I accidentally skipped one and apologized blaming time zones and it wasn't a big deal at all. I'm running into that as well where between the website, social hour, presentation, and like the first interview all questions I have are answered so I ask all the cliche ones. But when most programs ramped up their websites to account for COVID, either I ask questions I know the answer to or I ask the cliche nonsense ones
I got grilled by a PD about why I missed one. That ones going to the bottom of the list lol.
oh its definitely something you SHOULD go to unless you have a good excuse, but even this year you can make up pretty much any excuse from "other engagements" to "computer issues"
No I haven’t skipped anything that was optional. However, less than half of my interviews have had any optional social.
I zoned out and missed the one at my home institution. I didn't send an apology, because I believe it was completely optional and I'd just been through a full day of interviews with them. Trying to not miss any others though (unless I get a vibe from the interview day that it's really a program I wouldn't want to go to, but haven't had that experience yet).
someone asked a PC on the reddit spreadsheet i'm on and she said they don't keep track so you're good!
what ... that's crazy! how they know? :O
Not to freak people out who deliberately or accidentally didn’t attend, but I always figured even if they don’t track attendance officially, it could subconsciously affect their impression of you. Even if it’s just missing out on a resident more fiercely advocating for you when ranking comes around.
I asked a generic “What do like about [city X]?” Or something like that. It was something about the town and not program specific and the PD answered but then was all like “Did you not go to the social with the residents?”
What a douche. Too big for his britches lol
Sometimes you have to read people and tailor questions specific to their roles. I don't ask PD or chair this question “What do you like about [city X]?” They have the leader complex...they want to be asked more about their programs, their roles, and their leadership style etc...
Eh, no resident is advocating for an applicant based on a Zoom happy hour
Ye. I don't think the residents (outside of chief residents who interview) can really move you upward much. They mostly have the power to say, hey we hated this person please don't rank them highly, and drop your rank.
those are so awkward so glad some of the programs i'm interviewing at decided to just use the resident meet and greet during the day of
Well...wait until you interview at surgical subspecialty and top programs...the god complex and hierarchy is high. It is always best to play it safe.
Yeah that’s a massive red flag. Depending on the situation I was in interview wise I would seriously debate even ranking the program
Ya sure, for an applicant who did not seem to interest enough to get to know the program and the resident (not attending the meet and greet)...and have nothing else to ask about the program but what do you like about the location...it may be a red flag for the program as well...It is a two-way process.
For reference, it was one of those situations where I’d been carrying the conversation the entire way through and had asked those typical questions already and was just trying to be conversational. They have a meet and greet every week that was supposed to be optional and I had planned to attend the next one.
He could have easily answered the question and then say something like make sure to ask the residents too/did the residents have any good answers for that question?
"If"...no one passed a surg sub at a T10 for a simple thing like this....hahahah...because guess what? It is better than ending up at a ****ter place with terrible operative training. But you are welcome to rank it lower...I am sure there are other applicants would fight for that opportunity.
This, honestly. Not to mention with the surg specialties high ranking does not equal good operative experience, like at all. Ive met residents at “bottom20” programs per doximity that are miles better than residents of their same class at “top20” programs.
You all feel free to rank top programs lower...True is, no top programs go unfilled...so I will take the spot anytime.
Residency is hard enough... dont rank a program high only because of its prestige if you’re going to hate your life for years on end.
If you can’t have a normal conversation with an applicant that’s a red flag, full stop. It’s a very reasonable question for anyone, particularly in COVID where you can’t, you know, actually be there.
I am currently struggling with this very concept. Not even malignant programs, but I interviewed at a community program I fell in love with for a large number of reasons. Now I have this crisis every day going over whether or not I will rank it above the well known academic programs I have, and they are all non-malignant and have great reputations culture and training wise.
Which specialty?
If I really want to learn about a place,I am not sure it is the best to learn from few people's point of views. Believe it or not, nowadays you can learn about a place easily through the net...so no...definitely not worth taking the risk and ask PD/chair these randoms questions. It is more appropriate for residents/junior faculties. For those senior faculties/PD/chair, they are usually very well-accomplished, there are so much more to learn about them than what do you like about the location.
If you want to do a fellowship other than trauma, probably rank the higher programs.
Interestingly, several programs I'm looking at have relocation allowances....they're meager but better than nothing. One gives a 0% relocation loan you repay out of your paycheck, which is kinda cheap. One place gives a relocation allowance only if you're moving from further than 100 miles away.....so you're SOL if you happen to already live in that city.
No I'm doing them all. I rushed home after 12 hours in the OR today to do one this evening in fact....and it was for the program I auditioned at. I still learned new info about the place, so I'm glad I attended.
Please stop. I have asked nearly every PD and APD ("very well-accomplished" or not) how they feel about the location. I've gotten good insight into places based on their answers. I ask the residents the same questions if I have time. You're saying you'd rather "learn about a place easily through the net"? Come on. Its better to ask the people who, you know, actually live and work there. It almost sounds like you think that question is beneath them.
Sure. Go ask Pd/chair at one of sub surgical specialty at one of those top programs. Obviously not every PD/chair take it positively as evidenced by what happened to OP.
Every time you criticize or blatantly say that every one else’s opinion is wrong, then if anyone throws it back at ya you get defensive cmon now
Did I say everyone were wrong lol? Obviously we have different opinions. Why do you think I even care enough to get defensive? Is it my interview? Nope. Is it my career? Nope. 🤣
Thats exactly what @AnatomyGrey12 was saying up there. If a PD takes a simple question about location negatively, that is a red flag.
Oh god, literally today as I was reading this forum I accidentally missed a mandatory session (at least it wasn't a 1:1 interview) for a residency interview. It's not even the half-way point yet and I'm clearly starting to be burnt out on zoom interviews. OK, less time here and more time actually reading the detailed schedules/ multiple emails/ attachments that programs send so I don't do this again....
and yet, here you are derailing the thread again to chastise people repeatedly for not sharing your opinion.
Yeah this is the big hang up I have. It has nothing to do with training, but going to the community program will close some doors in that regard.
Surgery
