couldn't think of what to reply.

I agree that it's so unfair that we don't get to ask programs why-you-did-not-rank-us, but I guess that's just the fact that we are the applicants and they are the "employers" 🙂

 

[velo]

Thanks for the replies and the PM's 🙂 Glad to hear I wasn't alone. For a moment there, I think a part of me was believing maybe my top choice really wanted me...and the fates just intervened

I think it is a generic mail--maybe it is lazy of them--because there are quite a number who received the same. It's actually from quite a popular University program, and I guess I'd give them the benefit of the doubt that they interviewed a great many applicants. Too many to keep track of where they actually ranked us, I guess.

I wasn't really offended. I just found it odd, and couldn't think of what to reply.

I agree that it's so unfair that we don't get to ask programs why-you-did-not-rank-us, but I guess that's just the fact that we are the applicants and they are the "employers" 🙂

Oh yeah I think the surveys are pretty generic. I got one from just about every program where I interviewed--including the program where I matched! They all seem pretty generically worded so that they could be sent out to people who matched there, people who matched at a lower ranked program, and people who didn't rank them highly.

 

[testerman]

One more thought: After the Match, the program was notified where you matched. If you did not tell them they were definitely your #1, then I don't think they can actually know for sure whether you ranked your matched program higher than them or not. --T

 

[yippyskippy]

true. but if they took a few minutes, they could see who was in their incoming class, compare it to the rank list, see how far the rank list they went, and only send the "why didn't you rank us higher" to the ones above that point on the list... and just send a normal survey to the rest. though this may be more labor intensive than it sounds - who knows?

 

[Faebinder]

Here is what you do..

Dont send them the survey. That's the best way of venting out because if you send them the finger on paper, they will try and know who you are and it will badly influence future applicants of your school. On the other hand, if you send them a true survey they will benefit from the information.

So don't send them the survey and toss it in the trash.

 

[Samoa]

It's not rude. You reply to them and say you aren't sure what they mean since you ranked them #1. Personally, I would ask them for clarification!

I agree with this approach. If the question really is "why didn't you rank us higher?" then I think it's fair to infer that they intended to rank you highly enough to match there unless you matched somewhere higher on your list. Otherwise the question would be more vague, like "what factors affected your ranking of this program, what can we improve, etc?"

Maybe someone in their office made a mistake. It happens. Although there's not much to be done about it now, since it wouldn't have been the NRMP's mistake. But it'd be comforting to know.

Sending a nasty reply is just childish. Ignoring it leaves your question unanswered, and if it was MY #1, I'd want to know.

 

[buckley]

I answered it candidly saying "Actually, I would have loved to match at your program. You did a good job selling the program to me--the interview was well organized, appreciated the hotel, your program was superb, outstanding faculty...blahblahblah" I just didn't have the heart to ask, "so why didn't you rank me highly?" A girl's gotta have some pride. teeheehee besides, i love my program now and realize that maybe i'm not such a big city girl. it's only the double move that's daunting, but as Tim Gunn says "make it work..."