Can they do that?

[Perseus]

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I don’t ever post on these things but am really glad that everyone else does. It’s been really helpful. So thank you very much.
Anyhow my question needs to be prefaced first. I am almost an average ophtho applicant and went on 10 interviews. I happened to go to a place, which will remain unnamed by me, that I ended up liking. I was surprised by a phone call from the PD a few weeks after the interview and he/she said that they were glad to have me interview with them and that they were very impressed by me and so on. They also said that they had contacted their top 15 or so interviewed applicants to tell them essentially the same stuff. I soon after got a letter via snail mail saying that they would be delighted to train me as a resident and feel that I would be a great fit there. Never did they say where my rank would be, nor did I. But they did say that they were planning on ranking me highly. I was a little flattered and confused. I thought to my self, is this kosher? I never contacted them and I thought that they could only respond to my inquiries, but not initiate contact. Plus how do I know that this isn’t just a ruse to get everyone to rank them higher then what they might otherwise? Obviously the integrity of the program is in question.
So I am curious to see how many other people have had this, or something similar, and how common place it may be? Are there more than 15 of us? Has this happened to the same applicant by more than one program? etc.

Thanks

 

[Hook17]

I've gotten mail and email but no phone calls.

 

[JMK2005]

My understanding is that the program cannot initiate contact with you, but you as the applicant can contact them and they are able to respond.

If you are annoyed enough, you can report them. I'd probably just respond nicely and say you were impressed with them as well and then rank them where they would have ended up trying to not factor in their comments. There's no advantage to you to rank them any higher.

 

[MR1]

Here in lies the "we plan to rank you highly". They told you they informed their top 15. Well if they only have 3 spots and rank you #15, that isn't saying much IMHO.

My take on the rules were that programs couldn't promise you a spot or try and give you one outside the match. Here they really didn't tell you anything except they liked you. I wouldn't worry about the integrity of the program, again they did not promise you a spot and they flat out told you they contacted 14 others.

Do not chance you rank list based on this, put them where you were going to in the first place.

 

[fluffyspot]

i didn't realize this happened...do a lot of programs do this for their top applicants?

 

[ablumoon]

I've never heard about this happening and I highly doubt the top 10 would do this; it would probably put the integrity of their program into question. I've been told vague things like "I hope we match" and "We think highly of you," but my friends who applied last year that all of this is irrelevant unless they put something in writing such as, "We will rank you to match"-- which, legally, may put them in a bind if you don't match there and you put them #1.

My understanding is that ophthalmology programs play by the rules more strictly than any specialty.. my friends applying in Derm, Rad Onc, and Radiology have been told by programs that they will be ranking them highly/ranking them to match, etc. but never in ophtho. I think we're the few people who will have to wait 🙂

 

[Visionary]

Trust no one. Submit your rank list based on where you want to go and not based on anything you are told. The programs are looking out for themselves, not you. Programs that can fill their classes without having to go very far down their rank lists use that as a feather in the cap for future recruiting. It suggests to applicants that their program is in high demand. The top programs are already in high demand, so they have no need to try and "fix" their lists.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

I don’t ever post on these things but am really glad that everyone else does. It’s been really helpful. So thank you very much.
Anyhow my question needs to be prefaced first. I am almost an average ophtho applicant and went on 10 interviews. I happened to go to a place, which will remain unnamed by me, that I ended up liking. I was surprised by a phone call from the PD a few weeks after the interview and he/she said that they were glad to have me interview with them and that they were very impressed by me and so on. They also said that they had contacted their top 15 or so interviewed applicants to tell them essentially the same stuff. I soon after got a letter via snail mail saying that they would be delighted to train me as a resident and feel that I would be a great fit there. Never did they say where my rank would be, nor did I. But they did say that they were planning on ranking me highly. I was a little flattered and confused. I thought to my self, is this kosher? I never contacted them and I thought that they could only respond to my inquiries, but not initiate contact. Plus how do I know that this isn’t just a ruse to get everyone to rank them higher then what they might otherwise? Obviously the integrity of the program is in question.
So I am curious to see how many other people have had this, or something similar, and how common place it may be? Are there more than 15 of us? Has this happened to the same applicant by more than one program? etc.

Thanks

Visionary is right. Do not assign this expression any value. Rank the program where you would have ranked it before the call. If they mean what they say, they will rank you highly; trying to game the pool by telling interviewees to rank the program reciprocally highly will serve them better than you.